Humminbird 325 User manual

531724-1_A
325 Operations Manual
325 Operations Manual

Thank You!
Thank you for choosing Humminbird®, America’s #1 name in fishfinders.
Humminbird® has built its reputation by designing and manufacturing
top-quality, thoroughly reliable marine equipment. Your Humminbird® is
designed for trouble-free use in even the harshest marine environment. In
the unlikely event that your Humminbird® does require repairs, we offer an
exclusive Service Policy - free of charge during the first year after purchase,
and available at a reasonable rate after the one-year period. For complete
details, see the separate warranty card included with your unit. We
encourage you to read this operations manual carefully in order to get full
benefit from all the features and applications of your Humminbird® product.
To contact our Customer Resource Center, call 1-800-633-1468 or visit our
web site at www.humminbird.com.
WA NING! This device should not be used as a navigational aid to prevent collision,
grounding, boat damage, or personal injury. When the boat is moving, water depth may
change too quickly to allow time for you to react. Always operate the boat at very slow
speeds if you suspect shallow water or submerged objects.
WA NING! Disassembly and repair of this electronic unit should only be performed by
authorized service personnel. Any modification of the serial number or attempt to repair the
original equipment or accessories by unauthorized individuals will void the warranty.
WA NING! This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and/or reproductive harm.
WA NING! Do not travel at high speed with the unit cover installed. Remove the unit cover
before traveling at speeds above 20 mph.
ENVI ONMENTAL COMPLIANCE STATEMENT: It is the intention of Humminbird® to be
a responsible corporate citizen, operating in compliance with known and applicable
environmental regulations, and a good neighbor in the communities where we make or sell
our products.
WEEE DI ECTIVE: EU Directive 2002/96/EC “Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Directive (WEEE)” impacts most distributors, sellers, and manufacturers of consumer
electronics in the European Union. The WEEE Directive requires the producer of consumer
electronics to take responsibility for the management of waste from their products to
achieve environmentally responsible disposal during the product life cycle.
NOTE: Some features discussed in this manual require a separate purchase, and
some features are only available on international models. Every effort has been made
to clearly identify those features. Please read the manual carefully in order to
understand the full capabilities of your model.

WEEE compliance may not be required in your location for electrical & electronic equipment
(EEE), nor may it be required for EEE designed and intended as fixed or temporary
installation in transportation vehicles such as automobiles, aircraft, and boats. In some
European Union member states, these vehicles are considered outside of the scope of the
Directive, and EEE for those applications can be considered excluded from the WEEE
Directive requirement.
This symbol (WEEE wheelie bin) on product indicates the product must not be
disposed of with other household refuse. It must be disposed of and collected for
recycling and recovery of waste EEE. Humminbird® will mark all EEE products in
accordance with the WEEE Directive. It is our goal to comply in the collection,
treatment, recovery, and environmentally sound disposal of those products; however, these
requirements do vary within European Union member states. For more information about
where you should dispose of your waste equipment for recycling and recovery and/or your
European Union member state requirements, please contact your dealer or distributor from
which your product was purchased.
OHS STATEMENT: Product designed and intended as a fixed installation or part of a
system in a vessel may be considered beyond the scope of Directive 2002/95/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of
certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
300 Series™, DualBeam PLUS™, Fish ID+™, Humminbird®, RTS™, RTS Window™, Structure
ID®, SwitchFire™, WhiteLine™, and X-Press™ Menu are trademarked by or registered
trademarks of Humminbird®.
© 2009 Humminbird®, Eufaula AL, USA. All rights reserved.
ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL CU TOMER : Products sold in the U.S. re not
intended for use in the intern tion l m rket. Humminbird® intern tion l units provide
intern tion l fe tures nd re designed to meet country nd region l regul tions.
L ngu ges, m ps, time zones, units of me surement, nd w rr nty re ex mples of
fe tures th t re customized for Humminbird® intern tion l units purch sed through
our uthorized intern tion l distributors.
To obt in list of uthorized intern tion l distributors, ple se visit our web site t
www.humminbird.com or cont ct our Customer Resource Center t [phone].

