Lowrance X-29 User manual

37
X-29, X-39
and
X-49
INSTALLATION AND OPERATION
INSTRUCTIONS

38
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1
SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................ 1
INSTALLATION -Transducer ............................................................................ 2
POWER CONNECTIONS ................................................................................ 10
BRACKET INSTALLATION.............................................................................. 11
SPEED/TEMP SENSORS ............................................................................... 12
KEYBOARD BASICS ....................................................................................... 15
DISPLAY........................................................................................................... 15
OPERATION .................................................................................................... 16
MENUS ............................................................................................................. 16
AUTOMATIC .................................................................................................... 16
RANGE ............................................................................................................. 16
ZOOM ............................................................................................................... 17
UPPER/LOWER LIMITS .................................................................................. 19
SENSITIVITY.................................................................................................... 20
GRAYLINE®............................................................................................................................................................................. 20
FISH ID ............................................................................................................. 21
FISH TRACK™................................................................................................. 22
CHART SPEED ................................................................................................ 22
DISPLAY MODE .............................................................................................. 23
TEMPERATURE PROBE SELECT ................................................................. 26
ALARMS ........................................................................................................... 27
LIGHT ............................................................................................................... 28
FEET/METER................................................................................................... 28
DISPLAY CONTRAST ..................................................................................... 28
ASP (Advanced Signal Processing) ................................................................ 29
SIMULATOR..................................................................................................... 29
TROUBLESHOOTING ..................................................................................... 30
WARRANTY ..................................................................................................... 33
Copyright © 2000, Lowrance Electronics, Inc.
All features and specifications in this manual are subject to change
without notice.
All screens in this manual are simulated.

1
SPECIFICATIONS - All Units
Dimensions....................... 5.9" W x 5.35" H x 3.4" D
Input Voltage .................... 10 - 15 vDC
Current Drain .................... 350 ma (lights off)
........................... 500 ma (lights on)
Transmitter
Frequency .......... 192 kHz
Output Power ..... 600 watts (peak-to-peak) (typical)
........................... 75 watts (RMS)
Display ........................... 128 pixels (H) x 65 pixels (W)
........................... Film Supertwist Liquid Crystal Display
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing a Lowrance sonar. Your sonar unit is a high
qualityunitdesignedforbothprofessionalandnovicefishermen. Allofour
sonars have an automatic feature that finds and displays the bottom, fish,
structure, and more! All you have to do is press the on key. However, if
youwishtofinetunetheunit,allyouhavetodoispressthemenukey. This
series of sonar products has powerful features available through easy-to-
use menus.
To get started with your Lowrance unit, first read the installation section.
Thisiswhereitallbegins. Improperinstallationcancauseproblemsdown
the road. After you’ve read the instructions, install the unit, then read the
rest of the manual. The more you know about your unit, the better it will
perform for you.
NOTICE!
The storage temperature for your unit is from -4 degrees to +167 degrees
Fahrenheit (-20 degrees to +75 degrees Celcius). Extended storage in tempera-
tures higher or lower than specified will damage the liquid crystal display in your
unit. This type of damage is not covered by the warranty. For more information,
contact the factory customer service department or your local service center.
5.35"
5.9" 3.4"

2
Transducer Installation
Some of the models covered by this manual have a transom-mount
transducer included. The following are installation instructions for this
transducer.
The “kick-up” mounting bracket helps prevent damage if the transducer
strikes an object while the boat is moving. If the transducer does “kick-
up”, the bracket can easily be pushed back in place without tools.
Read this manual carefully before attempting the installation. Determine
which of the mounting positions is right for your boat. Use extreme care
if mounting the transducer inside the hull, since once it is epoxied into
position, the transducer usually cannot be removed. Remember, the
transducer location is the most critical part of a sonar installation.
Location - General
1. The transducer must be placed in a location that has a smooth flow of
water at all times. If the transducer is to be mounted inside the hull,
then the chosen location must be in the water at all times. If the
transducer is not placed in a smooth flow of water, interference will
show on the sonar’s display in the form of random lines or dots
whenever the boat is moving.
2. The transducer should be installed with it’s face pointing straight
down, if possible.
3. If the transducer is mounted on the transom, make certain it doesn’t
interfere with the trailer or hauling of the boat. Also, don’t mount it
closer than approximately one foot from the engine’s lower unit. This
will prevent cavitation interference with the propeller. Typically, the
transducer should be mounted as deep in the water as possible. This
increases the chance that it will be in the water in high speed and
reduces the possiblity of air bubble interference.
4. If possible, route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the
boat. Electrical noise from engine wiring, bilge pumps, and areators
can be displayed on the sonar’s screen. Use caution when routing
the transducer cable around these wires.

