Lowrance-electronic AirMap 500 User Manual Page 1

AirMap 500Handheld Mapping GPS ReceiverOperation Instructions

4Receiver: ... Internal, 12 parallel channel GPS+WAAS; ad-vanced active remote external antenna included.Recording: ...

94To set Time Format: Press ↓ to TIME FORMAT|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ tochange the time format, then press ENT. After the option is set, pressEXIT|EXIT to r

95Section 6: SearchingWhether you are in Aviation Mode or Land Mode, AirMap's search func-tions all begin with the FIND key, and the search menus

96 On the left, we have selected the airspace around Wichita Mid-ContinentAirport. On the right, you can see the Airspace Information page.Find Airp

974. If you're looking by name, there are two options: A. You can spellout the name in the top selection box. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the firstlet

98 Calculating message, left, and list of the nearest VORs, right.4. If you're looking by name, there are two options: A. You can spellout the

99 Find menu, left, and Find By Nearest, center, Find By Name, right.3. If you're looking for nearest, AirMap says it is calculating,

100Find By Name menu.5. If you're looking by identifier or by city, the method is the sameas by name (described in step 4). Use the arrow keys to

101 Calculating message, left, and list of the nearest intersections, right.4. If you're looking by identifier, there are two options: A. You

102Find Address Menu.3. Enter a portion of the name until you see it appear in the list below,then hit ENT to jump to the list. Then use ↑ or ↓ to hig

1035. To enter a city name, press ↓ or ↑ to CITY|ENT. You will be promptedwhether you would like to find addresses only within a particular city.This

5Nearest Airport: ... Quickly locates an airfield closest to yourcurrent position. (Aviation Mode only.)Man Overboard:... MOB featu

104NOTE:You can "navigate" to the POI by pressing ENT while in the POI in-formation screen.Find Interstate Highway Exits1. Press FIND|↓ to H

105Selected exit.4. In the Exit information screen you have two choices. A. Press ENT tonavigate or "go to" the exit. B. Press →|ENT to find

106Map Places category menu.3. Search by nearest POI. Press ENT. The "find by nearest" menu willshow a "calculating" screen then a

1075. You are then shown the POI's information screen. You can choose to"Go To" the POI by pressing ENT or find it on the map by pressi

108 Find first street, left, Street found, right.3. To find an intersection. First enter an address into the "first street"field by press

1093. If you're looking for nearest, AirMap says it is calculating, then alist of waypoints appears. The closest is highlighted at the top of the

110Notes

111Section 7: Supplemental MaterialDatums Used by This UnitWGS 1984DefaultAdindanMean for Ethiopia, SudanAdindanBurkina FasoAdindanCameroonAdindanEthi

112DOS 1968New Georgia Islands(Gizo Island)Easter Island 1967Easter IslandEuropean 1950Mean for Austria, Bel-gium, Denmark, Finland,France, West Germa

113North American 1927Mean for CONUS(Continental UnitedStates)North American 1927Mean for CONUS (Eastof Mississippi River) in-cluding Louisiana, Mis-s

6The performance doesn't stop there. Stored in the permanent memoryof each AirMap is a basic background map of the entire world. (For justwhat&ap

114South American 1969Mean for Argentina, Bo-livia, Brazil, Chile, Co-lombia, Ecuador, Guy-ana, Paraguay, Peru,Trinidad & Tobago, andVenezuelaSout

115FCC ComplianceThis device complies with Part 15 of the U.S. Federal Communi-cations Commission (FCC) Rules. Operation is subject to the fol-lowing

116Notes

117IndexAAccessories, 5, 7, 14, 15, 16, 40, 63Sec. 2, Installation &Accessories, 11Airspace, 4, 27, 29, 38, 68, 95, 96Alarm Clock, 64Alarms, 19, 2

118Map Detail, 29, 75, 77Map Fix (Coordinate System), 71,72, 73Map Menu, 29, 49, 75, 77, 78Map Orientation, 26, 49, 77, 78Map Overlays (Map Data optio

119Simulator, 19, 74Software Version Information, 88Sounds, 89Status Menu, 47, 69Sun/Moon Rise & Set Calculator, 64TTrack Smoothing, 90Trail, 4, 6

120Notes

121LOWRANCE DATABASES LICENSE AGREEMENTTHIS IS A LEGAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE END-USER WHO FIRSTPURCHASES THIS PRODUCT AS A CONSUMER ITEM FOR PERSONAL,

122DATABASES LIMITED WARRANTY"We", "our", or "us" refers to Lowrance Electronics, Inc., the manufacturer ofthis product.

