Vexilar FLX-28 Flasher Instruction Manual

Contents

• How Sonar Works
• Basic Concepts of Vexilar Use
• The Vexilar Display
• Interference Rejection Explained
• Vexilar Ice Fishing
• Seeing Your Lure
• The Ice-Ducer®
• About Transducers
• Dead Zone
• Boat Use
• Fishing Vegetation
• Features & Specifications
• FLX-28™ Operation
• SLA Battery Charging
• Vexilar Lithium Charging
• Battery Warranties
• DD-100 Digital Depth Indicator
• Storage & Prevention Tips
• General Troubleshooting
• Electrical Interference Troubleshooting
• Vexilar Support
• Warranty Information

How Sonar Works

SONAR stands for SOund NAvigation and Ranging. Sound travels through fresh water at a speed of approximately 4,920 feet per second. A sonar device (depth finder/fish-finder) measures the amount of time a burst of energy takes to travel to the bottom and return to the transducer. This time variation is then displayed on the readout of your sonar. When the depth gets deeper, the time of travel for the sound increases. The burst of energy, known as the transmit pulse, is generated by the sonar's transmit circuitry. This burst is delivered to the water via the transducer. The return signal, known as the echo, is received by the receiver circuit, also via the transducer. A central processing unit makes the calculations to determine the depth and signal strength of the bottom and other targets.

The sonar signal sent from the transducer will reflect, or bounce off of any object that has a different density than water. This makes it possible to detect not only the lake bottom, but also vegetation and fish.

How Flashers Work

The sonar portion of a flasher works in the same manner as any other graph or LCD sonar device. The difference is in how the return signal is displayed. Instead of adding the data to a progressive representation of the bottom to construct a history, the data on the flasher display always represents the current point in time, also known as "real time." The display consists of a wheel with indicator lights mounted in one location. The wheel is spun at high speed and the lights turn on and off rapidly to show the sonar readings.

The Vexilar Advantage

Vexilar's sonar design offers an optimal balance between the power of the transmitted pulse and the sensitivity of the receiver circuit. Excessive power has been shown to cause premature transducer failure, distortion of the sonar signal, and possibly spook fish from the audible noise they hear. Vexilar provides a balanced performance level for a wide range of fishing scenarios.

Basic Concepts of Vexilar Use

Vexilar FL/FLX series color flashers are great tools for open water and ice fishing. Once you learn to understand the basic concepts and meaning of the color display, you can apply this knowledge to greatly increase your fishing success. All the FL/FLX Series flashers can be used for:

• Determining the current depth at any boat speed.
• Locating fish-holding underwater structure.
• Determining the bottom hardness and transition lines.
• Penetrating thick vegetation to see what's below.
• Finding fish and the bait they feed on.
• Watching your bait and the fish around it.

Range Control

Depth Range determines the maximum depth of water in which the flasher can see the bottom. For example, the shallowest range available on the FL-18 is 0 to 20 feet. This means that if the water depth is between zero and 20 feet, the bottom will be displayed on the screen. If the water depth gets deeper than 20 feet, you will need to select a deeper depth range in order to see the bottom. It is usually best to select the shallowest depth range possible to see the bottom. This allows the water column below to be represented by the greatest amount of display screen area. This offers the highest resolution and makes things bigger and easier to see.

Gain Control

Gain controls the amount of amplification applied to the return sonar signal. Think of gain as your volume control. You turn up the gain to see more of what's below. You turn down the gain to see less of what you don't want to see. The goal is to find a gain level that shows you as much real information as possible without displaying stray signals of clutter and interference. Keep the gain setting as low as possible for best overall performance.

Gain can sometimes affect the total area of coverage below you. As you increase the gain level, you can see things farther away from the transducer. This can be helpful when looking for suspended fish, but only turn it up temporarily as the signal distorts your targets into big blobs of color. Unfortunately, a high gain setting won't work in weedy areas either, because the objects in the center of the cone will get amplified and overlap anything on the outside, making these objects impossible to distinguish.

