Lowrance X-15 User manual

PaperSaving Feature
APPROXIMATE PAPERSPEED
WithoutAlternateTransmitand Print
Minimum
PaperSpeed Maximum PaperSpeed
Inches Hours Inches Hours
RANGE (feet)
10-120 Per Mm PerRoll Per Mm Per Roll
1.0 10 3.0 3.3
130-510 0.5 20 2.0 5.0
520-830 0.2 50 1.2 8.3
Below 840 0.2 50 — 0.75 13.3
APPROXIMATE PAPERSPEED
With AlternateTransmitand Print
Minimum Maximum
PaperSpeed PaperSpeed
Inches Hours Inches Hours
RANGE (feet)
10-120 PerMm Per Roll PerMm Per Roll
0.6 17 2.0 5.0
130-510 0.4 25 1.2 8.3
520-830 0.2 50 0.75 13.3
Below 840 0.2 50 0.75 13.3
INSTALLATION AND OPERATION MANUAL
MODEL X-15
GRAPH RECORDER
LITHO USA 988-0083-01 •LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS, INC.
12OOO E.SKELLY DR.,TULSA, OKLA.74128
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ft -i
1 :4
5
A &
L
I- A
I!
E'l
L 30
RANGE:10-30FEET
SENSITIVITY: 3/4
SUPPRESSOR: MINIMUM
U
PAPER SPEED: 3/4
GRAYLINE: MINIMUM
U,
RANGE: 10-30FEET
SENSITIVITY: 3/4
SUPPRESSOR: MINIMUM
JO
PAPER SPEED: MAXIMUM
GRAYLINE: MINIMUM
Figure 50
Figure 51
Figure 52
25
RANGE:10-30 FEET
SENSITIVITY: MAXIMUM
SUPPRESSOR: MINIMUM
NOTE LARGER FISHON
&NEARBOTTOM UNDER SCHOOL
OFSMALLER FISH
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RANGE:0-40 FEET LINES:OFF
SUPPRESSOR: MINIMUM PAPERSPEED:3/4
SENSITIVITY: 3/4
INDEX
Introduction 2
How ItWorks 2
Installation 3
TransducerSelection 4
Basic Operation 5
Suppressor S
Paper Speed 7
GRAYLINE® 7
Range 8
Lower Limit 8
Upper Limit 9
Lines 9
Marker 9
Scale 10
End Of Paper 10
HowTo Read Graphs 10
Paper Loading 12
Stylus Replacement 15
Do's and Dont's 17
Troubleshooting 17
Advanced Operation 17
Surtace Clarity Control
(SCC) 17
Feet, Fathoms, Meters 18
Transmitand Print Alternate 18
' TransmitterPulse Width
Specifications
18
22
. Service Information 22
Figure47
.7
RANGE:0-30 FEET LINES:
ON Figure48
SUPPRESSOR: MINIMUM PULSEWIDTH:100 MICRO-SECONDS
SENSITIVITY: 3/4 PAPER SPEED:MAXIMUM
Figure 49
RANGE:10-50FEET
SENSITIVITY: MAXIMUM
SUPPRESSOR: MINIMUM
24
PAPER SPEED: 3/4
LARGE
SCHOOLOFFISHAT
12TO26 FEET
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IINTRODUCTION
The Lowrance X-15 isahighly
sophisticated recording depth
sounder.Thanksto amicrocom-
puter, the X-15cando more than
anyotherdepth sounder in its
pricerange. Full controlofthesys-
tem is atyourfingertipsto meet
thechanging demandsofvarying
bottom conditions, water
depth
andboatspeed. You canselect
theunit'ssensitivity setting, sup-
pression level, depth range, paper
speed, andthe degreeof gray
line"usedto enhance there-
cordedinformation. The patented
Lowrance variable
suppression
systemnotonly filtersoutfalse
signals without
distorting thereal
ones, but issynchronizedwith the
grayline function to provide clear
signals underall conditions. The
permanent record ofwhatyour
sonar has "seen" isroiled and
storedinside the case.
Small boatsonar systems are
routinely used to measurewater
depth,
examine bottom contours,
andlocatefish.Thecapability of
theX-15 goesfar beyondthe
ordinary. Clues tothecomposition
ofthe bottom are given — schools
ofbaitfish are easilydistinguished
fromsolitarygame fish — thereis
acontinuous display ofinformation
about bottom contours and sub-
merged shipwrecks — fishcloser
together than six inchescanbe
shown separately
— concentra-
tionsofalgae, mossorplankton
can be identified — attrolling
speeds individual fishare com-
monly recorded with acharacteris-
tic"arched"signature which dis-
tinguishes them fromtheirsur-
roundings — layers
ofwaterwith
different
temperatures canbe de-
tected undergood conditions, and
verticalmovement offish, (up or
down), canbe shown.
HOW ITWORKS
When the unitisturned on, an
electronically regulated motor
drivesa lightweight beltlocated at
the rightedge ofthe recording
paper.Themarking stylus isat-
tached tothisbelt. When the
stylusis atthetopofthe papera
small markis made. This is called
thezeromark, and represents the
surface ofthe water.
High Speed (46 M.F.H.)
SUPPRESSION: OFF
SENSITIVITY: ON1/2 POSITION
t - -I, 1
NOTEPOOR RECORD CAUSED Figure44
BYNOTUSING SUPPRESSION
WHEN ATHIGH SPEED.
- - a -
-i —,_.—,,
t''.'9ø'a't
I,.'