Power On the Unit 1
How Sonar Works 2
DualBeam PLUS™ Sonar .......................................................................................... 4
What’s on the Sonar Display 5
Understanding the Sonar Display ............................................................................ 7
Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window ............................................................................ 7
SwitchFire™ .............................................................................................................. 8
Freeze Frame and Active Cursor................................................................................ 8
Instant Image Update................................................................................................ 8
Bottom Presentation .................................................................................................. 9
Views 11
Sonar View .............................................................................................................. 13
Sonar Zoom View .................................................................................................... 14
200/83 kHz Split Sonar View .................................................................................. 15
Big Digits View ........................................................................................................ 16
Circular Flasher View .............................................................................................. 17
What’s on the 300 Series™ Control Head 18
Key Functions 19
POWER/LI HT Key .................................................................................................. 19
VIEW Key ................................................................................................................ 19
MENU Key .............................................................................................................. 20
4-WAY Cursor Control Key ...................................................................................... 20
EXIT Key .................................................................................................................. 21
he Menu System 22
Table of Contents
i

ii
Start-Up Options Menu 23
Normal.................................................................................................................... 23
Simulator .............................................................................................................. 24
System Status ...................................................................................................... 24
Self Test.................................................................................................................. 25
Accessory Test........................................................................................................ 25
X-Press™ Menu 26
Main Menu 27
Quick Tips for the Main Menu .................................................................................. 28
Note for all Menu Settings .......................................................................................... 28
User Mode (Normal or Advanced) .............................................................................. 29
Sonar X-Press™ Menu (Sonar views only) 31
Sensitivity .............................................................................................................. 32
Upper Range (Advanced: Sonar, Split Sonar, Circular Flasher,
and Big Digits Views only) .................................................................................... 33
Lower Range ........................................................................................................ 33
Chart Speed .......................................................................................................... 34
Zoom Level (Sonar Zoom View only) .......................................................................... 34
Bottom View .......................................................................................................... 34
Bottom Range (Sonar Zoom View only when Bottom ock is On) .................................. 35
Bottom Lock (Sonar Zoom View only) ........................................................................ 35
Alarms Menu ab 36
Depth Alarm .......................................................................................................... 37
Fish ID Alarm.......................................................................................................... 37
Low Battery Alarm ................................................................................................ 37
Temp. Alarm .......................................................................................................... 38
Alarm Tone ............................................................................................................ 38
Table of Contents

iii
Sonar Menu ab 39
Beam Select ............................................................................................................ 40
Surface Clutter ........................................................................................................ 41
SwitchFire™ ............................................................................................................ 41
Fish ID+™ ................................................................................................................ 42
Fish ID Sensitivity .................................................................................................... 43
Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window .......................................................................... 43
Zoom Width.............................................................................................................. 44
83 kHz Sensitivity (Advanced).................................................................................... 44
Depth Lines (Advanced) ............................................................................................ 44
Noise Filter (Advanced) .............................................................................................. 45
Max Depth (Advanced) .............................................................................................. 45
Water Type (Advanced) .............................................................................................. 45
Setup Menu ab 46
Units - Depth............................................................................................................ 47
Units - Temp (International only) ................................................................................ 47
Units - Distance (with Temp/Speed only) .................................................................... 47
Units - Speed (with Temp/Speed only) ........................................................................ 47
User Mode .............................................................................................................. 48
Language (International only)...................................................................................... 48
Triplog Reset (with Temp/Speed only) ........................................................................ 48
Restore Defaults ...................................................................................................... 48
Select Views (Advanced)............................................................................................ 49
Select Readouts (Advanced, Sonar View only) ............................................................ 49
Depth Offset (Advanced)............................................................................................ 50
Temp. Offset (Advanced) ............................................................................................ 50
Speed Calibration (Advanced, with Temp/Speed only).................................................. 50
Table of Contents

iv
roubleshooting 51
Fishfinder Doesn’t Power Up ................................................................................ 51
Fishfinder Defaults to Simulator with a Transducer Attached............................ 51
Display Problems .................................................................................................. 52
Finding the Cause of Noise .................................................................................. 53
300 Series™ Fishfinder Accessories 54
Specifications 55
Glossary 56
Contact Humminbird® 61
NOTE: Entries in this Table of Contents which list (International Only) are only
available on products sold outside of the U.S. by our authorized international
distributors. To obtain a list of authorized international distributors, please visit our
web site at www.humminbird.com or contact our Customer Resource Center at
[phone].
NOTE: Entries in this Table of Contents which list (with Temp/Speed only) require
the purchase of separate accessories. You can visit our web site at
www.humminbird.com to order these accessories online or contact our
Customer Resource Center at 1-800-633-1468.
NOTE: Some features discussed in this manual require a separate purchase, and
some features are only available on international models. Every effort has been
made to clearly identify those features. Please read the manual carefully in order to
understand the full capabilities of your model.
Table of Contents

