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Pub. 988-0161-042
www.lowrance.com
Radar & RIM 200
Radar Interface Module
Installation Instructions
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Copyright © 2007 Lowrance Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be copied, reproduced, republished, trans- mitted or distributed for any purpose, without prior written consent of Lowrance Electronics. Any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual is strictly prohibited. ® Lowrance is a registered trademark of Lowrance Electronics, Inc. ® NMEA 2000 is a registered trademark of the National Marine Elec- tronics Association. Lowrance Electron
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Warnings and Cautions Caution: Use this radar at your own risk. This radar was designed for use as a navigation aid. It should not be used for purposes that require precise measurements of direction, distance, topography or location. Always compare the navigation information received from your radar with data from other navigation aids and sources. When a conflict arises between the navigation data from your radar and data from other navigation aids, make sure you resolve the conflict
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switching off the radar. Before touching the magnetron or any high voltage components, ground them with a clip lead. There are no internal connections or adjust- ments necessary for installation. WARNING: Microwave Radiation Hazard The microwave energy radiated by a radar antenna is harmful to humans, especially to the eyes. NEVER look directly into an open waveguide or into the path of ra- diation from an enclosed antenna. Radar and other ra- dio frequency radiation can upset cardiac pace
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Section 1: Introduction Thank you for purchasing this Lowrance Radar with the RIM 200 radar interface module. Your radar consists of three main components: the radar scanner unit, a display unit (sold separately) and the RIM 200 radar interface module which connects the scanner unit and the display unit. We know you’re anxious to begin the installation, but first, let us tell you how this manual is organized. The first section describes how your radar works. We'll also discuss is- sues t
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rate targets at a distance. The critical factors are the antenna's beam width and side lobe level. Typically, a radar antenna will radiate a tightly focused beam from the front of the array. The longer the an- tenna array is, the narrower the beam width. Additionally, it will also emit smaller amounts of energy to each side. A lower side lobe level lessens the effect of a false echo. Side lobe The beam radiating the strongest radio signal from the antenna is called the "main lobe". Those
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False echoes Sometimes radar will display targets on screen that do not exist in the real world. You should be aware of how and why this happens. A. Ghost echoes Sometimes one large object very near your boat will appear as two dif- ferent targets onscreen. One is the actual radar echo. The other is a ghost echo generated by a re-reflection of the original signal. It comes back to your own boat, bounces back to the target, and then is picked up by the antenna on the second bounce. The ac
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Radar interference If another boat's radar is operating on the same frequency as yours, it can create interference on your display. The interference usually appears as spiral or radial patterns. This ra- dar has an interference rejection control to eliminate interference. Turn it on to reduce or eliminate the interference. Installation Considerations Prior to actual installation of the radar scanner unit, several factors must be considered to assure maximum performance. Location The sca
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The scanner unit should be mounted on the center line of your vessel in a location that has an unobstructed view forward and is as clear as pos- sible the rest of the way around the unit. A location as high as practical to improve maximum range is desirable, keeping in mind that minimum range objects may be overlooked if mounted too high. Position the unit forward of large structures and exhaust stacks. Large structures or stacks cause blind spots. Contamination from engine ex- haust on th
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The recommended mounting surface thickness is 3/8" to 1/2" (9 mm to 13 mm). If the mounting surface is thin, a doubler should be added. If it is thicker, longer bolts must be purchased. WARNING: The scanner will be damaged if bolts penetrate more than 9/16" (15 mm). Also, consider the cable route from the scanner to the operator’s loca- tion. Avoid routing the interconnecting cable through areas of possible damage from moving objects, machinery, exposure to chemicals or high temperature.