HighSpeed (46 MPH.) Figure45
SUPPRESSION:ON— ADEQUATE SElliNG
SENSITIVITY: ON— 1/2 POSITION
s
RANGE:50 TO70 FEET SENSITIVITY: 3/4 Figure 46
PULSEWIDTH: 100 MICRO-SECONDS LINES:OFF
SUPPRESSOR: MINIMUM PAPER SPEED: MAXIMUM
23
Figure 1
Fith 17 ft.
Depth 35 ft.
2
TRULINERECORDER BOTH SENDAND RECEIVES SIGNALS.
RECEIVED SIGNALSARE INDICATED ONGRAPHPAPER.
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SPECIFICATIONS — X-15
Depth Ranges:
Feet,fathoms, meters.
Operating Frequency:
192 kHz(192,000cyclesper
second); accuracy iswithin 0.6
percent.
Pulse Length:
(durationofpulse): 200-1000/ks
(30-2000/ksprogramable)
OperatingVoltage:
Minimum:10volts DC
Maximum:15volts DC
Operating Current:
0.7to1.8ampsdepending on
printing density
andoutput
power.
Output Power:
1600watts typicalpeak-to-peak.
(200watts RMS)
Weight:
8.5 lb. (3.9 Kg)
Dimension:
WithGimbal Mount:
Width -12¼"
Height- 8%"
Depth - 5¼"
InstrumentOnly:
Width - 91/2"
Height- 7½"
Depth -5¼"
NOTICE
Periodically washthe Trans-
ducerFace with soapand water
toremove any oilfilm that may
collect Oiland dirton the face
willreduce
sensitivity ormayeven
preventsounding.
GOTAPROBLEM?LET US
HELP!
If
youhave a problem with your
sonar unit, please giveus a
chance to help before sending itin
forrepair.
Assistance canoften beex-
tended bytelephone orletter.
Write orcalloneofourAuthorized
Service Centers ortheLowrance
Electronics, Inc., Customer Ser-
viceDepartment in Tulsa,OK.
(Toll-free1-800-331-3889).
Please detailthe problem you
are experiencing. OurService De-
partment maybe able tosaveyou
the inconvenienceofreturning
yourunit.
Ifit isdetermined thatyourunit
mustbe returned,full shipping in-
structions willbe provided.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM AND
PARTS LIST
Should youdesire aSchematic
Diagram and Parts listforyour
LowranceTRUELINE RECORD-
ER, send$1.00to PARTS LIST,
Lowrance Electronics, Inc.,12000
East Skelly Drive,Tulsa,Okla-
homa 74128. Be sure andgive us
the Model Numberand Serial
Number ofyour SONAR
INSTRUMENT.
Figure 2
Thestyluscontinues to move
down theedge ofthepaperwhile
thesound pulse istraveling
through thewater, and whenan
echoisdetected, the stylus makes
anothermarkon the paper.The
depth oftheobject
whichreflected
theechocan beread infeet by
comparing its locationon the
paper tothedepth scale printed
onthe paper.
Avariable speed motor drives
the papergraph. (The paper is
treated sothatthe stylus will burn
itto leave apermanent
black
mark.) During one revolution of
the stylusbelt, averynarrow mark
will bemade bytheflexible stylus,
butthe paper willmove asmall
amountbefore thenextrevolution.
Each markwill blend intothe one
before, sothat acomposite pic-
ture"ofthetargetwill be made,
onetinymark atatime.
Due tothemany features that
- thisunit has, we have splitthe
operation section ofthis manual
intotwosections. Thefirstsection,
- Section Ill, is entitled Basic Op-
eration"and covers everything that
isabsolutely necessaryto usethe
X-15is awidevariety
of situa-
tions.Itwilltellyouhow to usethe
basic controls — Sensitivity, Sup-
pressor,Paper Speed, Grayline,
Range, plus afewspecial
functions.
Thissection will be adequate for
most situations. However,once
youhavemastered the basic op-
eration ofthe X-15 asdescribed
in Section III, youmaywishtotry
some ofthe features described in
Section VI — Advanced Opera-
tion.This chapter will explain
four
other featuresthatwill enable the
serious operator
to getthe
maximum useoutofthisequipment.
Weurgeyouto readthis man-
ualthoroughly andfamiliarize
yourself with thecontrols. Al-
though
this isaveryadvanced
unit, it is easyto use,thanksto
the power ofthe microcomputer
and the frontpanelcontrols.
Should yourequire extra help,
please phone ourCustomer Ser-
vice Department toll freeat
1-800-331-3889.(Oklahoma resi-
dentscallcollect-1-918-437-
6881). A servicerepresentative will
be happy to helpyou.
II INSTALLATION
Mounting —
Thedepth sounder may bein-
stalled in any convenient area,
provided the unitcan betiltedfor
thebestviewing angle. Fourholes
in the bracket baseallow wood
screw or boltmounting. Awood
stiffener
maybe required onthe
3
22
GRAPH
PAPER
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backofthinfiberglass panels
to
support
the X-15.
Ifthedesired location iscloser
than 18" toamagnetic compass,
atrial run shouldbe made with
the unitin operation to besure
thatthecompass
readings are not
affected.
Figure 3 _________________
BE SURE
toinsertthetwo rub-
bergrommets ongimbal
bracket.
Thelargerside (larger diameter)
ofgrommet goesoninside of
gimbal bracket so thatit is sand-
wichedbetween gimbal bracket
and sonar instrument (see draw-
ings). Thegrommets provide fric-
tionto hold the unitatthe desired
angle.
