FL-8SE Operation Manual
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FL-8SE Operation Manual CONTENTS General Description 2 Specifications 3 Unit Installation 4 Power Connection 4 Transducer Installation 5 - 8 Operation 9 - 10 Typical Indications 11 - 14 Maintenance 15 Operational Questions & Answers 16 - 20 Transducer Beam Angle Chart 21 Trouble Shooting Chart 22 Accessories and Other Products 23 - 25 Transducers 26 - 27 Service and Support 28 Founded in 1960, Vexilar, Inc. has a long his- tory of bringing revolutionary technology to the sport fishing industry. Just some of the Vexilar firsts include: the first liquid crystal display, the first fish alarm, the first three color display, and the first CRT and straight line paper graphs, for the sport fisherman. The FL-8SLT was the first true interference Rejection unit. And now with the FL-8SE we bring you the next generation. 1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION SPECIFICATIONS The FL-8SE is a compact Operating Voltage: 10.5 - 15 Volts (12 Volts Nominal) and lightweight depth sounder Current Draw: 275 mA designed for serious anglers. Power Output: 400 Watts (Peak to Peak) Besides indicating depth, the Frequency: 200 kHz unit also shows changes in Resolution: 525 Segments bottom content and conditions. Target Separation: 2.65" Min. It can also discriminate between Display Colors: 3 - Red, Orange, and Green large underwater targets, such Dimensions: 4.4"H x 6"W x 2.5"D as fish, and smaller targets such Weight: 1.1 Lbs. as bait fish and plankton. The unit transmits bursts of Depth Scales: high frequency pulses, which 0-20', 0-30', 0-40', 0-60', 0-80', and 0-120' - Shallow Model are converted from electrical to Or mechanical energy by the transducer. These "sound" pulses radiate from 0-20', 0-30', 0-40', 0-60', 0-80', and 0-240' - Deep Model the transducer downward and are reflected back up to the transducer where the energy is converted back to electrical signals. The FL-8SE then Beam Angle: processes these signals and displays them. If your transducer is not marked, you can determine the beam angle The circular display is accomplished by attaching an LED (Light by the dimensions of the transducer face. Measure the shortest distance Emitting Diode) to a wheel, which is then spun at a high speed in the across the face of the transducer. 19˚ puck and Ice-Ducer transducers mea- clockwise direction. This allows for an extremely high speed update. sure about 1 1/2”. 9º and dual beam transducers will be about 2 1/2” The bottom, as well as other targets, can be displayed as red, orange, or across the face. green to indicate strong, medium and weak signals respectively. The FL-8SE also has patented Interference Rejection (IR) Technology. This lets the user "filter out" unwanted interference from another nearby depth sounder. With two models available, deep and shallow, and a wide variety of accessories to choose from, the Vexilar FL-8SE is a powerful tool for today’s angler. Features and Specifications Subject to Change Without Notice 23 INSTALLATION TRANSDUCER INSTALLATION There are three basic types of transducers to consider: High Speed, To make the FL-8SE work, you must provide the unit with power Puck Style, and the Ice-Ducer System. and mount the transducer in an appropriate location. HIGH SPEED TRANSDUCERS UNIT INSTALLATION When choosing an area to mount the transducer, keep in mind that you need Find a convenient place to clear water flow across the face of the mount the unit. This may include transducer to insure a clear reading at all a boat seat, deck, dash, or a speeds. Try to stay away from rivets, ribs, portable case. Make sure that there or strakes that would be just in front of is plenty of room for the unit to tilt the transducer. They can disturb the and/or swivel freely without the water and scramble the reading. cables binding behind the unit. With the mounting bracket attached to Once you have found a spot, the transducer, hold it up to the boat remove the unit from the gimbal where you are planning to mount it. bracket. Securely attach the brack- Mark the holes on the transom, or et to the mounting surface. mounting plate, so that when the bottom of the transducer is flush with the bot- POWER CONNECTION tom of the boat the holes are located at the bottom of the bracket slots. This gives Plug the flat 3 pin connector into the back of the unit. Find the you room to "fine tune" the position of closest