NorthStar 972, Quickstart Manual And Reference Manual

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107
Reference section 7 — Echo sounding
Using automatic mode Reference Manual Revision B
Using demo mode
The echo sounder can be operated in
“demo mode” for training and familiariza-
tion. Simulated echo data generated by the
sounder will be displayed.
The sounder demo mode is activated by
turning on the chart demo mode.
Using automatic mode
To operate the echo sounder automati-
cally, just press
Auto
. All of the sounder’s
adjustments will be set to produce a useful
picture under most conditions. When
you’re too busy to optimize the settings
manually, the echo sounder can automati-
cally set the optimal gain, clutter, and
range settings, to show an excellent picture
from the surface to the bottom.
When you select Auto, the range setting
may change from time to time to keep the
seabed in view as the water depth
changes.
It is recommended that the sounder be
operated automatically whenever possible.
The sounder can reliably detect the seabed
depth only when it controls the gain and
clutter settings.
Cruising or fishing
Automatic mode has two variations:
Cruising and Fishing .
•
auto cruising optimizes the gain and
clutter for tracking the bottom, with
less emphasis on any fish in the water
•
auto fishing optimizes the gain and
clutter for searching for fish
Press
Auto
to switch between auto cruising
and auto fishing. The setting is shown on
the menu key.
Manually overriding automatic mode
You can always manually change any of
the echo sounder’s settings: the gain,
clutter, noise limiter, shift, and range.
(Manually setting the gain causes the range
to be controlled manually.)
Changing the appearance of the picture
(colors, gain, clutter, and the noise limiter)
is described in
The picture menu, starting
on page 114.
Setting the range and shift is described in
Changing the depth settings, starting on
page 116.