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Section 2: Radar Installation Preparations Unpack your new radar and check the contents against the packing list. Do not remove the cover from the unit. There are no connections or ad- justments inside the unit needed for installation or operation. The cable must remain attached. For ease of handling, coil the cable and place it on top of the scanner, then secure it with tape. WARNING: To comply with FCC radio frequency (RF) exposure re- quirements, the radar antenna for this scanner must
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8. Secure the cable near the scanner to support the weight of the cable and prevent strain on the watertight cable seal. If the cable is to pass through tubing or a bulkhead, protect the unfinished end. Do not use the unfinished wires or fabric braid to pull the cable. Attach a fish cord only to the cable jacket. 9. Route the cable to the RIM 200, securing it at appropriate points along the way. Make a drip loop and apply sealant at the entry point of an exterior bulkhead. Connecting Rad
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Section 3: RIM 200 Installation The RIM 200 will replace the power cable that came with your display unit. Early RIM 200 models have four cables branching out from the cable plug. The cables include: RIM 200 radar data cable (will be con- nected to your radar), RIM 200 power cable, display unit power/data cable and NMEA 2000 network power cable. Newer RIM 200 models have three cables branching out from the cable plug. The cables include: RIM 200 radar data cable (will be connected to you
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tail Drawing C for open array models. Wiring instructions for both ar- ray and radome antennas are listed in text format below. Connecting RIM-200 to LRA 1000, LRA 1500 and LRA 2000 Array antennas: RIM 200 Brown wire to Radar Antenna Brown wire RIM 200 Red wire to Radar Antenna Red wire RIM 200 Yellow wire to Radar Antenna Yellow wire RIM 200 Orange wire to Radar Antenna Orange wire RIM 200 Blue wire to Radar Antenna Blue wire RIM 200 Green wire to Radar Antenna Green wire Connecting RI
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Now connect the display unit power cable green (RX) receive wire to the transmit (TX) wire from the NMEA 0183 device. There is no ground wire, so the NMEA 0183 device MUST be grounded to the same place as the display unit. NOTE: If your RIM 200 model has four branches, proceed to Step 4 to connect the RIM 200 power cable. If your RIM 200 has three branches, it does not have a RIM 200 power cable, so skip ahead to Step 5. 4. After you have wired your display unit power, connect the RIM 2
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Connecting RIM 200 to Radome Antenna (Four-Branch Installation) * A power switch will only be con- nected to the red (+) wire. The black wire (–) will not be connected to the Display unit power switch. See Detail Drawing C (Four-Branch Installation) Cable Plug * * * * 12V RIM 200 module See Detail Drawing A LRA 1000, LRA 1500 & LRA 2000 RIM 200 Radar Power/data Radome data cable output cable antenna (RS-422) 12
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Connecting RIM 200 to Radome Antenna (Three-Branch Installation) * A power switch will only be con- nected to the red (+) wire. The black Display unit wire (–) will not be connected to the power switch. See Detail Drawing D (Three-Branch Installation) * Cable Plug * * RIM 200 module 12V See Detail Drawing A LRA 1000, LRA 1500 & LRA 2000 Radar Power/data RIM 200 output cable Radome data cable antenna (RS-422) 13
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Detail Drawing A Large white/pwr + ( fuse) Radar motor power { Large black/pwr – ……………… Shield/Small black ……………….. …………Data Out +/Brown/Data In + …………. ……………Data Out –/Red/Data In – ………….. …………. Data In –/Yellow/Data Out – ……...… …………. Data In +/Orange/Data Out + ………. ….. SW1 On Signal/Blue/On Signal SW1 ……. ……………. SW2+/Green/+V SW2 …………….. To radar unit To RIM 200 Detail drawing A: wiring diagram, RIM 200 to radome unit. NOTE: If you have a LRA 1000 or LRA 1500, fuse the r
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Connecting RIM 200 to Open Array Antenna (Four-Branch Installation) * A power switch will only be con- nected to the red (+) wire. The Display unit black wire (–) will not be con- nected to the power switch. See Detail Drawing C (Four-Branch Installation) * Cable Plug * * * RIM 200 module * * 12V LRA 4000 & LRA 5000 See Detail Drawing B Open array antenna Radar power/data output cable Radar data cable (RS-422) 15
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Connecting RIM 200 to Open Array Antenna (Three-branch Installation) * A power switch will only be con- nected to the red (+) wire. The black wire (–) will not be con- nected to the power switch. Display unit See Detail Drawing D: (Three-Branch Installation) * Cable Plug * * RIM 200 module * 12V LRA 4000 & LRA 5000 See Detail Drawing B Open array antenna Radar power/data Radar data output cable cable (RS-422) 16