Interference Rejection

This feature rejects sonar interference generated by other nearby depth sounders. Interference Rejection, or IR, comes on automatically when you turn the flasher on, and you can adjust it further if needed (see the Interference Rejection Explained section).

The Vexilar Display

Each FL/FLX series flasher display consists of multiple colors (marks) which appear at various positions on the screen. Understanding what the colors mean, and the position and size of the colored marks, is the key to being able to interpret the information correctly.

• RED = Strong Strength Signals. Strong signals are generally produced by significant underwater objects such as the bottom, heavy vegetation and large fish. However, smaller objects, such as bait fish, can display as red if the object is directly under the transducer.
• YELLOW = Medium Strength Signals. Medium signals are produced by smaller objects and softer bottom types. Also, medium strength signals can be produced by larger objects in the immediate area around, but not directly under, the transducer.
• GREEN = Weak Strength Signals. Weak signals are produced by small objects, such as light vegetation, bait fish, and even air bubbles or aquatic micro marine life. Larger objects off to the sides of the transducer can also be displayed as green.

Understanding the Display Marks

• Zero mark: The Zero mark always shows, even if the transducer is unplugged. This mark indicates the starting point.
• Marks just beyond the Zero mark can indicate algae, floating vegetation, or even "ice noise" caused by thick ice conditions.
• Reading direction: You read the display in the clockwise direction. The farther around you go, the deeper the water.
• Bottom is generally the most prominent mark on the display. Bottom usually starts with a wide band of red, with orange and green trailing.
• Read depth here: The current depth is indicated by the leading edge of the bottom mark.
• Fish, bait fish, and even your lure will show anywhere between the Zero mark and the Bottom mark.
• Marks beyond the bottom mark can indicate either hard objects within a soft bottom or large objects well off to the side.

Interference Rejection Explained

The purpose of interference rejection is to reduce cross-talk interference from other nearby depth sounders. This can be very helpful if you have another sounder mounted on your boat running at the same frequency as your flasher. It is also helpful when nearby anglers are running sounders operating at the same frequency as your flasher.

Cross-talk interference occurs when the signals sent from one depth sounder are received by another. If the two sounders' frequencies are the same, each unit is unable to differentiate between its own signals and others. What you see as interference is actually the signals of the other sounder displayed on your screen. The signals can circle around the display or remain stable. Beware of the stationary interference signals. They can lead you to believe the depth is different than it is, or that there's a fish hanging below you which isn't really there.

Usually, when you see interference on one sounder, the other sounder will show it too. Therefore, when you use your Interference Rejection to reduce or eliminate the interference on your display, the other sounder will see a similar reduction. This means you can use your Vexilar flasher next to another sounder which does not have the IR feature and both sounders can run more clearly.

If two Vexilar units are operating together, you will get the best results by leaving the IR setting at one level on one unit, while adjusting out the interference displayed on both units using the second unit's IR feature.

Vexilar Ice Fishing

The Vexilar FL & FLX series color flashers offer distinct advantages over LCD depth sounders for the sport of ice fishing. This unique style of fishing offers a stable platform on which to fish. Because everything is so stable, the only movements below are that of fish.

Additionally, this position allows you to drop your bait directly down into the center of the transducer's cone of sound. This allows you to observe your bait and the fish on the display simultaneously. You can tease the fish and see his reaction in real time.

With practice, you will soon be able to judge for yourself both fish species as well as the mood of the fish, and whether your lure presentation is working or not.

Seeing Your Lure

The key to ice fishing success when using a Vexilar ice fishing system is the ability to see your fishing lure and its relationship to the bottom, structure, and fish. Ice fishing with a Vexilar allows you to present your lure to the fish. You see the fish on the display, and you raise your lure so it is right above the fish on the display. If the fish is hungry, it will bite. If not, it will react in some way to your presentation, such as with disinterest or fear. You can see this reaction on the flasher display and adjust your tactics accordingly.