Power Connections —
Twelve voltDC power for the
depth soundershould besupplied
bythe boat's12-voltelectrical sys-
tem.Thepowercable
maybeat-
tached to anaccessory orpower
buss, butifyouhaveproblems
withelectrical interference, the
cable
shouldbe attached directly
tothe battery.
Ifalonger
cableis required, use
ordinary
#18 lampcordavailable
atany hardware orelectronic
sup-
plystore. Splices should be sol-
dered. Ifthiscan'tbedone, use
crimp-type splices. Tape all splices
with electrical tape.
An in-line fuseholder with fuse
is suppliedwith theX-15. Becer-
taintoinstall thisfuse holder
as
close to thepowersource as pos-
sible. Thiswill protect boththe
sonar unitand the powercablein
theevent ashortoccurs. Crimp
connectorsaresupplied toattach
thefuseholdertothepowerca-
ble.Thered or white wire in the
power cable isthe positivecon-
ductor.Theblackwire isthe
ground conductor
Thegraph isprotected fromac-
cidental polarity reversals andno
damagewill occurifthewires are
reversed. Theunitwill notoperate,
however,until the proper polarity
is applied.
TransducerSelection
Lowrance offers youthechoice
oftransducerswith either an 8
degree coneangle or20degree
cone angle thatwill interchange
with anyofour192 kHzsonar
units. In otherwords, anyLow-
rance sonar instrument can be
used withany Lowrancetrans-
ducer ofthesame frequency with-
outretuning ofanykind,and no
lossofperformance. However,the
useofanyothermanufacturer's
transducer will resultin a lossof
performance.
Now you can select thetrans-
To return the unittothe control
ofthemicro-computer,simply
press 0 and thenthe LINES and
SCALES keys atthesame time.
Thiswill revert
the unitbackto
normal operation.
Example: Setthe initial transmitter
pulsewidth tolOO
micro-seconds.
Press:1,0,0,then SCALES and
LINEStogether
Result: Figure42
Example: Setthe initialtransmitter
pulsewidth to5Ogs.
Press:5, 0, then SCALES
and LINEStogether.
Result: Figure 43
'ii.
Ii I
• '
4 21
A' A
'•.• A':
I :\' '.
'Ii
'I
S
I,
Figure 42
H
Ground
(Negative)
Figure4
8
I
b
B
Figure 43 Qosci Iii U
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example, with theLOWER LIMIT
setto260 feet, theinitial
transmit pulsewidthwould be260
is.Ifthe LOWER LIMIT issetto
390 feet, theinitialtransmit
pulse
would be 390 jts. Finally,
from600feet and below, the
initialpulsewidth remains at600
micro-seconds.
Thetransmitter pulse width can
be increasedfromthe initial point
atanytimeby rotating theSup-
pressorcontrol clockwise. The
maximumamount ofpulse width
addedtotheinitialtransmitter
pulsewidth is approximately 800
microseconds.Inotherwords, if
the LOWER LIMIT is setto 420
feet, andthe Suppressor con-
trol isrotatedtothemaximum pos-
ition,thetransmitter pulse
width
would be 1220micro-seconds.
(420 initial +800 = 1220.)
Earlier,we talkedabout the rela-
tionship between pulse
width and
targetseparation. Aspulse
width
increases,targetseparation or
resolution isdegraded. However,if
thepulse widthisdecreased,
resolutionbecomes much better.
TheX-15allows youtotake
advantage ofthisfact bymaking it
possible tooverride the initial
transmitter pulsewidthsetting
fromwhatthe micro-computer
selects according tothe Lower
Limit.
Theiniti?l transmitter pulse
width canbesetfrom30 ts
to
2000ps by entering itonthe
keyboardas shown below. By set-
tingthe initial transmitter pulse
width to100 Its,athree-inch reso-
lutioncanbeobtained, 501as is
equivalenttoan inch and ahalf,
and 30j.ts initial transmitter pulse
width isequal toone inch resolu-
tion! No othergraph in themarket
today cangive youthis feature.
20:
Aftersetting the initial transmitter
pulse width,the suppressor con-
trol canstill beused tocancel out
noise
by increasing thepulse
width.
Forexample, ifaSOjLs initial
transmitter pulse width isselected,
and theSuppressor control is ro-
tated tomaximum, thetransmitter
pulse
width would be850s.Re-
turning
theSuppressor control to
minimum will restore the unitto a
50 jistransmitter pulse width.
TheX-15will display theinitial
transmitter pulsewidthatthe bot-
tomofthepaper when
youover-
ride the micro-computer To distin-
guishthe initial transmitter pulse
widthfromthedepth scaleprinted
onthepaper,azero isprinted in
frontofthe pulse widthsothatthe
twowill notbeconfused. For
example, a100 Its transmitter
pulse
width will be displayed on
thepaperas0100.A50 ts
transmitter pulse
width would be
displayed as 0050, whilea50-foot
depth will be displayed as 50.To
setthe initialtransmitter pulse
width, simplypress the amount of
pulsewidthdesired on the
keyboard, andthen press both the
LINES and SCALES keys atthe
sametime. (Note: Ifthelines
and/orthe scales wereturnedoff,
thiswillturnthem backon.To turn
thembackoff again, press either
theSCALES keyorthe LINES key
independently.Do notpress
them
simultaneously.)
