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NorthStar EXPLORER 550 Installation And Operation Manual

Summary of EXPLORER 550

  • Page 1

    Www.Northstarnav.Com explorer 550/550i chartplotter installation and operation manual.

  • Page 2: Danger

    Important safety information please read carefully before installation and use. Danger this is the safety alert symbol. It is used to alert you to potential personal injury hazards, obey all safety messages that follow this symbol to avoidpossible injury or death. ! Warning warning indicates a poten...

  • Page 3: Important

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 3 it is your sole responsibility to install and use northstar’s instrument and gps antenna in a manner that will not cause accidents, personal injury or property damage. Always observe safe boating practices. The choice, location, angle a...

  • Page 4: Contents

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 4 contents 1 introduction ..........................................................................................................................................7 1-1 overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

  • Page 5

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 5 10 fuel functions and display .................................................................................................................. 31 10-1 what the fuel computer does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

  • Page 6: Quick Reference

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 6 feature type see requires general how to use the keys and displays 2 troubleshooting appendix b simulate mode 2-7 glossary of special names appendix c specifi cations appendix a mob man overboard key 2-5 navigation overview of how to nav...

  • Page 7: 1-1 Overview

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 7 1-2 cleaning and maintenance the explorer screen is covered by a proprietary anti-reflection coating. To avoid damage, clean the screen only with a damp cloth and mild detergent when dirty or covered in sea salt. Avoid abrasive cleaners...

  • Page 8: Changing The Plug-In Card

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 8 4 3 1 2 1-4 removing and replacing the display unit if the display unit is bracket mounted then the display unit can easily be removed and replaced for security or protection. Removing the display unit: 1 turn the display unit off (see ...

  • Page 9: 2 Basic Operation

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 9 2 basic operation overview of the keys 1) go back to an earlier menu or display. Any changes made are ignored. In chart mode, centres chart at boat’s position. 2) show a menu of the main displays. To go to a display, select it from the ...

  • Page 10: 2-2 Using The Menus

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 10 c) to change a name or number: 1 press to display the name or number: 2 press or to select a letter or digit to change. Press or to change the letter or digit. Repeat this to change other letters or numbers. 3 press to accept the new v...

  • Page 11: 2-4 Backlight and Night Mode

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 11 2-4 backlight and night mode to go to the backlight display, press briefly. When you have finished, press . Backlight the display and keys are backlit. To change the backlight level, select backlight, then press to dim or to brighten. ...

  • Page 12: 2-7 Simulate Mode

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 12 2-7 simulate mode in simulate mode, the explorer ignores data from the gps antenna and other transducers and sensors and the explorer generates this data itself. Otherwise, the explorer functions normally. There are two simulate modes:...

  • Page 13

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 13 other menu and displays note: press to go from an other display back to your last chart display..

  • Page 14: 2-8-1 Dual Displays

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 14 2-8-1 dual displays the explorer can show two displays at once, for example chart + gauges. One of the displays, called the active display, has a yellow border and is controlled by the user. To change the active display, press twice (h...

  • Page 15: 2-8-3 Compass

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 15 the chart and highway displays can show a compass at the top of the display. The compass always shows the boat’s course over ground (cog), a red symbol in the middle. When the boat is navigating to a point, the compass also shows beari...

  • Page 16: 3-1-1 Navigating To A Point

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 16 a waypoint is a position that you can set on the explorer chart, for example a fishing spot or a point on a route (see section 5). Going to a waypoint from the chart display 1 go to the chart display. 2 move the cursor to the waypoint:...

  • Page 17: 3-1-3 Following A Route

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 17 preparing a route is a list of waypoints that the boat can follow (see section 6). To create waypoints before creating the route, see section 5-2-1. To create a route, see section 6-2-1. Starting a route from the chart display: 1 go to...

  • Page 18: 3-2 Chart Display

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 18 a typical chart display shows: 3-2 chart display to go to the chart display, press , select chart, then select chart. A data header. To turn the data off or on or to change what data is displayed, see section 2-8-2 b compass (see secti...