3
Shoot-thru-hull v.s. Transom Mounting
Typically, shoot-thru-hull installations give excellent high speed opera-
tion and good to excellent depth capability. There is no possibility of
damage from floating objects. It can't be knocked off when docking or
loading on the trailer.
However, the shoot-thru-hull installation does have its drawbacks. One,
some loss of sensitivity does occur, even on the best hulls. This varies
from hull to hull, even from different installations on the same hull. This
is caused by differences in hull layup and construction. Two, the angle
of the transducer cannot be adjusted for the best fish arches. This can
be a problem on some hulls that sit with the bow high when at rest or at
slow trolling speeds. Follow the procedure listed in the shoot-thru-hull
installation section in this manual to determine if you can satisfactorily
shoot through the hull.
DOT
Transducer Assembly and Mounting - All Units
The best way to install this transducer is to loosely assemble all of the
parts first, place the transducer’s bracket against the transom and see if
you can move the transducer so that it’s parallel with the ground.
1. Press the two small plastic ratchets into the sides of the metal bracket
as shown below. Notice there are letters molded into each ratchet.
Place each ratchet into the bracket with the letter “A” aligned with the
dotstampedinto themetalbracket. Thispositionsets thetransducer’s
coarse angle adjustment for a fourteen (14) degree transom. Most
outboard and stern-drive transoms have a fourteen degree angle.

4
2. Slide the transducer between the two ratchets. Temporally slide the
bolt though the transducer assembly and hold it against the transom.
Looking at the transducer from the side, check to see if it will adjust so
that its face is parallel to the ground. If it does, then the “A” position is
correctforyourhull.Ifthetransducer’sfaceisn’tparallelwiththeground,
remove the transducer and ratchets from the bracket. Place the ratch-
ets into the holes in the bracket with the letter “B” aligned with the dot
stamped in the bracket. Reassemble the transducer and bracket and
place them against the transom. Again, check to see if you can move
the transducer so it’s parallel with the ground. If you can, then go to
step3.Ifitdoesn’t, repeatstep 2,but usea differentletteruntilyoucan
place the transducer on the transom correctly.
3. Once you determine the correct position for the ratchets, assemble
the transducer as shown at left. Don't tighten the lock nut at this time.
NUT METAL
WASHER
RUBBER
WASHERS METAL
WASHER
BOLT
RATCHETS

5
CAUTION!
CLAMP THE TRANSDUCER CABLE TO
TRANSOM NEAR THE TRANSDUCER. THIS
WILL HELP PREVENT THE TRANSDUCER
FROM ENTERING THE BOAT IF IT IS
KNOCKED OFF AT HIGH SPEED.
GOOD LOCATION
POOR ANGLE
POOR LOCATION
GOOD LOCATION
TRANSOM
SIDE VIEW
4. Hold the transducer and bracket assembly against the transom. The
transducer should be roughly parallel to the ground. The bottom of the
transducer bracket should be in line with the bottom of the hull. Don't
let the bracket extend below the hull! Mark the center of the slots for
the mounting holes. Drill two 5/32" holes in the marked locations for
the #10 screws supplied with the transducer.

