NorthStar 6000i Installation Manual
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NorthStar 6000i Installation Manual

Northstar 6000i: install guide
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See also: Operation & Installation Manual , Installation Manual
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4
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K
K
K AND
K RADARS
I
M
NSTALLATION
ANUAL
Part No. GMRadIM
Rev. E1
Northstar
www.NorthstarNav.com
a unit of Brunswick New Technologies Marine Electronics
Service: 978/897-6600
30 Sudbury Road
Acton, Massachusetts 01720
Sales: 800/628-4487

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  • Page 1 , 12 K AND K RADARS NSTALLATION ANUAL Part No. GMRadIM Rev. E1 Northstar www.NorthstarNav.com a unit of Brunswick New Technologies Marine Electronics Service: 978/897-6600 30 Sudbury Road Acton, Massachusetts 01720 Sales: 800/628-4487...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    SECTION ONE: Introducing the Northstar radar SECTION TWO: Installing and wiring the radar Installing the antenna - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4...

  • Page 5: Section One: Introducing The Northstar Radar

    SECTION ONE: Introducing the Northstar radar The Northstar radar is designed as an option available for the Northstar 958 and 6000i navigators. A radar unit should only be installed by a qualified marine technician, as potentially lethal high voltage is present, along with heavy rotating parts. There is a transmit interlock that prevents radar transmissions if the array is not rotating.
  • Page 6 SECTION ONE: Introducing the Northstar radar Radar: RAD4KD-A Description 4kW with dome (Qty.) antenna Scanner RSC715 (1 ea.) Control box MDS2 (1 ea.) 10-meter WC10D ∗ cable (1 ea.) Parts kit MDS2-PK (1 ea.) Power ST165 Switch (1 ea.) Terminal...

  • Page 7: Section Two: Installing And Wiring The Radar

    SECTION TWO: Installing and wiring the radar System diagram A configuration diagram for a fully-optioned Northstar system with radar, heading sensor and echosounder is shown in Figure 1. This diagram provides an overview of the interconnection between components. 2301, AN150 or AN156...

  • Page 8: Installing The Antenna

    • Do install the antenna as far away as possible from the antennas of other equipment, such as direction finders, GPS equipment, radio receivers, etc. Radar scanners may cause interference with radio receivers. • Do keep the connecting cable as short as possible. Whenever possible, keep the distance from the antenna to the control box within the standard cable length of 10 meters.

  • Page 9: Mounting The Antenna

    SECTION TWO: Installing and wiring the radar Figure 2: Shifting from the keel Obtaining sufficient dip angle Raise the antenna position above on-board obstacles to avoid shadow zones. Dip angle is the angle between a horizontal line and the line of sight from the antenna to the obstacle. By maintaining a dip angle greater than 5 degrees, you may be able to prevent mid- and long-distance shadow zones.
  • Page 10 SECTION TWO: Installing and wiring the radar NOTE: Referring to Figure 5 below and the supplied full-size antenna mounting templates, drill holes at the specified locations in the mounting base. Using these holes and hexagonal bolts, install the antenna to the mounting base. Use silicone to stop the bolts from loosening. The bolts supplied will suffice for mounting base thicknesses of 0.35 to 0.55 inch (9 to 14 mm).
  • Page 11 Attaching the open array Remove the protective cap covering the rotary coupler on the top of the antenna. Match the antenna radiation direction to the direction of the arrows on the rotation base as shown in Figure 8, and secure the antenna into place using four M8 bolts. Arrows Radar Installation Manual, Rev.

  • Page 12: Installing The Control Box

    SECTION TWO: Installing and wiring the radar TABLE 3: Bolts for mounting radome antenna Thickness of mounting base 0.04-0.16 in. (1 - 4mm) M10 × 15 (1.5mm pitch) 0.16-0.35 in. (4 - 9mm) M10 × 20 (1.5mm pitch) 0.35-0.55 in. (9 -14mm) M10 ×...

