Garmin 190-00864-01 Instruction manual

Fishnder 300C
quick start manual

© 2008 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries
Garmin International, Inc.
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Olathe, Kansas 66062, USA
Tel. [phone] or
[phone]
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Garmin (Europe) Ltd.
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Southampton, Hampshire
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Tel. [phone] (outside
the UK)
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Fax [phone]
Garmin Corporation
No. 68, Jangshu 2nd Road,
Shijr, Taipei County, Taiwan
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
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prior written consent of Garmin. Garmin hereby grants permission to download a single copy of this manual
onto a hard drive or other electronic storage medium to be viewed and to print one copy of this manual or of any
revision hereto, provided that such electronic or printed copy of this manual must contain the complete text of
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revision hereto is strictly prohibited.
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its products and to make changes in the content without obligation to notify any person or organization of such
changes or improvements. Visit the Garmin Web site (www.garmin.com) for current updates and supplemental
information concerning the use and operation of this and other Garmin products.
Garmin
®
and Ultrascroll
®
are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries, registered in the USA and other
countries. myGarmin
™
is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. These trademarks may not be used
without the express permission of Garmin.
December 2008 Part Number 190-00864-01 Rev. B Printed in Taiwan
See the Important Safety and Product Information guide in the product box for product warnings
and other important information.

 
Fishnder 300C Tips and
Shortcuts
Press HOME from any screen to
return to the Home screen.
Press MENU from any of the main
screens to access advanced settings.
Press and release the POWER key
to adjust the screen settings.
Manual Conventions
In this manual, when you are instructed
to select an item, either press a button,
or press up or down on the ROCKER to
highlight the item, and then press SELECT.
Small arrows (>) in the text indicate that
you should select each item in order. For
example, if you see “select MENU >
Zoom,” press the MENU button, then press
the up or down arrow on the ROCKER
until Zoom is highlighted, then press
SELECT.
•
•
•
Quick Links
Using the Keypad: page 3
Adjusting the Sonar Settings: page 6
Using the Flasher Screen: page 8
Using the Split Zoom Screen: page 9
Using the Numbers Screen: page 10
Using the Temp Log Screen: page 11
Conguring the Fishnder 300C:
page 12
Initializing the Fishnder 300C: page 16
Appendix: page 15
GettinG Started

 
Turning the Fishnder 300C
On
Press and hold the POWER key until the
Fishnder 300C beeps and the Home screen
appears.
NOTE: When you turn on the Fishnder
300C for the rst time, you must select a
language, units of measure, and a color
scheme (page 16).
To adjust the backlight:
1. Press and release the POWER key.
2. Press left or right on the ROCKER >
SELECT.
To adjust the day/night mode:
1. Press and release the POWER key.
2. Press down on the ROCKER to
highlight the day/night bar.
3. Press left or right on the ROCKER >
SELECT.
Using Simulator Mode
If a transducer is not connected, no data is
shown. Use Simulator Mode to practice and
learn how to use your Fishnder 300C.
CAUTION: When in Simulator Mode, the
depth, temperature, and speed information
do not represent the actual depth, water
temperature, or vessel speed.
To turn on the Simulator Mode:
From the Home screen, select Congure
> System > Simulator > On.

 
BaSic OperatiOn
Using the Fishnder 300C Keypad
POWER/BACKLIGHT—Press and hold to turn the
Fishnder 300C on or off. Press and release to adjust the
backlight and day/night modes.
HOME—Press to return to the Home screen.
ROCKER—Press up, down, left, or right to highlight
elds and enter data.
SELECT—Press to select highlighted items and conrm
on-screen messages.
MENU—Press to access additional settings or to return to
the previous screen.
Understanding the Home Screen
Full Screen—displays a full-screen graph of the sonar readings
(page 4).
Flasher—as an alternative to the full-screen graph, displays a round
asher to indicate the transducer’s sonar readings (page 8).
Split Zoom—displays a split-screen with the normal graph on the
right and a graph zoomed to your preferred level on the left (page 9).
Power/





Power/






 
Numbers—displays a set of data elds to show information numerically (page 10).
Temp Log—displays a customizable graph of the water temperature when using a
compatible transducer or sensor (page 11).
Congure—congures the Fishnder 300C settings (page 12).
Understanding the Full Screen
From the Home screen, select Full Screen to view a full-screen graph of the sonar readings.
The range scale along the right side of the screen displays the depth of detected objects
as the screen scrolls from right to left. The colors indicate relative strengths of the sonar
returns. (When using the white default color scheme, red indicates the strongest return and
black indicates the weakest return.)










