NorthStar EXPLORER 550 Installation And Operation Manual Download

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Explorer 550/550i

Chartplotter

Installation and Operation Manual

Summary of Contents for EXPLORER 550

Page 1: ...www northstarnav com Explorer 550 550i Chartplotter Installation and Operation Manual ...

Page 2: ...correct the interference by one or more of the following measures Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connecttheequipmentintoanoutputonacircuitdiﬀerentfromthattowhichthereceiverisconnected Consult the dealer or an experienced technician for help A shielded cable must be used when connecting a peripheral to the serial ports FCC State...

Page 3: ...rmation provided by Explorer with other plotting sources such as observations depth soundings radar and hand compass bearings Should the information not agree the discrepancy must be resolved before proceeding any further Fuel Computer Do not rely on the fuel computer as the sole source of information regarding available fuel onboard Fuel economy can change drastically depending on boat loading an...

Page 4: ...t and night mode 11 2 5 Man overboard MOB 11 2 6 Alarms 11 2 7 Simulate mode 12 2 8 The main displays 12 3Navigation Chart 16 3 1 Overview of navigating 16 3 2 Chart display 18 3 3 Distance and bearing calculator 20 3 4 Projected course 21 3 5 Tracks and tracking 21 4Navigation Highwaydisplay 22 5Navigation Waypoints 22 5 1 Waypoints display 23 5 2 Managing waypoints 23 6Navigation Routes 25 6 1 R...

Page 5: ... 3 Setup GPS 46 14 4 Setup Fuel 47 14 5 Setup Track 48 14 6 Setup Logs 49 14 7 Setup Alarms 49 14 8 Setup Units 50 14 9 Setup Comms 50 14 10 Setup Time 51 14 11 Setup Simulate 51 15Installation 52 15 1 Installation What comes with the EXPLORER 550 550i 52 15 2 Installation Options and Accessories 52 15 3 Installation The display unit 54 15 4 Installation Power Data cable 55 15 5 Installation GPS a...

Page 6: ...4 Tracks records of where the boat has been 3 5 GPS receiver status 7 Saving and loading data with a user card 12 User card Chart data Chart features built in world chart 3 2 Chart details 3 2 4 5 C MAP chart Tides at a port 11 C MAP chart Alarms Built in alarms 2 6 SmartCraft engine alarms 1 1 SmartCraft Boat data Data at top of main displays 2 8 2 Compass at top of main displays 2 8 3 Dedicated ...

Page 7: ...rol gasoline or SmartCraft fuel sensors to be installed and set up 1 1Overview SmartCraft engine functions require a SmartCraft system to be installed For information on using SmartCraft see the SmartCraft Gateway Installation and Operation Manual The EXPLORER can send data to other instruments such as an autopilot and receive data from other instruments For information on installing options see s...

Page 8: ... connector s color to the socket color Insert each connector and turn the locking collar clockwise until it is finger tight Handle plug in cards carefully Keep them in their protective cases when not plugged into the EXPLORER Keep the holder in place in the EXPLORER at all times to prevent moisture from entering the card compartment Nothing will be damaged if a cable is plugged into the wrong sock...

Page 9: ...he current display Press again to display the Setup menu see section 14 5 Start an action or accept a change 6 Zoom in or out to display diﬀerent areas and detail on the chart 7 Create an instant waypoint at the boat position see section 5 2 1 8 Man overboard MOB see section 2 5 9 Turn EXPLORER on and oﬀ see section 2 3 adjust the backlighting see section 2 4 2 1Usingthekeys In this manual Press m...

Page 10: ... To select an option 1 Press to display the menu of options 2 Press or to move the highlight to the option you want then press 2 3Turningonandoff autopower Turning on manually If the EXPLORER is not wired for auto power press to turn the unit on If necessary adjust the display to be easy to read see section 2 4 Note If the EXPLORER is not wired for auto power then the EXPLORER does not record engi...

