Northstar Explorer 435/438 Installation and Operation Manual 25
• 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 so the Explorer 435 and Explorer
438 can be removed after each use.
Select a position where the display unit will be:
• At least 4" (100 mm) away from the compass.
• At least 12" (300 mm) away from any radio
transmitter.
• At least 4 ft (1.2 m) away from any antenna.
• Easy to read by the helmsman and crew while
underway.
• Protected from physical damage during
rough sea passages.
• Easy to access the 12 V DC power source.
• Convenient to route the transducer cables.
Flush Mounting
1. Cut a hole in the bulkhead for the display unit
using the flush mount template.
2. Drill four holes for the mounting studs using
the flush mount template.
3. Screw the four studs into the brass inserts in
the back of the display unit.
4. Sit the display unit in place and fit the
washers and nuts to the studs.
Bracket Mounting
1. Fix the mounting bracket onto the boat using the
three stainless steel screws. Do not overtighten
the screws, as the bracket may not rotate.
2. Push the display unit onto the mounting
bracket and tighten it firmly using the knob
on the mounting bracket.
3. Attach the cables.
Removing the display unit
The display unit can be removed after each
use for protection against the environment or
security reasons.
When removing the display unit, ensure that
the plugs left in the boat are not exposed to the
elements. Push the attached dust covers over the
exposed ends of the plugs. Keep the display unit
in a dry clean place such as the optional Northstar
carry bag.
1 Amp fuses must be positioned where shown
in the wiring diagrams.
The power/data cable contains 5 wires:
Wire Function
Black Ground (power negative)
White* NMEA out
Red Positive power in, 12 V DC
Yellow Auto power in (connect to red wire.
Positive power in, to enable Auto power).
Green* External beeper or light out, switched
to ground, 30 V DC 200 mA maximum.
Note: The cable shield is connected to Pin 1 (black
wire) and does not need to be grounded. * Denotes
Explorer 438 only.
Six wiring options are described in this section:
• Basic wiring. This does not start the
fishfinder automatically when the boat
ignition is switched on and it disables the
engine hours counter.
• Auto power wiring. This must be used for
the engine hours and fuel computer options.
• Secondary Alarm wiring
• NMEA wiring
• Single engine fuel wiring
• Twin engine fuel wiring
Note: If a wire color is not specifically mentioned, it is
not used in that wiring option.
Section 6-5 Systems of several instruments,
describes NMEA and NavBus.
6-4 Wiring Options
Basic wiring
This requires the Explorer 435 and Explorer 438 to
be powered on manually with the key.
Black wire: Connect this to the negative battery
terminal.
Red wire: Connect this to the positive battery
terminal after the main switch. Fit a 1 Amp fuse
as shown.
Yellow wire: Connect this to the black wire. This
disables the engine hours counter.
Power on the fishfinder manually whenever the
main switch is on.
CAUTION