Magna III and Magna III Plus INSTALLATION AND OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS TM 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 3 SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................................... 3 INSTALLATION ............................................................................................... 4 INSTALLATION - Bracket ............................................................................... 4 POWER CONNECTIONS ..........................................
INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing an Eagle sonar. Your Magna or Magna III Plus is a high quality sonar designed for both professional and novice fishermen. These units have an automatic feature that finds and displays the bottom, fish, structure, and more! All you have to do is press the on key. However, if you wish to fine tune the unit, all you have to do is press the menu key. The Magna series has powerful features available through easy-to-use menus.
INSTALLATION - Bracket You can install the Magna III on the top of a dash or from an overhead with the supplied bracket. It can also be installed in the dash with an optional IDA-3 mounting kit. If you use the supplied bracket, you may be interested in the optional GBSA-1 swivel bracket kit. This converts the Magna III's gimbal bracket to a swivel mount which can be used on the dash or overhead mounting positions.
POWER CONNECTIONS The Magna III works from a 12 volt DC system only. For the best results, run the power cable directly to the boat’s battery. Keep the power cable away from other boat wiring, especially the engine’s wires. This will give the best isolation from electrical noise. If the supplied cable is not long enough to reach the battery, splice #18 gauge insulated wire to it.
SPEED/TEMPERATURE SENSOR INSTALLATION (Magna III Plus Only) Mount the speed/temp sensor on the boat’s transom in a location where the flow of water is the smoothest. There should be a minimum of turbulence and air bubbles in the chosen location. The port (left) side of the transom is preferred, however, the starboard (right) side can be used if necessary. Do not mount the speed sensor behind strakes, ribs, or thru-hull fittings. These will disturb the flow of water to the speed sensor.
MAGNA III PORTABLE ASSEMBLY INSTALLING THE BATTERIES Release the latch on the front of the battery case. Open the compartment and install four "D" cell batteries into the adapter. For the longest life, we recommend you use alkaline batteries. This battery case will also hold one rechargable battery instead of the "D" cells. See the enclosed coupon for more information on the rechargable battery.
check the battery voltage. Most of the complaints we receive about portable units result from stale batteries. Make certain the ones you buy are fresh. Always remove batteries from the battery compartment before storing the unit as dead batteries can leak and corrode the contacts. In cold weather the efficiency of dry cell batteries drops with the temperature. We find it a good idea to have the Magna III Portable good and warm along with the batteries before we leave home.
Clean the chosen area of the hull before attaching the suction cup. Locate the transducer on the hull as shown below. Don't allow the bracket to go below the hull, as 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. Plug the transducer connector into the "Y" power cable on the Magna III. Your portable sonar is now ready for use.
KEYBOARD BASICS The unit sounds a tone when you press any key. This tells you the unit has accepted a command. ON/CLEAR Use this key to turn the unit on. It also clears menu selections and the menus from the screen. OFF This key turns the unit off. MENU The Magna III and Magna III Plus have many features that are accessed with this key. To see the first menu, press the MENU key. To see the other menus, press the MENU key repeatedly.
ID feature is on. The depth range displays on the upper left side of the screen. On the screen at the bottom of the previous page, the range is from 0 to 60 feet and the bottom depth is 37.3 feet. OPERATION MENUS The Magna III and Magna III Plus use menus to guide you through the unit’s functions and features. The menu key accesses these features, allowing you to customize the unit to your particular needs and water conditions.
menu. In this case, the range is 60 feet. Now press the up arrow key to decrease the range, the down arrow key increases the range. After you select the desired range, press the ON/ CLEAR key to clear the display. If you wait a few seconds, it will automatically clear. The Magna III and III Plus have the following ranges: 10, 20, 40, 60, 120, 240, 480, and 900 feet. and 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 100, 200, and 300 meters. ZOOM The zoom feature enlarges all echoes on the screen.
This means the Magna III is tracking the bottom in a zoom window, always keeping it on the display. Press the up arrow key to decrease the zoom size, press the down arrow key to increase the zoom size. When the unit is switched into the zoom mode, the letters “ZM” appear at the top of the screen. The zoom window size displays in the top right corner of the screen. On the screen shown above, the zoom size has been changed to 20 feet.