Page 11: ...to If the NMEA output autopilot is off see section 14 9 use the EXPLORER to manually navigate to the destination MOB waypoint see sections 3 1 1 and 3 1 2 2 5Manoverboard MOB If the NMEA output autopilot is on the EXPLORER asks if the autopilot is active Select No Use the EXPLORER to manually navigate to the destination MOB waypoint see sections 3 1 1 and 3 1 2 Yes The EXPLORER asks if the boat is...

Page 12: ...op Simulate mode and for more information see section 14 11 In simulate mode Simulate or Demo flashes at the bottom of the display SmartCraft menu and displays The SmartCraft displays require a SmartCraft system to be installed For information on using SmartCraft see the SmartCraft Gateway Installation and Operation Manual To go to a display press press or to select the type of display to show pre...

Page 13: ...Northstar EXPLORER 550 550i Installation and Operation Manual 13 Other menu and displays Note Press to go from an Other display back to your last chart display ...

Page 14: ... display is not active Yellow border Press Press Yellow border Chart display is not active Gauges display is active The chart and highway displays can show data at the top of the display The data header for each display can be different To change the data header for a display 1 Go to the display press and select Data header 2 To turn the data header off or on i Select Data ii Select or 3 To choose...

Page 15: ... symbol in the middle When the boat is navigating to a point the compass also shows bearing to the destination BRG a black symbol In this example BRG is 300 and COG is 320 To turn the compass off or on 1 Press and select Data header 2 Set Compass to or 2 8 3Compass Tip If less than the maximum number of lines of data are used the data will take up less of the display area 5 Press to return to the ...

Page 16: ...ted course which indicate the maximum expected deviation from the plotted course For more information see appendix C If the EXPLORER is connected to an autopilot the EXPLORER will send data to the autopilot to steer the boat to the destination Start the autopilot before starting to navigate to the point If the EXPLORER has no autopilot steer the boat manually a use the boat position and destinatio...

Page 17: ...rn as described in section 3 1 1 The EXPLORER stops navigating to the waypoint at the end of the current leg and starts the next leg of the route a when the boat comes within 0 025 nm of the waypoint b or when the boat passes the waypoint c or if you skip the waypoint Skipping a waypoint To skip a waypoint go to a chart display press and select Skip The EXPLORER starts navigating straight towards ...

Page 18: ... section 2 8 2 B Compass see section 2 8 3 C Chart scale see section 3 2 3 D Boat position see section 3 2 1 E Boat track see section 3 5 F Boat course and CDI lines see Appendix C CDI The boat is going to the waypoint called FISH06 G Distance and bearing of cursor from boat H Land I Sea J The cursor see section 3 2 1 K A typical waypoint see section 5 Note To change the types of information displ...

Page 19: ...or mode The distance DST and bearing BRG of the cursor from the boat are displayed at the bottom left corner of the display The chart does not scroll as the boat moves If the cursor reaches the edge of the display the chart will scroll For example hold down to move the cursor to the right side of the display and the chart will scroll to the left If the cursor has been moved in the last ten seconds...

Page 20: ...a route press and select Save This also saves any new points on the course as new waypoints with default names If necessary edit the route later see section 6 2 2 and edit any new waypoints later see section 5 2 3 7 Finally press to return to the chart display 3 2 5Findingachartsymbol To find and display a chart symbol 1 Press and select Find 2 Select the type of symbol Waypoints Routes Ports by n...

Page 21: ... full then recording continues and the oldest points in the track are deleted The maximum length of a track depends on the selected track interval a small interval will give a shorter more detailed 3 5Tracksandtracking track and a long interval will give a longer less detailed track as shown in these examples The track lengths are in the current distance units for example nm If Projected course is...

Page 22: ...have up to 3000 waypoints A waypoint can be created changed or deleted A waypoint has A name up to eight characters An icon showing what kind of waypoint it is The available icons are A position A color for the waypoint symbol and name on the chart A type Normal A normal waypoint can be navigated to or included in a route Danger A danger waypoint is a point to avoid If the boat comes within the da...

