Humminbird 586C HD User manual

1Section Title
586c HD, 596c HD, and 596c HD DI
Operations Manual
586c HD, 596c HD, and 596c HD DI
Operations Manual
531819-2EN_A

Thank You!
Thank you for choosing umminbird®, America's #1 name in fishfinders.
umminbird® has built its reputation by designing and manufacturing
top-quality, thoroughly reliable marine equipment. Your umminbird® is
designed for trouble-free use in even the harshest marine environment. In the
unlikely event that your umminbird® 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 umminbird® product.
Contact our Customer Resource Center at 1-800-633-1468 or visit our Web
site at humminbird.com.
WARNING! 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.
WARNING! 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.
WARNING! This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and/or reproductive harm.
WARNING! Do not travel at high speed with the unit cover installed. Remove the unit cover
before traveling at speeds above 20 mph.
ENVIR NMENTAL C MPLIANCE 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 DIRECTIVE: 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.
N TE: 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.
R HS 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.
500 Series™, Down Imaging™, DualBeam PLUS™, Fish ID+™, umminbird®, RTS™,
RTS Window™, Structure ID®, SwitchFire™, WhiteLine™, and X-Press™ Menu are trademarked
by or registered trademarks of umminbird®.
© 2010 umminbird®, Eufaula AL, USA. All rights reserved.
ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL CU TOMER : Products sold in the U.S. are not
intended or use in the international market. Humminbird® international units provide
international eatures and are designed to meet country and regional regulations.
Languages, maps, time zones, units o measurement, and warranty are examples o
eatures that are customized or Humminbird® international units purchased through
our authorized international distributors.
To obtain a list o authorized international distributors, please visit our Web site at
humminbird.com or contact our Customer Resource Center at [phone].

i
Table of Contents
Power On the nit 1
How Sonar Works 2
DualBeam PLUS™ Sonar (Down Imaging™models only
[596c HD DI, X T 9-DI-T Transducer])............................................................................ 4
Down Imaging™ Sonar (Down Imaging™models only
[596c HD DI, X T 9-DI-T Transducer])............................................................................ 5
Dual Beam Ice Transducer (optional-purchase XI 9 20 Ice Transducer only) .................. 6
What’s on the Sonar Display 7
Understanding the Sonar Display ............................................................................ 9
Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window ............................................................................ 9
SwitchFire™ ............................................................................................................ 10
Freeze Frame and Active Cursor.............................................................................. 10
Instant Image Update.............................................................................................. 10
Bottom Presentation................................................................................................ 11
What’s on the Down Imaging™ Display
(Down Imaging™ models only [596c HD DI]) 13
Understanding the Down Imaging™ Display..........................................................15
Interpreting the Display ............................................................................................15
Down Imaging™ Sensitivity ....................................................................................16
Freeze Frame and Active Cursor ..............................................................................16
Views 17
Sonar View .............................................................................................................. 19
Sonar Zoom View .................................................................................................... 20
Split Sonar View ...................................................................................................... 21
Big Digits View ........................................................................................................ 22
Down Imaging™ View (Down Imaging™ models only [596c HD DI].............................. 23
Circular Flasher View .............................................................................................. 25
Down Imaging™/Sonar Combo View (Down Imaging™models only [596c HD DI]) .... 30

ii
What’s on the 500 Series™ Control Head 31
Key Functions 32
POWER/LIG T Key .............................................................................................. 32
VIEW Key................................................................................................................ 32
MENU Key.............................................................................................................. 33
4-WAY Cursor Control Key .................................................................................. 33
EXIT Key.................................................................................................................. 34
The Menu System 35
Start- p Options Menu 36
Normal.................................................................................................................... 36
Simulator................................................................................................................ 37
System Status........................................................................................................ 37
Self Test.................................................................................................................. 38
Accessory Test........................................................................................................ 38
X-Press™ Menu 39
Main Menu 40
Quick Tips for the Main Menu .................................................................................. 41
Note for all Menu Settings.................................................................................... 42
User Mode (Normal or Advanced) .............................................................................. 43
Sonar X-Press™ Menu (Sonar views only) 45
Sensitivity .............................................................................................................. 46
Upper Range (Advanced: Sonar, Split Sonar,
Circular Flasher, and Big Digits Views only) .............................................................. 47
Lower Range.......................................................................................................... 47
Chart Speed .......................................................................................................... 48
Table of Contents