1
Power On the Unit
ower On the Unit
Follow the instructions below to power on your Humminbird® control head.
1. Press the POWER/LI HT key.
2. When the Title screen is displayed, press the MENU key to access the
Start-Up Options Menu.
3. Use the 4-WAY Cursor Control key to select Normal (if there is a
transducer attached to the control head), or Simulator (if there isn’t a
transducer attached to the control head).
NOTE: See Start-Up Options Menu for more information.
•If a functioning transducer is connected, Normal operation will be
selected automatically at power up, and your Fishfinder can be
used on the water.
•If a transducer is not connected and you wait too long to select a
Start-Up Option, the system will default to whichever menu is
already highlighted.
• In Simulator you can learn how to use your control head and save
settings in advance for later use.
325 Title creen

2
How Sonar Works
Sonar technology is based on sound waves. The 300 Series™ Fishfinder uses
sonar to locate and define structure, bottom contour and composition, as well
as depth directly below the transducer.
Your 300 Series™ Fishfinder sends a sound wave signal and determines
distance by measuring the time between the transmission of the sound wave
and when the sound wave is reflected off of an object; it then uses the reflected
signal to interpret location, size, and composition of an object.
Sonar is very fast. A sound wave can travel from the surface to a depth of
240 ft (70 m) and back again in less than 1/4 of a second. It is unlikely that your
boat can “outrun“ this sonar signal.
SONAR is an acronym for SOund and
NAvigation Ranging. Sonar uses precision
sound pulses or “pings“ which are emitted
into the water in a teardrop-shaped beam.
The sound pulses “echo“ back from objects
in the water such as the bottom, fish, and
other submerged objects. The returned
echoes are displayed on the LCD screen.
Each time a new echo is received, the old
echoes are moved across the LCD, creating
a scrolling effect.
How Sonar Works

3
How Sonar Works
When all the echoes are viewed side by side, an
easy to interpret “graph“ of the bottom, fish, and
structure appears.
The sound pulses are transmitted at various
frequencies depending on the application. Very
high frequencies (455 kHz) are used for greatest
definition but the operating depth is limited. High
frequencies (200 kHz) are commonly used on
consumer sonar and provide a good balance
between depth performance and resolution. Low
frequencies (83 kHz) are typically used to achieve
greater depth capability.
The power output is the amount of energy
generated by the sonar transmitter. It is commonly
measured using two methods:
• Root Mean Square (RMS) measures power
output over the entire transmit cycle.
• Peak to Peak measures power output at the
highest points.
The benefits of increased power output are the
ability to detect smaller targets at greater
distances, ability to overcome noise, better high
speed performance and enhanced depth capability.

4
DualBeam LUS™ Sonar
Your 300 Series™ Fishing System uses a
200/83 kHz DualBeam PLUS™ sonar system with
a wide (60°) area of coverage. DualBeam PLUS™
sonar has a narrowly focused 20° center beam,
surrounded by a second beam of 60°, expanding
your coverage to an area equal to your depth.
In 20 feet of water, the wider beam covers an
area 20 feet wide. DualBeam PLUS™ sonar
returns can be blended together, viewed
separately, or compared side-by-side. DualBeam
PLUS™ is ideal for a wide range of conditions -
from shallow to very deep water in both fresh
and salt water. Depth capability is affected by
such factors as boat speed, wave action, bottom
hardness, water conditions, and transducer
installation.
How Sonar Works

5
What’s on the Sonar Display
What’s on the Sonar Display
The 300 Series™ Fishfinder can display a variety of useful information about
NOTE: Entries in this view that list (with Temp/Speed) are available if the device is connected
Depth - W ter depth; c n be set to l rm when
the w ter becomes too sh llow.
Temperature - W ter surf ce temper ture.
Timer - El psed time with Temp/Speed
Accessory.
Distance - Dist nce tr veled with Temp/Speed
Accessory.
Average Speed - Aver ge speed re ding with
Temp/Speed Accessory.
Second Sonar Return - When the son r sign l
bounces between the bottom nd the surf ce of the
w ter nd b ck g in. Use the ppe r nce of the
second return to determine bottom h rdness. H rd
bottoms will show strong second return, while soft
bottoms will show very we k one or none t ll.
Cursor Dialog Box - Indic tes cursor depth on
the displ y nd the depth of the bottom directly
below the cursor.
Speed - If Temp/Speed ccessory is tt ched,
the Fishfinder c n displ y the speed of the bo t
nd c n keep Triplog of n utic l or st tute
miles tr veled.