Page 23: ...t mode or press see above Or to create a waypoint at a different point move the cursor to that point on the chart 2 Press 3 A new waypoint with the default name and data is created 4 Change the waypoint data if necessary see section 5 2 7 Select Save Creating a new waypoint from the waypoints display 1 In the waypoints display press and select Create 2 A new waypoint with a default name and data i...

Page 24: ...y with the selected waypoint at the centre of the chart 5 2 5Deletingawaypoint 5 2 6Deletingallwaypoints 1 In the waypoints display and press and select Delete all 2 Select Yes to confirm To change the waypoint data when it is displayed in a window 1 Select the data to change Press Use the cursor keys to change the data Press 2 If necessary repeat the above step to change other data 3 Select Save ...

Page 25: ... 25 routes Each route can have up to 50 waypoints A route can Start and stop at the same waypoint Include waypoints more than once The EXPLORER can navigate along a route in either direction Waypoints on the route can be skipped Routes are a powerful feature when the EXPLORER is connected to an autopilot allowing the vessel to be automatically guided along the route 6 1Routesdisplay The routes dis...

Page 26: ...Managingroutes 6 2 1Creatinganewroute A Creating a new route from the chart display While creating the route Press or to change the range scroll the chart by moving the cursor to the edge of the chart A data box at the bottom left of the display shows the route name and total distance If the cursor is near a leg it shows the length and bearing of the leg as well The legs of a route must start and ...

Page 27: ...oute from the chart 1 In the routes display select the route to edit Press and select Edit on chart 2 The selected route is displayed on the chart with a circle around the first waypoint 3 Edit the route as described in section 6 2 1 A starting at step 4 Editing a route from the routes display 1 In the routes display press or to highlight the route to edit Press and select Edit 2 The selected rout...

Page 28: ... are received by the EXPLORER standard GPS antenna The accuracy of the corrected GPS position is typically better than 5 m 15 ft for 95 of the time 7 Satellites WAAS covers all of the USA and most of Canada EGNOS will cover most of Western Europe when it becomes operational Differential beacon DGPS Differential beacons are land based radio transmitters that broadcast correction signals that can be...

Page 29: ...hen select Satellite The satellite display shows 7 1Satellitedisplay A C D B E G F A Status of GPS antenna for example Acquiring GPS fix No GPS If the unit is in Simulate mode it displays Simulate see section 2 7 B Time and date from GPS satellites Time is local time UTC GMT plus local offset see section 14 10 C HDOP The error in the GPS position caused by satellite geometry A low value indicates ...

Page 30: ...a item that is available on your system iii Repeat the above step to set the other gauges Press 4 Press to return to the Gauges display 9 Data display The data display has large numeric data fields To go to the data display press select Other then select Data To select what data is displayed 1 Press and select Data setup 2 Change a data field i Press the cursor keys to highlight the field ii Press...

Page 31: ...gauge on the right of the display The height of the yellow bar s show how much fuel remains in the tank s If you have set a low fuel alarm see section 10 4 a red bar shows the level at which the alarm will trigger If there are two tanks the left bar shows the port tank the right bar shows the starboard tank 10 1Whatthefuelcomputerdoes Used The fuel used during a trip On a multi engine boat the dat...

Page 32: ... add or remove fuel you must tell the EXPLORER otherwise the fuel data will be meaningless A When you completely fill a tank Go to the fuel display and press Then On a single tank boat select Fill tank On a multi tank boat select Fill tank then select the tank you have filled Note Underfloor fuel tanks are often difficult to refill to the same level twice due to air pockets With underfloor fuel ta...

Page 33: ...p menu select Fuel and select Speed source 2 To use a paddlewheel or pitot sensor select Water speed otherwise select Ground speed to use GPS speed 3 If you selected Water speed and you have both a paddlewheel sensor and a pitot sensor i Press select Smartcraft and select Speed type ii Select Paddlewheel or Pitot Tip You can select a different speed sensor during a trip Note If you follow procedur...

Page 34: ...on 10 5 1 When the current is from ahead ground speed is less than water speed For this example If the boat travels for one hour uses 3 gallons of fuel per hour and has 50 gallons of fuel left Speed Log Economy Range Using water speed 10 knots 10 nm 3 3 nm gal 165 nm Using ground speed 6 knots 6 nm 2 0 nm gal 100 nm Water speed 10 knots Gives a ground speed of about 8 knots Current 4 knots at 45º ...

