Lowrance x97 fishfinder manual

Can't get it to power up. It might be my incompetence. Lowrance X97 Fishfinder monitor only. Screen has a strange discoloration. Unit is sold as is. Check out my! If you have any issues. Please let me solve them before opening a case, or leaving negative feedback. I strive for top notch customer service, and want my rating to reflect that.

Thanks for looking! Up for auction is a Lowrance fish finder. Model X Item is in good physical condition. Has bracket. I do not have the cables. And therefore cannot test it.

For this reason. Item is being sold AS-IS. No returns please! I usually ship within one business day. So you will gets items very quickly! All my items are packed with the greatest of care.

Check out my feedbacks for reassurance! You can see that I do my best to keep customers happy! I do not do international shipping. Feel free to ask any questions. I can e-mail additional pictures if needed. All items included are in pictures. The X97 is highly recommended for the most serious angler! View Points: Exceptional 5" diagonal Brilliant fluorescent cold cathode backlit screen and keypad for easy readability at night and in low-light conditions. Advanced receiver design offers enhanced-sensitivity and target detail, as well as greater resistance to electrical interference.

This is caused by differences in hull lay-up and construction. Second, the transducer angle 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 at the end of this lesson to determine if you can satisfactorily shoot through the hull.

The following instructions sometimes vary depending on the mounting bracket that came with your transducer. Single-frequency Skimmers come with a one-piece stainless steel bracket, while dual-frequency Skimmers come with a two-piece plastic mounting bracket. Use the set of instructions that fits your model. Assembling the bracket.

One-piece bracket: Press the two small plastic ratchets into the sides of the metal bracket as shown in the following illustration. Notice there are letters molded into each ratchet. Place each ratchet into the bracket with the letter "a" aligned with the dot stamped into the metal bracket.

Two-piece bracket: Locate the four plastic ratchets in the transducer's hardware package. Press two ratchets into the sides of the plastic bracket and two on either side of the transducer as shown in the following illustrations.

Place the ratchets into the bracket with the letter "a" aligned with the alignment mark molded into the bracket. Place the ratchets onto the transducer with the letter "a" aligned with the 12 o'clock position on the transducer stem.

Alignment letters Alignment positions Transducer Transducer bracket Insert and align ratchets. Aligning the transducer on the transom.

One-piece bracket: Slide the transducer between the two ratchets. Temporarily 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 correct for your hull. If the transducer's face isn't parallel with the ground, remove the transducer and ratchets from the bracket.

Place the ratchets 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 step 3A. If it doesn't, repeat step 2A, but use a different alignment letter until you can place the transducer on the transom correctly. Ratchets Insert bolt and check transducer position on transom.

Two-piece bracket: Assemble the transducer and bracket as shown in the following figure. Temporarily slide the bolt though the transducer assembly but don't tighten the nut at this time.

Hold the assembled transducer and bracket against the transom. If it does, then the "a" positions are correct for your hull. If the transducer's face isn't parallel with the ground, remove and disassemble the transducer and ratchets.

Place the ratchets into the bracket holes with the letter "B" aligned with the bracket alignment mark. Place them on the transducer aligned with the 12 o'clock position on the transducer stem. If you can, then go to step 3B. If it doesn't, repeat step 2B, but use a different alignment letter until you can place the transducer on the transom correctly. Assembling the transducer. One-piece bracket: Once you determine the correct position for the ratchets, assemble the transducer as shown in the following figure.

Don't tighten the lock nut at this time. Two-piece bracket: Once you determine the correct position for the ratchets, assemble the transducer as shown in the figure in step 2B. Drilling mounting holes. Hold the transducer and bracket assembly against the transom.

The transducer should be roughly parallel to the ground. The transducer's centerline should be in line with the bottom of the hull. Don't let the bracket extend below the hull! Mark the center of each slot for the mounting screw pilot holes. You will drill one hole in the center of each slot. Drill the holes. For the one-piece bracket, use the 29 bit for the 10 screws. For the two-piece bracket, use the 20 bit for the 12 screws.

