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Limited Warranty

This Garmin product is warranted to be free from defects in materials or workmanship for one year from 
the date of purchase. Within this period, Garmin will at its sole option, repair or replace any components 
that fail in normal use. Such repairs or replacement will be made at no charge to the customer for parts or 
labor, provided that the customer shall be responsible for any transportation cost. This warranty does not 
cover failures due to abuse, misuse, accident or unauthorized alteration or repairs.
THE WARRANTIES AND REMEDIES CONTAINED HEREIN ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL 
OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY LIABILITY ARISING 
UNDER ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, 
STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, WHICH 
MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. 
IN NO EVENT SHALL GARMIN BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CON-
SEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER RESULTING FROM THE USE, MISUSE, OR INABILITY TO USE 
THIS PRODUCT OR FROM DEFECTS IN THE PRODUCT. Some states do not allow the exclusion of 
incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations may not apply to you.
Garmin retains the exclusive right to repair or replace the unit or software or offer a full refund of the 
purchase price at its sole discretion. SUCH REMEDY SHALL BE YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY 
FOR ANY BREACH OF WARRANTY. Products sold through online auctions are not eligible for rebates or 
other special offers from Garmin. Online auction confirmations are not accepted for warranty verification. 
To obtain warranty service, an original or copy of the sales receipt from the original retailer is required. 
Garmin will not replace missing components from any package purchased through an online auction.
To obtain warranty service, contact your local Garmin authorized dealer. Or call Garmin Customer 
Service for shipping instructions and a RMA tracking number. The unit should be securely packed with 
the tracking number clearly written on the outside of the package. The unit should then be sent, freight 
charges prepaid, to any Garmin warranty service station. A copy of the original sales receipt is required as 
the proof of purchase for warranty repairs.
The Fishfi nder 80 has no user-serviceable parts and is fastened shut with screws. Any attempt to open 
the case to change or modify the unit in any way will void your warranty and may result in permanent 
damage to the equipment.

Software License Agreement

By using the Fishfi nder 80, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the 

following software license agreement. Please read this agreement carefully.

Garmin grants you a limited license to use the software embedded in this device (the 

“Software”) in binary executable form in the normal operation of the product. Title, owner-
ship rights and intellectual property rights in and to the Software remain in Garmin.

You acknowledge that the Software is the property of Garmin and is protected under 

the United States of America copyright laws and international copyright treaties. You further 
acknowledge that the structure, organization and code of the Software are valuable trade 
secrets of Garmin and that the Software in source code form remains a valuable trade secret 
of Garmin. You agree not to decompile, disassemble, modify, reverse assemble, reverse 
engineer or reduce to human readable form the Software or any part thereof or create any 
derivative works based on the Software. You agree not to export or re-export the Software to 
any country in violation of the export control laws of the United States of America.
© Copyright 2002-2003 Garmin LTD. or its subsidiaries
GARMIN

®

, DCG

®

 and See-Thru

®

 are registered trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries 

and may not be used without the express permission of GARMIN.
Garmin International, Inc. 1200 East 151st Street, Olathe, Kansas 66062, U.S.A.
Tel.913/397.8200 Fax. 913/397.8282
Garmin (Europe) Ltd. Unit 5, The Quadrangle, Abbey Park Industrial Estate, Romsey, SO51 
9DL, U.K. Tel. 44/1794.519944 Fax.44/1794.519222
Garmin Corporation No. 68, Jangshu 2nd Road, Shijr, Taipei County, Taiwan
Tel. 886/2.2642.9199 Fax. 886/2.2642.9099

www.garmin.com  

 

 

Part Number 190-00301-00 Rev. B

Operational Instructions

Thank you for choosing the Garmin Fishfi nder 80. This product is designed for 

easy operation and to provide years of reliable service. Please read through these instruc-
tions to get the most out of your new unit. If you encounter a problem please contact 
our Product Support Department at 913-397-8200, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 
p.m. CST or on the internet at www.garmin.com/support.

Specifi cations

Case: Fully Gasketed, high-impact plastic alloy
Display: 3.9”(9.9 cm) diagonal, 2.0”W x 3.3”H (5 x 8.4 cm),  64 x 128 pixels
Size:  4.7” W x 4.9” H x 2.43 D (11.9 x 12.4 x 6.1 cm); Weight: 15.5 oz.
Temperature Range: +5° to 158°F (-15C to 70C)
Waterproof: IEC 529, level IPX-7 (submerged to 1 meter for 30 minutes)
Internal memory backup to retain user settings
Input: 10 to 18 Vdc w/ high voltage protection
Usage: 3.5 watts maximum, Nominal: 12 Vdc @ 0.15 amps
Sonar Power Output: 100 watts (RMS), 800 watts (peak to peak)
Frequency: 200 kHz
Depth: 600 foot max depth 

(Depth capacity is dependent on water salinity, bottom type and other 

water conditions.) 
Specifi cations subject to change without notice.