6
5. Remove the transducer from the bracket and re-assemble it with the
cable passing through the bracket over the bolt as shown above. At-
tach the transducer to the transom. Slide the transducer up or down
until it’s aligned properly on the transom as shown above. Tighten the
bracket’smountingscrews.Adjustthetransducersothatit’sparallel to
thegroundandtightenthelocknut untilit touchesthe flatwasher,then
add 1/4 turn. Don’t over tighten the lock nut! If you do, the transducer
won’t “kick-up” if it strikes an object in the water.
6. Route the transducer cable to the sonar unit. Make certain to leave
some slack inthe cable at the transducer as shown above. If possible,
route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the boat. Electri-
cal noise from the engine’s wiring, bilge pumps, VHF radio wires and
cables,andaerators can bepickedup by thesonar.Use caution when
routing the transducer cable around these wires.
IMPORTANT!
Clamp the transducer cable to the transom close to the transducer. This
can prevent the transducer from entering the boat if it is knocked off at
high speed.
7. Make a test run to determine the results. If the bottom is lost at high
speed, or if noise appears on the display, try sliding the transducer
bracket down. This puts the transducer deeper into the water, hope-
fully below the turbulence causing the noise. Don't allow the trans-
ducer bracket to go below the bottom of the hull!

7
SHOOT-THRU-HULL
The transducer installation inside a fiberglass hull must be in an area
that does not have air bubbles in the resin or separated fiberglass
layers. The sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. A success-
ful transducer installation can be made on hulls with flotation materials
(such as plywood, balsa wood, or foam) between layers of fiberglass if
the material is removed from the chosen area. For example, some
manufacturers use a layer of fiberglass, then a core of balsa wood,
finishing with an outer layer of fiberglass. Removing the inner layer of
fiberglass and the balsa wood core exposes the outer layer of fiberglass.
The transducer can then be epoxied directly to the outer layer of fiber-
glass. After the epoxy cures, the hull is watertight and structurally sound.
Remember, the sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. Any air
bubbles in the fiberglass or the epoxy will reduce or eliminate the sonar
signals.
To choose the proper location for thru-hull mounting, anchor the boat in
60 feet of water. Add a little water to the sump of the boat. Plug the
INNER HULL
OUTER HULL
FILL WITH EPOXY
EPOXY TO HULL FIRST
transducer into the sonar unit, turn it on, then hold the transducer over
the side of the boat. Adjust the sensitivity and range controls until a
second bottom echo is seen on the display. (you will need to turn both
automatic and ASP off.) Don’t touch the controls once they’ve been set.
Next, take the transducer out of the water and place it in the water in the
sump of the boat. Observe the sonar signal to see if there is a notice-
able decrease in sensitivity. The second bottom signal may disappear
and the bottom signal may decrease in intensity. Move the transducer
around to find the best location. If the sensitivity control has to be
increased greatly to compensate, then the transducer should be
mounted on the outside of the hull. If not, then mark the location that
shot through the hull the best and follow the instructions on the next
pages for a shoot-thru-hull mounting.

8
TRANSDUCER LOCATION
(HIGH SPEED) TRANSDUCER LOCATION (TROLLING SPEED)
2. Follow the instructions on the epoxy package and mix it thoroughly.
Do not mix it too fast, as it will cause bubbles to form in the epoxy.
(NOTE! Use only the epoxies specified on the inside front cover of this
manual! Failure to use one of these epoxies may result in poor sonar
performance!) Apply a small amount on the face of the transducer as
shown above, then spread a small amount onto the sanded area on the
SAND THIS SURFACE
SPREAD EPOXY HERE
Shoot-thru-hull Installation
1. Make certain the area is clean, dry, and free of oil or grease, then
sand both the inside surface of the hull and the face of the transducer
with 100 grit sandpaper. The surface of the hull must be flat so the entire
transducer face is in contact with the hull prior to bonding.

