(Depth capacity is dependent on water salinity, bottom type and other

Fishfinder 120

Operational Instructions

Thank you for choosing the Garmin Fishfinder 120. This product is designed for easy operation and to provide years of reliable service. Please read through these instructions to get the most out of your new unit. If you encounter a problem please contact our Product Support Department at 913-397-8200, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST or on the internet at www.garmin.com/support.

Specifications

Case: Fully Gasketed, high-impact plastic alloyDisplay: 3.1”H x 3.2”W (7.9 x 8.1 cm), 240 x 128 pixelsSize: 6.1” W x 4.9” H x 2.6 D (15.5 x 12.5 x 6.6 cm); Weight: 18.7 oz.Temperature Range: +5° to 158°F (-15C to 70C)

Waterproof: IEC 529, level IPX-7 (submerged to 1 meter for 30 minutes) Internal memory backup to retain user settings

Input: 10 to 18 Vdc w/ high voltage protectionUsage: 8 watts maximum, Nominal: 12 Vdc @ 0.5 ampsSonar Power Output: 100 watts (RMS), 800 watts (peak to peak)Frequency: 200kHzDepth: 600 foot max depthwater conditions.)Specifications subject to change without notice.
ARROW KEYS

The UP and DOWN ARROW keys are used to select items on the Adjustment Menu and Setup menu. The LEFT and RIGHT ARROW keys are used to quickly cycle through Adjustment Menu settings.

ENTER Key

The ENTER key is used to activate/deactivate the Adjustment Menu and Setup Menu data fields for review or changes.

MENU Key
The MENU key is used to activate/deactivate Adjustment and Setup Menus.
POWER Key

The POWER Key is used to turn the unit on/off and to activate the display backlight. Press and hold to turn the unit on/off. Press briefly and release to activate the backlight. To change the backlight level, press the POWER key repeatedly to cycle between Off, Low and High.

The Fishfinder 120 is able to display a variety of useful information about the underwater environment. Below are a few things the unit helps you see.

Water Depth

The unit displays water depth and can provide a warning when a specific depth is encountered. The Depth

Scale is displayed from top to bottom along the right side of the display. Messages and Alarm Icons are displayed along the bottom.

Water Temperature
The unit displays the water temperature at the transducer.
Fish

The unit displays fish as arches or fish symbols in 3 sizes and can alert you when a fish is detected.

Thermocline and Structure

GARMIN’s See-Thru®technology can display more than just the thermocline and structure, the

unit displays fish in and below the thermocline,(Simulated display) trees, brush, and deadfall.

Bottom Shape and Type
Garmin’s unique DCG® (Depth Control Gain) system providesa clear graphic representation of the bottom type and its shape.

Using the Adjustment Menu

The Adjustment Menu allows direct access to the settings most commonly changed while using the unit. These include the depth Range, Gain, Zoom, and the View settings. Current Adjustment Menu settings may be viewed by pressing the MENU key. Press MENU again to hide the window or to exit any window. The current adjustment option always displays in the upper left of the display. Press LEFT or RIGHT on the ARROW keys to scroll through the available options.

To immediately change the current adjustment option, press the UP or DOWN ARROW key. If you wish to review the available settings before making a change, press the ENTER key to activate the adjustment window.

To change a setting on the unit:

1.Press MENU, then using the UP or DOWN ARROW key, move the selection arrow to the desired option and press ENTER. Choose ‘Setup’ for the main Setup Menu.

2.Using the UP or DOWN ARROW key move the selection arrow to the desired setting and press ENTER. (The selection arrow wraps when you reach the end of a menu and adjustment window. If holding the ARROW key down, release then press.) Holding down on an ARROW key rapidly advances the selection speed.

3.To close a setting or menu window, press MENU.

Adjustment Menu — Range

Sets the display depth range. The unit can be set to automatically track the bottom or set to a user-specified range. Available settings are: ‘Auto’ (default) and 15-600 ft.

Adjustment Menu — Gain

Controls the sensitivity of the unit’s sonar receiver. This provides some flexibility in what is seen on the display. To see more detail, increase the receiver sensitivity by selecting a higher gain (+). If there is too much detail or if the screen is cluttered, lowering the sensitivity (-) may increase the clarity of the display. Available settings are: ‘Normal’ ( default) and +5 to -5.

Adjustment Menu — Scroll

Adjusts the rate that the graph scrolls from right to left. If you are sitting still or the graph is moving too fast, slowing or pausing the graph can be beneficial.

Adjustment Menu — Zoom

Selects a display zoom scale. Available settings are: ‘OFF’ (default), ‘2X’ and ‘4X’ zoom.

