Hummingbird 300 Series User manual

531955-2EN_A
346c DI
Operations Manual
346c DI
Operations Manual

Thank You!
Thank you for choosing umminbird®, the #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.
To contact our Customer Resource Center, call 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.
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.
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.

N TE: To purchase accessories for your control head, visit our Web site at
humminbird.com or contact our Customer Resource Center at 1-800-633-1468.
N TE: The illustrations in this manual may not look exactly like the display on your
Humminbird® model, but your model will work in the same way.
N TE: The procedures and features described in this manual are subject to change
without notice. This manual was written in English and may have been translated to
another language. Humminbird® is not responsible for incorrect translations or
discrepancies between documents.
300 Series™, Down Imaging™, Fish ID+™, umminbird®, RTS™, RTS Window™, Structure ID®,
SwitchFire™, WhiteLine™, and X-Press™ Menu are trademarked by or registered trademarks of
Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc.
Baekmuk Batang, Baekmuk Dotum, Baekmuk Gulim, and Baekmuk eadline are registered
trademarks owned by Kim Jeong- wan.
© 2012 Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved.
ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: Produ ts sold in the U.S. are not
intended for use in the international market. Humminbird® international units
provide international features and are designed to meet ountry and regional
regulations. Languages, maps, time zones, units of measurement, and
warranty are examples of features that are ustomized for Humminbird®
international units pur hased through our authorized international distributors.
To obtain a list of authorized international distributors, please visit our Web site
at humminbird.com or onta t our Customer Resour e Center at
[phone].

Power On 1
How Sonar Works 2
Down Imaging™ Sonar............................................................................................ 4
Dual Beam Ice Transducer (optional-purchase XI 9 20 Ice Transducer only) .................. 5
What’s on the 300 Series™ Control Head 6
Key Functions 7
POWER/LIG T Key .................................................................................................. 7
VIEW Key ................................................................................................................ 8
MENU Key ................................................................................................................ 8
4-WAY Cursor Control Key ...................................................................................... 8
EXIT Key .................................................................................................................... 9
What’s on the Sonar Display 10
Understanding the Sonar Display.......................................................................... 12
Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window ........................................................................ 12
Sonar Colors and Bottom View.............................................................................. 13
SwitchFire™............................................................................................................ 15
Freeze Frame and Active Cursor ............................................................................ 15
Instant Image Update ............................................................................................ 15
What’s on the Down Imaging™ Display 16
Understanding the Down Imaging™ Display ...................................................... 18
Interpreting the Display.......................................................................................... 18
Down Imaging™ Sensitivity .................................................................................. 19
Freeze Frame and Active Cursor ............................................................................ 19
Views 20
Sonar View.............................................................................................................. 22
Sonar Zoom View .................................................................................................. 23
Split Sonar View .................................................................................................... 24
Table of Contents
i

Big Digits View ...................................................................................................... 25
Down Imaging™ View .......................................................................................... 26
Circular Flasher View.............................................................................................. 27
Down Imaging™/Sonar Combo View .................................................................... 32
he Menu System 33
Start-Up Options Menu 34
Normal .................................................................................................................... 34
Simulator ................................................................................................................ 35
System Status ........................................................................................................ 35
Self Test .................................................................................................................. 36
Accessory Test ........................................................................................................ 36
X-Press™ Menu 37
Main Menu 38
Quick Tips for the Main Menu .................................................................................. 39
Note for all Menu Settings .......................................................................................... 39
User Mode (Normal or Advanced)................................................................................ 40
Sonar X-Press™ Menu (Sonar Views only) 42
Sensitivity .............................................................................................................. 43
Upper Range
(Advanced: Sonar, Split Sonar, Circular Flasher, and Big Digits Views only) ................ 44
Lower Range .......................................................................................................... 44
Chart Speed .......................................................................................................... 45
Zoom Level (Sonar Zoom View only) ............................................................................45
Bottom Lock (Sonar Zoom View only).......................................................................... 45
Bottom Range (Sonar Zoom View only when Bottom Lock is On) .................................. 46
Down Imaging™ X-Press™ Menu (Down Imaging™ Views only) 47
Down Sensitivity .................................................................................................... 48
DI Enhance.............................................................................................................. 49
ii
Table of Contents

Upper Range (Advanced).......................................................................................... 50
Lower Range .......................................................................................................... 50
Chart Speed ............................................................................................................ 51
DI Colors.................................................................................................................. 51
Flasher X-Press™ Menu (Circular Flasher View only) 52
Sensitivity .............................................................................................................. 53
Upper Range
(Advanced: Sonar, Split Sonar, Circular Flasher, and Big Digits Views only) ................ 53
Lower Range .......................................................................................................... 54
Color Palette (Circular Flasher, Ice Fishing ode only) ................................................ 54
Zoom Level (Circular Flasher View, Ice Fishing ode only)............................................ 55
Alarms Menu ab 56
Depth Alarm............................................................................................................ 57
Fish ID Alarm .......................................................................................................... 57
Low Battery Alarm.................................................................................................. 57
Temp. Alarm............................................................................................................ 58
Alarm Tone.............................................................................................................. 58
Timer Setup ............................................................................................................ 59
Start Timer .............................................................................................................. 59
Stop Timer (with the Timer running) .......................................................................... 59
Sonar Menu ab 60
Beam Select............................................................................................................ 61
Imaging Frequency (Down Imaging™ Views only) .................................................... 62
Surface Clutter ...................................................................................................... 63
SwitchFire™ .......................................................................................................... 63
Fish ID+™ .............................................................................................................. 64
Fish ID Sensitivity .................................................................................................. 65
Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window ........................................................................ 65
Sonar Colors (Sonar View, Sonar Zoom View, and Big Digits View)................................ 66
Table of Contents
iii