Thiswilloverride themicro-
computer's selection and setthe
initialtransmitter pulse width tothe
desired setting. (Note:When an
initialtransmit
pulse
width is set,
thiswidth will be fixed for alldepth
settings
until changed oruntil con-
trol isreturned tothemicro-
computer.)
ducer design and cone angle to
bestfityourspecific needs. Gen-
erally, wide cone angletransduc-
ers (20 degrees) are ideally suited
foroperating in shallow waterorat
medium depths. The20degree
cone angle allows youtosee
more oftheunderwater world.In
15 feet ofwaterthe20degree
transducer covers an areaofthe
bottom that'sabout 6feetacross.
The8 degree transducer covers
only about a2footcircle.
Thus, youwould usea20de-
greetransducer when looking for
fish orstructure, to easily find
drop-offs orreefs, and to seefish
thatare aroundyou . . . not
just
below you.However,the20de-
greetransducer won'tpenetrate to
greaterdepths aswellasthe 8
degree transducer,norwill itshow
asharp drop-off aswell.In a
deep-water environment (100ft. or
deeper) orwhere you'relookingat
sharpdrop-offs, the narrow cone
angle cansometimes be more de-
sirable because itcanmoreaccu-
rately detectthe location ofthe
drop-off without displayingthefish.
Indeep water, with the sound
energy being concentrated in a
• smaller area, the8degreetrans-
ducer canreach to greater
depths.
Both the 8degree and the20
degree Lowrancetransducers give
accurate bottom readings, even
though the bottom signal ismuch
wideronthe20degree model be-
cause
youare seeing moreofthe
bottom. Remember,theshallow
• edge ofthesignal shows
youthe truedepth. Therest of
thesignal tellsyouwhether
youare over rocks, mud, or
drop-offs. Thenarrow bottom sig-
nalofthe 8 degreetransducer
merely reveals less information
aboutthe bottom's contours. This
feature is particularly useful when
using
the X-15offshore.
1. TPD-1192-20Wideconeangle
(20 degree) forshoot-thru-hull
ortrolling
motormount.
2. TPD-1192-8 Narrow cone
angle(8degree)
forshoot-
thru-hull.
3. TI-lS-1192-20 Wideconeangle
(20degree)
forhighspeed
transom mountorshoot-thru-
hull.
4. TTH-2192-20 Wideconeangle
(20 degree)
forthru hull mount
ortransommount.
5. TTH-2192-8 Narrow coneangle
(8degree) forthruhull mount
ortransom mount.
Ill BASICOPERATION
On-offand Sensitivity Control
—
Rotate theOn/Off knobclockwise
toturntheuniton. The Sensitivity
knobworksmuchlikethevolume
control on a radio,that is, weaker
signalswill be detected with
5
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higher
settingsofthe knob. When
cruising, oratothertimeswhen
justsimple bottom-contour infor-
mation isdesired,
the Sensitivity
setting
canbelow. Indeepwater
oroversoft,muddy bottoms,
(which produce weakechoes), the
setting
will have to be higher.
Whenhigh Sensitivity settings
are used, asecond
bottom echo
will appearThisisnormaland is
6
caused bythe returning signalre-
flecting
offthe surface ofthewa-
ter, making asecond triptothe
bottom and back.
When detailed information about
brushpiles, individual fishorthe
thermocline isdesired, the Sen-
sitivity knob shouldbeset atabout
¾ point. Refer totheillustration
below to seewhateffect the Sen-
sitivity setting hasonthe recorded
information.
Recording individual fishwith an
"arched" signature canusually be
accomplished attrolling speed
withtheSensitivity knobatthe¾
point, orhigher Refertothe sec-
tion"Arched
Signatures," on page
10for more information about this
important function ofyour
recorder.
Suppression Control
TheSuppression Control is
used to reduce interference from
noise. Noise, in electronic terms,
isanyundesired signal. Itcanbe
caused by anelectrical source,
(such as theengine's ignition sys-
tem),orby airbubbles indis-
turbedwaterwhichiscalled cavi-
tationnoise. In both cases, the
noise could produce unwanted
marks onthe paper (See Figure
44&45.)Fortunately,noisepulses
are relatively short in time com-
0
used onallthe Lowrance's vari-
ablesuppression flashers and
graphs. Basically,itworksonthe
principle thatmostnoise
pulses
are of relativelyshortduration. If
thereceivercircuitcanbe ad-
justedsothatitwill accept only
long pulses, then theshort pulses
will becancelled out, andonlythe
desired information (fish, bottom,
structure, etc.) will bedisplayed.
Of course, thetransmitter's pulse
widthwould haveto beincreased
atthesame time sothatthereturn
echoes would beaccepted by the
receiver
Thisis exactly whatthe Low-
rance suppression system
does.
Thetransmitter's pulse
widthisin-
creased bythefrontpanel sup-
pression control, and the receiver
"tracks"the amount ofincreased
pulse
width, cancelling outany
narrow noise pulses, anddisplay-
ing only the return echoes from
fish orthebottom, etc. (Note: Re-
ceiver
sensitivity isnotdiminished
atall bythisprocess.)
Theonly disadvantage tothis
system isresolution, ortheability
toseparate targets, is diminished
whenthe pulse width is increased.