SENSITIVITY The sensitivity menu lets you control the unit’s ability to pick up echoes. A low sensitivity level excludes much of the bottom information, fish signals, and other detail. High sensitivity settings lets you see features, but it can also clutter the screen with noise and other unwanted signals. Typically, the best sensitivity level shows a good, solid bottom signal with grayline. The Magna III adjusts the sensitivity level to keep a solid bottom signal on the screen.
Grayline ® is adjustable. Since it shows the difference between strong and weak echoes, changing the level may require a different sensitivity setting. To change the Grayline level, first press the MENU key until the Grayline menu appears. Now press the up arrow key to increase the level, the down arrow to decrease it. The percentage of Grayline now in use shows in this menu. Echoes scrolling onto the screen will also show the effects of the Grayline change.
The Fish ID feature can’t be used when the Magna III is in the manual mode. If you turn the automatic feature off, the Fish ID feature will automatically be turned off, also. FISH TRACK™ The Magna III automatically displays the depth of a target when the Fish ID feature places a fish symbol on the screen as shown below. This feature is automatically enabled when the Magna III is turned on. To turn it off or on again, press the MENU key repeatedly until the Fish Track menu appears as shown below.
DISPLAY MODE The Magna III has three different screen modes. The Magna III Plus has six. To change modes, press the MENU key until the “DISP MODE” (Display Mode) menu appears. Then press the up or down arrow keys until the desired mode number appears. The modes are as follows: MAGNA III ONLY CHT 1 (Chart #1) This is the default mode used when the Magna III is first turned on. It has the following features: 1. Automatic On 2. Fish ID Feature On 3.
DISPLAY MODE - MAGNA III PLUS ONLY CHT 1 (Chart #1) This is the default mode used when the Magna III Plus is first turned on. It has the following features: 1. Automatic On 2. Fish ID Feature On 3. Digital Depth Display On CHT 2 (Chart #2) Same as Chart #1 plus digital surface water temperature display. CHT 3 (Chart #3) Same as Chart #1 plus digital speed display.
CHT 4 (Chart #4) This is the High Speed Scroll mode. It has the following features: 1. Automatic Off 2. Fish ID Feature Off 3. All Digital Displays Off DIG 1 (Digital #1) This is the first digital only screen. It shows the digital depth display at the top of the screen in very large numbers. The shallow and deep alarm settings are displayed beneath the digital depth. No chart shows on this screen. DIG 2 (Digital #2) The digital depth display shows at the top of this screen in very large digits.
ALARMS FISH ALARM The Fish Alarm sounds a tone when a fish symbol appears on the screen. To use the fish alarm, press the menu key until the “FISH ALARM” menu appears on the screen. Now press the up arrow key to turn the alarm on. Repeat the above steps to turn the fish alarm off. (Note: If the Fish ID feature is off, it will be turned on when you turn the fish alarm on.) DEPTH ALARMS The depth alarms are triggered only by the bottom signal. No other echoes will activate these alarms.
Deep Alarm The deep alarm adjusts the same as the shallow alarm. Use the “DEEP ALARM” menu to adjust the deep alarm. When the bottom signal goes deeper than the setting, an alarm tone sounds. LIGHTS The Magna III and Magna III Plus’ display is backlighted for night use. To turn the backlights on or off, press the menu key repeatedly until the LAMP menu appears. Now press the up arrow to turn the lights on or the down arrow to turn them off. The menu will clear automatically after a few seconds.
decrease it, press the down arrow key. Press the up arrow key to increase the contrast. The bar graph in the Dark/Light menu box shows a graph of the contrast. The screen will also show the effects of the change. If you reach the maximum or minimum level, a tone sounds alerting you to the limits. The menu will clear automatically after a few seconds or you can press the ON/CLEAR key to clear the screen.
25' 50' 75' 100' 8 DEGREE 20 DEGREE TRANSDUCER CONE ANGLES The sound waves from the transducer spread out into the water in a cone shaped beam. This looks much like the beam from a flashlight. The angle between the outside edges of the cone is the cone angle. Eagle offers a choice of transducers with either an 8 or 20 degree cone angle. The transducer supplied with the Magna III has a 20 degree cone angle.
