Pub. 988-0143-631 www.eaglesonar.
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.
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 .........................................
FishTrack™................................................................................. 43 Chart Scroll Speed ...................................................................... 44 Noise Reject and ASP (Advanced Signal Processing) ............ 44 Alarms ......................................................................................... 45 Fish Alarm............................................................................... 45 Depth Alarms ...................................................
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.
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: ..........
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Metal washer Nut Rubber washers Metal washer Bolt 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.
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.
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.
TROLLING MOTOR BRACKET INSTALLATION 1. Attach the optional TMB-S bracket to the transducer as shown in the following figure, using the hardware supplied with the transducer. (Note: The internal tooth washer is supplied with the TMB-S.) Bolt Internal tooth washer TMB-S bracket Nut Flat washer Attach motor mounting bracket to transducer. 2. Slide the adjustable strap supplied with the TMB-S through the slot in the transducer bracket and wrap it around the trolling motor.
the transducer is not parallel with the ground when the boat is at rest in the water or at slow trolling speeds. Partial fish arches Transducer aimed too far forward Transducer aimed too far back Full fish arch Proper transducer angle Transducer angles and their effects on fish arches. If the arch slopes up – but not back down – then the front of the transducer is too high and needs to be lowered.
SHOOT-THRU-HULL PREPARATION The transducer installation inside a fiberglass hull must be in an area that does not have air bubbles in the resin or separated fiberglass layers. The sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. A successful transducer installation can be made on hulls with flotation materials (such as plywood, balsa wood or foam) between layers of fiberglass if the material is removed from the chosen area.
second bottom echo is seen on the display. (You will need to turn off both automatic and ASP.) Don't touch the controls once they've been set. Next, take the transducer out of the water and place it in the water in the sump of the boat. Observe the sonar signal to see if there is a noticeable decrease in sensitivity. The second bottom signal may disappear and the bottom signal may decrease in intensity. Move the transducer around to find the best location.
Spread epoxy here Sand this surface Epoxy transducer to hull. 2. Follow the instructions on the epoxy package and mix it thoroughly. Do not mix it too fast, because it will cause bubbles to form in the epoxy. Apply a small amount on the face of the transducer as shown above, then spread a small amount onto the sanded area on the hull. Place the transducer into the epoxy, twisting and turning it to force any air bubbles out from under the transducer face.
CAUTION: When using the unit in a saltwater environment, we strongly recommend that you shut off the power supply to the power cable when the unit is not in use. When the unit is turned off but still connected to a power supply, electrolysis can occur in the power cable plug. This may result in corrosion of the plug body along with the electrical contacts in the cable and the unit's power socket.
For example, if you have to extend the power cable to the battery or power buss, attach one end of the fuse holder directly to the battery or power buss. This will protect both the unit and the power cable in the event of a short. It uses a 3-amp fuse. CAUTION: Do not use this product without a 3-amp fuse wired into the power cable! Failure to use a 3-amp fuse will void your warranty. This unit has reverse polarity protection. No damage will occur if the power wires are reversed.
146.5 [5.76] Top R 7.9 [0.31] In-Dash Template 113.5 [4.46] Millimeters [Inches] ALWAYS VERIFY DIMENSIONS In-dash mounting template for Cuda 168EX, showing dimensions. NOTE: The preceding figure is not printed to scale. A scaled template is available for free download from our web site, www.eaglesonar.com. For the Cuda 128 and Cuda 168 The Cuda 128 and Cuda 168 both use the same case and can be mounted in-dash using the removable scaled template inside the back cover of this manual (page 55).
3. Slip your saw blade into the starter hole and then cut along the outside line. Be careful when working around the corners, because there is little room for error. 4. Remove the backing from one side of the double-sided mounting tape contained in the mounting kit. Apply it to the outer ledge on the back of your unit. Starting at the bottom center, work the tape around all four sides of the unit. Cut off any excess tape when finished. 5. Attach the power/transducer cable to the back of the unit. 6.
Bracket Installation Mount the unit in any convenient location, provided there is clearance when it’s tilted for the best viewing angle. You should also make sure there is enough room behind the unit to attach the power/transducer cable. (See the following drawings, which show the dimensions of a gimbal-mounted Cuda 168EX sonar unit and a Cuda 128 or 168.) Holes in the bracket’s base allow wood screw or through-bolt mounting.
location. This way, the bracket can be installed so that it covers the hole, holds the cable in position and results in a neat installation. Some customers, however, prefer to mount the bracket to the side of the cable hole — it's a matter of personal preference. After drilling the hole, pass the connector up through the hole from under the dash. 82.7 [3.26] 107.5 [4.23] 156 [6.26] 12.09 [0.48] 76.9 Millimeter 70.3 [3.03] [Inch] [2.