A200ps(micro-second) transmit-
terpulse
width used ontheX-15
when
power
isfirstturnedon,will
allow theunitto display twofishor
targets that are only 6inches
apart. In other words, iftwo fish
that are sixinches apartaredis-
played onthegraphpaper, they
willshowupastwoseparate
archeswhenthetransmitter is
operating with a200cs pulse
width. Now, ifwe increase the
transmitter pulsewidthto400 gs,
(byrotating the Suppressor control
clockwise) those same twofish
arches willblend togetherand
show upasonefish brpossibly
evena"blob" onthe paper
Witha400 tstransmit pulse
width, those same two fishwill
have to beatleast12 inches apart
before theywillshow up astwo
separate archesonthe graph.
Thisiswhy itis important to leave
theSuppressorcontrol turned
downto minimumwhen looking
forfish.
However,itishelpful sometimes
tohave longerpulsewidthswhen
noiseisnotaconcern. When
usingasonar in deeperwater, itis
easier fortheunittodetecta
longerpulse coming backfromthe
bottom orfrom thefish. Thiss
called "Probability ofEcho Detec-
tion."Theprobabilityofthe unit
being abletodetect an echo re-
turning
fromdeep waterisdi-
minished becausethefurtherthe
sound pulse hastotravel, the
weaker
itbecomes. By broadening
the pulsewidth, in essence, a
largersignal istransmitted andit
is easier forthe receivertodetectit.
Forthis reason,the micro-
computer in the X-15automati-
callyincreases the initial pulse
width ofthe unit as
deeperlower
limitsaresetbytheoperator.
(Note: Initial pulsewidth isthe
pulse
width ofthe unitwhenthe
Suppressor control isturnedto
minimum.) INITIAL
TRANSMIT
PULSE
WIDTH
(Micro-seconds)
10 110
20 130
30 160
40-200 200
From 210 feetto 600 feet,
theinitialpulse
width increases at
thesamerateasthedepth. For
19
Figure 6
,- &q
LLI
Igure7 SENSITIVITY: TOO LOW Figure8
LOWER
LIMIT
(Feet)
SENSITIVITY:
PROPER SETTING
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mediately beseen. Use only the
amount ofSCC required to reduce
theclutter, asfish signals canbe
eliminated also.
Toturn the5CCfunction OFF,
press 0, MARK/SCC. The5CC
value (1,2,or3)can bechanged
orturned OFF atanytime.
Feet, Fathoms,Meters
TheX-15willdisplay the depth
infeet, fathoms, ormeters. Al-
though the unitwill revertbackto
thefeet mode whenever power
isturned off, itissimple tochange
toanymodeyouwishby pressing
1 and 3for feet — 4 and 6for
fathoms, and 7 and 9for meters.
These
keys mustbepressed
simultaneouslyfor thisfeature to
work.
Whentheunitisin the Feet
mode, onlyone L'will bedis-
played atthebottomofthechart
paper everyfewinches. Inthe
Fathommodetwo L'swill bedis-
played.Three L'swillbe printed
onthe Meter mode.
Example: Display Meters
Press:7and9simultaneously
Result: Figure 41
12
lb Ib—
20—
Bylooking atthenumberof
U 's, one can determine the
depth display modethatthe unitis
in, i.e., Feet-U Fathoms -
U
LL orMeters -I.!UU.
Transmitand PrintAlternate
When usingtheX-15 in deep
water, it maybe desirable toslow
thepaperspeed down considera-
bly. However,whendoing so, you
mayget"overprint"orverydark,
heavyprinting overan area that is
difficult to read. Much detailcan
belostduetothis.
Afeature thatthe X-15makes
available istheTransmitand Print
Alternate which, whenactivated,
causes thestylus toprintevery
otherrevolution instead ofevery
revolution. Thisaccomplishes
threethings:
1. Since thestylusonly prints
everyotherrevolution, the re-
cordedinformation isnot
squeezed together intoa very
small area. Thisallows better
recordsatslowerpaper
speeds. Also, the scale num-
bersare spread outmore, so
theyaremore legible.
2. Preventsthepossibility of
"wraparound". Thisisthe
undesirable occurrence ofthe
secondorthird bottom echo
printed onthe paper atthe
topormiddle ofthepage.
Many timesthiscaninterfere
withfishorothertargets that
youwishto see.
— 3. Reduces thereverberation ef-
fect.Thishappens mainly on
— lower
frequency units, al-
though itdoes sometimes
show upon highfrequency
a — graphs. To usetheTransmit
and Print Alternate function,
press the UPPER and
LOWER keys simultaneously.
Ifyouwishtoturnthe function
off, simplypresstheUPPER
and LOWER keys again.
Transmit PulseWidth
Thenoise
suppression system
intheX-15 isapatented pulse
widthdiscrimination suppression
circuit, and isthesame asthe one
pared toreal sonar signals.Ad-
vancing
theSuppression knob will
causethe system toreject these
unwanted, short pulseswithout
reducing thesensitivity in anyway.
Thispatented design isexclu-
sive with Lowrance. However,with
high suppression settings,the
graph record becomescoarse and
the ability toseparate fish fromthe
bottom orfromotherfishwill be
decreased. (See Figure10.)
Therefore, thelowerthesuppres-
sion setting, thebetter.Advance
the knobsetting onlyasfar as
necessary toremove theerratic,
unwanted noise marks. Most of
thetimeatlowortrolling speeds,
nosuppression will beneeded.
PaperSpeedControl
Thisknobadjusts
the speed of
thechart paper. Forgood detailed
graphs, inshallow to medium
depths, turnthe paper speed con-
trol upto atleast¾when
trolling.
