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pub 988-0143-631 www.eaglesonar.com cuda 128 cuda 128 portable cuda 168 cuda 168ex fish-finding depth sounding sonars installation and operation instructions

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copyright © 2002 eagle electronics all rights reserved eagle® is a registered trademark of eagle electronics marine-tex is a trademark of illinois tool works inc eagle electronics may find it necessary to change or end our policies regulations and special offers at any time we reserve the right to do so without notice all features and specifications subject to change without notice all screens in this manual are simulated for free owner s manuals and other information visit our web site www.eaglesonar.com eagle electronics p.o box 669 catoosa ok usa 74015 printed in usa.

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table of contents introduction 1 capabilities and specifications cuda family 1 installation preparations 3 transducer installation 4 recommended tools and supplies 4 selecting a transducer location 5 shoot-thru-hull vs transom mounting 7 transom transducer assembly and mounting 7 trolling motor bracket installation 12 transducer orientation and fish arches 12 shoot-thru-hull preparation and installation 14 power and cable connections 16 mounting the sonar unit in-dash or bracket 18 in-dash installation 18 bracket installation 21 portable sonar installation 25 operation 30 keyboard basics 30 pwr/clear power and clear 30 menu up and menu down 30 up and down arrows 31 memory 31 menus 31 display ­ opening screen 32 chart scroll stopping and starting 33 full chart 34 depth range zoom automatic and manual 35 zoom 36 sensitivity 37 grayline 40 fish i.d 41 i ®

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fishtracktm 43 chart scroll speed 44 noise reject and asp advanced signal processing 44 alarms 45 fish alarm 45 depth alarms 46 shallow alarm 46 deep alarm 46 display adjustments 47 backlights 47 display contrast 47 depth units of measure 48 preset unit reset all options 48 system info 48 simulator 48 digital data size for depth and temperature 49 troubleshooting 50 warranty and service information 57 ii

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introduction thank you for buying an eagle sonar your unit is a high-quality sonar designed for both professional and novice fishermen all eagle sonars have an automatic mode that finds and displays the bottom fish underwater structure and more ­ right out of the box all you have to do is press the on pwr key however if you want to fine-tune your unit press the menu up key the sonar has several powerful features you can control by scrolling through easy-to-use menus with the arrow and menu keys to get started with your eagle sonar first read the installation section it contains instructions for mounting the sonar unit and the transducer following recommended installation practices will pay off in optimum performance of your eagle sonar improper installation can cause problems down the road especially if the transducer is badly mounted after you ve read the installation instructions install the unit and accessories then read the rest of the manual the more you know about your sonar the better it will work for you take advantage of the simulator feature it allows you to practice operating your sonar before you get it in the water and when you finally head for your favorite fishing hole take this manual along for reference capabilities and specifications cuda family general case size cuda 128 and cuda 168 5.8 h x 4.3 w x 2.5 d 14.7 cm h x 10.8 cm w x 6.6 cm d cuda 168ex 5.4 h x 6.9 w x 3.4 d 13.8 cm h x 17.6 cm w x 8.6 cm d sealed waterproof suitable for saltwater use display high-contrast film supertwist lcd diagonal viewing area cuda 128 and cuda 168 4.0 10.2 cm cuda 168ex 4.5 11.4 cm 1

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resolution cuda 128 and cuda 128 portable 128 pixels vert x 65 pixels horiz resolution 8,320 total pixels cuda 168 and cuda 168 ex 168 pixels vert x 132 pixels horiz resolution 22,176 total pixels backlighting backlit screen and keypad for night use input power 10 to 17 volts dc current drain 110 ma lights off 250 ma lights on back-up memory built-in memory stores sonar settings when unit is turned off sonar frequency 200 khz transducers a skimmer transducer comes packed with your sonar unit its 20° cone angle offers a wide fish detection area of up to 60º with high sensitivity settings operates at boat speeds up to 70 mph 61 kts transmitter 800 watts peak-to-peak 100 watts rms sonar sounding depth capability 600 feet 180 meters actual capability depends on transducer configuration and installation bottom composition and water conditions all sonar units typically read deeper in fresh water than in salt water depth display continuous digital readout audible alarms deep/shallow/fish automatic ranging yes auto bottom track yes zoom bottom track yes surface water temp yes 2

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notice the storage and operation temperature range for your unit is from -4 degrees to +167 degrees fahrenheit 20 degrees to +75 degrees celsius extended storage or operation in temperatures higher or lower than specified will damage the liquid crystal display in your unit this type of damage is not covered by the warranty for more information contact the factory s customer service department phone numbers are inside the manual s back cover installation preparations you can install the sonar system in some other order if you prefer but we recommend this installation sequence caution you should read over this entire installation section before drilling any holes in your vessel 1 determine the approximate location for the sonar unit so you can plan how and where to route the cables for the transducer and power this will help you make sure you have enough cable length for the desired configuration 2 determine the approximate location for the transducer and its cable route 3 determine the location of your battery or other power connection along with the power cable route 4 install the transducer and route the transducer cable to the sonar unit 5 install the power cable and route it to the sonar unit 6 mount the sonar unit 3