Setting the gain level correctly is important to be able to understand what's going on below you. Use the lure's appearance as your reference for adjusting the Gain Control. Set it so your lure appears as a green signal. Because the fish are much larger than your bait, they will appear as stronger signals. Be prepared to readjust the Gain Control up and down often, as small position changes and the condition of any bait attached will affect the strength of your lure's signal.

Typical Ice Fishing View

This illustrates a typical panfish fishing view. As you lower your lure, you see it going down on the display while the curious fish rise to see what it is. When the two signal lines meet, it is time to be ready for a strike.

• Lure: With the Gain Control set properly, your lure will appear as a weak signal. You want it to appear small next to the fish which are much larger.
• Bottom Fish: Several fish are holding near the bottom. The thin green line right on the bottom may be a fish just up off the bottom, as the others are, but some distance to the side.
• Fish: A pair of fish are rising to your lure as it is lowered. This is a good sign, as competition can make fish more aggressive.

The Ice-Ducer®

Vexilar ice fishing systems include a special type of transducer patented by Vexilar in 1997 called the Ice-Ducer®. This transducer style is designed specifically for the ice fishing application. The Ice-Ducer® works off the "plumb-bob" theory. When suspended by the cable, the transducer cone is perfectly aligned to point straight down.

• Stopper — The stopper sets the depth of the transducer. It's adjustable so you can set the depth according to your preference or conditions. Generally, you want to set it so the bottom of the transducer is even with the bottom of the ice.
• Float — The float suspends the transducer in the ice hole. You can also use the eye-bolt included with the Vexilar ice fishing system to suspend the transducer. This can often be the best choice for early ice conditions.
• Cable — Ice-Ducer® cable is specifically designed to stay flexible in cold temperatures. This flexible cable will be more prone to be cut by your line or damaged if not stored correctly. It's a key part of the Ice-Ducer® system.
• Transducer — The transducer is designed to allow a perfectly downward alignment while suspended and be able to endure the severe conditions encountered in the ice fishing environment. Different cone angles are available to match your fishing needs: 9° Pro-View, 12°, 19° and Broad Band (FLX-30bb only). Transducer sizes will vary.

About Transducers

Cone of Sound

The cone of sound is the area the sound waves cover as they are emitted from the transducer. Generally, this area is thought of as a three-dimensional cone, such as an upside-down ice cream cone. Actually, the cone of sound is not so precisely defined. It is an irregular shape with edges that taper rather than end abruptly. Additionally, the cone of sound will vary slightly from transducer to transducer.

Most objects are visible inside the theoretical cone, but you can also see objects outside the theoretical angle yet within the side and main lobes. These objects must be large enough to sufficiently reflect the sonar signal. Some of these objects can be things like the face of a sharp dropping bottom, a large rock, or even a good size fish or tight group of smaller fish.

• Side Lobe: Not all of the sound waves come out of the transducer's bottom. Some sound comes out the sides and even the top.
• Main Lobe: The main lobe is where most of the sound waves go. They extend out in all directions, some sides more than others.
• Theoretical Cone Angle: The theoretical cone angle is what the transducer's specification defines. This is the area where the intensity of the sound waves drop to a specific point (-6dB).

Dead Zone

Beam angle has a large effect on the performance of your flasher. There is more to it than simply area of coverage. The correct beam angle to use depends entirely on your application. If you are fishing for suspended fish then you would be pleased with the performance of the 19° cone. However, if you were going after fish that are holding right on the bottom along a steep drop-off, you would have better results with the 9°. This is because of something called dead zone. Dead zone is an area within the transducer's cone of sound that is blind to you. The wider the beam angle, the greater the possible dead zone. The sonar will mark bottom as the nearest distance it sees. If you are fishing over a slope, it may see the high side of the slope, at the edge of the cone, and mark that as bottom. The fish that are holding on the bottom on the low side of the slope will be invisible to you because they are actually within the bottom signal on your depth finder. A narrower beam angle will reduce this effect.