iii
Zoom Level (Sonar Zoom View only) .......................................................................... 48
Bottom Lock (Sonar Zoom View only) ........................................................................ 49
Bottom Range (Sonar Zoom View only when Bottom Lock is On) ................................ 49
Down Imaging™ X-Press™ Menu
(Down Imaging™ Views only [596c HD DI]) 50
Imaging Sensitivity .................................................................................................. 51
Upper Range (Advanced) .......................................................................................... 51
Lower Range ............................................................................................................ 51
Chart Speed.............................................................................................................. 52
Imaging Colors ........................................................................................................ 52
Flasher X-Press™ Menu (Circular Flasher View only) 53
Sensitivity ................................................................................................................ 54
Upper Range (Advanced: Sonar, Split Sonar,
Circular Flasher, and Big Digits Views only) ................................................................ 54
Lower Range ............................................................................................................ 55
Color Palette (Circular Flasher View, Ice Fishing Mode only) .......................................... 56
Zoom Level (Circular Flasher View, Ice Fishing Mode only) ............................................ 56
Alarms Menu Tab 57
Depth Alarm ............................................................................................................ 58
Fish ID Alarm............................................................................................................ 58
Low Battery Alarm .................................................................................................. 59
Temp. Alarm ............................................................................................................ 59
Alarm Tone .............................................................................................................. 59
Sonar Menu Tab 60
Beam Select ............................................................................................................ 61
Imaging Frequency (Down Imaging™ Views only [596c HD DI]).................................... 63
Surface Clutter ........................................................................................................ 63
Table of Contents

iv
SwitchFire™ .......................................................................................................... 64
Fish ID+™ .............................................................................................................. 65
Fish ID Sensitivity .................................................................................................. 66
Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window ........................................................................ 66
Sonar Colors (Sonar View, Sonar Zoom View,
Circular Flasher View, and Big Digits View)................................................................ 67
Bottom View .......................................................................................................... 67
Zoom Width .......................................................................................................... 68
83 k z Sensitivity (Advanced).................................................................................. 68
455 k z Sensitivity (Advanced, Down Imaging™ Views only [596c HD DI]).................. 68
Depth Lines (Advanced) .......................................................................................... 69
Noise Filter (Advanced) ............................................................................................ 69
Max Depth (Advanced) ............................................................................................ 70
Water Type (Advanced) ............................................................................................ 70
Ice Fishing Mode .................................................................................................. 71
Imaging Colors (Down Imaging™ Views only [596c HD DI]) ........................................ 71
Setup Menu Tab 72
Units - Depth.......................................................................................................... 73
Units - Temp (International only) .............................................................................. 73
Units - Distance .................................................................................................... 73
Units - Speed ........................................................................................................ 73
User Mode ............................................................................................................ 73
Language (International only).................................................................................... 74
Triplog Reset .......................................................................................................... 74
Restore Defaults .................................................................................................... 74
Select Views (Advanced).......................................................................................... 74
Select Readouts (Advanced, Sonar View only) .......................................................... 75
Table of Contents

v
Depth Offset (Advanced)............................................................................................ 76
Temp. Offset (Advanced, with Temp/Speed only).......................................................... 77
Speed Calibration (Advanced, with Temp/Speed only).................................................. 77
Sonar ........................................................................................................................ 77
Demonstration.......................................................................................................... 77
Sound Control .......................................................................................................... 77
Troubleshooting 78
Fishfinder Doesn’t Power Up .................................................................................. 78
Fishfinder Defaults to Simulator with a Transducer Attached .............................. 78
Display Problems...................................................................................................... 79
Finding the Cause of Noise .................................................................................... 80
500 Series™ Fishfinder Accessories 81
Specifications 82
Glossary 83
Contact Humminbird® 87
Table of Contents

vi
N TE: 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 humminbird.com or contact our Customer Resource Center at
[phone].
N TE: 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
humminbird.com to order these accessories online or contact our Customer
Resource Center at 1-800-633-1468.
N TE: 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
ower On the Unit
Follow the instructions below to power on your umminbird® control head.
1. Press the POWER/LIG T 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).
N TE: See Start-Up ptions 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.
586c HD Title creen
Power On the Unit

2How Sonar Works
How Sonar Works
Sonar technology is based on sound waves. The 500 Series™ Fishfinder uses
sonar to locate and define structure, bottom contour and composition, as well
as depth directly below the transducer.
Your 500 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 utilizes 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.