9
TRANSDUCER AIMED TOO
FAR FORWARD
hull. Place the transducer into the epoxy, twisting and turning it to force
any air bubbles out from under the transducer face. The face of the
transducer should be parallel with the hull, with a minimum amount of
epoxy between the hull and transducer. After the epoxy dries, route the
cable to the sonar unit.
Fish Arches
If you do not get good fish arches on your display, it could be the
transducer is not parallel with the ground when the boat is at rest in the
water, or at slow trolling speeds. If the arch slopes up, but not back
down, then the front of the transducer is too high and needs to be
lowered. If only the back half the the arch is printed, then the nose of the
transducer is angled too far down and needs to be raised.
TRANSDUCER AIMED TOO FAR
BACK
PROPER TRANSDUCER ANGLE

10
3 amp
FUSE
12 VOLT
BATTERY
BLACK
WIRE
RED
WIRE
TO SPEED/TEMP
SENSOR
(X-39 and X-49 ONLY)
POWER CONNECTIONS - All units
Thisunitworksfroma12voltDCsystemonly.Forthebestresults,runthe
powercabledirectlytotheboat’sbattery.Keepthepowercableawayfrom
other boat wiring, especially the engine’s wires. This will give the best
isolation from electrical noise. If the supplied cable is not long enough to
reachthe battery,splice#18gaugeinsulatedwireto it.Youcanattachthe
power cable to an accessory or power buss, however, you may have
problemswithelectricalinterference.Makecertaintoattachthein-linefuse
holder to the positive lead as close to the battery or terminal strip as
possible.Thiswill protectboththe unit andthe power cablein the eventof
a short. Use a 3-amp fuse.
WARNING!
Do not use this product without a 3-amp fuse wired into the power cable!
Failure to use a 3-amp fuse will void your warranty!
Thisunithasreversepolarityprotection.Nodamagewilloccurifthepower
wires are reversed. However, the unit will not work until the wires are
attached correctly.
TO SONAR UNIT

11
Bracket Installation
Youcaninstallthesonarunitonthetopofadashorfromanoverheadwith
the supplied bracket. It can also be installed in the dash with an optional
IDA-3mounting kit.Ifyouusethesuppliedbracket,you maybeinterested
in the optional GBSA-1 swivel bracket kit. This converts the unit's gimbal
bracket to a swivel mount which can be used on the dash or overhead
mounting positions. Installation instructions for the in-dash and swivel
mounting kits are supplied with the adapter kits.
Mount the unit in any convenient location, provided there is clearance
whenit’stiltedforthebestviewingangle.Holesinthebracket’sbaseallow
woodscreworthroughboltmounting.Itmaybenecessarytoplaceapiece
of plywood on the back side of thin panels to reinforce the panel. Make
certain there is enough room behind the unit to attach the power and
transducer cables.
Drill a hole in the dash for the power and transducer cables. The best
location for this hole is immediately under the gimbal bracket. This way,
the bracket covers the hole. The smallest hole the power and transducer
cable connectors can pass through is 5/8". After drilling the hole, pass the
transducer connector up through the hole from under the dash. Pass the
powercabledownthoughtheholefrom thetop. Slidethe bracketover the
hole, then route the cables out the slot in the back of the bracket. Finally,
fasten the bracket to the dash.
Attach the unit to the gimbal bracket using the supplied gimbal knobs and
washers as shown above.
GIMBAL KNOB
RUBBER WASHER
SONAR UNIT
GIMBAL BRACKET

12
SPEED/TEMPERATURE SENSORS
TheX-39andX-49canuseuptothreeoptionaltemperaturesensorswhich
can monitor surface water, live well, air, and virtually any other tempera-
ture.Youdoneedtobecarefulwhenpurchasingthetemperaturesensors,
however. Each temperature sensor has its own "address". The sensors
arelabeled"Water", "T-2" (orTemp-2),and "T-3" (orTemp-3).If you want
two(ormore)temperaturereadings,you'llneedtousethepropersensors.
Forexample, youcan'tusetwoT-3sensors.Thesensors thatwillfitthese
units are:
TS-1BK One sensor for "Water" temperature display.
TS-2BK One sensor for "T-2" temperature display.
TS-3BK One sensor for "T-3" temperature display.
TS-12BK Twosensorsfor"Water"and "T-2"temperature displays.
ST-TBK One speed sensor and one temperature sensor for
"Speed" and "Water" displays.
Youcan combinethesesensors inmanycombinations.Seethe listonthe
following pages for temperature and speed sensor combinations.