Page 35: ...ange For your first curve choose a calm day with light wind and little current have a typical load and a freshly cleaned hull Later you can make fuel consumption curves for different boat weather or sea conditions Compare these with your first curve to see how your boat s performance changes with conditions Making a curve 1 Start running the boat in a straight line 2 Choose a speed source for the ...

Page 36: ...rve b The shape of the curve depends on the type of speed sensor you selected when making the curve see sections 10 5 1 and 10 5 Using a curve Compare your boat s performance now at the current RPMs with the boat s performance when you made the curve You can compare your boat s performance now with a curve made under ideal conditions or with a curve made under similar conditions Information in a c...

Page 37: ...derfloor tanks to the same level twice due to air pockets so the more fuel used the more accurate the calibration 10 7Calibration To calibrate the sensor s 1 Record the level of the fuel in the tank s 2 Connect the portable tank s to the engine through the fuel sensor s 3 Run the engine at normal cruising speed until at least 4 gallons 15 litres of fuel has been used per engine 4 Check the actual ...

Page 38: ...d Select the tide station to display The chart redraws with the tide station centred 4 Press and select Chart info 5 Select Tide height Choosing the date of the tide chart 1 Press 2 Select Today Next day or Prev day To choose a different date from these select Set date edit the date press A Tide station name and distance from boat B Current time and chosen date for display C Tide chart D Night E D...

Page 39: ... see below 2 Data stored on the user card and shown on the file list is not available to be used by the EXPLORER until loaded into the EXPLORER with the LOAD command see below Saving data to the user card This saves all the EXPLORER s waypoints all the EXPLORER s routes or one of the EXPLORER s tracks to one file on the user card 1 Press and select Save 2 Select Waypts Routes or Tracks 3 For Track...

Page 40: ...which route to keep A track file The new track will replace the existing track in the EXPLORER To load a file to the EXPLORER 1 Select the file to load 2 Press and select Load Deleting a file from the user card 1 Select the file to delete 2 Press and select Delete 3 Select Yes to confirm Reading the file information This reads the file names from the user card and displays them Reading does not lo...

Page 41: ...he setup menu We recommend that you become familiar with the operation of the unit using the default settings before making any changes to the data in these menus To go to a setup option menu press one or more times to display the setup menu then select an option Note 1 The Setup menu options are explained in the following sections 2 Section 2 1 describes how to set or change data in the setup men...

Page 42: ...l Setup option menus Factory default settings are shown The setup data available will depend on the optional sensors and instruments installed System see 14 1 Chart see 14 2 Time see 14 10 Alarms see 14 7 Units see 14 8 GPS see 14 3 Track see 14 5 Logs see 14 6 Comms see 14 9 Simulate see 14 11 Water 14 2 Others 14 2 Land Fuel see 14 4 ...

Page 43: ...based on a worldwide reference datum known as WGS 84 Most paper charts are based on WGS 84 However some paper charts are based on other datums In these cases the latitude and longitude coordinates of objects on the EXPLORER chart display are different to the latitude and longitude coordinates of these objects on the paper chart This applies to all objects such as the boat waypoints tracks lines of...

Page 44: ...rts have consistent position errors To correct this apply a map shift After a map shift The positions of cartographic features such as land rocks buoys and depth contours move on the EXPLORER chart display to where they should be The positions of the boat waypoints tracks and lines of latitude and longitude on the EXPLORER chart display remain unchanged Applying a map shift 1 Move the boat to a kn...

Page 45: ...l levels On shows all Text icon size Select the size of chart text and icons Water submenu Water features displays marine sediment labels for example M shows areas of mud and tide station icons Bathymetrics Displays underwater depth contours between Bath sndgs min and max Spot soundings Displays depth soundings between Bath sndgs min and max Bath dndgs min The minimum depth for Bathymetrics and Sp...