Forbestdetails, turnit upto
maximum.This will show proper
fisharches atlowspeeds and
keeps high speed information from
being compressed. Thepaper
speed should be turned down
whenusing theunitin deep water
Thiswillprevent gapfromap-
pearing in the record. Infact, the
microcomputerwill automatically
slowthemaximum speed ofthe
chartpaperwhen
operating in
deep water
Thechartbelow gives
thepoints
wherethe maximum
speed ofthe paperisslowed.
RANGE PAPERSPEED
10'-120' 1 Fastest paper
speed
130'-510' 2 Medium fast
paperspeed
52O83O 3 Medium slow
paperspeed
Below 840' 4 Slowest paper
speed
Thechartpapermaybe slowed
evenfurtherby adjusting the
paper speedcontrol. Remember,if
gapsappear in the record, turn
the paperspeed down until a solid
record isachieved. Thepaper
speed mayalso beslowed when
not looking
forfishorto simply
conserve
paper.
GRAYLINE® On/OffKnob
TheGRAYLINE®function canbe
used tooutlinethe bottom contour
whichmight otherwise behidden
beneath treesand brush; it can
also give clues-to thecomposition
ofthe bottom. Ahardbottom re-
turns a
very strong signal causing
awidegray line. Asoft, muddy or
weedybottomreturns aweaker
signal whichisemphasized with a
narrow grayline. Do notadvance
thecontrol toofaror it will gray
7
RD I lirf P,," I® . I) 2
:
Figure 9 PROPER SETrING Figure 10 SUPPRESSION: TOO HIGH
- U
U
C—
18
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line on thetargetcompletely,
showing noblack, which makes
thetargetdifficulttosee.
RANGE
The Lowrance X-15 straight
line graphhasthe most advanced
range selection capability ofany
depth sounderin its price range. _________________ ______
Weurgeyoutoreadthissection
carefully
to getthemostoutof
yourX-15.
Lower Limit
When youfirstturn onthe
X-15,the range will be 0-60feet.
Figure 13
'0 -______-_____-— U
2'I --___________
Sb -—- Sb
'Ia 'ID _________________
hfl .— ______________________
Asyoutravel, thebottom
may
descend below 60feet. To
change toadeeperrange, simply
press thedesired depth onthe
Keyboard, and then press
LOWERLIMIT.
Example: Display 0-80feet. — _________ - —
mounted onthetransom should
bewashed periodicallywith mild
soapy waterto remove any ac-
cumulated road grime oroily film.
Thisisessential tohavegood
contactbetween thetransducerp
and thewater.
Periodically,therubber rolleron
the paper drive should becleaned
withaclothdampened with al-
cohol, toimprove thefrictionon
thedriveshaft. (See page 16,
Figure29).
DO SECTION
Do carryasparefuse,stylus
belt, and rollofpaper.
Dousethetape fromanewroll
orpaper to attach ittothetake-up
spool'
Do usetheempty cardboard
corefromthe last roll ofpaperon
thetake-uppost.
Do carryapencil to make notes
onthepaper.
Do keep therecorded graphs
forfuturereference.
Do cleanthestylusbeltand
wheels with alcohol afterevery
VI ADVANCED OPERATION
SurfaceClarity Control (SCC)
Thesurface markingsatthetop
ofthechartpaper can, attimes,
extend manyfeetbelow thesur-
face. Thisoften interferes withthe
areathatone istryingtograph.
Surface clutter iscaused by algae
and plankton, airbubbles created
by wave action orboat wakes, bait
fish, ortemperature inversions.
The surface clutter can be re-
duced orelimihated byusing
the
MARK/SOC key onthe control panel.
Tousethe5CC,control, press 1
forminimum effect,2foran inter-
mediate control, or3for maximum
elimination ofsurface clutter,and
then press MARK/SCC. Areduc-
tionofthesurface clutter will im-
8 17
H
- -12
I
A I
t K - - r__-_s...j
Figure 11
131
GRAYLINE: "OFF"
at battery; tightenpower cord
connector.
Symptom
On/Offswitch is"ON", have
zeromark, but no echoes orbot-
tomsignals.
WhatToDo
Besure thetransducer is
plugged intothe unitand the
transducer isin contact withthe
water.
Symptom
TheunitisON, but paper does
not move.
WhatTo Do
Tape Paper
tocardboard spool
ontake-uppost.
Symptom
Recordermarks are faintordim.
WhatTo Do
Clean viewing door; replace the
stylus; check battery connections.
Sympton
Recordedmarks are very
heavy; paperistornby stylus.
WhatTo Do
Bend thestylus slightly to re-
ducepressure on paper
I. - I, bJ
Figure12 GRAYLINE: "ON"
Press: 8 0 LOWER LIMIT
Thedepth will then bedisplayed:
Figure14
—n a
—'-lb lb
92
—HE MB
—bH bM
SD——
Anydepth in amultiple often
(i.e. 10, 20, 30, 150,320, etc.)
maybe used as alowerlimitat
thebottom ofthechartpaper
Example: Display 0-190 feet.
Press: 1 9 0 LOWER
Result:Figure 15 LIMIT
— U
—3
— lb ib—
—''H - - - - 11H
—152 152
five rolls ofpaper.
DON'TSECTION
DON'TOPEN THCASE
WHEN THEUNIT ISON.
Don't
pull the platen assembly
downwhenthe stylus isatthe
front.
Don'tstore anyobjectsinside
thecaseor behindtheviewing
door
Don't
forgettotapethe paper
to
thetake-up core.
Don'trotatethestylusbeltup.