  • Page 19: 3-2-1 Chart Modes

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 19 the chart scale is displayed at the top left of the chart: 3-2-2 latitude and longitude latitude and longitude can be displayed in the data header. The display is degrees and minutes to three decimal places, about 2 m (6 ft) resolution...

  • Page 20: 3-2-5 Finding A Chart Symbol

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 20 3-3 distance and bearing calculator the distance and bearing calculator can plot a course of one or several legs and show the bearing and length of each leg, as well as the total distance along the course. The completed course can be c...

  • Page 21: 3-5 Tracks And Tracking

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 21 tracking records the boat’s position to memory at regular intervals, which can be: time intervals. Or distance intervals. The track of where the boat has been can be displayed on the chart. The explorer can display one track while reco...

  • Page 22: 5 Navigation: Waypoints

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 22 4 navigation: highway display the highway display has a bird’s eye view of the boat’s course to a destination. To go to the highway display, press , select other, then select highway. The highway display shows: a optional data header (...

  • Page 23: 5-1 Waypoints Display

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 23 5-1 waypoints display to go to the waypoints display, press , select other, then select waypoints. The waypoints display is a list of the waypoints that have been entered, each with waypoint symbol, name, latitude and longitude, distan...

  • Page 24: 5-2-3 Editing A Waypoint

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 24 5-2-3 editing a waypoint editing a waypoint from the chart display 1 in the chart display, move the cursor to the waypoint to edit. 2 press and select edit. 3 change the waypoint data (see section 5-2-7). Select save. Editing a waypoin...

  • Page 25: 5-2-8 Sort Waypoints

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 25 5-2-9 navigating to a waypoint see section 3-1-2. 5-2-8 sort waypoints to change how the waypoints list is displayed: 1 press and select sort by. 2 select how to display the list: name: in alphabetical order by name. Icon: grouped by i...

  • Page 26: 6-2 Managing Routes

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 26 2 to insert a waypoint in the route by breaking one leg into two: i move the cursor to the leg you want to break. Ii press and select insert. Iii move the cursor to where the new route waypoint will be. Iv press . 3 to move a waypoint ...

  • Page 27: 6-2-2 Editing A Route

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 27 4 to insert a waypoint in the route: i select where the waypoint will be: to insert the first waypoint in a new route, select leg 1. To insert a waypoint at the end of the route, select the unused leg at the end of the list of waypoint...

  • Page 28: Gps Worldwide Navigation

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 28 gps worldwide navigation the us government operates the gps system. Twenty-four satellites orbit the earth and broadcast position and time signals. The positions of these satellites are constantly changing. The gps receiver analyses th...

  • Page 29: 8 Gauges Display

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 29 8 gauges display the gauges display shows boat data, such as water speed, as analog or digital gauges. To go to the gauge display, press and select chart, then select chart+gauges. If necessary, press twice to switch to the gauges disp...

  • Page 30: 9 Data Display

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 30 changing the gauges display 1 go to the gauges display and press . 2 to select the gauge type. I select gauge type. Ii select analog (round) or digital (numbers). 3 to change the data displayed: i select gauge setup. Ii change a gauge:...

  • Page 31: 10-2 Fuel Display

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 31 10 fuel functions and display the fuel functions require optional petrol/gasoline or smartcraft fuel sensors to be installed and set up. Each engine has a flow sensor installed to measure the engine’s fuel flow. The explorer uses these...

  • Page 32

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 32 fuel display without engine rpm fuel display with engine rpm range the estimated boat range at the current fuel flow. The value can depend on the type of speed sensor (see section 10-5). Economy the distance travelled per unit of fuel ...

  • Page 33: 10-4 Low Fuel Alarm

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 33 to set a low fuel alarm for a tank: 1 press one or more times to display the setup menu, select fuel then select setup tanks. 2 on a multi-tank boat, select the tank to set the alarm for. 3 select fuel alarm and enter a fuel level to t...

  • Page 34

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 34 water speed 10 knots current 4 knots gives a ground speed of 6 knots 10-5-2 water speed and ground speed a paddlewheel sensor and a pitot sensor measure water speed, the boat speed through the water. A gps measures ground speed, the bo...