Before positioning the gimbal bracket, be sure to hold the cable against the rear edge of the hole. Then, slide the bracket over the hole and butt the rear of the bracket base firmly against the cable, thus pinning it in place against the side of the hole. Finally, fasten the bracket to the dash. Front Install the gimbal bracket. Orient the bracket so the arms slope toward the front of your unit. Attach the unit to the gimbal bracket using the supplied gimbal knobs and washers.
Ratchet Rear (away from viewer) Screw hole Power/transducer cable Cable slot Cuda 128 and 168 quick release mounting bracket. Slots in the base allow routing the cable from beneath the mount. Attach the unit to the bracket by first connecting the power/transducer cable. Then, hold the sonar unit vertically and slide it onto the bracket from above. (The back of the unit should be touching the front of the bracket as you lower it into position.
Bracket front Mount the sonar: slide the unit onto the bracket from above. Depress ratchets to release Adjust viewing angle: use one hand to press and release the springloaded ratchets while you move the unit with the other hand.
operation. The Cuda 168EX uses the optional PPP-13 portable power pack. The Cuda 128 and Cuda 168 use the optional PPP-12 portable power pack. In fact, the Cuda 128 Portable package includes the PPP12 and the transducer necessary for portable use. The power pack and portable or floating transducers expand the uses for your sonar. You can use your Cuda sonar unit on your boat or take it to the dock, on a float tube, on an ice fishing trip or use it as a second sonar in a friend's boat.
After installing the batteries, close the case and plug the sonar unit's power cable into the socket on the battery case. "D" cell battery Install batteries in power case battery adapter. PPP-13 shown. Turn the sonar unit on. If it doesn't work, make sure the battery terminals are making good contact against the battery contacts. Also check the wiring connections on the battery adapter.
If the batteries do lose a charge, you can sometimes restore them by placing them in a warm room or car interior. A better way is to replace them with batteries that have been kept warm. WARNING: Never heat the batteries over an open flame or direct hot air onto them. A fire or explosion could result. Portable Transducer Assembly Recommended tools for installation include a slotted screw driver and two adjustable wrenches. Assemble the transducer and bracket as shown in the following figure.
Clean the chosen area of the hull before attaching the suction cup. Locate the transducer on the hull as shown in the following figure. Don't allow the bracket to extend below the hull, because water pressure against it can cause the suction cup to come off at speed. Moisten the cup, then press it onto the hull as firmly as possible. Tie the nylon cord to the boat and route the transducer cable to the sonar unit. Your portable sonar is now ready for use.
Operation KEYBOARD BASICS The unit sounds a tone when you press any key. This tells you the unit has accepted a command. Numbers in the following photos correspond to key explanations in the following pages.: 4 2 3 2 1 1 4 3 Cuda 128 and Cuda 168EX Sonars, front view, each showing screen and keyboard. 1. PWR/CLEAR (power and clear) This key appears in the manual text simply as PWR. Press this key to turn the unit on and off. It also clears menu selections and the menus from the screen.
the text simply uses the word MENU. Usually, when we say MENU, you can simply press the MENU UP key for consistency. This sonar unit has many features that are accessed with the menu keys. The MENU UP key moves up or forward through the menus, the MENU DOWN key moves down or backward. To see the first menu, simply press either MENU key. To see the other menus, press a MENU key repeatedly to cycle through the menu list. 4. UP and DOWN ARROWS These keys appear in the manual text as DOWN ARROW or UP ARROW.
Menu This screen shows a typical menu, the Scroll Speed menu. DISPLAY – Opening Screen The lights flash for about 20 seconds when the unit is turned on. The backlight menu first appears on the screen. To turn the lights on, press UP ARROW. If you don’t press a key, the menu will disappear after a few seconds. If you don't want to wait, press PWR to clear the menus from the screen.
Digital depth Surface signal Water Temp Fish symbols Bottom signal Structure or cover Depth range at bottom of depth scale Grayline Opening screen, Full Chart page, or mode. The factory default setting has the Fish I.D. (fish symbols) turned on. CHART SCROLL (stopping and starting) In normal operation, the sonar chart will scroll from right to left across the screen. You can stop the chart from scrolling across the screen.
Sonar chart with scrolling stopped. FULL CHART This shows all echoes scrolling across the full screen. This is the default page. The bottom signal scrolls across the screen from right to left. The line at the top of the screen represents the surface. The bottom depth (as determined by the digital sonar) shows in the upper left corner.
temperature display can be turned on and off. See the later entry on Temperature Size for off and on instructions DEPTH RANGE ZOOM (automatic and manual) When turned on, the unit automatically adjusts the range according to water conditions. When in auto mode, it always keeps the bottom displayed in the portion of the screen. You can over-ride the automatic range control and manually select a depth range. depth range lower depth To do this, press MENU until the RANGE ZOOM menu appears.