Bottom View .......................................................................................................... 66
Zoom Width ............................................................................................................ 67
455 kHz Sensitivity (Advanced) ................................................................................ 67
Depth Lines (Advanced)............................................................................................ 67
Noise Filter (Advanced) ............................................................................................ 68
Max Depth (Advanced) ............................................................................................ 68
Water Type (Advanced) ............................................................................................ 68
Digital Depth Source (Advanced, Down Imaging™models
with optional-purchase transducers only) .................................................................. 69
DI Pings (Advanced, Down Imaging™models with
optional-purchase transducers only).......................................................................... 70
Ice Fishing Mode (Advanced) .................................................................................. 71
DI Colors (Down Imaging™ Views only) ...................................................................... 71
Setup Menu Tab 72
Units - Depth .......................................................................................................... 73
Units - Temp (International only)................................................................................ 73
Units - Distance (with Temp/Speed only) .................................................................. 73
Units - Speed (with Temp/Speed only) ...................................................................... 73
User Mode ............................................................................................................ 73
Language (International only) .................................................................................... 74
Triplog Reset (with Temp/Speed only) ...................................................................... 74
Restore Defaults .................................................................................................... 74
Select Views (Advanced) .......................................................................................... 74
Select Readouts (Advanced, Sonar View and Down Imaging™ View only) .................... 75
Depth Offset (Advanced) .......................................................................................... 76
Temp. Offset (Advanced) .......................................................................................... 76
Digits Format (Advanced) ..........................................................................................76
Speed Cali ration (Advanced, with Temp/Speed only) ................................................ 77
Demonstration ........................................................................................................ 77
Sound Control ........................................................................................................ 77
Table of Contents
iv

v
Maintenance 78
Control ead Maintenance.................................................................................... 78
Transducer Maintenance ...................................................................................... 79
roubleshooting 80
Fishfinder Doesn’t Power Up ................................................................................ 80
Fishfinder Defaults to Simulator with a Transducer Attached ............................ 80
Display Problems .................................................................................................... 81
Finding the Cause of Noise.................................................................................... 82
Specifications 83
Glossary 85
Contact Humminbird® 89
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.
Table of Contents

1Power O
Power On
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.
346c DI Title Screen

2
How So ar Works
How onar 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.

3How So ar 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 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.

4
How So ar Works
Down Imaging™ onar
Your 346c DI 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 Sonar Menu Tab:
Imaging Frequency for more information.
The transducer also uses conical beams to
provide data in traditional 2D format (see
What’s on the Sonar Display). 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

5How So ar Works
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
degree center beam provides the highest
definition, while the 60 degree beam
provides wider coverage. Depth capability
is affected by such factors as bottom
hardness and water conditions. Whether
fishing in shallow to very deep water,
selectable dual-frequency is ideal for a
variety of conditions.
Ice transducer

6
The Co trol Head
What’s on the 300 eries™ Control Head
Your 300 Series™ Fishfinder interface is easy to use. A combination of keys and
special features allows you to control what you see on the display. Refer to the
following illustration, and see Key Functions for more information.
Screen ENU key
1
EXIT key
VIEW key
POWER/LIGHT key
2
3
4
5
6
1
4-WAY Cursor Control key
(LEFT, RIGHT, UP, or DOWN Cursor keys)
3
5
6
4
2

7Key Fu ctio s
Key Functions
Your Fishfinder user interface consists of a set of easy-to-use keys that work
with various on-screen views and menus to give you flexibility and control over
your fishing experience.
POWER/LIGHT Key
The POWER/LIG T key is used to power the Fishfinder on and off.
You can also use the POWER/LIG T key to adjust the backlight
and contrast of the display.
Power On the Control ead: Press the POWER/LIG T key to power on the unit.
When the Title screen is displayed, press the MENU key to access the Start-Up
Options Menu.
Power Off the Control ead: Press and hold the POWER/LIG T key for 3
seconds. A message will appear to indicate how many seconds there are until
shutdown occurs. To ensure that shutdown occurs properly and any menu
settings will be saved, your Fishfinder should always be turned off using the
POWER/LIG T key.
Adjust the Backlight or the Display
Background Color: Press the POWER/LIG T key
to access the Light and Background submenu.
Use the 4-WAY Cursor Control key to select
Light or Background, and then use the LEFT or
RIG T Cursor key to change the settings. Press
EXIT to exit the Light and Background submenu.
N TE: Your 300 Series™Fishfinder will start up with the backlight on and will
automatically turn it off to conserve power.
Turn Sonar On or Off: From the Light and Background submenu, use the
4-WAY Cursor Control key to select Sonar. Use the LEFT or RIG T Cursor key to
change the setting.

