Pub. 988-0151-401 www.lowrance.comX96 & X96TXFish-finding & Depth Sounding SonarInstallation and OperationInstructions

4The following paragraphs explain how to interpret the text formattingfor those commands and other instructions:Arrow KeysThe arrow keys control a hor

5Section 2:Installation & AccessoriesPreparationsYou can install the sonar system in some other order if you prefer, butwe recommend this installa

6Remember, the transducer installation is the most critical partof a sonar installation.Recommended Tools and suppliesIf you prefer the option of rout

7Electrical noise from engine wiring, bilge pumps and aerators can bedisplayed on the sonar's screen. Use caution when routing thetransducer cabl

8If you cruise or fish around lots of structure and cover, your transducermay be frequently kicking up from object strikes. If you want, you maymove t

9Align plastic ratchets in bracket.B. Two-piece bracket: Locate the four plastic ratchets in thetransducer's hardware package. Press two ratchets

10Add ratchets to bracket and transducer.2. Aligning the transducer on the transom.A. One-piece bracket: Slide the transducer between the tworatchets.

11B. Two-piece bracket: Assemble the transducer and bracket as shownin the following figure. Temporarily slide the bolt though the transducerassembly

12B. Two-piece bracket: Once you determine the correct position forthe ratchets, assemble the transducer as shown in the figure in step2B. Don't

13Both bracket types: Attach the transducer to the transom. Slide thetransducer up or down until it's aligned properly with the bottom ofthe hull

Copyright © 2005 Lowrance Electronics, Inc.All rights reserved.No part of this manual may be copied, reproduced, republished,transmitted or distribute

147. Make a test run to determine the results. If the bottom is lost athigh speed, or if noise appears on the display, try sliding thetransducer brack

15TRANSDUCER ORIENTATION AND FISH ARCHESIf you do not get good fish arches on your display, there is a goodpossibility the transducer is not parallel

16A successful transducer installation can be made on hulls with flotationmaterials (such as plywood, balsa wood or foam) between layers offiberglass

17If not, then mark the location that gave you the best sonar returns andread through the instructions on the following pages for shoot-thru-hullmount

18Place the transducer into the epoxy, twisting and turning it to forceany air bubbles out from under the transducer face.The face of the transducer s

19Sonar unit with secondary temperature sensor. Primary temp sensoris built into the transducer.Sonar unit with external speed sensor or combo speed/t

20Optional Speed Sensor InstallationIf you wish to purchase an optional speed sensor for your unit, refer tothe accessory ordering information inside

21If the base of the transom has a radius, fill the gap between thetransom and the sensor with the caulking compound. This will helpensure a smooth wa

22Power connections for the sonar unit.CAUTION:Do not use this product without a 3-amp fuse wired into the powercable! Failure to use a 3-amp fuse wil

23bracket to a swivel mount, which can be used on the dash or overheadmounting positions. Installation instructions are supplied with theR-A-M mountin

iTable of ContentsSection 1: Read Me First!... 1Capabilities and Specifications: X96 & X96TX

24Drill a 1-inch (25.4 mm) hole in the dash for the power and transducercables. The best location for this hole is immediately under the gimbalbracket

25In-Dash InstallationYou can mount the unit in the dash with an optional FM-5 In-DashAdapter Kit. The kit includes mounting hardware, a template forc

26Install batteries in power pack battery adapter."D" cell battery

27Section 3: Basic Sonar OperationThis section addresses the unit's most basic sonar operations. Theinstructions presented in Sec. 3 follow a ch

284. ARROW KEYS – Used to navigate through the menus, make menuselections, move the sonar chart cursor and enter data.5. ENT – Allows you to accept va

29Main Menu.The Main Menu commands and their functions are:Screen: changes the contrast or brightness of the display screen.Sounds: enables or disable

30 Sonar page options (left). Sonar page menu (right).Sonar PagesSonar pages display a cross-section view of the water column beneaththe boat. The

31 Full Sonar Chart (left). Split Zoom Sonar Chart (right). Digital Data Sonar Chart (left). FlashGraf Chart (right).

32Sonar Page, showing full sonar chart mode.You can customize how the Sonar Page displays its pictures and otherdata in many ways. Your unit also incl

33Basic Sonar Quick Reference1. Mount the transducer and unit. Connect the unit to electric powerand the transducer.2. Launch your boat.3. To turn on

iiTo adjust and turn on the shallow alarm: ... 40To adjust and turn on the deep alarm: ... 41Zone Ala

34Sonar OperationsAs you can see from the quick reference on the previous page, basic operationis pretty easy, right out of the box. If you are a sona

35You can change the sensitivity level whether you are in AutoSensitivity mode or Manual Sensitivity mode. The adjustment methodworks the same in both

36 Sonar Menu with Sensitivity command selected (left).The Sensitivity Control Bar (right).NOTE:If you want to change the sensitivity in Manual Mode

37Fish I.D. is most handy when you're in another part of the boat orperforming some task that prevents you from watching the sonarscreen. Then yo

38Notes

39Section 4: Options & FeaturesASP (Advanced Signal Processing)The ASP feature is a noise rejection system built into the sonar unitthat constan

40AlarmsThis unit has three types of sonar alarms. The first is the Fish Alarm.It sounds when the Fish I.D. feature determines an echo is a fish.Anot

414. Press ← to SHALLOW ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT.5. To turn off the alarm, press ALARM|ENT|ENT|EXIT.To switch to a different depth setting, open the Son

42Notice the size of the black alarm bar on the right side of the screenchanges as you manipulate the ↑ ↓ keys.4. To set the lower boundary for the Zo

43Calibrate SpeedThe speed sensor can be calibrated to compensate for inaccuracies.Before you change the setting, calculate the percentage the speed i

iiiSoftware Version Information... 62Sonar Chart Mode...

