Garmin Panoptix PS21-TM Installation Instructions

Panoptix

™

 PS21-TM 

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Installation Instructions

Important Safety Information

 WARNING

See the Important Safety and Product Information guide in the 

chartplotter or fishfinder product box for product warnings and 

other important information.

You are responsible for the safe and prudent operation of your 

vessel. Sonar is a tool that enhances your awareness of the 

water beneath your boat. It does not relieve you of the 

responsibility of observing the water around your boat as you 

navigate.

 CAUTION

Failure to install and maintain this equipment in accordance with 

these instructions could result in damage or injury.

Always wear safety goggles, ear protection, and a dust mask 

when drilling, cutting, or sanding.

NOTICE

When drilling or cutting, always check what is on the opposite 

side of the surface.

To obtain the best performance and to avoid damage to your 

boat, you must install the Garmin

®

 device according to these 

instructions.

Read all installation instructions before proceeding with the 

installation. If you experience difficulty during the installation, 

contact Garmin Product Support.

Mounting Considerations

This mount is not usable for all boat hulls. Review these 

considerations to determine compatibility with your boat type. 

Poor transducer location may result in poor transducer 

performance or impact the handling of the boat.

• The transducer should not be mounted in a location where it

might be jarred when launching, hauling, or storing.

• The transducer should not be mounted behind strakes, struts,

fittings, water intake or discharge ports, in-hull transducers,

or anything that creates air bubbles or causes the water to

become turbulent. Turbulent water may interfere with the

sonar beam.

• The transducer must be mounted with the transducer face

submerged and facing forward. The transducer shape

requires a larger surface area to be submerged than a typical

transom-mounted transducer. The large submerged surface

area creates drag that can impact the boat's handling and top

speed, ranging from a negligible drag to unacceptable drag.

You may need to adjust your boat's trim tabs if the transducer

is not mounted in the center of the transom. For optimal

results, the transducer should be mounted as close to the

center line as possible.

• When the transducer moves through the water, bubbles

stream behind the transducer in a “V” shape 

À

. The size and

area of this "V" shape is affected by factors such as your boat

speed and the angle of the transducer mount. You should

mount the transducer in a location that does not introduce air

into the path of propellers 

Á

. Introducing air into the

propellers may severely impact acceleration and top speed

performance, and can damage the propellers and engines.

Mount the transducer far enough to the port or starboard side

away from the propeller(s) to avoid this effect. This effect is

greater if the transducer is aligned vertically with the path of

the propellers. Consider the turning radius of the propellers of

an outboard or stern drive. For most installations, it is not

recommended to mount the transducer between the engines

of a multi-engine arrangement. The transducer is shown from

above.

• When mounted farther from the center of the transom, a

greater deadrise can cause the boat hull 

À

 to interfere with

the sonar beam 

Á

, and can cause inconsistent detection on

the opposite side of the boat 

. The transducer is shown

from behind.

Operating Considerations

When operating at speeds greater than 12.9 km/hr (8 mph), the 

performance of the transducer is limited, the bottom return is 

diminished, and the depth information and alarm may not 

provide warnings for potential shallow depth areas.

You should operate your boat slowly in shallow water or in areas 

of unknown depth or underwater obstructions.

When enabled, the forward depth alarm sounds in shallow 

bottom areas. Suspended or narrow underwater obstructions 

may not be identified as the bottom and may not trigger the 

alarm. The alarm is not guaranteed to prevent collisions. You 

should always use caution when operating your boat.

Effective Forward Range

The transducer has an effective forward range of between five 

and eight times the depth of the water. For example, in 3 m 

(10 ft.) of water, the effective forward range is between 15 and 

24 m (between 50 and 80 ft.). Water conditions and bottom 

conditions affect the actual range. You should use caution and 

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