8
Key Fu ctio s
VIEW Key
The VIEW key is used to cycle through all available views. Press the
VIEW key to advance to the next view. Repeatedly pressing VIEW
cycles through all views available. Views can be hidden to optimize the system to
your fishing requirements (see Views or Setup Menu Tab).
N TE: Press the EXIT key to cycle through the views in reverse order.
MENU Key
The MENU key is used to access the menu system. See The
Menu System for more information.
•Start-Up Options Menu: Press the MENU key during the power up
sequence to view the Start-Up Options menu.
•X-Press™ Menu: Press the MENU key once in any view to access the
X-Press™ Menu, which provides frequently-used menu settings that
correspond with the current view.
•Main Menu: Press the MENU key twice in any view to access the Main
Menu, which is organized under tabbed headings to help you find a
specific menu item quickly.
4-WAY Cursor Control Key
(LEFT, RIGHT, UP, or D WN Cursor keys)
The 4-WAY Cursor Control key has multiple functions, which
depend on the view, menu, or situation.
•Menu Selection: Press the DOWN or UP Cursor keys to highlight a
menu option, then press the RIG T or LEFT Cursor keys to change a
menu setting. The changes will be activated and saved immediately.
•Freeze Frame: In Sonar View and Down Imaging™ View, press any
arrow on the 4-WAY Cursor Control key to freeze the display and move
the active cursor to a location on the screen. A cursor dialog box will
display to show the depth of the location you choose.
•Active Cursor: Press any arrow on the 4-WAY Cursor Control key, and
the active cursor will appear on the screen.

9Key Fu ctio s
•Circular Flasher View (Ice Fishing Mode: On): Press the UP or DOWN
Cursor keys to move the Depth Cursor. Press the RIG T or LEFT Cursor
keys to adjust the Zoom Range (see Views: Circular Flasher View).
EXIT Key
The EXIT key has multiple functions, which depend on the
situation:
•If an alarm is sounding, press the EXIT key to cancel the alarm.
•If a menu tab is selected, press the EXIT key to exit the menu mode and
return to the view.
•If a menu is active, press the EXIT key to return to the previous level in
the menu system.
•From any view, press the EXIT key to cycle through the available views
in reverse order.
•If Freeze Frame is active, press the EXIT key to return to a scrolling
display.
•If the Cursor is active, press the EXIT key to remove the cursor from the
display.
N TE: In Freeze Frame or Active Cursor mode, you can also make the cursor
move diagonally by pressing in between two of the arrows on the 4-WAY
Cursor Control key.

What’s o the So ar Display
What’s on the onar Display
The 300 Series™ Fishfinder can display a variety of useful information about
N TE: Entries in this view that list (with Temp/Speed) are available if the device is connected to
Depth - Water depth; an be set to alarm when
the water be omes too shallow.
Temperature - Water surfa e temperature.
Timer - Elapsed time with Temp/Speed
A essory.
Distance - Distan e traveled with Temp/Speed
A essory.
Average Speed - Average speed reading with
Temp/Speed A essory.
Cursor Dialog Box - Indi ates ursor depth on
the display and the depth of the bottom dire tly
below the ursor.
Speed - If a Temp/Speed a essory is atta hed,
the Fishfinder an display the speed of the boat
and an keep a Triplog of nauti al or statute
miles traveled.
Second Sonar Return - When the sonar signal
boun es between the bottom and the surfa e of the
water and ba k again. Use the appearan e of the
se ond return to determine bottom hardness. Hard
bottoms will show a strong se ond return, while soft
bottoms will show a very weak one or none at all.
10

11 What’s o the So ar Display
RTS (Real Time Sonar) Window™
Structure - Where fish may be hiding.
Thermoclines - Layers of water with different
temperatures that appear at different depths
and different times of the year. A thermo line
typi ally appears as a ontinuous band of
many olors moving a ross the display at the
same depth.
Cursor - Available in Freeze Frame and an
be positioned in the Sonar View to provide
depth of a sonar return and bottom depth below
the ursor.
Low Sonar Intensity Return
igh Sonar Intensity Return
Bait Ball
the area under your boat, including the following items:
the 300 Series™ Fishfinder.
Fish - The Fishfinder displays fish as ar hes
and/or fish i ons, and an be set to alarm
when a fish of a ertain size is dete ted.
When a target is dete ted, a Fish ID+™
symbol appears on the display with the
depth displayed above it. The size of the
symbol indi ates the intensity of the sonar
return. The unit will learly show s hools of
Bait Fish as " louds" of different shapes and
sizes, depending on the number of fish and
boat speed.

Understanding 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 left across the view.
Real ime Sonar (R S™) 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 o the So ar Display 12