123LOWRANCE ELECTRONICSFULL ONE-YEAR WARRANTY"We," "our," or "us" refers to LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS, INC., the manufacturer

7Custom Map Files (file format *.lcm) can also be shared between Air-Maps, other Lowrance GPS or sonar/GPS units and personal computers.You make your

124How to Obtain Service……in the USA:We back your investment in quality products with quick, expert serviceand genuine Lowrance parts. If you're

Accessory Ordering Informationfor all countriesTo order Lowrance accessories such as power cables, please contact:1) Your local aviation equipment dea

Visit our web site: © Copyright 2003 All Rights ReservedPrinted in USA Lowrance Electronics, Inc.

8are spares, unused until needed. The rest virtually guarantee that atleast four satellites are in view nearly anywhere on Earth at all times.A minimu

9WAAS signals make your GPS navigation even more accurate. YourAirMap automatically receives both GPS and WAAS signals. However,WAAS has some limits y

10KeyboardThe other keys perform a variety of functions. When the text refers to akey to press, the key is shown in bold, sans serif type. For example

11Section 2:Installation & AccessoriesPowerThe AirMap operates from AA batteries or on 3 volts DC using an op-tional external power cable with a c

12Do not mix different battery types. Mixing battery types may cause leak-age. (For example, don’t use both alkaline and NiMH batteries at thesame tim

13Cigarette Lighter Power AdapterTo use external DC power: Plug the power cable's cigarette lighteradapter into a cigarette lighter receptacle. N

Copyright © 2003 Lowrance Electronics, Inc.All rights reserved.AirMap, Lowrance Avionics and Lowrance are all registeredtrademarks of Lowrance Ele

143. Hold unit upright in left hand. Use a thumbnail or fingernail to grabthe groove in the bottom of the MMC.4. Drag the MMC from the slot into the b

15External Active AntennaA GPS antenna requires a clear view of the sky for optimum operation.Inside the cockpit, your AirMap can sometimes maintain s

16Press suction cup plate firmly against a window with unobstructed view.Wherever you mount the antenna, make sure it is in a location with anunobstru

17Section 3:Aviation OperationThis section addresses AirMap's main aviation GPS functions. Theprinciples are the same in both operating modes, so

186. EXIT – The Exit key lets you return to the previous screen, cleardata or erase a menu.7. FIND (Direct To) – The Find key launches the AirMap

19Alarms command: turns arrival, off course and anchor GPS alarms onor off and changes alarm thresholds.Aviation Alarms command: turns distance, time,

20WARNING:Do not begin navigating with this unit until the numbershave stopped flashing! Satellite Page. Left view indicates unit has not locked

21The Satellite Status Page has its own menu, which is used for settingvarious options. (Options and setup are discussed in Sec. 5.) To accessthe Sate

22shows the compass direction straight to the destination from your loca-tion at the moment. Off Course tells you how far you are to the left orright

23Tip:You can fully customize the upper text displays, and there are 26types of information to select from. For customization instructionssee the Cust

iTable of ContentsSec. 1: Read Me First! ... 1Capabilities and Specifications ...

24The default for the cross track error range is 2.0 nautical miles, whichis shown in a floating text box under the scale. If you veer 2 nauticalmiles

25Navigating with OBS HoldAirMap contains an OBS Hold feature to help you navigate along a radialfrom a location. You must first turn on navigation to

26 Use the Clear OBS Hold command to resume navigation. The HSINavigation displays will point to your original destination again. Atright, you c

27 Far left, Map Page opening screen. Center, zoomed to 100 nautical milesand right, zoomed to 6 nautical miles. (Note that the four data boxe

28Background map vs. MapCreate map contentThe background map includes: low-detail maps of the whole world (con-taining cities, major lakes, major rive

29Tip:In some urban areas, businesses are so close to one another thattheir POI icons crowd each other on the screen. In the precedingfigure, you can

30way position information listed in our database. Then, when you pressPAGE from the Map Page, it will switch to a split map, showing yourcurrent posi

31Aviation GPS Quick ReferenceStart outdoors, with a clear view of open sky. Imagine you're flying to anearby airport to practice landings. (If y

32Find Your Current PositionFinding your current position is as simple as turning AirMap on. Underclear sky conditions, the unit automatically searche

33object or place. The distance, measured in a straight line, appears inthe data box at the bottom of the map. Press EXIT to clear the cursor.Selectin

iiVertical Navigation Calculator ... 44Sec. 4: Land Operation ...