Fishfi nder 80

The Fishfinder 80 is able to display a variety of useful 
information about the underwater environment. Below 
are a few things the unit will help you see.

Water Depth

The unit displays water depth and can provide a warn-
ing when a specific depth is encountered. The Depth 
Scale is displayed from top to bottom along the right 
side of the display. Messages and Alarm Icons are 
displayed along the bottom. 

Water Temperature

The unit will display the water temperature at the 
transducer.

Fish

The unit displays fish as arches or fish symbols in 3 sizes 
and can alert you when a fish is detected.

Thermocline and Structure

GARMIN’s See-Thru

®

 technology can display more than 

just the thermocline and structure, the unit displays fish 
in and below the thermocline, trees, brush and deadfall.

Bottom Shape and Type

Garmin’s unique DCG

®

 (Depth Control Gain) system 

provides a clear graphic representation of the bottom 
type and its shape.

ARROW KEYS

The

 UP 

and

 DOWN ARROW

 keys are used to 

select items on the Adjustment Bar and Setup 
menu.

ENTER Key

The 

ENTER

 key is used to activate/deactivate 

Adjustment Bar and Setup Menu data fields for 
review or changes.

MENU Key

The 

MENU

 key is used to activate/deactivate 

Adjustment and Setup Menus.

POWER Key

The 

POWER

 Key is used to turn the unit on/off 

and to activate the display backlight. Press and 
hold to turn the unit on/off. Press briefly and 
release to activate the backlight. To change the 
backlight level, press the 

POWER

 key repeat-

edly to cycle between Off, Low and High.

ENTER

MENU

Range

‘Range’ is used to set the display depth range. The unit can 

be set to automatically track the bottom or set to a user-specified 
range. Available settings are: ‘Auto’ (default) and 15-600 ft.

Gain

‘Gain’ allows the user to control the sensitivity of the unit’s 

sonar receiver. This provides some flexibility in what is seen on 
the display. To see more detail, increase the receiver sensitivity 
by selecting a higher gain (+). If there is too much detail or if the 
screen is cluttered, lowering the sensitivity (-) may increase the clarity of 
the display. Available settings are: ‘NRML’ (Normal, default) and +5 to -5.

Zoom

‘Zoom’ is used to quickly select a display zoom scale. 

Available settings 

are: ‘OFF’ (default), ‘2X’ and ‘4X’ zoom.

View

‘View’ is available only when a Zoom scale other than ‘OFF’ is selected. 

This setting allows you to select a specific zoom area to view on the display 
or allow the unit to automatically select a zoomed viewing area based on 
the bottom. When adjusting this setting, the top and bottom numbers will 
reflect the zoomed view depth range.

Setup Menu — Depth Alarm

‘Depth Alarm’ can be set to sound a shallow water warning at a 

depth determined by the user. (If the ‘Depth Alarm’ is set when ‘Units’ 
are changed, the ‘Depth Alarm’ will be defaulted to ‘Off’.) This alarm 
may be set to ‘Off’ 

(default)

 or from 1-600 ft.

Fish Alarm 

‘Fish Alarm’ can be confi gured to sound when the unit detects what it determines to 

be a fi sh. The alarm selections are: ‘Off’ 

(default)

 or ‘On’.

Fish ID

‘Fish ID’ allows the user to determine how the chart will display underwater 

targets and background information. If ‘Fish ID’ is set to ‘OFF’, the unit will display 
all of the available information about the underwater environment. If a fish symbol 
is selected, the chart will display only the information related to that symbol (large, 
medium and small sizes).

     —  All available information will be displayed.
     —  Suspended targets displayed as symbols. No background information will be  

 

displayed in this mode.

     —  Same as above with target depth displayed.
     —  Suspended targets will display as symbols. In this mode background 

 

information will still be displayed making fi sh identifi cation easier.

     —  Same as above with target depth displayed. 

(default)

Using the Adjustment Bar

The Adjustment Bar allows direct access to the settings most 

commonly changed while using the unit. These include the depth 
Range, Gain, Zoom and the View settings. Current Adjustment Bar 
settings may be viewed by pressing the 

MENU

 key. Press 

MENU

again to hide the window or to exit any window. The current 
adjustment option will always display in the upper left of the 
display. 

To immediately change the current adjustment option, 

press the 

UP

or

DOWN ARROW

 key. If you wish to review 

the available settings before making a change, press the 

ENTER

 key to activate the 

adjustment window.

To change a setting on the unit:

1. Press 

MENU

, then using the 

UP

 or 

DOWN ARROW

 key, move the selection arrow 

to the desired option and press 

ENTER

. Choose ‘Setup’ for the main Setup Menu.