3
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 k z) are used for greatest
definition but the operating depth is limited. igh
frequencies (200 k z) are commonly used on
consumer sonar and provide a good balance
between depth performance and resolution. Low
frequencies (83 k z) 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.
How Sonar Works

4
DualBeam LUS™ Sonar
(DualBeam PLUS™models only
[586c HD, 596c HD])
Your 586c HD/596c HD Fishfinder uses a
200/83 k z 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

Down Imaging™ Sonar
(Down Imaging™models only
[596c HD DI, XNT 9-DI-T Transducer])
Your 596c HD D Fishfinder uses Down
Imaging™ technology. The Down
Imaging™ transducer scans the water with
razor-thin, high-definition beams. The
beams are wide (side to side) but very thin
front to back.
The Down Imaging™ beams can be
operated at two frequencies: 455 k z (75°)
or 800 k z (45°). Select 455 k z for the
best overall image quality and depth.
Select 800 k z for the sharpest image. See
Down Imaging™X-Press™Menu:
Imaging Frequency for more information.
The transducer also uses conical beams to
provide data in traditional 2D format (see
What’s on the Sonar View). Select 455 k z for
a narrowly focused 16° center beam, or select
200 k z for a wider 25° beam (see Sonar
Menu Tab: Beam Select).
Depth capability is affected by such factors
as boat speed, wave action, bottom hardness,
water conditions and transducer installation.
75 Degree Total Coverage
16°
75°
25°
455kHz
200kHz
455kHz
45° 800kHz
5
How Sonar Works

6
Dual Beam Ice Transducer
(optional-purchase XI 9 20 Ice Transducer only)
Your Fishfinder supports the optional-purchase
XI 9 20 Ice Transducer, which provides
selectable dual-frequency sonar with a wide
area of coverage. Selectable dual-frequency
gives you the option of two beams, and both
beams will cover the bottom and provide high
definition. The 20° center beam provides the
highest definition, while the 60° beam provides
wider coverage. Depth capability is affected by
such factors as bottom hardness and water
conditions. Whether fishing in shallow or very
deep water, selectable dual-frequency is ideal
for a variety of conditions.
Ice transducer
How Sonar Works

7
What’s on the Sonar Display
What’s on the Sonar Display
The 500 Series™ Fishfinder can display a variety of useful information about the
N TE: Entries in this view that list (with Temp/Speed) are available if the accessory is connected
Depth - (water depth) can be set to alarm when
the water becomes too shallow.
Temperature - Water sur ace temperature.
Timer - Elapsed time with Temp/Speed Accessory.
Distance - Distance traveled with Temp/Speed
Accessory.
Average Speed - Average speed reading with
Temp/Speed Accessory.
Second Sonar Return - When the sonar signal
bounces between the bottom and the sur ace o the
water and back again. Use the appearance o the
second return to determine bottom hardness. Hard
bottoms will show a strong second return, while so t
bottoms will show a very weak one or none at all.
Thermoclines - Layers o water with di erent
temperatures that appear at di erent depths and
di erent times o the year. A thermocline typically
appears as a continuous band o many colors
moving across the display at the same depth.
Speed - I a Temp/Speed accessory is attached,
the Fish inder can display the speed o the boat
and can keep a Triplog o nautical or statute
miles traveled.

8What’s on the Sonar Display
area under and adjacent to your boat, including the following items:
to the 500 Series™ Fishfinder.
Structure - Where ish may be hiding.
Bait Ball
Low Sonar ntensity Return
High Sonar ntensity Return
Battery Voltage - The voltage o the boat’s
battery; can be set to alarm i the voltage alls
below a certain point.
RTS (Real Time Sonar) Window™
200 kHz, Orange Fish Symbol
Fish - The Fish inder displays ish as arches
and/or ish icons, and can be set to alarm
when a ish o a certain size is detected.
When a target is detected, a Fish ID+™
symbol appears on the display with the
depth displayed above it. The size o the
symbol indicates the intensity o the sonar
return. The unit will clearly show schools o
Bait Fish as “clouds“ o di erent shapes and
sizes, depending on the number o ish and
boat speed.

9
nderstanding the Sonar Display
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 across the screen.
Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window
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: RTS Window™).
.
The Narrow RTS Window™
indicates the sonar intensity
through the use of colors. Red
indicates a strong return and
blue indicates a weak return.
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

10
SwitchFire™
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.
Freeze Frame and Active Cursor
Freeze Frame and 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.
Instant Image pdate
nstant mage 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

11
Bottom Presentation
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
either WhiteLine™ or Structure D®. See Sonar Menu Tab: Bottom View for
details on how to set the bottom view.
Bottom Contour Profile with RT Window™
Rocky Bottom
Hard Bottom
Soft Bottom
What’s on the Sonar Display