Cone Angle vs. Diameter of Coverage

Output Power

Your depth finder puts out a constant amount of power, or sound energy. It does not matter where you have the gain level set. Gain simply controls how much you amplify the signal that is returned from below. Therefore, a narrow beam transducer will appear to be much more powerful than a wide beam transducer. This is because you are putting the same amount of power into a smaller area. This can be an advantage if you are fishing in deep water or a detriment if you are fishing in shallow water. A narrow beam transducer can be overpowering in shallow water. The use of the LP (Low Power) Mode on your flasher, or the optional S-Cable, will solve this problem.

Boat Use

Navigation

The Vexilar flashers are great tools for navigation while boating. The instantaneous readings offer the ability to identify depth changes quickly. Here are some tips to help you navigate safely.

Bottom Content: Hard & Soft Bottom

Soft Bottom

Hard Bottom

The Vexilar flashers are also great tools for determining bottom content changes. The colors allow you to easily see when the bottom changes from one type to another.

• Hard bottoms will generally appear as a narrow band with color content of mostly red and orange.
• Soft bottoms will appear as a wide band with more orange and green than red.

Fishing Vegetation

The Vexilar flashers are exceptional when it comes to reading inside vegetation. With proper transducer choice, the colors will allow you to differentiate vegetation from the bottom. Experience will even allow you to identify fish inside heavy vegetation.

Tips for Reading in Vegetation

• Narrow transducer cone angles will perform better than wide cone angles.
• Keep the gain setting very low. Too much gain will make readings difficult.
• Move a boat slowly so you can identify openings that may hold fish.

Display notes:

• Bottom: Bottom will always be the largest group of red and orange signals.
• Canopy: Vegetation has grown up to a certain point. In deeper water (beyond several feet) this is known as the canopy. It's where the tops of the vegetation spread out.
• Possible Fish: A red target could indicate a clump of vegetation, but it could also indicate a fish just under the canopy.
• Orange within the green generally indicates thicker sections of the vegetation. It warrants watching, as it could also indicate a fish on the outer edge of your cone.

Features & Specifications

FLX-28™ Operation

Features, performance and ease of use make fishing with the highly advanced, yet very user-friendly FLX-28 a pure joy. Based on Vexilar's exclusive brushless data transfer technology, the FLX-28 delivers the industry's finest display. The sunlight-readable display offers five different color palettes and shows digital depth. The magic of the FLX-28 is the auto feature. Simply place the Ice-Ducer transducer in the water, turn the system on and start fishing! The unit automatically selects the proper interference rejection and depth range to give you maximum display resolution down to 300 feet. The FLX-28 is packed with additional features such as Weed Mode, Night Mode and Auto Zoom that make it one of the most popular sonar systems on the ice today.

Setting the Range

The FLX-28 is equipped with a digital depth readout on the inner display dial. "AUTO" stands for "Auto Range." You can also select ranges manually.

The "AUTO" setting automatically selects the correct depth range to maximize the display area. The shallowest range in the Auto setting is 0–10 feet. If you are fishing only 8 feet of water, in the "AUTO" Mode setting the entire dial of the display will be dedicated to 10 feet and less. To override the AUTO feature, simply change the Range Control to the desired depth setting. The digital display on the inner dial of your Vexilar unit will display the current depth and also the current range setting. For example, the display will read: Depth "17Ft R-20" (for Depth Range = 20 feet).

Auto Range Operation

As the name implies, Auto Range automatically selects the proper range for you. However, it is not infallible. It is possible to confuse the "Auto Range" operation when fishing over very soft lake bottoms or during conditions of thick ice. The software cannot find a bottom point in the return signal strong enough to trigger a lock. For this reason, there is a three second delay beginning when you put the transducer in the water before the unit attempts to lock. This gives the software time to process the signal to best determine the true bottom point.