  • Page 13: Wiring The Radar

    TABLE 7: Fuse requirements for MDS-3 (with 6 kW open array) Supply voltage 12 VDC 8A/250V or 125V (6.3Ø x 32mm) 24 VDC 8A/250V or 125V TABLE 8: Fuse requirements for MDS-3 (12 kW open array) and MDS-4 (25 kW open array) Supply voltage 12 VDC (MDS-3 only) 10A/250V or 125V (6.3Ø...
  • Page 14 SECTION TWO: Installing and wiring the radar Install the radar antenna cable as described below, under either Radome cable connection or Open array antenna connection. The functions of the wires in the antenna cable are shown in Table 9. TABLE 9: Antenna cable wire functions X11 Connector Color Violet...
  • Page 15 Open array cable connection 1. Turn the power off. 2. Use a socket wrench to remove the back cover of the scanner. Remove the two bolts securing the transceiver (see Figure 12). 3. Remove the connectors to the motor (labeled X1 or J5) and to the heading switch (X2 or J3). Pull out the transceiver.
  • Page 16 SECTION TWO: Installing and wiring the radar Remove connectors Keep the cable shield braid as short as possible Mounting bolts (4) Cable shield terminal Washer Scanner housing Connecting cable Connecting a ground wire Connect a grounding wire from one of the bolts on the scanner base, as shown in Figure 13 below (the crimp terminal and grounding wire are installer-supplied).
  • Page 17 Connecting the power cable The MDS-2 and MDS-3 units are designed for 12/24/32-volt installations. The MDS-4 operates on 24 or 32 VDC only. CAUTION! Power should be fed through a switch and protective fuses (or circuit breakers). To connect the power cable: 1.
  • Page 18 SECTION TWO: Installing and wiring the radar Radar power control Electrical power for the radar’s standby state is controlled by the blue and green wires in the data cable. When these wires are connected to each other, the radar powers up and enters standby mode. When they are not connected, the radar is turned off (although it still draws a tiny amount of power).
  • Page 19 connected to the narrow tabs and the contacts are connected to the wide tabs (labelled COM and NO). If the relay is used for power control, the navigator’s Honk output must be configured for power control as follows: 1. Press the STAR key to display the alarms page. 2.
  • Page 20 Blue AutoComp Disable 12 VDC Power Black Power Ground Drain, Foil, not used Shield Page 16 NORTHSTAR NMEA 18-PIN CONNECTOR Pin No. Wire Color Blue NMEA Port 1 in B Brown NMEA Port 1 In A Not Connected Not Connected Ship’s Power Supply, Fused, 12 VDC...

  • Page 21: Section Three: Setting Up The Radar (New Navigator Software)

    SECTION THREE: Setting up the radar (new navigator software) Important: The following instructions apply to Northstar 958 software versions later than 8.0, and Northstar 6000i software versions later than 1.61. If the navigator has an earlier software version, instead use Section Four of this Installation Manual, starting on page 25.

  • Page 22: Heading Sensor Requirements

    On the 958, press CHART , Split , and Radar . • On the 6000i, press RADAR . 3. The unit will ask if you want to turn on the radar transmitter. Press Enter turn it on. 4. Press Page 2 , Page 3 , Page 4 , and Install... to access the installation screen.

  • Page 23: Calibrating The Radar

    Tuning makes the radar receiver frequency match the transmitter frequency. For normal operation of a Northstar radar, setting the tuning mode to Auto is recommended. To tune the unit manually see Appendix B. To check the tuning mode or change it to Auto : Radar Installation Manual, Rev.
  • Page 24 SECTION THREE: Setting up the radar (new navigator software) 1. From Page 4 (selected above), press Install... and Tune..2. If necessary, press Tune mode repeatedly until it displays Auto . Setting the STC Curve The Sensitivity Time Control (STC) attempts to compensate for the high strength of nearby echoes compared with the very weak echoes from distant objects.
  • Page 25 1 nm away as referenced on the chart. 2. Turn on the radar overlay feature as follows: • on the 6000i, press CHART to display the chart and press Overlay to display radar echoes overlaid on the chart. Radar Installation Manual, Rev. E1...