 
Range
To set the range of the depth scale
on the right side of the screen:
From the Full screen, press right or left
on the ROCKER to set the depth scale.
Select Auto Range to set the range
automatically, depending on the depth at
your current location.
Or, from the Home screen, select Full
Screen > MENU > Range > Manual
Range. Use the ROCKER to set the
depth scale.
Gain
To adjust the sensitivity (gain) of
the sonar receiver:
1. From the Home screen, select Full
Screen > MENU > Gain.
2. Select Manual Gain or Auto Gain. If
you select Manual Gain, press right
or left on the ROCKER to highlight
the gain, then press SELECT. To see
more detail, increase the gain. If the
screen is cluttered, decrease the gain.
Beam
To select a narrow-beam or
wide-beam sonar angle:
1. From the Home screen, select Full
Screen > MENU > Beam.
2. Select Wide or Narrow. Select Wide
to view a larger area. Select Narrow to
view more detail.
Zoom
To select the screen zoom:
1. From the Home screen, select Full
Screen > MENU > Zoom.
2. Select No Zoom, 2x, or 4x. Select
Bottom Lock to lock the zoom
window to the bottom. Select Split
Zoom to switch to the Split Zoom
screen (page 9).

 
Zoom Depth
Zoom Depth is displayed only when 2x or
4x zoom is selected.
To select the zoom depth:
1. From the Home screen, select Full
Screen > MENU > Zoom Depth.
2. Select Manual Zoom Depth or Auto
Zoom Depth. If you select Manual
Zoom Depth, press right or left on the
ROCKER to adjust the zoom depth
window, then press SELECT.
Depth Line
To reference a specic depth on
the screen:
1. From the Home screen, select Full
Screen > MENU > Depth Line.
2. Select Off or On. If you select On,
press up or down on the ROCKER
to adjust the depth line, then press
SELECT.
Sonar Setup
To change the sonar settings:
From the Home screen, select Full
Screen > MENU > Sonar Setup.
Color Scheme—select White or Blue.
This affects the background on sonar
screens.
Fish Symbols—sets how the sonar
interprets suspended targets.
Suspended targets appear as
symbols with background
information shown, making the distinction
between sh and structure easier.
Suspended targets appear as
symbols with background
information shown. The target depth of
each symbol is also indicated.
Suspended targets appear as
symbols with no background
information shown.
Suspended targets appear as
symbols with no background
information shown. The target depth of
each symbol is indicated.
Scroll Speed—adjusts the rate at
which the sonar scrolls from right
to left (Ultrascroll, Fast, Medium,
or Slow). If using a speed-capable
transducer, select Auto to have the
scroll speed automatically adjust to the
water speed of the boat.
•
•
•

 
Surface Noise—shows or hides the sonar returns near the surface of the water. Hide
surface noise to help reduce visual clutter.
Whiteline—highlights the strongest signal from the bottom to help identify the
hardness or softness of the targets. High is the most sensitive setting. Almost all
strong returns are highlighted in white. With a Low setting, only the strongest returns
are highlighted in white.
Keel Offset (visible only if a speed wheel is not attached; see Transducer, below, if
a speed wheel is attached)—offsets the surface reading for the depth of a keel so you
can measure depth from the bottom of the boat keel instead of from the transducer.
Enter a positive number to offset for a keel. You can enter a negative number to
compensate for a large vessel that may draw several feet of water. Use the ROCKER
to adjust the offset, then press SELECT.
Transducer at Surface



Transducer at Bottom
of Keel


Transducer (visible only if a speed wheel is attached)—Select Keel Offset to offset
for the depth of a keel. Set as described above.
Select Calibrate Water Speed to calibrate a speed-sensing transducer or separate
speed wheel. Follow the on-screen directions for calibration.
Numbers—shows or hides water temperature, water speed (if you have a speed-
sensing transducer or a separate speed wheel), and battery voltage.
•
•
•
•
•

 
Understanding the Flasher
Screen
From the Home screen, select Flasher to
display sonar information on a circular depth
scale. The scale indicates what is beneath
your boat. It is organized as a ring that starts
at the top and progresses clockwise. Sonar
information ashes on the ring when it is
received at the depth indicated. The colors
indicate different strengths of the sonar
return. (When using the white default color
scheme, red indicates the strongest return,
blue indicates the weakest return, and white
indicates no return.)





Press MENU to change the range, gain,
beam, and sonar settings, as described
starting on page 5.

 
Understanding the Split Zoom Screen
From the Home screen, select Split Zoom to view the full sonar data and a zoomed portion
on the same screen.










Press MENU to change the range, gain, beam, zoom, depth line, and sonar settings, as
described starting on page 5.

