Garmin GPSMAP 557 Owner's Manual - Page 21

Browse online or download pdf Owner's Manual for Marine GPS System Garmin GPSMAP 557. Garmin GPSMAP 557 38 pages.
Also for Garmin GPSMAP 557: Quick Start Manual (4 pages), Installation Instructions Manual (8 pages)

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Radar Display Modes

NOTE: Not all modes are available with all radar devices and all

chartplotters.

Select Radar, and select a mode.

Cruising Mode: Shows a full-screen image of the gathered

radar information.

Harbor Mode: Intended for use in inland waters, this mode

works best with short-range signals (2 nm or less).

Offshore Mode: Intended for use in open waters, this mode

works best with long-range signals.

Sentry Mode: Allows you to put the radar into timed-transmit

mode, in which you can configure a radar transmit and

standby cycle to conserve power. You can also enable a

guard zone in this mode, which identifies a safe zone around

your boat. If you switch from Sentry mode to another mode,

the radar switches to full-time transmission and disables all

guard zones.

Radar Overlay Mode: Shows a full-screen image of the

gathered radar information on top of the Navigation chart.

The Radar overlay displays data based on the most-recently

used radar mode.

Transmitting Radar Signals

NOTE: As a safety feature, the radar enters standby mode after

it warms up. This gives you an opportunity to verify the area

around the radar is clear before beginning radar transmission.

With the chartplotter off, connect your radar as described in

the radar installation instructions.

Turn on the chartplotter.

The radar warms up and a countdown alerts you when the

radar is ready.

Select Radar.

Select a radar mode.

A countdown message appears while the radar is starting up.

Select Menu > Transmit Radar.

Adjusting the Zoom Scale on the Radar

Screen

The radar zoom scale, also called the radar signal range,

represents the distance from your position (the center) to the

outermost ring.

From a Radar screen, select

Each ring represents an even division of the zoom scale.

For example, if the zoom scale is set at 3 miles, each ring

represents 1 mile from the center out.

Tips for Selecting a Radar Zoom Scale

The radar zoom scale, or radar signal range, indicates the

length of the pulsed signal transmitted and received by the

radar. As the range increases, the radar transmits longer pulses

in order to reach distant targets. Closer targets, especially rain

and waves, also reflect the longer pulses, which can add noise

to the Radar screen. Viewing information about longer-range

targets can also decrease the amount of space available on the

Radar screen for viewing information about shorter-range

targets.

• Determine what information you need to see on the Radar

screen.

For example, do you need information about nearby weather

conditions or targets and traffic, or are you more concerned

about distant weather conditions?

• Assess the environmental conditions where the radar is

being used.

Radar

Especially in inclement weather, longer-range radar signals

can increase the clutter on the Radar screen and make it

more difficult to view information about shorter-range targets.

In rain, shorter-range radar signals can enable you to view

information about nearby objects more effectively, if the rain

clutter setting is configured optimally.

• Select the shortest effective range, given your reason for

using radar and the present environmental conditions.

Sentry Mode

Sentry mode allows you to put the radar into timed-transmit

mode, in which you can configure a radar transmit and standby

cycle to conserve power. You can also enable a guard zone in

this mode, which identifies a safe zone around your boat and

sounds an alarm when a radar object enters the zone. Sentry

mode works with all Garmin GMR model radars.

Enabling Timed Transmit

Select Radar > Sentry > Menu > Sentry Setup > Timed

Xmit > On.

Setting the Standby and Transmit Times

Before you can set the standby and transmit times, you must

enable timed transmit

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To help conserve power, you can indicate the radar standby

time and the transmit time to implement periodic radar signal

transmissions at set intervals.

Select Radar > Sentry > Menu > Sentry Setup.

Select Stdby Time.

Enter the time interval between radar signal transmissions.

Select Xmit Time.

Enter the duration of each radar signal transmission.

Enabling a Guard Zone

Select Radar > Sentry > Menu > Sentry Setup > Enable

Guard Zone.

Defining a Circular Guard Zone

Before you can define the boundaries of the guard zone, you

must enable a guard zone

You can define a circular guard zone that completely

encompasses your boat.

Select Radar > Sentry > Menu > Sentry Setup > Adjust

Guard Zone > Move Radar Guard Zone > Circle.

Select the location of the outer guard zone circle.

Select the location of the inner guard zone circle to define

the width of the guard zone.

Defining a Partial Guard Zone

You can define the boundaries of a guard zone that does not

completely encompass your boat.

Select Radar > Sentry > Menu > Sentry Setup > Adjust

Guard Zone > Move Radar Guard Zone > Corner 1.

Touch and drag the location of the outer guard-zone corner

Select Corner 2.

Touch the location of the inner guard-zone corner

define the width of the guard zone.

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