13
Sensor Chart
(Note: Do not use these sensors in any other combination.)
ST-TBK = 1 speed sensor and 1 temperature display
ST-T BK + TS-2BK = 2 temp sensors and one speed sensor
ST-TBK + TS-2BK + TS-3BK = 3 temp sensors and one speed sensor
TS-1BK = 1 temperature sensor
TS-12BK = 2 temperature sensors
or
TS-1BK + TS-2BK = 2 temperature sensors
TS-12BK + TS-3BK = 3 temperature sensors
or
TS-1BK + TS-2BK +TS-3BK = 3 temperature sensors
Two Temperature Sensors
(Water and T-2)
TS-12 BK
X-39 or X-49 POWER CABLE
Here's some sample wiring diagrams:

14
Three Temperature Sensors
(Water, T-2, and T-3)
Three Temperature Sensors
plus Speed
(Water, T-2, T-3, and Speed)
TS-12 BK
TS-3 BK
ST-TBK
TS-2 BK
TS-3 BK
X-39 or X-49
POWER CABLE
Sensor Chart
(Note: Do not use these
sensors in any other combina-
tion.)
X-39 or X-49
POWER CABLE

15
KEYBOARD BASICS
Theunitsoundsatonewhenyoupress any
key. This tells you the unit has accepted a
command.
PWR/CLEAR
Usethiskeytoturntheuniton. Italsoclears
menu selections and the menus from the
screen. This key also turns the unit off.
NOTE:YoumustholdtheOFFkeydownfor
a few seconds in order to turn the unit OFF.
MENU FWD / MENU REV
These sonar units have many features that are accessed with the menu
keys.TheMENU FWDkey movesforwardthroughthemenus, theMENU
REV key moves backward. To see the first menu, simply press either
MENU key. To see the other menus, press a MENU key repeatedly.
UP and DOWN ARROWS
Use these keys to adjust virtually every feature and function on the unit.
NOTE: The up arrow key also stops the chart when no menus are
displayed. In other words, anytime you wish to stop the chart, first make
certain no menu is on the screen. Now press the up arrow key. The chart
freezesandtheword“STOP”appearsatthetopofthescreen. Tostartthe
chart, press the up arrow key again.
DISPLAY - General
The lights flash for about ten seconds when the unit is turned on. Two
menus appear, one after the other. The menus are the lights (BACK
LIGHT)anda feet-meter selection(FEET/METER). To turn thelights on,
press the up arrow key. To switch from feet to meters, press the down
arrow key when the proper menu appears. The menus disappear after a
fewseconds. Ifyoudon’twanttowait,pressthe
PWR key to clear the menus from the screen.
Whenthesonarunitisfirstturnedon,thedisplay
appearssimilartotheoneatright. Theunitisin
the automatic mode and the Fish ID feature is
off.Thedepthrangeshowsonthe leftsideofthe
screen. Onthescreenatright,therangeisfrom
0 to 40 feet and the bottom depth is 29.4 feet.