 
Understanding the Numbers Screen
The Numbers screen displays numeric information instead of a graph. The information
shown is determined by the capabilities of your transducer.
All sonar transducers display depth. Temperature-capable transducers display the Water
Temp eld. Speed-capable transducers or separate speed wheels display the Water Speed and
Odometer elds.
To reset the odometer to zero:
From the Home screen, select Numbers > MENU > Reset Odometer > Yes.

 
Understanding the Temp Log Screen
If you are using a temperature-capable transducer, the Temp Log screen keeps a graphic log
of temperatures. The graph scrolls to the left as information is received.






Duration
To adjust the time scale of the graph:
1. From the Home screen, select Temp Log > MENU > Duration.
2. Press up or down on the ROCKER, then press SELECT.
To adjust the temperature scale of the graph:
1. From the Home screen, select Temp Log > MENU > Scale.
2. Press up or down on the ROCKER to select the temperature range, then press
SELECT.

 
Understanding the
Congure Screen
The Congure screen contains options
to dene and adjust universal shnder
settings.
Alarms
To set the Fishnder 300C to sound
an audible alarm:
From the Home screen, select Congure
> Alarms.
Shallow Water—sets an alarm to
sound when the depth is less than
the specied value. If you select On,
press up or down on the ROCKER to
select the minimum depth, then press
SELECT.
Deep Water—sets an alarm to sound
when the depth is greater than the
specied value. If you select On,
press up or down on the ROCKER to
select the maximum depth, then press
SELECT.
Fish—sets an alarm to sound
when the Fishnder 300C detects
a suspended target of the specied
symbols.
Sounds an alarm for all
sh sizes.
Sounds an alarm solely
for medium and large
sh.
Sounds an alarm solely
for large sh.
•
•
•

 
Water Temp—sets an alarm to
sound when the transducer reports a
temperature that is 2°F (1.1°C) above
or below the specied temperature.
If you select On, press up or down
on the ROCKER to select the
temperature, then press SELECT.
Battery—sets an alarm to sound when
the battery reaches a user-determined
minimum voltage. If you select On,
press up or down on the ROCKER to
select the minimum battery voltage,
then press SELECT.
Drift—sets an alarm to sound when
the depth changes by the value
specied. If you select On, press up
or down on the ROCKER to select the
change in drift, then press SELECT.
Display
To adjust the backlight or switch
between day and night modes:
From the Home screen, select Congure
> Display.
Backlight—press left or right on the
ROCKER.
•
•
•
•
Day/Night Mode—press down on the
ROCKER to highlight the Day/Night
bar. Press left or right on the ROCKER
to switch between day and night
mode.
Sonar
To change the sonar settings:
From the Home screen, select Congure
> Sonar. Change the sonar settings as
described starting on page 6.
System
To change the system settings:
From the Home screen, select Congure
> System.
Beeper—sets beeps to sound during
alarms (page 12) or when keys are
pressed. Select Off, Alarms Only, or
On (Keys & Alarms).
Simulator—allows you to practice with
or without a transducer.
NMEA Output—allows the Fishnder
300C to transmit information to other
NMEA 0183-compatible electronic
equipment.
•
•
•
•

 
Auto Power-on—sets the Fishnder
300C to automatically turn on
whenever power is reapplied after a
loss of power. The Fishnder 300C
does not automatically turn on if it was
turned off with the POWER key.
Language—allows you to select the
on-screen language.
System Information—displays
software version information and the
Fishnder 300C ID number.
Factory Settings—deletes all
adjusted settings and turns the
Fishnder 300C off. When you power
the Fishnder 300C back on, you
must recongure the initial settings
(page 16).
•
•
•
•
Units
To change the units of measure:
From the Home screen, select Congure
> Units.
Depth—select Feet (ft), Meters (m),
or Fathoms (fa).
Water Temp—select Fahrenheit (°F)
or Celsius (°C). (Available only with
temperature-capable transducers.)
Water Speed—select Miles/Hour
(mh), Kilometers/Hour (kh), or Knots
(kt). (Available only with speed-
capable transducers or separate
speed wheels.)
Distance—select Statute (mi), Metric
(km), or Nautical (nm). (Available only
with speed-capable transducers.)
•
•
•
•