Transom Transom Position transducer mount on transom and mark mounting holes. Side view shown at left and seen from above at right. Attaching transducer to transom. One-piece bracket: Remove the transducer from the bracket and re-assemble it with the cable passing through the bracket over the bolt as shown in the following figures. For single-frequency Skimmer, route cable over bolt and through bracket. Slide the transducer up or down until it's aligned properly with the bottom of the hull as shown in the preceding and following figures.

Tighten the bracket's mounting screws, sealing them with the caulking compound. Don't over tighten the lock nut! If you do, the transducer won't "kick-up" if it strikes an object in the water. Bottom of hull Flat-bottom hull Deep-"vee" hull Align transducer centerline with hull bottom and attach transducer to transom.

Rear view of dual-frequency Skimmer shown. Route the transducer cable through or over the transom to the sonar unit. Make sure to leave some slack in the cable at the transducer. Electrical noise from the engine's wiring, bilge pumps, VHF radio wires and cables, and aerators can be picked up by the sonar. This can prevent the transducer from entering the boat if it is knocked off at high speed.

If you need to drill a hole in the transom to pass the connector through, the required hole size will be 1". Caution: If you drill a hole in the transom for the cable, make sure it is located above the waterline.

After installation, be sure to seal the hole with the same marine grade above- or below-waterline sealant used for the mounting screws. 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, hopefully below the turbulence causing the noise. Don't allow the transducer bracket to go below the bottom of the hull! Attach the optional TMB-S bracket to the transducer as shown in the following figure, using the hardware supplied with the transducer. Slide the adjustable strap supplied with the TMB-S through the slot in the transducer bracket and wrap it around the trolling motor.

Position the transducer to aim straight down when the motor is in the water. Tighten the strap securely. Route the transducer cable alongside the trolling motor shaft. Use plastic ties not included to attach the transducer cable to the trolling motor shaft. Make sure there is enough slack in the cable for the motor to turn freely. Route the cable to the sonar unit and the transducer is ready for use.

Transducer mounted on trolling motor, side view. Partial fish arches Transducer aimed too far back Transducer aimed too far forward Full fish arch Proper transducer angle Transducer angles and their effects on fish arches.

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 of the arch is printed, then the nose of the transducer is angled too far down and needs to be raised.

NOTE: Periodically wash the transducer's face with soap and water to remove any oil film. Oil and dirt on the face will reduce the sensitivity or may even prevent operation.

The sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. Fill with epoxy Flotation material Epoxy to hull first Inner hull Outer hull Epoxy the transducer to a solid portion of the hull. For example, some but not all 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 fiberglass. 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.

Careless grinding or cutting on your hull can result in damage that could sink your boat. Contact your boat dealer or manufacturer to confirm your hull specifications.

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 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. 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 noticeable 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 must be increased greatly to compensate, then the transducer should be mounted on the outside of the hull. If not, then mark the lo18 Page 23 cation that shot through the hull the best and follow the instructions on the following pages for a shoot-thru-hull mounting.

Transducer location high speed Transducer location trolling speed Shoot-thru-hull transducer locations for high speed or trolling speed operation.

Shoot-thru-hull Installation 1. Make sure 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 grit sandpaper. The surface of the hull must be flat so the entire transducer face is in contact with the hull prior to bonding. Spread epoxy here Sand this surface Epoxy transducer to hull. Follow the instructions on the epoxy package and mix it thoroughly.

Do not mix it too fast, because it will cause bubbles to form in the epoxy. Apply a small amount on the face of the transducer as shown above, then spread a small amount onto the sanded area on the hull. 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. If you want to use more than one temperature sensor or a speed sensor, you must purchase the optional MY-4X adapter cable. You also need to be careful when purchasing the temperature sensors, because each temperature sensor has its own fixed electronic "address. The first "Water" temperature sensor is built into the transducer. This is the sensor that measures surface water temperature. If you want two or more temperature readings from other locations, you'll need to use the proper sensors.

For example, you can't use two additional T-3 sensors. This sensor is not recommended. See the wiring diagram on the following page for temperature and speed sensor combinations. If you wish to purchase an optional additional sensor for your unit, refer to the accessory ordering information inside the back cover of this manual.