44 Sonar Page menu (left) with Chart Speed selected. Chart Speed Control Bar (right).If you do experiment with chart speed, remember to reset it tom

45 Sonar Page menu with Depth Cursor selected (left). Chart with depthcursor active (right). Cursor line shows the large fish is 34.64 feet deep.The

462. The Depth Range Control Scale appears. Press ↑ or ↓ to select adifferent depth range. A black bar highlights the selected range. Rangenumbers in

47Sonar Page showing FasTrack.Fish I.D. (Fish Symbols & Depths)The Fish I.D. feature identifies targets that meet certain conditions asfish. The

48 Figures 1A and 2A (left) show Sonar Page in normal chart mode. Figures1B and 2B (right) show the same underwater scene with Fish I.D. turnedon.

49To turn on FishTrack:(Note: These instructions will turn on FishTrack and Fish I.D. at thesame time.)1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR F

50Sonar Chart Mode command with FishReveal selectedTo turn FishReveal on:1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.2. Press ↓ to SONA

51GraylineGrayline helps you distinguish between strong and weak echoes,highlighting the differences between a hard soft bottom. A soft, muddyor weed

52 The figures above show how different Grayline settings can revealmore information. Figures, 1A, 2A and 3A show locations with Graylineset to the

53HyperScrollSee the entry on Ping Speed, which controls the HyperScroll feature.Noise RejectionSee the entry on Advanced Signal Processing in this s

ivWARNING!A CAREFUL NAVIGATOR NEVER RELIES ON ONLY ONE METHODTO OBTAIN POSITION INFORMATION.CAUTIONWhen showing navigation data to a position (waypoin

54Data list showing Water Distance selected for display on Sonar Page.3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT.To turn off displayed data:1.

55 Sonar chart with Overlay Data turned on. This example showsDepth, Water Temperature and the boat’s Water Speed.Ping Speed & HyperScrollPing Sp

56 Ping Speed command on the Sonar Menu (left).Ping Speed Control Bar (right) at default setting.To change Ping Speed:1. From the Sonar Page, press

57To turn on Popup Help, press MENU|MENU|↓ to POPUP HELP. With theoption highlighted, press ENT to check it (turn on) and uncheck it (turnoff.) After

58 Main Menu with Reset Options command selected (left). The ResetOptions dialog box (right), with Yes selected.Reset Water DistanceThe sonar chart&

59 Screen Command (left) and Screen Menu (right) with Contrast barselected.To adjust the display's brightness:1. Press ↓ to BRIGHTNESS. Press →

60Automatic SensitivityThe default sensitivity mode is automatic. The unit bases thesensitivity level on water depth and conditions. When the unit is

61To adjust sensitivity in manual mode:1. Turn off Auto Sensitivity from the Sonar Page by pressing MENU|↓to AUTO SENSITIVITY|ENT.2. Press ↑ to SENSIT

621. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SET KEEL OFFSET|ENT.2. The Keel Offset dialog box appears. Press ↓ to change the plus (+)sign to a minus (–) sign.3. Press →

63 Main Menu with Software Information command selected (left). TheSoftware Information screen (right).1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SOFTWARE INFO|ENT.2.

1Section 1: Read Me First!How this manual can get you out on the water, fast!Welcome to the exciting world of digital sonar! We know you're anxio

64Pages Menu showing sonar chart display optionsFull Sonar ChartThis is the default mode used when the unit is turned on for the firsttime or when it&

65Digital Data/ChartThis mode shows the chart on the right side of the screen. The left side hassix digital data boxes containing: Water Depth; Water

66 Options List for customizing Digital Data windows. The list appearswith Water Speed selected (left). Temperature 2 has been chosen toreplace Water

67 Main Menu, with simulator turned on (check box is checked).2. Turn off Sonar Simulator by pressing MENU|MENU|↓ to SONARSIMULATOR|ENT|EXIT.Full Sona

68Sonar Menu with Stop Chart command selected. The box isunchecked, indicating the chart is scrolling across the screen.Surface ClarityThe markings ex

69 Surface Clarity turned off (left). Surface Clarity set to High (right).Units of MeasureThis menu sets the speed and distance (statute or nautical

70Use ← → to highlight either Fahrenheit or Celsius and press ENT. Afterthe option is set, press EXIT|EXIT to return to the main page display.Zoom &am

71Section 5: TroubleshootingIf your unit is not working, or if you need technical help, please use thefollowing troubleshooting section before contact

72This can cause the unit to eliminate weaker signals such as fish or evenstructure from the display.3. The water may be deeper than the sonar's

73NOISEA major cause of sonar problems is electrical noise. This usuallyappears on the sonar's display as random patterns of dots or lines. Insev

2If you're having difficulty with your sonar, you can find an answer tothe most common problems in Section 5, Sonar Troubleshooting.Finally, in S

74Notes

75LOWRANCE ELECTRONICSFULL ONE-YEAR WARRANTY"We," "our," or "us" refers to LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS, a division of LEI, them

76How to Obtain Service……in the USA:We back your investment in quality products with quick, expert serviceand genuine Lowrance replacement parts. If y

Accessory Ordering Informationfor all countriesTo order Lowrance accessories such as power cables or transducers,please contact:1) Your local marine d

Visit our web site:Lowrance Pub. 988-0151-401 © Copyright 2005 All Rights ReservedPrinted in USA 100405 Lowrance Electro

3Audible alarms: .... Deep/shallow/fish/zone.Automatic ranging:... Yes, with instant screen updates.Zoom bottom track: ... Yes.Split-s