SURVEYING A LAKE The most successful anglers on any body of water are those who fish it day after day and year after year. Eventually, they learn the hot spots that produce fish consistently. They discover through experience where, and at what depth, they can expect to find the fish they want at any season. And they realize that these productive areas change throughout the year depending on water level, temperature, food, and other factors.
BOAT'S DIRECTION OF TRAVEL A C B A B C One of the best ways to get fish arches is to expand or “zoom” a segment of the water. For example, from 45 to 60 feet. The smaller the segment, the better the screen resolution will be. The easiest way to do this on the Magna III is with the Zoom feature. This feature expands the echoes, making it easier to see detail. For the best results, turn the sensitivity up as high as possible without getting too much noise on the screen.
Most fish don’t spawn unless the water temperature is within rather narrow limits. The surface temperature meter built into the Magna Plus helps identify the desired surface water spawning temperatures for various species. Trout can’t survive in streams that get too warm. Bass and other fish eventually die out when stocked in lakes that remain too cold during the summer. While some fish have a wider temperature tolerance than others, each has a certain range within which it tries to stay.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION! 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. TROUBLESHOOTING 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. The red wire connects to the positive battery terminal, black to negative or ground. 3. Check the fuse. 4.
3. The water may be deeper than the sonar’s ability to find the bottom. If the sonar can’t find the bottom signal while it’s in the automatic mode, the digital will flash continuously. It may change the range to limits far greater than the water you are in. If this happens, place the unit in the manual mode, then change the range to a realistic one, (for example, 0-100 feet) and increase the sensitivity. As you move into shallower water, a bottom signal should appear. 4. Check the battery voltage.
4. The boat must be moving at a slow trolling speed to see fish arches. If the boat is motionless, fish stay in the cone, showing on the display as straight horizontal lines. ELECTRICAL NOISE A major cause of sonar problems is electrical noise. This usually appears on the sonar’s display as random patterns of dots or lines. In severe cases, it can completely cover the screen with black dots, or cause the unit operate erratically, or not at all.
in shallow water, or when the boat is at rest. In nearly all cases, the cause of the malfunction will be the location and/or angle of the transducer. The face of the transducer must be placed in a location that has a smooth flow of water at all boat speeds. Read your transducer owner’s manual for the best mounting position.
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 year (1) from the date of original purchase by you.
Eagle's UPS Return Service Eagle Electronics and United Parcel Service (UPS) are proud to offer all of our customers free shipping for all units sent to us for repair or service. If you have to send this unit to the factory, and you are in the continental United States, use the enclosed UPS shipping label for easy, free shipping to our factory customer service department. There are six easy steps: 1.
KEEP THIS LABEL! YOU WILL NEED IT IF YOU EVER NEED TO RETURN YOUR UNIT TO THE FACTORY FOR REPAIR. This UPS shipping offer is good only in the continental United States (excludes Alaska and Hawaii). Eagle Electronics may find it necessary to change or end our shipping policies, regulations, and special offers at any time. We reserve the right to do so without notice. Accessory Ordering Information To order accessories such as power cables or transducers, please contact: 1) Your local marine dealer.
NOTICE! Please check the items in the box against this list. You should have all of the items shown on this page. If you are missing any of the items, please call our special toll-free number: 1-800-324-1353 A RECORDED MESSAGE will request the following information. Please have it ready before you call. 1. Your name, shipping address, and telephone number. 2. The part that's missing. 3. The model, serial number, and DATE AND PLACE OF PURCHASE OF YOUR UNIT. 4.
How to Obtain Service (Canadian Customers Only) We back your investment in quality products with quick, expert service and genuine Eagle replacement parts. If you need service or repairs, contact the Eagle Factory Customer Service Department at the toll-free number listed below. A technician may be able to solve the problem and save you the inconvenience of returning your unit. You will be asked for your unit's serial number. 800-324-1354 Canada Only. Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M.
Your unit's serial number How to Obtain Service (U.S.A. Only) 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 questions, please contact the Factory Customer Service Department using our toll-free number listed below. You must send the unit to the factory for warranty service or repair. Please call the factory before sending the unit. You will be asked for your unit's serial number (shown above).