16
OPERATION
MENUS
This unit uses menus to guide you through the
unit’s functions and features. The menu key
accesses these features, allowing you to cus-
tomize the unit to your particular needs and
waterconditions. Allyouhavetodotoleaveone
menu and enter another is press the menu key
repeatedly. If you ever get lost in the menus,
simply press the PWR key. This clears the
menus from the screen.
Menuschangedependingonthe modetheunit
is in. For example, if the automatic mode is
turned off, the sensitivity menu changes from “AUTO SENS” to “MAN
SENS.” Other messages may appear in menu boxes or new menus can
appear, again depending on previous selections.
AUTOMATIC
Whentheunitisfirstturnedon,theautomatic
featureisenabled. Thisfeatureautomatically
adjusts the unit’s range and sensitivity ac-
cording to water conditions. It always keeps
the bottom depth displayed in the lower por-
tion of the screen.
To turn the automatic feature off, press the
menu key until the AUTO/MAN menu ap-
pears. Now press the down arrow key. This
highlights the letters “MAN.” The unit is now
inthemanualmode. Waitafewsecondsand
the menu will scroll off the screen’s left side.
Pressing the PWR key also clears it. To turn the automatic feature on
again, repeat the above steps, except this time press the up arrow key.
RANGE
You can’t adjust the range when the unit is in the automatic mode. It is
adjustable when the unit is in the manual mode, however. To do so, first
put the unit in the manual mode. Now press the PWR key to clear the
screen. Then press the menu key until the “RANGE SEL” menu appears
as shown at the top of the next page. The current range shows at the
bottom of the menu. In this case, the range is 60 feet. Now press the up
arrowkeytodecreasetherange,thedownarrowkeyincreasestherange.

17
After you select the desired range, press the
PWRkeytoclearthedisplay. Ifyouwaitafew
seconds, it will automatically clear.
This unit has the following ranges:
10, 20, 40, 60, 120, 240, 480, and 900 feet.
and
5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 100, 200, and 300 meters.
ZOOM
The zoom feature enlarges all echoes on the
screen. Iftheunitisintheautomaticmode,it
tracks the bottom signal, always keeping it
near the bottom of the screen. This lets you
seesmalldetail,atthesametimeenlargingall
echoes that appear on the screen. The unit
doesn’ttrackthebottominthemanualmode,
and the adjustments are slightly different.
Zoom - Automatic Operation
To zoom the display, first press the MENU
key until the RANGE/ZOOM menu appears
asshownatright. Nowpressthedownarrow
key. This switches the unit into the zoom
mode. A new menu immediately appears as
shown below.
Thisis thezoomsizemenu. Zoomsize isthe
distance between the upper limit and the
lower limit. The upper limit shows at the top
left corner of the screen. The lower limit is in
the bottom left corner. For example, if the
upper limit is 40 feet and the lower limit is 70
feet, the zoom window size is 30 feet. The
word “TRACK” appears in this menu when
you first activate the zoom as shown at right.

18
This means the unit is tracking the bottom in
a zoom window, always keeping it on the
display.
Pressthe uparrowkeytodecrease thezoom
size, press the down arrow key to increase
the zoom size.
When the unit is switched into the zoom
mode,theletters“ZM”appearatthetopofthe
screen. Thezoomwindowsizedisplaysinthe
top right corner of the screen.
On the screen shown above, the zoom size has been changed to 20 feet.
To turn the zoom feature off, press the menu key until the RANGE/ZOOM
menu appears. Now press the up arrow key. This switches the unit into
the range mode, which turns the zoom feature off.
This unit has the following zoom ranges:
10, 20, 30, 60, 120, 240, and 480 feet
and
5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, and 150 meters.
Zoom - Manual Operation
To operate the zoom feature when the unit is in the manual mode, first
pressthemenukey. ThenpressthedownarrowkeyintheRANGE/ZOOM
menu to place the unit in the zoom mode. The zoom size menu
automatically appears next. You can change the zoom size by pressing
the up or down arrows. After you select the desired zoom size, press the
menu key until the “MOVE ZOOM” menu appears. This menu lets you
movethezoomwindowupordowninonefoot
incrementsbypressingthearrowkeys. Thus,
you can move the zoom window up towards
thesurface,downtothebottom,oranywhere
inbetween. Thewindowstayswhereyouput
it. It doesn’t track the bottom signal.
To turn the zoom feature off, press the menu
key until the RANGE/ZOOM menu appears.
Now press the up arrow key. This switches
the unit into the range mode, which turns the
zoom feature off.