When soft bottom conditions exist, you may need to turn up the gain initially to help the program find bottom. Then turn the gain back down when fishing. If you find the Auto setting cannot lock on bottom, the range setting will default to the 300' range. At this point, switch to a Manual Range option.

Low Power Option

The Low Power Mode is designed to clean up a cluttered and busy display when fishing in shallow water. The rule for using the Low Power Mode setting is this: if you turn down the gain as low as it can go in Normal Mode, and yet the signal is still too strong to get a good clean reading, switch to the Low Power Mode. Activating the LP Mode will greatly reduce the output power of your unit.

In LP Mode you should expect the lure, fish and weeds to disappear when the gain is at or near zero. You will now need to turn up the gain to fine-tune the display. You do not want to be in LP all the time since it will make finding a lure or fish in deeper water nearly impossible. Only use this mode when needed. Also, when trying to fish in deeper water you will need to turn up the gain, but if too high, interference from other sonar systems can make it impossible to fish.

Remember the golden rule for Gain Control: turn the gain down until the bait appears as a weak signal. If the gain is at minimum, but the bait is still a medium or strong signal, switch to LP Mode.

FLX-28 — Auto Zoom

• THE RIGHT HALF represents the entire water column from the transducer to the bottom.
• THE LEFT HALF represents the zoom view from the bottom up to 6 or 12 feet. Read the distance from the bottom up using the green depth markers.

The zoom scale reads in the opposite direction as the full view scale. The bottom will always be at the 7 o'clock position. Objects will appear above this point. You can only see objects as far off the bottom as the zoom setting permits, which is 6 or 12 feet. Objects above this level will only appear on the right side, which shows the entire water column.

Multi-Layer Display

The FLX-28 incorporates a three-layer LED, spinning wheel display. The outer color display layer is like our standard three-color Vexilar flasher display. However, with data transfer technology, we can offer more color palettes.

The inner layer on the display shows a green marker for every foot of depth. This makes it easy to position your bait one or two feet off the bottom without guessing. As you change depth ranges, the green markers will correspond to the depth changes as shown in the table below.

The third inner layer of the display will be in red and indicates the current Digital Depth and Range settings. This area is also used to display battery levels, IR setting levels and Mode settings.

Color Select

The FLX-28 includes five optional color palettes from which to choose. Set the Mode Control to the CS position, then press in on the Gain Control to cycle through the available palettes.

Weed Mode

The Weed Mode option can be used in any situation where you want to sharpen individual target separation. Most often this occurs in thick weeds where you want to avoid seeing the weed stalks as blobs so you can see the lure moving inside a tall weed bed. It also is helpful when you are fishing in schools of panfish or balls of shad.

To activate this feature, you need to be in the Normal Mode setting with the gain set to zero. Turn the unit ON while holding down the Gain Control. Once turned on, all features of your FLX-28 will work normally, but you will notice the signals on the display are slightly weaker. You may need to increase the gain level. It's possible to use Weed Mode when you're in the Low Power Mode. However, you still need to go through the Weed Mode process first.

From a technical standpoint, the unit sends a shorter transmit burst in Weed Mode which requires more sensitivity from the receiver. This is why you need to turn up the gain. The limitations of this technology make it suitable for use in 30 feet of water or less and in an area where sonar from other anglers is not present since the higher gain setting will be more sensitive to interference. When you turn the unit off, it will reset back to Normal Mode.

LP Mode & Open Water Use

In Low Power Mode accurate digital depth readings cannot be maintained, so the Digital Depth display is disabled. Additionally, Auto Ranging may be inconsistent. Because the Auto Range technology was designed specifically for an ice fishing environment, it is recommended to use Manual Range settings for open water use.

