What is the best way to understand what is showing on the screen? Like if it's a hard bottom, rocks, weeds, etc... I have an Eagle 480 if thats of any help

every unit is a little different. read your owners manual. it should show how to read it. If you don't have on. call the company I am sure they would send you one

Signal strength depends on the power of your unit and on the Gain setting.

Also, the harder the object, the strong the signal, because most of the waves are rebounded

The softer the object the weaker the signal, because many of the waves are absorbed

Place your transducer over a known rock bottom, a known mud botton and a known weed bed.

Before long, you'll get to know your own unit, and how to decipher it's signals.  

Roger

I think Eagle is made by Lowrance. You can go to the Lowrance home page and maybe get a manual there??? Also, you can download a 'product emulator' that you can run off of your pc that may help you.

Good luck.

If you dont understand the owners manual or dont have one, I suggest scan over an area of water that you know what is under the surface, and look at how the returns come back. Use that knowledge to better use your depth finder.

Thanks for the input, I'll pull out my owners manual and take it with me on the water the next time I go!! Tight Lines!!

Owners manuals  are a must untill you tried all the features and understand them. The Lowrance site will teach you what you want to know and it does own EAGLE. I also suggest finding water that you can see deeper than 3 ft. depth and watch how your finder shows the bottom compared to whats really below the boat ie(stumps,brush,fish ect.).Also try to visit a lake under drawdown and study the bottom and contour and when they fill it in check your finder to see how good it reads and how it applys what your looking at.