ZOOM The zoom feature enlarges all images on the screen by doubling the size of the echoes (a 2X zoom). For example, if the current auto depth range is 0 to 60 feet, Zoom will show an enlarged view of the water column from 30 feet to 60 feet, always keeping the bottom in view. To zoom the display, press the MENU key until the ZOOM menu appears. Press the UP ARROW key to select ON, then press PWR to clear the menu.
Use the arrow keys to select a desired zoom size. When you're finished, press PWR to clear the menu from the display. Enlarged fish arches Zoom Size menu with the 5-15 foot zoom selected. The boat is in 28 feet of water, but the screen has zoomed in on the water column from 5 to 15 feet below the surface. You can select from these zoom size ranges: 0-10, 5-15, 10-20, 1530, 20-40, 30-60, 40-80, 60-120, 80-160, 120-140, 160-320, 240-480 and 320-640.
adjusting a car's speed with the accelerator pedal while cruise control is on. You can tell the car to run faster, but when you let off the gas the cruise control automatically keeps you from running slower than the minimum speed setting. In your unit, auto mode will let you increase sensitivity to 100 percent, but the unit will limit your minimum setting. This prevents you from turning sensitivity down too low to allow automatic bottom tracking.
Bait school Fig. 2 Fig. 1 Fish arches Fig. 3 Fig. 4 These figures show results of different sensitivity levels on the same location. Fig. 1: Sensitivity at 98 percent, determined by Auto Sensitivity. Typical of full auto mode. Fig. 2: Sensitivity set at 71 percent. Fig. 3: Sensitivity set at 47 percent. Fig. 4: Sensitivity set at 100 percent. To adjust sensitivity: Press MENU until the SENSITIVITY ADJUSTMENT menu appears. Press UP ARROW to increase the sensitivity, DOWN ARROW to decrease it.
The sensitivity percentage in use shows in this menu. As you change the setting, echoes scrolling onto the screen will show the effects of the change. If you reach the maximum or minimum sensitivity level, a tone sounds alerting you to the limits. NOTE: If you want to change the sensitivity in Manual Mode, first turn off Auto Sensitivity: press MENU until the SENSITIVITY AUTOMATIC/MANUAL menu appears. Press DOWN ARROW to select MANUAL, then press PWR to clear the menu.
Wider Grayline Thin or no Grayline At left, little Grayline indicates a soft bottom, probably sand or mud. At right, the wider Grayline indicates a harder, rocky bottom. Press UP ARROW to increase the level or press DOWN ARROW to decrease it. The percentage of Grayline in use shows in this menu. Echoes scrolling onto the screen will also show the effects of the Grayline change. If you reach the maximum or minimum level, a tone sounds alerting you to the limits. Press PWR to clear the menu. FISH I.D.
Fish arches Fish I.D. symbols At left, underwater scene in normal fish arch mode. Right, Fish I.D. menu with the feature turned on. Fish I.D. is an easier way for a sonar novice to recognize a fishy signal return when he sees it. However, locating fish by symbol only has some limitations. Your sonar unit's microcomputer is sophisticated, but it can be fooled. It can't distinguish between fish and other suspended objects such as trotlines, turtles, submerged floats, air bubbles, etc.
Fish I.D. is most handy when you're in another part of the boat or performing some task that prevents you from watching the sonar screen. Then, you can turn on Fish I.D. and the audible FISH ALARM. When that lunker swims under your boat, you'll hear it! Fish I.D. can also be useful when you want to screen out some of the sonar detail gathered by your unit. For example, it can help cut through the clutter of suspended bubbles caused by wave action or boat wakes. To turn Fish I.D.
CHART SCROLL SPEED The rate that echoes scroll across the screen is called the chart scroll speed. The default for this unit is "max" (100 percent); we recommend that you leave the scroll speed set there for virtually all fishing conditions. However, you might consider experimenting with chart speed when you are stationary or drifting very slowly. You may sometimes achieve better images as you slow down the chart speed to match how fast you are moving across the bottom.
over the face of the transducer, even vibration from the engine. In all cases, noise can produce unwanted marks on the display. The ASP noise rejection feature is especially useful because it typically lets you operate the boat at all speeds without adjusting the sensitivity or other controls. The ASP feature has three settings — Off, Low and High. When first turned on, noise rejection is set on low. If you have high noise levels, try using the high ASP setting.
press PWR to clear the menu. Repeat the above steps to turn the alarm back on, but press UP ARROW to select ON before clearing the menu. Depth Alarms The depth alarms are triggered only by the bottom signal. No other echoes will activate these alarms. The depth alarms consist of a shallow and a deep alarm. The shallow alarm sounds an alarm tone when the bottom goes shallower than the alarm's setting. The deep alarm sounds a tone when the bottom goes deeper than its setting.
setting. When the number reaches the desired setting, press PWR to clear the menu. When the bottom depth goes deeper than the alarm’s setting, an alarm tone sounds and a message box appears on the screen. Press PWR to silence the alarm. This turns the alarm sound off until the deep alarm is triggered again. To turn the alarm off, press MENU DOWN repeatedly until DEEP ALARM appears. Press DOWN ARROW until the words OFF FEET appear, then press PWR to clear the menu.