Note that while in a Manual Range setting, the digital depth readout will only display up to 50 feet. If you lose the digital depth reading of bottom in an area known to be less than 50 feet deep, or the digital depth reading does not seem to match the flasher signal, these factors may come into play:

1. Very soft bottom
2. Too many fish (depth readings will jump to the fish and back to bottom as fish pass)
3. Too much vegetation
4. Actual depth may be deeper than the current range selected (shift to 50 foot manual range)

Auto Zoom Modes

Selecting AZ Mode splits the display in half and dedicates the right side to the entire water column and the left side to just the bottom six feet of the water column. If you are a perch angler fishing in 40 feet of water, you can zoom in on the bottom six feet of the water column to greatly increase your visibility in this zone. Similarly, the AZ x2 Mode zooms in on the bottom 12 feet of the water column.

Battery Voltage Display

Each time you turn the FLX-28 unit on, it will flash the voltage of your battery on the digital display for three seconds. The FLX-28 can work on any 12 volt power supply. If the unit displays "LOW-BATT," then the battery is down to only 10.6 volts. At 8.0 volts, the "LOW-BATT" warnings will start to blink on and off which indicates the unit is about to shut down. At 6.5 volts the entire display will blink on and off and then shut down completely. Be sure to charge your battery to full capacity to avoid down time fishing without your Vexilar unit.

SLA Battery Voltages

Night Mode

Night fishing in the winter months is very popular. Many find that the display of the FLX-28 is uncomfortably bright at night. Simply press in and hold the Gain Control for three seconds. The brightness of the unit will be reduced by 50%.

Demo Mode

Here is a fun feature that the FLX-28 offers to those dreaming about ice fishing during the off season, or to be used when coaching a friend on what to expect when they go fishing with a Vexilar unit. The Demo Mode runs a simulation program that shows what a bottom signal looks like in Normal Mode setting. It also shows a fish target near the bottom and demonstrates a lure being lowered as the lure's signal moves clockwise around the dial. As the lure nears six feet from the bottom, the unit shifts to AZ Mode display which zooms in on the bottom six feet of the water column. The lure and the fish appear much larger in the AZ Mode on the left half of the display. The simulation stops the lure signal just above the fish target and jigs it up and down to trigger the fish to strike. The fish signal rises to the bait signal indicating the point at which the angler should be ready to hook the fish. This demo shows just what fishing with a Vexilar flasher is like in practice!

To activate Demo Mode, turn on the unit and select "D" on the Mode switch. All other controls will be deactivated at this point. When the Demo Mode program simulation finishes a cycle, it will automatically start again in a different color palette. From this you can determine what color display option you like best before you get on the ice.

Deep Mode

To activate/de-activate the manual deep ranges on the FLX-28:

1. Turn the unit off
2. Set the mode switch to Demo
3. Turn the gain to 1
4. Press and hold the gain button while turning the unit on

Once set to Deep mode your manual depth ranges will be 40', 80', 120', 160' and 300'. All other functions will remain the same while in Deep mode. These ranges will be saved when the unit is turned off.

SLA Battery Charging (Sealed Lead Acid)

Instructions for 1 Amp Digital Automatic Charger (model V-410):

1. Allow the battery to warm up before charging. This makes it easier for the charger to charge the battery and the battery is more accepting of a charge.
2. Plug the charger into a wall outlet, verify that it is operating by noting the illuminated green light.
3. Connect the charger to the Easy Charge Jack attached to the unit. The charger's light will switch to red, indicating that it is connected correctly and the battery is charging.
4. Keep the charger plugged in and connected until the red light has changed to green. This indicates the battery is at full charge.
5. Unplug the charger from the wall outlet and disconnect from the battery.
6. When your red light is flashing it signals reverse polarity.

Charging times will vary depending on how much the battery has been drained. If the battery has been completely drained (approx. 24 to 30 hrs. of use on a 9 amp battery) the battery will require about nine hours of charging.