 
Specications
Physical Specications
Size: 4
1
/
2
" H × 4
1
/
2
" W × 2
3
/
8
" D
(11.43 cm × 11.43 cm × 6.03 cm)
Weight: 9.7 oz. (275 grams),
12.9 oz. (365 grams) with bail mount
Display: 3
1
/
2
" diagonal (8.89 cm),
QVGA display with adjustable
brightness, 320 × 240 pixels, capable of
4,096 colors
Case: Fully gasketed, high-impact
plastic alloy, waterproof to IEC 529
IPX7 standards
Temperature Range: From 5ºF to
131ºF (from -15ºC to 55ºC)
Power Source: 10–33 Vdc
Fuse: AGC/3AG – 3.0 A
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sonar
Power: 150 W (RMS), 1,200 W (peak-
to-peak)
Sonar Voltage Range: 10–20 Vdc
Frequency: 80/200 kHz
Depth: 900 feet (275 meters) (Depth
capacity is dependent on water
salinity, bottom type, and other water
conditions.)
•
•
•
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appendix

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Initializing Fishnder 300C
Settings
The rst time you turn your Fishnder
300C on, you must congure a series of
initial settings. These settings must also be
congured when restoring factory settings
(page 14). Each of these settings can be
changed later using either the Sonar Setup
screen (Color Scheme) or the Congure
screen (Language and Units).
To initialize your Fishnder 300C
settings:
1. Language—select the on-screen
language.
2. Units—select Statute (mh, ft, °F),
Metric (kh, m, °C), or Nautical (kt, ft,
°F).
3. Color Scheme—select White or Blue
as the background on sonar screens.
4. Select OK.
Alarms and Messages
The Fishnder 300C uses an on-screen
message system to alert you to operating
characteristics. When a message appears,
press SELECT to acknowledge the message
and return to the screen you were viewing.
Battery Alarm—battery voltage has fallen
below the value entered in the battery-alarm
screen (Congure > Alarms > Battery >
On).
Battery Voltage Is Too High—The input
voltage is too high. The Fishnder 300C will
shut off in 10 seconds. Decrease the input
voltage to 33 volts or less.
Boat Is Not Moving Fast Enough to
Calibrate—the boat is not moving fast
enough for the speed wheel to provide a
valid speed.
Can’t Read Voltages That High, Limited
to Top of Range—the battery-alarm screen
voltage value is higher than the Fishnder
300C can read.

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Can’t Read Voltages That Low, Limited
to Bottom of Range—the battery-alarm
screen voltage value is lower than the
voltage at which the Fishnder 300C
automatically turns off.
Deep-Water Alarm—the deep-water alarm
depth (Congure > Alarms > Deep Water
> On) has been reached.
Drift Alarm—the depth has changed by the
amount on the drift-alarm screen (Congure
> Alarms > Drift > On).
Entering (Leaving) Target Water
Temperature—the target water temperature
is 2°F (1.1°C) above or below the water
temperature alarm (Congure > Alarms >
Water Temp > On). These messages appear
when you enter or leave that zone.
Fish Alarm—an icon appears (page 12)
and a beep sounds (if enabled) when a sh
is detected. This alarm does not show a
message banner.
Shallow-Water Alarm—the shallow-water
alarm depth (Congure > Alarms >
Shallow Water > On) has been reached.
Simulating Operation—the Fishnder
300C is in simulator mode.
Sonar Disabled Due to High Voltage.
Please Check Unit Voltage—the Fishnder
300C voltage is greater than 20 volts. Check
the battery voltage (Congure > Numbers).
Turn the Fishnder 300C off and back on
again to restore the sonar.
Sonar Failed, Unit Needs Repair—there
is an internal problem with the Fishnder
300C. Contact your dealer or Garmin
Product Support to have the Fishnder 300C
serviced.
Transducer Disconnected, Sonar Turned
Off—the transducer or cable are not
attached or need repair. If the transducer
cable is removed while the Fishnder 300C
is on, reconnect and cycle power.
Water Speed Sensor Is Not Working—the
speed sensor is not detected. Check the
connections.

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Product Registration
Help us better support you by completing
our online registration today. Go to
http://my.garmin.com. Keep the original
sales receipt, or a photocopy, in a safe place.
Contact Garmin
Contact Garmin Product Support if you
have any questions while using your
Fishnder 300C. In the USA, go to
www.garmin.com/support, or contact
Garmin USA by phone at [phone] or
[phone].
In the UK, contact Garmin (Europe) Ltd. by
phone at 0808 2380000.
In Europe, go to www.garmin.com/
support and click Contact Support for
in-country support information, or contact
Garmin (Europe) Ltd. by phone at +44 (0)
870.8501241.
Declaration of Conformity
(DoC)
Hereby, Garmin, declares that this
Fishnder 300C is in compliance with the
essential requirements and other relevant
provisions of Directive 1999/5/EC.
To view the full Declaration of Conformity,
see the Garmin Web site for your Garmin
product: www.garmin.com.