DEPTH UNITS OF MEASURE This unit can show the depth in feet or meters. To change the depth units of measure, press MENU DOWN until the UNITS menu appears. Use the arrow keys to select the desired unit of measure, then press the PWR key to clear the menu. PRESET UNIT (reset all options) This command is used to reset all features, options and settings to their original factory defaults. This is useful when you have changed several settings and want to return the unit to basic automatic operation.
DIGITAL DATA SIZE FOR DEPTH and TEMPERATURE The size of the digital numbers for the depth be changed to medium or large. The digital display for both Depth and Temperature can also be turned off or on. To change either of these options, press MENU DOWN until either the DEPTH SIZE or TEMP SIZE menu appears, then use the ARROW keys to select the desired option. Press the PWR key to clear the menus.
Troubleshooting If your unit is not working, or if you need technical help, please use the following troubleshooting section before contacting the factory customer service department. It may save you the trouble of returning your unit for repair. For contact information, refer to the last page, just inside the back cover of this manual. Unit won't turn on: 1. Check the power cable's connection at the unit. Also check the wiring. 2. Make certain the power cable is wired properly.
Weak bottom echo, digital readings erratic, or no fish signals: 1. Make certain the transducer is pointing straight down. Clean the face of the transducer. Oil, dirt and fuel can cause a film to form on the transducer, reducing its effectiveness. If the transducer is mounted inside the hull, be sure it is shooting through only one layer of fiberglass and that it is securely bonded to the hull. Do NOT use RTV silicone rubber adhesive or Marine-Tex epoxy. 2.
spark plugs or routing the sonar unit's power and transducer cables away from other electrical wiring on the boat. No fish arches when the Fish I.D. feature is off: 1. Make certain the transducer is pointing straight down. This is the most common problem if a partial arch is displayed. 2. The sensitivity may not be high enough. In order for the unit to display a fish arch, it has to be able to receive the fish's echo from the time it enters the cone until it leaves.
example, turn on the bilge pump and view the sonar display for noise. If no noise is present, turn the pump off, then turn on the VHF radio and transmit. Keep doing this until all electrical equipment has been turned on, their effect on the sonar display noted, then turned off. If you find noise interference from an electrical instrument, trolling motor, pump, or radio, try to isolate the problem.
Notes If the dash mount template on page 55 has been removed from this manual, a free replacement manual containing the template can be downloaded from our web site, www.eaglesonar.com.
Top Measure the reference cross-hair below to confirm that this template is printed to the correct scale. The vertical line and the horizontal line should each be 2 inches long (50.8 mm.) Cut along this line Print only at 100% scale – do not fit to page, do not enlarge or shrink. ALWAYS VERIFY DIMENSIONS. In-dash mounting template for Cuda 128 and Cuda 168. NOTE: This figure is printed to scale. For use with FM-6 mount kit.
Notes 56
EAGLE ELECTRONICS FULL ONE-YEAR WARRANTY "We," "our," or "us" refers to EAGLE ELECTRONICS, a division of LEI, the manufacturer of this product. "You" or "your" refers to the first person who purchases this product as a consumer item for personal, family, or household use. We warrant this product against defects or malfunctions in materials and workmanship, and against failure to conform to this product's written specifications, all for one (1) year from the date of original purchase by you.
How to Obtain Service… …in the USA: We back your investment in quality products with quick, expert service and genuine Eagle replacement parts. If you're in the United States and you have technical, return or repair questions, please contact the Factory Customer Service Department. Before any product can be returned, you must call customer service to determine if a return is necessary. Many times, customer service can resolve your problem over the phone without sending your product to the factory.
Accessory Ordering Information for all countries To order Eagle accessories such as power cables or transducers, please contact: 1) Your local marine dealer or consumer electronics store. Most quality dealers that handle marine electronic equipment or other consumer electronics should be able to assist you with these items. To locate an Eagle dealer near you, visit our web site, www.eaglesonar.com and look for the Dealer Locator. Or, you can consult your telephone directory for listings. 2) U.S.
Visit our web site: www.eaglesonar.com Eagle Pub.