The following instructions describe how to install the speed sensor. First find a location on the boat's transom where the water flow is smoothest. Don't mount the sensor behind strakes or ribs. These will disturb the water flow to the speed sensor. Make sure the sensor will remain in the water when the boat is on plane. Also make sure the location doesn't interfere with the boat's trailer. Typically, the sensor is mounted about one foot to the side of the transom's centerline.

Once you've determined the proper location for the unit, place the sensor on the transom. The bottom of the bracket should be flush with the hull's bottom. Using the sensor as a template, mark the hull for the screws' pilot holes. Mount the sensor to the hull using 8 stainless steel wood screws not included. Use a high quality, marine grade above- or below-waterline caulking compound to seal the screws. Make sure the sensor is flush with the bottom of the hull and tighten the screws.

Good location Stern view showing good location for mounting sensor on transom. Transom Bottom of hull Bottom of hull Speed sensor mounting configuration: side view left and rear view right. This will help ensure a smooth water flow. Route the sensor's cable through or over the transom to the sonar unit. After installation, be sure to seal the hole with the same marine grade above- or below-waterline sealant used for the screws. The sensor is now ready for use.

Connect the sensor to the in-line connector on the MY-4X adapter cable. If you have any questions concerning the installation of the sensor, please contact your local boat dealer. Power Connections The unit works from a volt battery system. For the best results, attach the power cable directly to the battery. You can attach the power cable to an accessory or power buss, however you may have problems with electrical interference. Therefore, it's safer to go ahead and attach the power cable directly to the battery.

CAUTION: When using the unit in a saltwater environment, we strongly recommend that you shut off the power supply to the power cable when the unit is not in use. When the unit is turned off but still connected to a power supply, electrolysis can occur in the power cable plug. This may result in corrosion of the plug body along with the electrical contacts in the cable and the unit's power socket.

In saltwater environments we recommend you connect the power cable to the auxiliary power switch included in most boat designs. If that results in electrical interference, or if such a switch is not available, we recommend connecting direct to the battery and installing an inline switch.

This will let you shut off power to the power cable when the unit is not in use. When you are not using the unit, you should always shut off power to the power cable, especially when the power cable is disconnected from the unit.

If possible, keep the power cable away from other boat wiring, especially the engine's wires. This will provide the best isolation from electrical noise. If the cable is not long enough, splice 18 gauge wire onto it. The power cable has two wires, red and black. Red is the positive 23 Page 28 lead, black is negative or ground. Make sure to attach the in-line fuse holder to the red lead as close to the power source as possible.

For example, if you have to extend the power cable to the battery or power buss, attach one end of the fuse holder directly to the battery or power buss. This will protect both the unit and the power cable in the event of a short. It uses a 3-amp fuse.

Optional power off switch for saltwater installations To unit Black wire 12 volt battery Red wire with 3 amp fuse Power connections for the sonar unit. Failure to use a 3-amp fuse will void your warranty. This unit has reverse polarity protection. No damage will occur if the power wires are reversed. However, the unit will not work until the wires are attached correctly. An optional 8-foot, CA-4 external power cable with a cigarette lighter adapter is available from Lowrance.

Mounting the Unit: Bracket, In-Dash or Portable You can install the sonar unit on the top of a dash with the supplied gimbal bracket. It can also be installed in the dash or mounted on a portable power supply. This converts the unit's gimbal bracket to a swivel mount, which can be used on the dash or overhead mounting positions.

Installation instructions are supplied with the R-A-M mounting kits. Bracket Installation Mount the unit in any convenient location, provided there is clearance behind the unit when it's tilted for the best viewing angle. You should also make sure there is enough room behind the unit to attach the power and transducer cables. Holes in the bracket's base allow wood screw or through-bolt mounting. You may need to place a piece of plywood on the back side of thin fiberglass panels to reinforce the panel and secure the mounting hardware.

Front Install the gimbal bracket. Orient the bracket so the arms slope toward the front of your unit. Drill a 1-inch The best location for this hole is immediately under the gimbal 26 Page 31 bracket location.

This way, the bracket can be installed so that it covers the hole, holds the cables in position and results in a neat installation. Some customers, however, prefer to mount the bracket to the side of the cable hole — it's a matter of personal preference. After drilling the hole, pass the transducer connector up through the hole from under the dash.