Don'tuseoilycloths, strong sol-
vents
orabrasive cleansers.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Symptom
On/Offswitch is"ON", but the
stylus and paper don'tmove.
WhatTo Do
Checkfuse; check connections
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16 9
I
Figure 40
STYLUSBELT REPLACEMENT
CAUTION
—High voltageis
presentintheelectronicsection
when theunitisturned on.
1. TURNTHE UNIT OFF.
2. Release both catches onthe
topofthecase. Pull outand
down
onthetopofthe case
frontto expose thestylusbelt.
3. Thestylus beltrides over two
wheels located atthe right
edge ofthe platen assembly.
RefertoFigure 2 onpage 3.
Movethefrontofthebelt
DOWN to positionthe stylus
atthecenterofthe platen.
4. Grasp the beltatthestylus
holderwith thethumband
forefinger
andmove itgently
totheleftwhilepushing the
beltoffthewheels withthe
otherforefinger.(SeeFigure
40.)
5. Position thenew belton the
wheels by reversingthepro-
cedure
used toremove the
oldone. BESURE thefingers
ofthenewstylusare pointed
UP
6. Close thefrontofthe case.
Latch bothcatchesonthetop
ofthe unit.
MAINTENANCE
NOTE: Thestylus may be dam-
aged ifitis in frontoftheplaten
when
the platen assembly is
pulled down. Alwaysmove the
stylus tothe back side ofthe
platen when changing the paper
rolls. Rememberto movethebelt
downto removestylus.
Black carbondustis created
during the recording process. Use
asoft, oil-free rag toclean the
viewing doorand metal platen be-
hind thepaper. Low pressure
compressed airmaybeusedto
blowdustoutofthecaseand
away
frommoving partsifthe air
Notethatthe paper speed slows Figure 17
down automatically atthisrange '1D
setting.
Clear -To clearanentrybefore -'N
hitting theLOWER key,press0
fourtimes.Thedesired numbers ________________________'IS —
may
then be re-entered.
UPPER LIMIT __________________
Manytimeswhen youare fish-
ing, it isdesirable to "blow up"or
expand asection ofthewaterbe- - — Sb -
neath you.Thisis made possible
bythe X-15toshow segments of 60 U U —ED -
theunderwater worldonthegraph If
youwishto displayyour depth
paper. Byusing the UPPER LIMIT settings at anytime, simplypress
key, anydepthin multiples of10 LOWER LIMITor UPPER LIMIT
maybedisplayed attheTOPof Yourrangewill immediately be
the chartpaper. printed on the paper.Thiswill not
Example: Display 20-60feet. change thedepth setting.
Press: 2 0 UPPER LINES
LIMIT When theX-15 isfirstturned
Result:Figure 16 on, depthlineswill be printed
on
20 20 thepaper. Ifyoudesire toturnthe
Linesoff, presstheLINES key. To
the Linesbackon, press the
29 00 - Lines key again.
- ' Press: Lines
_____________________ - Result:Figure 18
- a
S2 SE- 2
g L'—bD-
2H EM
Notice: No surface signal willbe
displayed. 26 36
Example: Display 40to60feet.
Press: 4 0 UPPER
LIMIT
Result: Figure 17
These ranges canbe used in I! 60
various combinations toshow
segments fromthesurface tothe Marker
bottom. See representative sam- Amarkeris included in the
pies ofsegments onpage23. X-15so thatevents maybe
isdry and freeofoil.
Aftereveryfive rolls ofpaper,
the stylus beltand thewheels it
rides on should bewiped clean
with asoft rag moistenedwith al-
cohol to remove carbon dust.
Strong solvents or abrasive clean-
ersshouldnotbe used.
All mechanical connections
should be checked periodicallyto
besuretheyhaven't worked loose.
DO NOTapply anytypeoflu-
bricant tothe motors or gear trains.
HIGH VOLTAGEis present in
thetransmitter section whenthe
unitis ON. No attempt should be
made by anyunauthorized person
tomodify orrepair the electronic
section.
Corrosion mayoccuratthe
power plug, in thefuseholder or
power cord splices, oratthebat-
tery connections. Allelectrical
connections should bechecked
periodically and cleaned as
necessary.
Thefaceofthetransducer,if
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marked whendesired. Tousethe
marker,simply press the MARK
key and a verticalline willbedis-
played acrossthe entire page.
Hold the MARK keydownand the
unitwillprintthe verticalline for
aslongasthekeyis helddown.
Example:
Press: MARK
Result: Figure 19
El
12
2L4
U
Scale
Thenumbers that indicatethe
depth orscale maybedeleted if
desired. PressingtheSCALE key
once willstoptheprinting ofthe
scale numbers. Thescale maybe
displayed again by pressing the
SCALE key.
Remember,thescale maybe
displayed at anytime bypressing
either the LOWER LIMIT orthe
UPPER LIMIT key.
Example:
Press: SCALE
End-of-PaperMarker
Thegraph paperused in the
X-15 has a red line printed atthe
bottom ofthepaperto signify
whenthereisonly2
to3feetbe-
foretheend ofthe paper.
- 2
24
EndofPaperMark!5__
Figure21
IVHOW TO READ GRAPHS
"Arched Signatures"
A remarkable advantage ofthe
X-15 isthat itcanrecord individ-
ualfishwith acharacteristic
arched markthat separates them
fromtheirstationary surroundings.
Thereason forthis isshown be-
low. Thedistance toafish whenit
movesintothe sonar's coneof
sound isshown as "A'in Figure
22.