6What’s on the Sonar Display
the area under your boat, including the following items:
to the 300 Series™ Fishfinder.
RTS (Real Time Sonar) Window™
Structure - Where fish m y be hiding.
Thermoclines - L yers of w ter with different
temper tures th t ppe r t different depths
nd different times of the ye r. A thermocline
typic lly ppe rs s continuous b nd of gr y
levels moving cross the displ y t the s me
depth.
Bait Ball
Cursor - Av il ble in Freeze Fr me nd c n
be positioned in the Son r View to provide depth
of son r return nd bottom depth below
the cursor.
Fish - The Fishfinder displ ys fish s rches
nd/or fish icons, nd c n be set to l rm
when fish of cert in size is detected. When
t rget is detected, Fish ID+™ symbol
ppe rs on the displ y with the depth
displ yed bove it. The size of the symbol
indic tes the intensity of the son r return. The
unit will cle rly show schools of B it Fish s
"clouds" of different sh pes nd sizes,
depending on the number of fish nd bo t
speed.
Hollow Fish Symbol (83kHz, Wide Be m)
Shaded Fish Symbol (200 kHz, N rrow Be m)

7
UUnnddeerrssttaannddiinngg tthhee SSoonnaarr DDiissppllaayy
It is important to understand the significance of
the display. The display does not show a literal
3-dimensional representation of what is under the
water. Each vertical band of data received by the
control head and plotted on the display represents
something that was detected by a sonar return at
a particular time. As both the boat and the targets
(fish) may be moving, the returns are only showing
a particular segment of time when objects were
detected, not exactly where those objects are in
relation to other objects shown on the display.
The returned sonar echoes are displayed on the screen. As a new echo is
received, the historical data scrolls left across the view.
RReeaall iimmee SSoonnaarr ((RRSS™™)) WWiinnddooww
AReal Time Sonar (RTS™) Window appears on the right side of the display in
the Sonar View only. The RTS Window™updates at the fastest rate possible for
depth conditions and shows only the returns from the bottom, structure, and
fish that are within the transducer beam. The RTS Window™plots the depth
and intensity of a sonar return (see Sonar Menu Tab: TS Window™).
The Narrow RTS Window™
indicates the sonar intensity
through the use of grayscale.
The grayscale used matches
the Bottom View grayscale
setting (Inverse, StructureID
® ,
WhiteLine™, Bottom Black).
The depth of the sonar return
is indicated by the vertical
placement of the return on the
display depth scale.
The Wide RTS Window™
indicates the sonar intensity
through the use of a bar
graph. The length of the
plotted return indicates
whether the return is weak or
strong. The depth of the sonar
return is indicated by the
vertical placement of the
return on the display depth
scale. The Wide RTS
Window™does not use
grayscale.
What’s on the Sonar Display

8
SSwwiittcchhFFiirree™™
SwitchFire™ controls how the sonar returns are displayed in the Sonar Views.
SwitchFire™settings are available in the Sonar Menu Tab.
To see the maximum sonar information available within the transducer beam so
more fish arches and better jig tracking are shown, choose Max Mode.
To see less clutter and more fish size accuracy interpreted from the transducer
beam, choose Clear Mode. See Sonar Menu Tab: SwitchFire™for more
information.
FFrreeeezzee FFrraammee aanndd AAccttiivvee CCuurrssoorr
Freeze Frame & Active Cursor - Press any arrow on the 4-WAY Cursor Control key,
and the screen will freeze and a cursor will be displayed. Use the 4-WAY Cursor
Control key to move the cursor over a sonar return, and the depth of the sonar
return will be displayed at the bottom of the screen in the cursor dialog box.
The RTS Window™continues to update in Freeze Frame. To return to a scrolling
display and exit Freeze Frame, press the EXIT key. Freeze Frame is available in the
Sonar, Split Sonar, and Sonar Zoom Views.
IInnssttaanntt IImmaaggee UUppddaattee
Instant Image Update - You can change a variety of sonar menu settings (such
as Sensitivity or Upper Range), and the adjustments will be shown instantly on
the screen.
What’s on the Sonar Display

9
BBoottttoomm PPrreesseennttaattiioonn
As the boat moves, the unit charts the changes in depth on the display to create
a profile of the Bottom Contour. The type of bottom can be determined from
the return charted on the display. A Hard Bottom such as compacted sediment
or flat rock appears as a thinner line across the display. A Soft Bottom such as
mud or sand appears as a thicker line across the display. Rocky Bottoms have
a broken, random appearance.
The sonar returns from the bottom, structure, and fish can be represented as
Inverse, Structure ID®, WhiteLine™, or Black (Bottom Bl ck). See Sonar
X-Press™Menu: Bottom View to set the bottom view.
Bottom Contour Profile with RT Window™
Hard Bottom
Rocky Bottom
Soft Bottom
What’s on the Sonar Display