  • Page 35

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 35 now, do not change the engine speed. Wait for about 60 seconds for the boat to stabilise, then press . Wait while the fuel computer records the data. 7 the explorer then asks you to set the throttle to achieve a target rpm. On a multi ...

  • Page 36

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 36 10-6-2 managing fuel consumption curves renaming a curve 1 press one or more times until the setup menu is displayed, then select fuel. 2 select fuel consumption curve. Select name and select the name of the curve to rename. 3 select r...

  • Page 37: 10-7 Calibration

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 37 calibrate petrol/gasoline fuel flow sensors during installation, or if the fuel readings seem inaccurate and the other troubleshooting suggestions do not help (see appendix b troubleshooting). Note smartcraft fuel sensors are factory c...

  • Page 38: 11 Tides Display

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 38 a c b i h j k d e g d f n l m 11 tides display the tides display is available on c-map charts. The tides display shows tide information at a tide station for the selected date. Note: the tides display requires the local time offset to ...

  • Page 39: 12 User Card Display

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 39 12 user card display a c-map™ user card is an optional plug-in card that can store data files (see section 1-3). There are three types of files: waypoints, routes or a track. To go to the user card display, press , select other, then s...

  • Page 40: 13 About Display

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 40 13 about display to show the about display, press , select other, then select about. The about display shows: the software version and date. The world chart version. Any card fitted. The number of waypoints, routes and tracks in the ex...

  • Page 41: 14-1 Setup  > System

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 41 press once or more until the setup menu is displayed, then select system: language select the language for the displays. The options are: english, italian, french, german, spanish, dutch, swedish, portuguese, finnish and greek. Tip: in...

  • Page 42

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 42 smartcraft (see the smartcraft gateway installation and operation manual) setup option menus factory default settings are shown. The setup data available will depend on the optional sensors and instruments installed. System (see 14-1) ...

  • Page 43: 14-2 Setup  > Chart

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 43 rotation the options for chart rotation are: north up: north is always at the top of the chart display. Track up: the chart is rotated so that the boat direction is to the top of the display. This option is useful for navigating narrow...

  • Page 44: Warning

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 44 setting map datum 1 in the chart setup menu, select map datum. 2 select the map datum for the paper chart you are using. 3 if you select a datum other than wgs 84 the explorer asks if you want to apply the nmea datum offset (see below)...

  • Page 45

    General submenu plotter mode normal: only scales available on the chart card can be displayed. If you press or to select a chart scale which is not available, on the chart card, the chart display will change to this scale but will only display the boat position and track (if enabled). The rest of th...

  • Page 46: Gps Source

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 46 press once or more until the setup menu is displayed, then select gps: gps source • internal: use the internal gps antenna (explorer 550i) or the external gps antenna supplied (explorer 550) (see section 15-5). • nmea: use an external ...

  • Page 47: 14-4 Setup > Fuel

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 47 fuel functions require optional fuel flow sensors to be installed. Press one or more times until the setup menu is displayed, then select fuel: source select the fuel flow sensors to use if the boat has more than one set of fuel sensor...

  • Page 48: 14-5 Setup > Track

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 48 14-5 setup > track press one or more times until the setup menu is displayed, then select track: tracking records and displays the boat’s course on the chart (see section 3-5). Five different tracks can be recorded: track 1 has up to 2...

  • Page 49: 14-6 Setup > Logs

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 49 14-6 setup > logs press one or more times until the setup menu is displayed, then select logs: the values can be changed independently of each other. These log values are saved when the unit is turned off. Reset trip dist this resets t...

  • Page 50: 14-8 Setup > Units

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 50 14-8 setup > units press one or more times until the setup menu is displayed, then select units: the default units are shown above. Distance nm (nautical miles), mi (miles) or km (kilometres) speed kn (knots), mph (miles per hour) or k...

  • Page 51: Simulate

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 51 simulate mode is a way of becoming familiar with the explorer (see section 2-7). Press once or more until the setup menu is displayed, then select simulate: simulate turn simulate mode off turn simulate mode on mode there are two choic...

  • Page 52: 15 Installation

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 52 • c-map™ nt-max, nt+ or nt chart cards. • c-map™ user cards (3 v) for storing data. (the older 5 volt cards are not supported) • northstar carry bag. • northstar navbus junction boxes simplify wiring, particularly if several instrument...