Page 46: ...of the GPS receiver see section 7 Restart the GPS if the receiver has not been used for some time and is taking a long time to get a GPS fix 14 3Setup GPS StaticNavigation When the boat stops or moves very slowly the calculated GPS speed and course become erratic Static navigation is a number and the options are 0 01 to 99 9 If the boat speed is slower than this the speed is displayed as zero and ...

Page 47: ...aged 14 4Setup Fuel The Flow filter can be set from 0 to 30 seconds Use the lowest value which gives a stable flow Usually a value of 5 to 10 seconds will give a satisfactory result for two stroke carburettor engines Fuel injected or four stroke engines may require a larger value This setting affects the Fuel flow and Fuel economy reading on the Fuel display but it does not affect the Fuel used re...

Page 48: ...track Display Off No track is shown on the chart 1 to 5 select a track number The selected track is shown on the chart Plotting Interval The options are Distance or Time Distance Select the distance plotting interval 0 01 0 05 0 1 0 5 1 0 2 0 5 0 or 10 0 distance units Time Select the time plotting interval 1 5 10 or 30 seconds or 1 minute Memory used The percentage of memory used in the track bei...

Page 49: ... alarm trigger value XTE boat moves off course by more than the CDI scale see section 14 2 Danger boat comes closer to a danger waypoint than the alarm trigger value Low fuel Low fuel fuel remaining equals the alarm trigger value on a multi tank boat you can set separate alarms for each tank see section 10 4 Loss of EXPLORER can not receive the DGPS signal DGPS fix beacon WAAS or EGNOS Loss of EXP...

Page 50: ...r Northstar instruments through NavBus or any compatible NMEA instrument Press once or more until the Setup menu is displayed then select Comms NMEAout NMEA is generally used with third party instruments see section 15 9 Select this to transmit NMEA sentences for example to an autopilot NMEAdata Use this to specify which NMEA sentences will be transmitted see section 15 9 and Appendix A Lat londps...

Page 51: ...ing time starts and ends The range is 0 to 13 hours in 30 minute steps Timeformat The options are 24 hour or 12 hour Dateformat The options are dd MMM yy MMM dd yy dd MM yy or MM dd yy 14 10Setup Time 14 11Setup Simulate WARNING Never have simulate mode on when the EXPLORER is navigating on the water Note To select the start point go to the chart display before starting the simulation Then To star...

Page 52: ...ver for display unit Blanking caps for unused connectors Power cable Mounting bracket screws included Flush mounting kit Northstar 133 GPS antenna for Explorer 550 the Explorer 550i has a built in GPS antenna Warranty registration card This manual Correct installation is critical to the performance of the unit It is vital to read the entire installation section of this manual and the documentation...

Page 53: ...litres per hour 1 3 U S gallons per hour Maximum 130 litres per hour 34 U S gallons per hour SmartCraft fuel sensors see section 15 7 Connections GPS antenna EXPLORER 550 Power 15 4 External alarms 15 4 NavBus instruments 15 8 NMEA out to instruments 15 9 Petrol gasoline sensors 15 6 NMEA in 15 9 Power data cable Pin Wire Function 1 Black Ground power in NMEA ground The cable has two black wires w...

Page 54: ...ge during rough sea passages Easy to access the 12 24 V DC power source and convenient to route the transducer cables There are two mounting arrangements 1FlushMounting Requires a solid panel with access behind for wiring and mounting screws After flush mounting the display unit cannot be tilted or moved after installation to reduce any unwanted glare or reflections Carefully select the best viewi...

Page 55: ...wire for basic power for more information see section 2 2 Basic power Power data cable Yellow Red Black Ignition Ignition switch Main switch 12 24 V DC Fuses 2A Power data cable Red Green 2 Wire any external alarm beepers or lights The alarm output switches to ground to sound the alarm If the current is more than 200 mA fit a relay 3 Connect the power data cable to the black display unit connector...

Page 56: ...enna To configure the EXPLORER for different antenna options see section 14 3 For more information contact your Northstar dealer Installinganantenna If an external antenna is required install the antenna and fit the antenna cable back to the display unit Follow the instructions in the manual supplied with the antenna Fit an optional Northstar extension cable if required Connect the EXPLORER extern...