  • Page 26: Adjusting The Appearance Settings

    SECTION THREE: Setting up the radar (new navigator software) • on the 958, press Split and select Chart (full screen), press Control if necessary to display Control Chart, press Chart setup, press Radar Overlay if necessary to turn the overlay on, and finally, press Return 3.
  • Page 27 • Harbor automatically optimizes the radar settings for use in a harbor. • Range Rider is a Northstar exclusive feature recommended when manual settings are required. The user can freely make any needed gain and clutter adjustments, and these settings are “remembered”...

  • Page 28: Finishing Up

    SECTION THREE: Setting up the radar (new navigator software) 2. Press Mode if necessary until it reads Auto 1 , Auto 2, or Harbor . 3. Set the Sea clutter or Gain to automatic if necessary by pressing the key so that it reads Auto . 4.

  • Page 29: Section Four: Setting Up The Radar (Older Navigator Software)

    SECTION FOUR: Setting up the radar (older navigator software) Important: The following instructions apply to Northstar 958 software versions earlier than 8.0, and Northstar 6000i software versions earlier than 1.61. If the navigator has a later software version, instead use Section Three of this Installation Manual, starting on page 17.

  • Page 30: Calibrating The Radar

    SECTION FOUR: Setting up the radar (older navigator software) Radar transmitter power As a safeguard, the radar transmitter (rotation and radiation) must be turned on manually each time the navigator is turned on, as described below. Be sure no injury will be caused when the antenna starts rotating.
  • Page 31 Calibration section below; then you may skip to the section needing adjustment. Preparing for calibration Note: A Northstar 958 or 6000i is shipped from the factory with all the following settings already in place. If the unit has been operated after being removed from the shipping container, it is necessary to check all of the settings listed below.
  • Page 32 SECTION FOUR: Setting up the radar (older navigator software) 10. Press the zoom IN key several times to access the 1/8 nm scale. The current scale in shown in the upper left corner of the screen, identified as “ RNG . ” Next, we’ll turn off the display options 11.
  • Page 33 A range of 1 or 2nm is usually appropriate. A harbor area is often too crowded -- you may need to move to an area with less crowded echoes. 25. Press Rough Tune. 26. With the Rough Tune value set at 87 (or a number that you have determined to be a better starting point), press Auto Tune and wait two to three minutes for the tuning process to finish.
  • Page 34 SECTION FOUR: Setting up the radar (older navigator software) MANUAL TUNING (Optional — for special situations only) In the rare event that manual tuning is needed, the following procedure can be used: You can judge the echo strength either by observing the percentage return value displayed below the menu key (the recommended way), or by watching the dark green echoes on the screen.

  • Page 35: Gain Adjustments

    Gain adjustments will be different for each range scale. Longer ranges generally require more gain. The system includes Range Rider, a Northstar exclusive feature recommended for all normal use. The user can freely make any needed gain adjustments, and these settings are “remembered” for each range.
  • Page 36 SECTION FOUR: Setting up the radar (older navigator software) Page 32 Radar Installation Manual, Rev. E1...

  • Page 37: Section Five: Using Manual Control Functions

    — pressing ENT , Done or Return is not necessary. Some of the functions described in this section are found only in Northstar software version 8.0 and later, and in Northstar 6000i software version 1.61 and later.
  • Page 38 SECTION FIVE: Using manual control functions The modes of rain clutter and sea clutter are always locked together: if the user sets one to manual, the other automatically switches to manual, and vice-versa. Even when an automatic mode (Auto1, Auto2, or Harbor) is selected, any clutter or gain setting can be overridden manually by pressing the key once to activate it, and pressing a second time to switch its function from auto to manual.

  • Page 39: Other Functions

    Classic (traditional, with sweep line). 3. Press Return and Done . Other functions See the 958 or 6000i Operator’s manual for information on using the following functions: • Radar Markers (EBLs, VRMs, Guard Zones) • Interference rejection • Trails control •...
  • Page 40 SECTION FIVE: Using manual control functions Page 36 Radar Installation Manual, Rev. E1...