  • Page 53: Connections

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 53 black black white white optional sensors and instruments fuel sensors: these optional fuel flow sensors can be fitted to up to two engines: • northstar petrol/gasoline sensors (see section 15-6). Engine types supported: outboard carbur...

  • Page 54: 2 Bracket Mounting

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 54 2 bracket mounting requires a panel for mounting the bracket. Ensure that the panel is not likely to deform and is not subject to excessive vibration. The bracket can be tilted and rotated. The display unit can be removed when it is no...

  • Page 55

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 55 black black power/data cable red yellow black external beepers or lights main switch 12 /24v dc fuse 2a the power/data cable has a black locking collar and flying leads. 1 wire the explorer for auto power to have the explorer turn on w...

  • Page 56: Selecting An Antenna

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 56 selecting an antenna fit one of these gps antennas: • normally use the internal gps antenna (explorer 550i) or the gps antenna supplied (explorer 550). • an optional differential beacon dgps antenna to give enhanced accuracy within ran...

  • Page 57

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 57 c enter smartcraft setup data (see the smartcraft gateways installation and operation manual) for information on installing, setting up and using smartcraft, see the smartcraft gateways installation and operation manual. The explorer c...

  • Page 58

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 58 receive data from an optional gps or gps/dgps source. Send data to optional northstar instruments, for example to a repeater. During setup for navbus instruments, set navbus to and assign the instrument a navbus group number (see secti...

  • Page 59: Setup and Test

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 59 setup and test 1 put a blanking cap on any unused connector on the back of the display unit. Ensure all connectors are plugged in and the display unit is in place. 2 if the display unit is bracket mounted, adjust tilt and rotation for ...

  • Page 60: Appendix A - Specifications

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 60 general size: explorer 550/550i: 150mm h x 164mm w x 65mm d (5.9” x 6.5” x 2.6”) display: explorer 550, 550i: 5” diagonal, tft color, 234 x 320 pixels backlight: display and keys supply voltage 10.5 to 32 v dc. Supply current: at 13.8 ...

  • Page 61: List Of Datums

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 61 list of datums adindan afgooye ain el abd 1970 american samoa 1962 anna 1 astro 1965 antigua island astro 1943 arc 1950 arc 1960 ascension island 1958 astro beacon ‘e’ 1945 astro dos 71/4 astro station 1952 astro tern island (frig) 196...

  • Page 62: B-1 General Problems

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 62 1-1 the explorer won’t turn on: a the explorer is designed to operate on a 12/24 volt battery system, where the voltage may vary from 10.5 to 32 volts. If an excessive voltage is supplied, a fuse will be tripped, turning the display un...

  • Page 63: B-2 Gps Navigation Problems

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 63 2-1 no gps fix or long time to get fix at startup: a may occur occasionally if the antenna does not have a clear view of the sky. The satellite positions are constantly changing. B antenna cable not connected to display unit. C restart...

  • Page 64

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 64 3-1 number of engines or tanks is wrong check that the number of engines and tanks is correct (see section 14-4). 3-2 fuel flow(s) seem inaccurate: a check that the fuel setup data is correct (see section 14-4). B check that the fuel c...

  • Page 65: Glossary

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 65 attention area - an important area on a chart, such as a restricted anchorage or a shallow area (see section 14-2). Bathymetric line - a depth contour line on the chart. Chart card - a plug-in card that stores chart data for a region (...

  • Page 66: Navigation Data

    Northstar explorer 550/550i installation and operation manual 66 navigation data the boat is sailing from the start to the destination and has moved off the plotted course from the start to the destination. Brg bearing to destination: bearing to the destination from the boat. Brg bearing to cursor: ...

  • Page 68

    Made in new zealand mn000595a-g usa 30 sudbury road, acton, ma 01720, usa ph: +1 978.897.6600 fax: +1 978.897.7241 sales@bntmarine.Com europe unit 2, ocean quay, belvidere rd, southampton, so14 5qy, england ph: +44 2380 339922 fax: +44 2380 330345 northstaruk@northstarnav.Com australia po box 479, g...