Pass the power cable's bare-wire end down though the hole from the top. If you wish, you can fill in the hole around the cables with a good marine caulking compound.

Some marine dealers stock cable hole covers to conceal the opening. No matter what type of installation you prefer, be sure to leave enough slack in the cables to allow tilting or swiveling the unit. If you choose to fill in the hole, be sure to position the cables against the rear edge of the hole as you apply the fill material.

Before positioning the bracket, be sure to hold the cables against the rear edge of the hole. Then, slide the bracket over the hole and butt the rear of the bracket base firmly against the cables, thus pinning them in place against the side of the hole. Finally, fasten the bracket to the dash. Attach the unit to the gimbal bracket using the supplied gimbal knobs and washers. The kit includes mounting hardware, a template for cutting the hole and an instruction sheet, part NOTE: The figure above is not printed to scale.

Portable Installation Like many Lowrance products, this sonar unit is capable of portable operation by using the optional PPP portable power pack. The power pack and an optional portable transducer expand the uses for your sonar unit. The PPP makes it easy to use the unit on your boat or take it to the dock, on a float tube, on an ice fishing trip or use it as a second sonar in a friend's boat.

For set-up directions, refer to the pack's instruction sheet, part Face Cover Your unit comes with a white protective cover that snaps on and off the front of the unit. This cover is intended for use when your unit and the vehicle it's mounted in are idle. WARNING: When the unit is mounted in an unprotected area, such as an open boat cockpit, the protective face cover must be removed when the vehicle is moving at high speed.

This includes towing a boat on a trailer at highway speeds. Otherwise, wind blast can pop off the cover. The instructions presented here in Sec. The material in Sec. Before you turn on the unit, it's a good idea to learn about the different keys, the Main Menu, the Sonar Menu, the five Page options and how they all work together.

BUT, if you just can't wait to get on the water, turn to the one-page Quick Reference on page Keyboard 4 8 9 2 7 3 6 5 1 Sonar unit, front view, with keyboard. X98DF shown. MENU — Press this key to show the menus and submenus, which allow you to select a command or adjust a feature.

ENT Enter — This key allows you to accept values or execute menu commands. It allows you to choose which alarms to use and when. This key returns you to a full sonar chart display, showing the entire water column from surface to bottom. It enlarges fish signals, bottom detail and other sonar returns.

To change the backlight, press PWR again. The X87 and X88DF have two backlight levels to select from. The X97 and X98DF have three backlight levels. Repeatedly pressing PWR will cycle through the backlight settings, turn off the backlight, then turn it back on again.

Turn off the unit by pressing and holding the PWR key for about 3 seconds. Menus Your sonar unit will work fine right out of the box with the factory default settings. You only need to learn a few basic functions to enhance your viewing. We'll discuss them briefly here, then talk about them and all the other commands in more detail in the next section, which begins on page Your unit has three primary menus that control its operation.

Main Menu The Main Menu contains some basic function commands and some setup option commands. Main Menu Commands There are four "basic" Main Menu commands that you'll really want to read more about. Use this command to adjust how the screen looks under various lighting conditions. If you don't like to hear a beep each time you press a key, you can turn this off, or select tunes or sound effects instead. The sounds are especially useful when used with the Fish I.

The fish alarm, used with Fish I. It tells you when the sonar sees a fish. You can also set deep or shallow depth alarms and zone alarms. When you select a menu command, these information boxes appear to tell you what the command does or how to use the command. The default setting is on, which is really handy while you're learning. The remaining Main Menu commands are for more advanced functions, mostly setting various sonar options.

They're all detailed in Sec. Useful for learning how to operate the unit and all its functions. It's a great safety net while you're learning and experimenting with various settings. This command switches from one language to another. Sonar Menu The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and options. Sonar Page Menu. Most of these functions are discussed in Sec. Most of them are only described in detail in Sec. Lets you zoom in on a specific portion of the water column. Used when you want to "freeze" the image for closer study.

Pages The Pages Menu controls the five major display options. The Full Sonar Chart is the main display option. This is a "crosssection" view of the water column beneath the boat. The chart moves across the screen, displaying sonar signal echoes that represent fish, structure and the bottom. Sonar chart display options from left digital data and flasher. You can customize how the Sonar Page pictures and other data are displayed in many ways.