2. Using the 

UP

 or 

DOWN ARROW

 key move the selection arrow to the desired 

setting and press 

ENTER

. (The selection arrow will wrap when you reach the end 

of a menu and adjustment window. If holding the 

ARROW

 key down, release then 

press.) Holding down on an 

ARROW

 key will rapidly advance the selection speed.

3.  To close a setting or menu window, press 

MENU

.

Setup Menu (cont.) — Whiteline

‘Whiteline’ controls how the unit displays information about 

the bottom type (hard or soft). With the Whiteline ‘OFF’, the 
bottom return will display as solid black and contain no infor-
mation on bottom hardness. With Whiteline ‘ON’, the bottom 
return will become a black & white pattern and can be used to 
determine bottom hardness. 

A hard bottom will return a stronger 

signal and display a thicker bottom layer. A weaker (soft) bottom 
return will display a thinner bottom layer. The selections are: ‘Off’ or 
‘On’

(default)

.

Noise Reject

‘Noise Reject’ helps fi lter unwanted noise from the chart (espe-

cially when moving at faster speeds) and can be turned ‘OFF’ or set 
to a fi xed value from 1-100%. Remember when setting the ‘Noise 
Reject’, the higher the noise rejection setting, the more likely the 
unit will not show fi sh or structure. The selections are: 1-100% 

(default 50%) or 

‘Off’.

Units

‘Units’ can be confi gured to display measurements in Feet (ft, 

default), Meters (m) or Fathoms (fa). (If the ‘Depth Alarm’ is set when 
‘Units’ are changed, the ‘Depth Alarm’ will be defaulted to ‘Off’) 

Setup Menu (cont.) — Simulator

The Fishfinder 80 comes with a built-in simulator mode that will allow the user 

to practice and learn the operation of the unit at home rather than on the water. 
The unit will indicate that it is running the simulator mode by displaying a message 
in the lower left of the display. While in the simulator mode, the unit will display a 
random bottom scene and the Fishfinder 80 can be controlled (except Noise Reject 
and Gain) just as if it were on the water. To exit the Simulator, turn the unit off. If no 
keys are pressed for 2 minutes, the unit will automatically reset while in simulator 
mode. If the unit does not detect a transducer attached, it will automatically start in 
Simulator mode.

Contrast

‘Contrast’ of the display may need to be adjusted to compensate for 

light levels or viewing angles.

Defaults

This option allows you to restore the factory default settings for the 

unit.

Understanding Sonar

To understand what the unit is displaying, it is important to have a general knowl-

edge of how the unit works and how it determines what to display. The unit operates by 
transmitting sound waves toward the bottom of a lake, stream or seabed in a cone shaped 
pattern. The area covered by the transmitted sound waves is determined by the cone 
angle of the transducer and the water depth. Using 
Garmin’s standard 20° transducer, the coverage is 
approximately 1/3rd of the water depth. The cover-
age area at a 30 foot depth is approximately a 10 
foot diameter circle. 

When a transmitted soundwave strikes an 

underwater object, sound is reflected back to the 
transducer. The transducer collects the reflected 
sound waves and sends the data to the unit to be 
processed and displayed on the chart. The under-
water data is displayed on the chart in the order 
that it is returned: first returned—first on the chart. 
Generally speaking, if the only thing between the 
transducer and the bottom is water, the first strong 
return will come from the bottom directly below 
the transducer. The first strong return sets (cont.) 

Whiteline ‘ON’

Whiteline ‘OFF’

the bottom level. Weaker secondary 
returns provide the detailed data. This 
fi sh is currently in a Dead Zone and is 
not detected by the sonar. The fi sh is in 
the coverage area of the transducer, but 
remember the fi rst strong return sets 
the bottom level. The fi sh will never 
be detected since the bottom level will 
never be set below the fi sh. The fi sh 
on the right side of the display (shown 
in light grey) will be detected and 
displayed when the transducer cone 
passes over the fi sh.

It is important to understand that 

the unit does not display a 3-D repre-
sentation of the underwater environ-
ment. The unit can display multiple 
things (such as a fi sh and a tree) at the 
same time, but can not determine where the return originated only when it was received. 
Remember that the Fishfi nder displays a 2D picture of the underwater environment. The 
fi sh and tree could be located anywhere in the coverage area at that slice of time.

1'

10'

9'

8'

7'

6'

5'

4'

3'

2'

3'

6'

9'

12'

15'

18'

21'

24'

27'

30'

Dead Zone

(Simulated display)

Warning:

 This product, its packaging, and its components contain chemicals known to 

the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. This Notice is being 
provided in accordance with California’s Proposition 65. If you have any questions or would like 
additional information, please refer to our web site at www.garmin.com/prop65.

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