source of 12 volts and run the cord to it. Keep the cord away from the transducer and optimize your sharp metal edges and avoid tight places where the cord may get crushed. Figure E reading after you've put the boat in the Connect the red wire to positive and the black wire to negative or ground. water. Ideally, the transducer should be If the cord provided is not long enough, more can be added. Use 18 gauge just under the bottom of the boat. However, you may need to lower it wire minimum. It is recommended that a 1 amp in-line fuse be placed 1/2” to 5/8” to get a clear reading at top speed. in the positive line as close to the power source as possible to protect Drill out the holes and tighten the bracket to the hull securely. Be sure against any shorts in the wiring. to seal any holes drilled into the transom with silicone to prevent water from leaking into the boat. Give the transducer a slight tilt downward so that the back is about 1/8” lower than the front. Tighten the bracket screws and nuts securely. Run the transducer cord up to the unit. Plug the transducer connector into the back of the unit and screw the retaining ring down snugly 45 PUCK STYLE TRANSDUCERS TROLLING MOTOR MOUNTING There are three ways in which a Puck Style To attach a Puck Style transducer to a trolling transducer can be mounted. It can be mounted motor, use a hose clamp or a large cable tie. Notice the In-Hull, on an electric trolling motor, or portable (with slots in the transducer for this purpose. Locate the a suction cup or on an arm of some type). transducer on the bottom of the lower unit as in figure G. Run the cable up the shaft using cable ties to hold Figure G IN-HULL MOUNTING it in position. Make sure that the movement of the trolling motor will not damage the cable. Plug the transducer connector This method, gluing the transducer to the hull, gets the same results into the back of the unit and screw the retaining ring down snugly. as if you were using the High Speed transducer only there are no holes to drill in the boat and there is no transducer on the transom to get PORTABLE MOUNTING damaged by impact. Finding the best location for the transducer before mounting is Optional suction cup brackets can be used to temporarily attach a critical. Choose a flat smooth spot near the center of the bilge and near transducer to the transom or side of the boat. The cups should be placed the back of the boat. It is a good idea to make a "test run" before you in a location where it will not be torn off when the boat goes high speed. permanently install the transducer to make sure that you can indeed get It is a good idea to tie on a safety rope in case the cup does let go. a reading through your hull, and when the boat is on plane. Put about There are three suction cup brackets available for the FL-8SE. The a half inch of water in the bilge and hold the transducer in the intended BK0023 is made to attach the 19 degree Puck style transducer to a boat location. Move the transducer around until you get the best reading. for use at slow speeds. The BK0044 suction cup brackets is made to attach Mark the spot. the high speed transducers to a boat for high speed uses. See page 26 for To install the transducer clean the spot of mud and oil. Using an details. epoxy or silicone glue make a puddle about the same diameter as the An arm can also be used to hold the transducer. Simply attach the transducer on the hull. Place the transducer in the glue. Press it down transducer to the end of the arm using cable ties or tape. If the arm is firmly, gently twisting it back and forth, making sure that there are no constructed of metal tubing insulate the transducer from the arm by air bubbles in the glue between the transducer and the hull. Let the glue wrapping electrical tape around the arm. This prevents "ringing" which dry completely before turning the unit on. can be displayed as noise near the surface. Run the transducer cord up to the unit taking the same care as you Run the transducer cord up to the unit using cable ties to hold the did when you ran the power cord. Plug the transducer connector into cord in place. Plug the transducer connector into the back of the unit and the back of the unit and screw the retaining ring down snugly. screw the retaining ring down snugly. 67 THE ICE-DUCER™ SYSTEM* OPERATION The Ice-Ducer system provides a quick and easy way to set up the There are three main controls for the FL-8SE.