344. If you wish, you could scroll ↑ or ↓ here to select another VOR, butfor now we will just accept the nearest one. Press ENT.5. The waypoint inform

35General Navigation searches use POI information available with aMapCreate custom map. If you do not have a high-detailed Jeppe-sen map (or a custom

36return to (or maybe send a friend to, or even specifically avoid). To save awaypoint: 1. Press and release ENT. 2. The CREATE WAYPOINT menu ap-pear

37Navigate to cursor. In this example, the cursor has selectedthe town of Oologah, Oklahoma.3. Press MENU|↓ to GO TO CURSOR|ENT and AirMap will begin

38After you have looked up an item with the find command, use the ← tomake sure the GO TO command is highlighted at the bottom of the screen,then pres

39Airport InformationWe've already mentioned the waypoint information screen – this screenpops up whenever you view the details of a selected ite

40At the runways screen you can press ← or → to cycle through the air-port's runways. In the previous image, you can see we've selected 18L,

41GPS Data files, containing waypoints, routes, trails and event markericons, must be copied from an MMC to AirMap's internal memory be-fore AirM

424. Loading: There may be more than one GPS Data File (*.USR) on thecard. To select a file, press ENT to activate the selection box, use ↓ or ↑to hig

43In the example shown, the indicated altitude is 5000 feet, barometricpressure is 30.02”, outside air temperature is 59° Fahrenheit, and thecalibrate

iiiSun/Moon Rise & Set Calculator... 64Trip Calculator...

44Vertical Navigation CalculatorWith the Vertical Navigation Calculator, the AirMap 500 can help you de-cide when to let down for an approach to an ai

45Section 4:Land OperationKeypadAirMap keypad.1. PWR/LIGHT (Power & Light) – The PWR key turns the unit on andoff and activates the backlight.2. P

46Power/lights on and offTo turn on the unit, press PWR. To turn on the backlight, press PWRagain. Pressing PWR once again will turn off the backlight

47GPS data displays indicate that satellite lock has been lost and there isno position confirmed. This page shows you the quality and accuracy ofthe c

48 Position Page, left, Position Menu, right.Position MenuThe Position Menu allows you to set your own coordinate system,change your map datum or ev

49Navigation MenuThe Navigation Menu allows you to cancel navigation, set up alarms,and plan or edit your route.Map PageThe map screens show your cour

50Moving Around the Map: Zoom & Cursor Arrow KeysThe map is presented from a bird's-eye view perspective. The currentzoom range shows in the

513. Move the cursor to the second position. The rubber band line reap-pears, connecting the first point you set to the cursor. The distancealong that

52 Save icon menu, left, Select symbol menu, right.Create Icon at Current Position1. While you are traveling, press and hold ENT until the screen sh

531. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SYSTEM SETUP|ENT|↓ to TRANSFER MY DATA|ENTand the screen below appears.The Transfer My Data submenu asks if you want to save

ivUpdate Trail Criteria (Auto, Time, Distance) ... 91Trail Update Rate (Time, Distance)... 92N

54Cancel NavigationPress MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to YES|ENT.Navigate a Route1. From the NAVIGATION PAGE, press MENU|ENT or from the MA

553. If the list is short, you can jump directly to the FIND IN LIST box bypressing ENT. Use ↑ or ↓ to select the waypoint name, press ENT and thewa

564. Wait while AirMap creates a route from the trail. When the progressmessage disappears, the unit displays a trail information screen, withthe NAVI

57PC-created RoutesWhen you're making routes exclusively for use in Land Mode, MapCre-ate is the easiest method for preparing them, simply becaus

58 Process for adding an Aviation Waypoint to a route. At left, Find Bymenu appears after selecting Add Aviation Waypoint. Center, select thedes

591. 2. 3. Route creation sequence, from left: Fig. 1. Set route waypoint (1) at 11thSt. & 145th Ave. Fig. 2. Zoom in; move cursor nor

609. You can execute other route commands, such as NAVIGATE. With thecommand box active, just press → to highlight a different command,then press ENT.