Adjustment Menu — View

‘View’ is available only when a Zoom scale other than ‘OFF’ is selected. This setting allows you to select a specific zoom area to view on the display or allow the unit to automatically select a zoomed viewing area based on the bottom. When adjusting this setting, the top and bottom numbers reflect the zoomed view depth range.

Setup Menu — Alarms: Battery

Sounds an alarm when the battery is reaching a critical state of discharge.

Setup Menu — Alarms: Shallow/Deep Water Alarm

‘Shallow’ and ‘Deep’ can be set to sound a shallow/deep water warning at a depth determined by you. (If the either alarm is set and ‘Depth’ units are changed, both alarms default to ‘Off’.) These alarms may be set to ‘Off’ (default) or from 1-600 ft.

Setup Menu — Alarms: Fish Alarm

Sounds an alarm when the unit detects what it determines to be a fish. The alarm selections are: ‘Off’ (default) or ‘On’.

Setup Menu — Graph: Fish ID

Determines how the graph displays underwater targets and background informa- tion. If ‘Fish ID’ is set to ‘Off’, the unit displays all of the available information about the underwater environment. If a fish symbol is selected, the graph displays only the information related to that symbol (large, medium and small sizes).

— All available information is displayed. (default)

— Suspended targets displayed as symbols. No background information is displayed in this mode.

— Same as above with target depth displayed.

— Suspended targets display as symbols. In this mode background information is still displayed making fish identification easier.

— Same as above with target depth displayed.

Setup Menu — Graph: Whiteline

Controls how the unit displays information about the bottom type (hard or soft). With Whiteline ‘Off’, the bottom return displays as solid black and contains no information on bottom hardness. With Whiteline ‘On’, the bottom return becomes a grayscale pattern and can be used to determine bottom hardness. A hard bottom returns a stronger signal and displays a thicker bottom layer. A weaker (soft) bottom return displays a thinner bottom layer. The selections are: ‘Off’ or ‘On’ (default).

Setup Menu — Graph: Noise Reject

Filters unwanted noise from the graph (especially when moving at faster speeds) and can be turned ‘Off’ or set to a fixed value from 1-100%. Remember when setting the ‘Noise Reject’, the higher the noise rejection setting, the more likely the unit does not show fish or structure. The selections are: 1-100% (default 50%) or ‘Off’.

Setup Menu — Numbers: Size

Displays either ‘Normal’ (default) or ‘Large’ depth, temp. and battery numbers.

Setup Menu — Numbers: Battery

Choose to either ‘Hide’ (default) or ‘Show’ the current battery voltage.

Setup Menu — Numbers: Water Temp.

‘Water Temp’ automatically displays when set to ‘Auto’ (default) or you may choose to ‘Hide’ the temperature numbers. Water temperature will only display if you have a temperature capable transducer.

Setup Menu — Units: Depth

Choose to display measurements in Feet (ft, default), Meters (m) or Fathoms (fa). (If the ‘Depth Alarm’ is set when ‘Units’ are changed, the ‘Depth Alarm’ is defaulted to ‘Off’)

Setup Menu — Units: Temperature

Choose to display the water temperature in Fahrenheit (°F, default) or Celsius (°C)

Setup Menu — System: Simulator

The Fishfinder 120 comes with a built-in simulator mode that allows you to practice and learn the operation of the unit at home rather than on the water. The unit indicates that it is running the simulator mode by displaying a message in the lower left of the display. While in the simulator mode, the unit displays a random bottom scene and the Fishfinder 120 can be controlled (except Noise Reject and Gain) just as if it were on the water. To exit the Simulator, turn the unit off. If no keys are pressed for 2 minutes, the unit automatically resets to default unit settings while in simulator mode. If the unit does not detect a transducer attached, it automatically starts in Simulator mode.

Setup Menu — System: Contrast

Adjusts to compensate for different light levels or viewing angles.

Setup Menu — System: Defaults

This option allows you to restore the factory default settings for the unit.

Understanding Sonar

To understand what the unit is displaying, it is important to have a general knowledge of how the unit works and how it determines what to display. The unit operates by transmitting sound waves toward the bottom of a lake, stream, or seabed in a cone shaped pattern. The area covered by the transmitted sound waves is determined by the cone

angle of the transducer and the water depth. Using

 

 

 

 

 

Garmin’s standard 20° transducer, the coverage is

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

approximately 1/3rd of the water depth. The coverage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

area at a 30-foot depth is approximately a 10-foot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

diameter circle.