When the fish hasmoved
tothecenterofthecone, thedis-
tanceto itwill be shorter, (line
"B"), and as it moves outofthe
cone, thedistancewill increase
again as shown in line "C".
STYLUSREPLACEMENT
CAUTION
— High voltage is
presentin theelectronicsection
whentheunitisturned on.
1. TURNTHE UNIT OFF.
2. Release both catchesonthe
topofthecase.Pull outand
down
on thetopofthecase
fronttoexpose the stylusbelt.
(SeeFigure 36.)
3. Thestylus beltridesovertwo
wheels located atthe right
edge ofthe platen assembly.
Movethefrontofthe belt
DOWN to position thestylus
atthe centeroftheplaten.
4. Hold thestylusbeltstationary
withonefinger, and remove
theold stylusby starting at its
leftedge andmoving itout
fromunderthetabson the
stylus holder.
5. Before installingthenew
stylus, be sure itis bent prop-
erlyby comparing itto Figure 37.
6. Referto Figure 38tobe sure
thenew stylusis positioned
correctly under thetabson
the holder.Be sure itmoves
freelyin thetwoslots. Ifnot,
bend thestylus away fromthe
edge itis rubbing on until it
does move freely.
7. Afterinstalling, ifthe stylus
won'tprintallthe
way down
the paper,(SeeFigure 39)
bend the right legdownso
thatmore pressure is exerted
againstthe stainless steel
plate. Ifitstill does notprint
allthe
way, bend theleft leg
down more (butnotso farthat
itdigs intothe paper).
8. Close thefrontofthecase.
Latch both catchesonthetop
ofthecase.
bO
Figure 37
Result: Figure 20 - Figure 22
U 15
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14
0—
10 —
20 —
30—
40 —
50 —
60
Figure 23
Ifapartialarchoccursmostof
thetimeonyour unit(themark
curvesupbutdoes notcurve back
down), itis because thetrans-
ducer is notaimed straight down.
Sharp, well-defined signatures
willoccurmostoften whenthe
Sensitivity knobissetatthe¾
point orhigher. (See(C), Figure
23). Remember,too, thatthere
must besomemovement between
the fish andboatto develop the
arched mark.
Thermoclines
Thetemperature ofwaterinthe
lake is seldom constant from top
tobottom. Layers ofdifferent
temperatures form,and the junc-
tionofawarmandcool layer of
water iscalled athermocline. The
depth andthickness ofthether-
moclinecanvarywiththeseason
ortimeofday. Indeeplakes there
maybe twoormore,atdifferent
depths. Thermoclines are impor-
tanttothefishermanbecause they
areareas
whichfish are active.
Many timesbaitfishwill beabove
thethermocline
whilelargergame
fish suspend justbelow it. (See
(G), Figure23.)
Your Lowrance Model X-15
candetectthisinvisible
layerin
thewater, butthe Sensitivity knob
willprobablyhave tobe setatthe
¾ point, orhigher.
11
Figure 31 Figure 34
Figure 32 Figure35
I
p
Figure 33 Figure36 Figure 24
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V PAPER LOADING
CAUTION
— High voltageis
presentin theelectronic section
when theunitisturned on.
1. TURNTHEUNITOFF.
2. Release both catches onthe
topofthecase.Pull outand
downonthetopofthe case
frontto expose the platen as-
sembly: (SeeFigure 25.)
3. Move the stylus beltDOWN,
(on the right side oftheview-
ing area), toposition the
markingstylusontheback
side ofthe platen. NEVER
movethebeltup — thestylus
maybedamaged. (see Figure
26)
SPECIALNOTE:Thestylus
maybe damaged ifthe platen as-
sembly
is pulled down
unless the
stylus hasbeen moved tothe
backside oftheplaten.
4. Pullout
and down on thetab
atthe
top, centerofthe platen
assembly toexpose the paper
spools. (SeeFigure 27.)
:To remove thefulltake-up roll,
push in androtate the left
paperretainer
knob until it
snaps
out. (See Figure28.)
Therollcan now be easily
removed fromthepaperspool
end caps. (SeeFigure 29.)
6. Remove the empty supply
corefromthe right side in the
samemanner Align thetwo
notches in thecorewEththe
tabson the lower
take-up
spool. (SeeFig. 30) Push the
paperretainer knobin and ro-
tate ituntil it locks into place.
7. Putafresh rollofpaper in
position onthecentering
postsofthe paperspool end
capsonthe supply side (right)
ofthe platen assembly.The
paper mustspooloftthebot-
tom ofthe roll. (See Figure
31.)
8. Drawtheendofthe paper
acrossthefaceoftheplaten,
around thefriction
roller,over
thetake-up
core, andtape it
squarely tothetake-up
core.
(SeeFigure 32.)(Hint: small
strips
oftape may be stored
inside housing.)
9. Hold thetake-upspool, and
turnthe supply spool clock-
wiseto puta small amount of
tension
onthe paper Itshould
be snug against theplaten.
(See Figure 33.)
10. Push the platen assembly
backto itsoperating position.
Besureitengages
thecatch
inside thetopofthecase.
(SeeFigure 34.)
11. Close the frontofthe case.
Latch both catches onthetop
ofthecase.(See Figure 35.)
12. Turntheuniton. Move the
ChartSpeed knob fully
clockwise. Watch the paper
longenough to be sure itis
movind smoothly
and evenly
across the platen. Ifthepaper
fluttersorbegins
to run "up-
hill", repeat Step8.
12 13
Figure 27
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