10
Inverse is a method where weak returns are shown with
dark pixels and strong returns with lighter pixels. This has
the benefit of ensuring that weak signals will be clearly
visible on the display.
Structure ID® represents weak returns as light pixels and
strong returns as dark pixels. This has the benefit of
ensuring that strong returns will be clearly visible on the
display.
WhiteLine™ highlights the strongest sonar returns in white
resulting in a distinctive outline. This has the benefit of
clearly defining the bottom on the display.
Black (Bottom Black) displays all pixels below the bottom
contour as black, regardless of signal strength. This has
the benefit of providing a high contrast between the
bottom and other sonar returns on the display.
What’s on the Sonar Display

11
Views
The sonar information from your Fishfinder
is displayed on the screen in a variety of
easy-to-read views. There are many views
available on your Fishfinder. When you
press the VIEW key, the display cycles
through the available views on your
screen. When you press the EXIT key, the
display cycles through the available views
in reverse order.
When you first power up the control head, Sonar View will be the default view.
You can display and hide any view to suit your fishing preferences.
NOTE: When you change any menu settings that affect the sonar, the view will update
immediately. You don't have to exit the menu to apply the change to the screen.
Details about each view are available on the following pages.
Sonar views:
Sonar View
Sonar Zoom View
200/83 kHz Split Sonar View
Big Digits View
Circular Flasher View
Self est View
(see Start-Up Options Menu)
Accessory est View
(see Start-Up Options Menu)
Split SonarSplit Sonar
ViewView
Split Sonar
View
SonarSonar
ViewView
Sonar
View
Sonar ZoomSonar Zoom
ViewView
Sonar Zoom
View
Big DigitsBig Digits
ViewView
Big Digits
View
Circular FlasherCircular Flasher
ViewView
Circular Flasher
View
SelfSelf
TestTest
Self
Test
AccessoryAccessory
ViewView
Accessory
View
Views

12
To customize your view rotation:
You can choose which views are hidden or visible in your view rotation.
1. Press the MENU key twice to access the tabbed Main Menu, then
press the RI HT Cursor key until the Setup tab is selected.
2. Press the DOWN Cursor key to highlight Select Views, and press the
RI HT Cursor key to access the Select Views submenu.
3. Press the UP or DOWN Cursor keys to select a View.
4. Press the LEFT or RI HT Cursor keys to change the status of the view
from Hidden to Visible or vice versa.
NOTE: If the Select Views option does not appear under the Setup tab, change the
User Mode to Advanced.
To change the Digital Readouts:
Each view displays digital readout information (such as speed or time), which
varies with the view selected and the accessory attached. The digital readouts
on the Sonar View can be customized. See Setup Menu Tab: Select eadouts
for more information.
1. Press the MENU key twice to access the tabbed Main Menu, then
press the RI HT Cursor key until the Setup tab is selected.
2. Press the DOWN key to highlight Select Readouts, and press the RI HT
Cursor key to access the Select Readouts submenu.
NOTE: If the Select Readouts option does not appear under the Setup tab, change the
User Mode to Advanced.
3. Press the UP or DOWN Cursor keys to select a Readout position, then
press the RI HT or LEFT Cursor keys to choose what will be displayed in
that position. To hide the data window, select Off.
Views

13
Sonar View
Sonar View presents a historical log of sonar returns. The most recent sonar
returns are charted on the right side of the display. As new information is
received, the historical information scrolls left across the display.
•Upper and Lower Depth Range numbers indicate the distance from the
surface of the water to a depth range sufficient to show the bottom.
•Depth is automatically selected to keep the bottom visible on the display,
although you can adjust it manually as well (see Sonar X-Press™ Menu).
•Digital Readouts shown on the display will change based on the Select
Readouts settings or the optional-purchase accessories attached (see
Setup Menu Tab: Select eadouts).
•Freeze Frame: Use the 4-WAY Cursor Control key to freeze the display and
move the cursor over a sonar return. The depth of the sonar return will be
displayed at the bottom of the screen in the cursor dialog box.
NOTE: If the Depth number is flashing, it means that the unit is having trouble locating
the bottom. This usually happens if the water is too deep, the transducer is out of the
water, the boat is moving too fast, or for any other reason that the unit can’t accurately
receive continuous data.
onar View
Upper Depth
Range
Triplog
Sonar History
Window
Depth
Cursor
Dialog Box
Speed
Temperature Cursor
RTS Window™
ower Depth
Range
Views