We'll discuss all of those features and options in Section 4, but to show you how easy the sonar unit is to operate, the following page contains a simplified, step quick reference that will cover most fish finding situations. The quick reference describes how your unit will operate with all the sonar features in their automatic modes, which are set at the factory. Mount the transducer and unit.

Connect the unit to electric power and the transducer. Launch your boat. To turn on the unit, press and release PWR key. Head for your fishing grounds. Your unit automatically displays digital depth and surface water temperature in the corner of the screen.

The auto settings will track the bottom, displaying it in the lower portion of the screen. The full sonar chart will scroll from right to left, showing you what's under the boat as you cruise across the water. As you're watching the sonar returns, you can change the display by: Zoom in to enlarge the chart for more detail: press ZIN.

Zoom out to return to full chart mode: press ZOUT. If necessary, adjust sensitivity to improve chart readability. Boosting sensitivity will show more information on your screen, which may cause clutter. Reducing sensitivity will filter out some information, but could omit important images. We recommend adjusting sensitivity until the background is lightly "peppered" — that is, scattered dots appear, but individual objects like fish arches or bottom structure can be easily picked out of the background.

Watch the display for the appearance of fish arches. When you see arches, you've found fish! Stop the boat and get your lure or bait into the water at the depth indicated on the sonar chart.

Gauge the fish depth by visually comparing the fish arches with the depth scale on the right side of the screen, or get a more accurate measure with the Depth Cursor.

The exact depth appears in a box at the right end of the cursor line. To clear the cursor, press EXIT. If you are drifting at a very low speed or anchored, you are not moving fast enough for a fish to return the tell-tale fish arch signal. As you drift over a fish, or as a fish swims through the transducer's signal cone, the fish echo will appear as a straight line suspended between the surface and the bottom. To turn off the unit, press and hold PWR key for three seconds. If you are a sonar novice, try operating the unit with the factory defaults until you get a feel for how it's working.

As you're learning the basics, there is one setting you might want to tinker with from time to time — Sensitivity. Sensitivity controls the unit's ability to pick up echoes.

If you want to see more detail, try increasing the sensitivity, a little at a time. There are situations when too much clutter appears on the screen. Decreasing the sensitivity can reduce the clutter and show the strongest fish echoes, if fish are present. As you change the sensitivity setting, you can see the difference on the chart as it scrolls.

Typical of full auto mode. The adjustment method works the same in both modes, but it gives you slightly different results. Adjusting sensitivity in Auto Sensitivity Mode is similar to manually adjusting a car's speed with the accelerator pedal while cruise control is on. You can tell the car to run faster, but when you let off the gas the cruise control automatically keeps you from running slower than the minimum speed setting.

In the sonar unit, auto mode will let you increase sensitivity to percent, but the unit will limit your minimum setting. This prevents you from turning sensitivity down too low to allow automatic bottom tracking. When you change the setting with auto turned on, the unit will continue to track the bottom and make minor adjustments to the sensitivity level, with a bias toward the setting you selected.

Adjusting sensitivity in Manual Sensitivity Mode is similar to driving a car without cruise control — you have complete manual control of the car's speed.

In the sonar unit, manual mode allows you to set sensitivity at percent maximum or zero percent minimum. Depending on water conditions, the bottom signal may completely disappear from the screen when you reduce sensitivity to about 50 percent or less! Try adjusting sensitivity in both auto and manual modes to see how they work. To adjust sensitivity: 1. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears.

When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT. When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds. At left, Sonar Menu with Sensitivity command selected. At right, the Sensitivity Control Bar. Important Tip: While you are experimenting and learning, it's possible to scramble the settings so that the sonar picture disappears from your screen. If that happens, remember that it's easy to switch back to full automatic operation by simply restoring the factory auto settings.

Here's how: To Restore Factory Settings 1. The unit asks if you want to reset all the options. All options are reset, and the unit reverts back to the original settings. Fish Symbols vs. Full Sonar Chart You may have noticed in the quick reference that we used fish arches in full sonar chart mode for our example, and not the popular Fish I. Here's why. Fish I. However, locating fish by symbol only has some limitations.