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transducer installation these instructions will help you install your skimmer transducer on a transom on a trolling motor or inside a hull please read all instructions before proceeding with any installation your skimmer transducer typically comes packaged with a one-piece stainless steel bracket for mounting it to the transom of your boat the optional trolling motor mount uses a one-piece plastic bracket with an adjustable strap these are kick-up mounting brackets they help prevent damage if the transducer strikes an object while the boat is moving if the transducer does kick-up the bracket can easily be pushed back into place without tools read these instructions carefully before attempting the installation determine which of the installation methods is right for your boat remember the transducer installation is the most critical part of a sonar installation recommended tools and supplies if you prefer the option of routing the cable through the transom you will need a 5/8 drill bit the following installation types also call for these recommended tools and required supplies supplies are not included transom installation tools include two adjustable wrenches drill #29 0.136 drill bit flathead screwdriver supplies high quality marine grade above or belowwaterline caulking compound trolling motor installations tools two adjustable wrenches flat-head screwdriver supplies plastic cable ties shoot-through hull installations tools these will vary depending on your hull s composition consult your boat dealer or manufacturer supplies 100 grit sandpaper good quality epoxy adhesive 4

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selecting a transducer location 1 the transducer must be placed in a location that has a smooth flow of water at all times if the transducer is to be mounted inside the hull then the chosen location must be in the water at all times if the transducer is not placed in a smooth flow of water interference caused by bubbles and turbulence will show on the sonar s display in the form of random lines or dots whenever the boat is moving note some aluminum boats with strakes or ribs on the outside of the hull create large amounts of turbulence at high speed these boats typically have large outboard motors capable of propelling the boat at speeds faster than 35 mph typically a good location on aluminum boats is between the ribs closest to the engine 2 the transducer should be installed with its face pointing straight down if possible 3 if the transducer is mounted on the transom make sure it doesn t interfere with the trailer or hauling of the boat also don t mount it closer than approximately one foot from the engine s lower unit this will prevent cavitation bubble interference with propeller operation 4 if possible route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the boat electrical noise from engine wiring bilge pumps and aerators can be displayed on the sonar s screen use caution when routing the transducer cable around these wires 5

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caution clamp the transducer cable to transom near the transducer this will help prevent the transducer from entering the boat if it is knocked off at high speed good location poor location good location good location poor angle good and poor transducer locations how low should you go for most situations you should install your skimmer transducer so that its centerline is level with the bottom of the boat hull this will usually give you the best combination of smooth water flow and protection from bangs and bumps transom transducer centerline hull bottom align transducer centerline with hull bottom however there are times when you may need to adjust the transducer slightly higher or lower the slots in the mounting brackets allow you 6

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to loosen the screws and slide the transducer up or down if you frequently lose bottom signal lock while running at high speed the transducer may be coming out of the water as you cross waves or wakes move the transducer a little lower to help prevent this if you cruise or fish around lots of structure and cover your transducer may be frequently kicking up from object strikes if you wish you may move the transducer a little higher for more protection there are two extremes you should avoid never let the edge of the mounting bracket extend below the bottom of the hull never let the bottom ­ the face ­ of the transducer rise above the bottom of the hull shoot-thru-hull vs transom mounting typically shoot-thru-hull installations give excellent high speed operation and good to excellent depth capability there is no possibility of damage from floating objects it can t be knocked off when docking or loading on the trailer however the shoot-thru-hull installation does have its drawbacks first some loss of sensitivity does occur even on the best hulls this varies from hull to hull even from different installations on the same hull 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 transom transducer assembly and mounting the best way to install the transducer is to loosely assemble all of the parts first place the transducer s bracket against the transom and see if you can move the transducer so that it s parallel with the ground 1 assembling the bracket press the two small plastic ratchets into the sides of the metal bracket as shown in the following illustration notice 7

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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 this position sets the transducer s coarse angle adjustment for a 14° transom most outboard and stern-drive transoms have a 14° angle dot align plastic ratchets in bracket 2 aligning the transducer on the transom 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 3 if it doesn t repeat step 2 but use a different alignment letter until you can place the transducer on the transom correctly 8

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ratchets insert bolt and check transducer position on transom 3 assembling the transducer 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 nut metal washer rubber washers bolt metal washer assemble transducer and bracket 4 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 using the #29 bit for the #10 screws 9

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transom transom position transducer mount on transom and mark mounting holes side view shown at left and seen from above at right 5 attaching transducer to transom 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 route cable over bolt and through bracket side view shown at left and seen from above at right attach the transducer to the transom 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 adjust the transducer so that it s parallel to the ground and tighten the nut until it touches the outer washer then add 1/4 turn don t over tighten the lock nut if you do the transducer won t kick-up if it strikes an object in the water 10

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bottom of hull deep vee hull flat-bottom hull align transducer centerline with hull bottom and attach to transom 6 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 if possible route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the boat electrical noise from the engine s wiring bilge pumps vhf radio wires and cables and aerators can be picked up by the sonar use caution when routing the transducer cable around these wires warning clamp the transducer cable to the transom close to the transducer 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 is 5/8 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 7 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 11

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