 

1'

3'

 

When a transmitted soundwave strikes an

 

2'

6'

 

underwater object, sound is reflected back to the

 

 

 

 

3'

 

 

transducer. The transducer collects the reflected sound

 

 

9'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

waves and sends the data to the unit to be processed

 

4'

12'

 

and displayed on the graph. The underwater data is

 

5'

15'

 

displayed on the graph in the order that it is returned:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

first returned—first on the graph. Generally speaking,

 

6'

18'

 

if the only thing between the transducer and the

 

7'

21'

 

bottom is water, the first strong return comes from

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the bottom directly below the transducer. The first

 

8'

24'

 

strong return sets the bottom level. Weaker secondary

 

9'

27'

 

returns provide the detailed data. A fish may be in the

 

10'

 

 

coverage area of the transducer, but remember the first

 

 

30'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

strong return sets the bottom level. Any fish in a Dead

 

 

 

 

 

Zone is not detected by the sonar. The fish is never detected since the bottom level is never set below the fish. The fish on the right side of the display (shown in light grey) is detected and displayed when the transducer cone passes over the fish.

It is important to understand that

 

the unit does not display a 3-D repre-

 

sentation of the underwater environ-

 

ment. The unit can display multipleDead Zone
things (such as a fish and a tree) at

 

the same time but can not determine

 

where the return originated, only when

 

it was received. Remember that the

 

Fishfinder displays a 2-D picture of the

 

underwater environment. A fish and an

 

underwater structure could be located

 

anywhere in the coverage area at that

 

slice of time.

 

Warning: This product, its packaging, and its components contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. This Notice is being provided in accordance with California’s Proposition 65. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please refer to our web site at www.garmin.com/prop65.

Limited Warranty

This Garmin product is warranted to be free from defects in materials or workmanship for one year from the date of purchase. Within this period, Garmin will at its sole option, repair or replace any components that fail in normal use. Such repairs or replacement will be made at no charge to the customer for parts or labor, provided that the customer shall be responsible for any transportation cost. This warranty does not cover failures due to abuse, misuse, accident or unauthorized alteration or repairs.

THE WARRANTIES AND REMEDIES CONTAINED HEREIN ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY LIABILITY ARISING UNDER ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL GARMIN BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER RESULTING FROM THE USE, MISUSE, OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT OR FROM DEFECTS IN THE PRODUCT. Some states do not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations may not apply to you.

Garmin retains the exclusive right to repair or replace the unit or software or offer a full refund of the purchase price at its sole discretion. SUCH REMEDY SHALL BE YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR ANY BREACH OF WARRANTY. Products sold through online auctions are not eligible for rebates or other special offers from Garmin. Online auction confirmations are not accepted for warranty verification. To obtain warranty service, an original or copy of the sales receipt from the original retailer is required. Garmin will not replace missing components from any package purchased through an online auction.

To obtain warranty service, contact your local Garmin authorized dealer. Or call Garmin Customer Service for shipping instructions and a RMA tracking number. The unit should be securely packed with the tracking number clearly written on the outside of the package. The unit should then be sent, freight charges prepaid, to any Garmin warranty service station. A copy of the original sales receipt is required as the proof of purchase for warranty repairs.

The Fishfinder 120 has no user-serviceable parts and is fastened shut with screws. Any attempt to open the case to change or modify the unit in any way will void your warranty and may result in permanent damage to the equipment.

Software License Agreement

By using the Fishfinder 120, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the following software license agreement. Please read this agreement carefully.

Garmin grants you a limited license to use the software embedded in this device (the “Software”) in binary executable form in the normal operation of the product. Title, ownership rights and intellectual property rights in and to the Software remain in Garmin.

You acknowledge that the Software is the property of Garmin and is protected under the United States of America copyright laws and international copyright treaties. You further acknowledge that the structure, organization and code of the Software are valuable trade secrets of Garmin and that the Software in source code form remains a valuable trade secret of Garmin. You agree not to decompile, disassemble, modify, reverse assemble, reverse engineer or reduce to human readable form the Software or any part thereof or create any derivative works based on the Software. You agree not to export or re-export the Software to any country in violation of the export control laws of the United States of America.

© Copyright 2003 Garmin LTD. or its subsidiaries

GARMIN®, DCG® and See-Thru®are registered trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries and may not be used without the express permission of GARMIN.

Garmin International, Inc. 1200 East 151st Street, Olathe, Kansas 66062, U.S.A. Tel.913/397.8200 Fax. 913/397.8282

Garmin (Europe) Ltd. Unit 5, The Quadrangle, Abbey Park Industrial Estate, Romsey, SO51 9DL, U.K. Tel. 44/1794.519944 Fax.44/1794.519222

Garmin Corporation No. 68, Jangshu 2nd Road, Shijr, Taipei County, Taiwan Tel. 886/2.2642.9199 Fax. 886/2.2642.9099

www.garmin.comPart Number 190-00306-00 Rev. A