Page 57: ...l sensors are not required as well Wire the unit for auto power see section 15 4 During setup a Enter fuel setup data see section 14 4 b Set NavBus and SmartCraft to see section 14 1 SmartCraft gateway 15 7Installation SmartCraft White White NavBus is Northstar s system for connecting instruments together to interchange data and share transducers When instruments are connected by NavBus If the uni...

Page 58: ... a predication based on changes in barometric pressure Fish forecaster a prediction based on changes in barometric pressure Black Power data cable Orange Blue NavBus wires to other Navbus instruments For information on sending NMEA data to the EXPLORER see your Northstar dealer NMEA is an industry standard for interconnecting instruments It is not as flexible or as easy to install as NavBus The EX...

Page 59: ...plays an installation menu i Select the language to use ii Change the data if necessary see section 2 1 iii When the setup data is correct press This data can be changed later see section 14 5 Enter setup data to set up the EXPLORER to your requirements and to set up any optional sensors or instruments see section 14 6 At the satellite display check that it picks up GPS satellites Wait for the GPS...

Page 60: ...Waypoints Up to 3000 with default or user defined alphanumeric names up to eight characters Routes 25 Routes with up to 50 points each Tracks By time or distance one track of 2000 points and four of 500 points Chart datums 121 Chart datums see next page One user defined map shift Chart scale 0 05 to 4096 nm for chart chart dependent down to 0 01 nm in plotter mode COMMUNICATIONS NavBus Connection ...

Page 61: ...ndian 1960 Indian 1975 Indonesian 1974 Ireland 1965 ISTS 061 Astro 1968 ISTS 073 Astro 1969 Johnston Island 1961 Kandawala Kerguelen Island 1949 Kertau 1948 Kusaie Astro 1951 L C 5 Astro 1961 Leigon Liberia 1964 Luzon M Poraloko Mahe 1971 Massawa Merchich Midway Astro 1961 Minna Montserrat Island Astro 1958 Nahrwan Masirah Is Oman Nahrwan United Arab Emirates Nahrwan Saudi Arabia Naparima BWI Nort...

Page 62: ...ood the relevant sections in this manual It is possible in many cases to solve difficulties without having to send the display unit back to the manufacturer for repair Please follow this troubleshooting section before contacting the nearest Northstar dealer There are no user serviceable parts Specialized methods and testing equipment are required to ensure that the display unit is reassembled corr...

Page 63: ...elect the correct chart datum see section 14 2 c Map shift has been applied wrongly Clear map shift then reapply if necessary see section 14 2 2 4 Can not see boat on chart Press to switch to centre on boat mode see section 3 2 1 2 5 The time or date on satellite display is wrong or off a No GPS fix b In simulate mode Turn simulate mode off see section 14 11 c Local time offset is wrong see sectio...

Page 64: ...d the fuel tank g Petrol gasoline fuel sensors should be replaced after every 5000 litres of fuel 3 3 Fuel remaining seems inaccurate a The EXPLORER is not wired for auto power see section 15 4 b You added or removed fuel but did not tell the EXPLORER see section 10 3 c The fuel tank may not refill to the same capacity each time due to air pockets This is a particular problem with underfloor tanks...

Page 65: ...n 7 Leg The straight segments of a route between waypoints A route with four waypoints has three legs MOB Man overboard MOB function Starts navigating back to the place where someone fell overboard see section 2 5 NavBus A way of connecting Northstar instruments together to share data see section 15 8 NMEA National Marine Electronics Association NMEA 0183 A standard for interfacing marine electron...

Page 66: ...on 14 7 an alarm will sound if the boat reaches a CDI line COG Course Over Ground Direction in which the boat is moving over the ground CTS Course To Steer Optimum course to steer to return to the plotted course DTG Distance To Go Distance from the boat to the destination ETA Expected Time of Arrival At the destination assuming that SOG and COG remain constant RNG Range to cursor Distance from boa...

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