  • Page 41: Section Six: Servicing The Radar

    You can reach Northstar by e-mail, fax, U.S. mail, or phone as described in Table 12 below. The Northstar Service Department is available between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding major holidays.

  • Page 42: Hearing From You

    Before returning the radar to the Northstar factory, to prevent delays, it is critical that you first obtain a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number from the Northstar Service Department. If the radar was purchased through a dealer, call the dealer with the radar serial number so they can help you get an RMA number.

  • Page 43: Appendix A: Specifications And Drawings

    APPENDIX A: Specifications and Drawings RAD4KD-A ANTENNA 25” radome SCANNER RSC715 CONTROL BOX MDS-2 POWER REQUIREMENT 10.1–40.1VDC 55W max PEAK POWER OUTPUT 4 kW FREQUENCY 9410 ± 30MHz BEAM WIDTHS Horizontal 3.9˚ Vertical 25˚ ROTATION 24 RPM PULSE LENGTH (µsec) / S: 0.8/2000 PRF (Hz) M: 0.25/1500...
  • Page 44 APPENDIX A: Specifications and Drawings TABLE 13: Radar specifications (cont.) RAD4KD-A PRESENTATION MODE North-, Leg-, Course-, and Heading-up overlay RANGE NM RANGE ACCURACY Better than 8m or 0.9% of max. range of scale in use BEARING ACCURACY Better than 1˚ 25”...
  • Page 45 APPENDIX A: Specifications and Drawings Figure 18: Control box outline drawing Radar Installation Manual, Rev. E1 Page 41...
  • Page 46 APPENDIX A: Specifications and Drawings Figure 19: Open-array outline drawing Page 42 Radar Installation Manual, Rev. E1...

  • Page 47: Appendix B: Manual Tuning Procedure

    Important: The following manual tuning procedure is provided only for possible situations where the unit’s automatic tuning does not perform well. At present, Northstar is not aware of any such situation and recommends that automatic tuning be used unless a reason is found to use this manual procedure.
  • Page 48 APPENDIX B: Manual Tuning Procedure 21. Press Tune. 22. With the Tune preset value set at around 125 to 130 (or a number that you have determined to be a better starting point), press Wizard and wait two to three minutes for the tuning process to finish.
  • Page 49 APPENDIX B: Manual Tuning Procedure MANUAL TUNING (Optional — for special situations only) In the rare event that fully manual tuning is needed, the following procedure can be used: You can judge the echo strength either by observing the percentage return value displayed below the menu key (the recommended way), or by watching the dark green echoes on the screen.
  • Page 50 APPENDIX B: Manual Tuning Procedure Page 46 Radar Installation Manual, Rev. E1...

  • Page 51: Appendix C: Troubleshooting

    You’ll save yourself a considerable amount of time if you check these items before placing the call; plus, you’re likely to find the problem right away. Confirming the equipment installed 1. Confirm the type of navigator used with the radar (958, 6000i, etc.) Serial number: ________________ Software version: _________________ 2.

  • Page 52: Are Range Rings Displayed

    APPENDIX C: Troubleshooting Note: There are two styles of power cords with two different wiring configurations. Radar Power Cable Connector End View DC – DC + Old style: To radar control unit Newer style, Rev C or later: To radar control unit Are Range Rings displayed? Yes, range rings are displayed 1.
  • Page 53 Table 14: Checking the data cable MDS Box Wiring Wire Color Description Orange Data Out + Yellow Data Out – Black (2 wires) Ground Brown Data In + Data In – If the array or antenna fails to turn 1. If the array or antenna fails to turn, turn the power off and investigate. 2.
  • Page 54 APPENDIX C: Troubleshooting X11 Connector Color Violet Yellow Yellow Green Blue Checking these connections is especially important if the installer removed the connectors for easy of routing when installing the scanner cable. Page 50 TABLE 15: Scanner cable wiring X12 Connector Function Color +250V...

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