613. AirMap says it is calculating, then a list of hotels and motels ap-pears, with the closest at the top of the list, and the farthest at the bot-to

62Map screen showing Finding Waypoint, the result of a lodging search.7. To clear the search and return to the last page displayed, pressEXIT|EXIT|EXI

63Create and Save a TrailAirMap is set at the factory to automatically create and record a trailwhile the unit is turned on. It will continue recordin

1Section 1: Read Me First!How this manual can get you flying, fast!Welcome to the exciting world of GPS! We know you're anxious to takeoff and be

64UtilitiesUtilities are useful tools for traveling or for outdoor activities.NOTE:AirMap also includes a set of four Aviation-only utilities. These a

65Create Waypoint at Current PositionWhile you are traveling, press ENT|ENT. The waypoint is saved andautomatically given a name with a sequential num

664. When latitude and longitude are correct, return to the previous page:press EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.Waypoint AltitudeTo edit waypoint altitude: 1. pre

67Section 5:System & GPS Setup OptionsAlarmsThis unit has several GPS alarms. The factory default setting has allthe alarms turned on.You can set

683. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character, then press → to the nextcharacter and repeat until the distance is correct.4. To return to the last p

692. Scroll ↓ or ↑ to select the desired category, then press ENT.3. In number boxes, press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character, then press→ to the n

701. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to BROWSE MMC FILES|ENT. Main Menu, left, MMC File Browser, center & right.Com Port ConfigurationAirMap has one NMEA

71 Menus for changing coordinate system used to display positions.To get to Coordinate System Selection:1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to GPS SETUP|ENT.2

72To setup Loran TD:NOTE:If the Loran TD conversion is chosen, you must enter the local Lo-ran chain identification for the master and slaves. Do this

73ample 1:24000. Press EXIT and the unit returns to the Configure MapFix screen. Configure a map fix so AirMap can find your position on a printedch

2Whether your AirMap 500 is the only GPS in the cockpit or backing upan in-panel display, you're using the most versatile and most affordablehand

74GPS SimulatorThe GPS simulator lets you use the unit as if you were outdoors navi-gating somewhere. You can set the starting location in lati-tude/l

75Map DataThis menu lets you turn the map off, if desired, which turns the mapscreen into a GPS plotter; turn off or on the pop-up map info boxes;draw

76Fill Land GrayPress MENU|↓ to MAP DATA|ENT. Press ↓ to FILL LAND GRAY. With the op-tion highlighted, press ENT to check it (turn on) and uncheck it

77 GPS Setup Menu, left, Map Datum Menu, right.Map Detail Category SelectionThis menu determines which of the mapping features are shown on thescree

78 Map Menu, left, Map Orientation window withthe North Up map orientation option selected.By default, this receiver shows the map with north always

79 These figures show menu sequence (from left to right) for selecting aNavionics chart for the South Chesapeake Bay area.3. To turn off a Navionics

804. The Repair Services category includes a long list of items in the De-tailed Services window. To scroll through the Detailed Services window:from

812. Press FIND|ENT to display the Tidal Current Information screen. Current Information screen.The Tidal Current Information screen displays daily t

822. After selecting the Tide Station icon, press FIND|ENT to display theTide Information screen.Navionics chart showing Tide Station icon selected by

83Pop-up HelpHelp is available for virtually all of the menu labels on this unit. Byhighlighting a menu item and leaving it highlighted for a few seco

3the basics (or if you already have some GPS experience), you may wantto try out some of AirMap's many advanced features. That brings us toSectio

84territory. Experiment with modest settings, such as 1 second update(300ms) or 1 second update (200ms) and see if accuracy is adequate for you.WARNIN

85message appears, the STOP SEARCHING command is highlighted. To turnoff the GPS engine and save power, press ENT.Use IndoorsIf you don't want t

86Require DGPSYou can force AirMap to require DGPS for reporting a valid position.(The default setting, off, uses DGPS automatically, but doesn't

87Screen Command, left, and Contrast bar, right.To adjust the screen's display mode:1. Press ↓ to DISPLAY MODE|ENT|press ↑ or ↓ to select mode|EX

88 Set Local Time Command: left, Main Menu; center System Setup menu.At right, the Time Settings menu.Once in the Time Settings menu:To set Local

89customers as free downloads from our web site, www.lowrance.com.These upgrades make the unit perform better or introduce a new fea-ture or function.

90To set Alarm Style: Press ↓ to ALARM STYLE|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to changethe style, then press ENT. After the option is set, press EXIT|EXIT to re-tur

91Flash Trails on Screen OptionPress ↓ to FLASH TRAILS. With the option highlighted, press ENT to checkit (turn on) and uncheck it (turn off).Trail Op

92Trail Options menu.Press ↓ to UPDATE CRITERIA|ENT|press ↓ or ↑ to select criteria type|ENT.Trail Update Rate (Time, Distance)You can update a trail

93Trail menu.The name, maximum number of points in the trail, activity, and visi-bility are all changed on this screen. The Active setting determinesw