There is no need to disconnect the flasher when charging, although it should be switched off. Also, make sure the battery has a full charge and is disconnected, and that all power is switched off before putting it away for storage.

Charger Troubleshooting

A flashing red light indicates that the battery is connected in reverse. Check to be sure the red wire is attached to the positive battery terminal and the black wire is connected to the negative.

If the light never turns red and all connections are good, this indicates that the battery is not accepting a charge. Leave the charger connected so voltage will be applied. Later, unplug the charger, wait one minute, then plug it back in. If the light does not change to red to show the battery has accepted a charge, the battery will need to be replaced.

SLA Battery Maintenance

Keeping the Sealed Lead Acid battery in top condition is the key to your Vexilar system's reliability.

Common Problems

• Battery gets hot: A battery that gets hot while charging has become "resistive." Current passes through it, but the battery will not charge. The battery must be replaced.
• Battery recharges for a short time, even when discharged: This means the battery is not accepting a charge. The capacity of the battery has been diminished. The battery should be replaced.
• Battery will not charge: If you connect a room-temperature battery and the charger will not start, the battery may be over-discharged. When this happens, the charger does not even recognize it has been connected to terminals. Leave the charger connected to see if the battery will recover. If it will not accept a charge within 24 hours, the battery should be replaced.

Vexilar Lithium Charging

Care and Maintenance

The power supply options for fishing are changing rapidly. Now anglers can use the traditional SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) battery for their Vexilar system or the next generation of battery, Vexilar Lithium. As with all batteries, its maintenance is the key to years of reliable use. Understand that not all lithium batteries are the same. The Vexilar Lithium battery has been specifically designed to work with the V-410 SLA charger with some limitations. Also, please do not attempt to use a Vexilar V-410 charger on other brands of lithium battery and assume the charger will properly charge a non Vexilar battery. Learn more about Lithium battery charging at vexilar.com

Vexilar Lithium Do's

• Recharge the battery after every use even if the battery status indicator says the charge is at 100%.
• Disconnect the charger as soon as the charge is complete.
• Charge the battery only when it is warm.
• Unlike the optional V-420L, the standard V-410 / V-420 chargers are not rapid chargers, expect to charge your battery over-night after each fishing trip. Twelve hours of charging may be required after a long weekend of fishing.
• It is okay to store the battery over the summer at 30–50% of capacity.

Instructions for 1 Amp Digital Automatic Charger

1. Plug in charger to a standard wall outlet (AC 100-240 volts) Foreign adapter may be required.
2. A Green light will show you have power and ready to charge.
3. Connect red clip to positive (Red) battery terminal and the Black clip to the Negative terminal.
4. The Green Light will turn red and stay red until the charge cycle is complete.
5. The Green light indicates the battery is fully charged. Remove the charger.
6. When your red light is flashing it signals cold battery or reverse polarity. Remove charger connection and investigate the issue.

IMPORTANT: Charge the battery fully before first use.

NOTE - The V-420 charger can also be used to charge Vexilar SLA batteries. Please see the specific charging instructions at Vexilar.com

Vexilar Lithium Don'ts

• Do not keep the charger connected to the battery after the charge is complete (light is green).
• Never attempt to charge when the battery is cold.
• A sudden drop is bad news! The battery contains a specialized circuit called the BMS. If this circuit is damaged, the battery will go dead to protect itself. This is not repairable, and the battery will need to be replaced.
• Never puncture or expose to 150 or more degrees F.
• Never submerge the battery. It is water-resistant, but if submerged, it will fail and cannot be repaired. This type of accident is not covered under warranty.
• Do not use any brand of charger other than Vexilar to charge this battery.
• The Vexilar Lithium battery was designed to be charged with the Vexilar V-420 or V-420L charger. Do not attempt to charge other brands of lithium batteries with Vexilar chargers.
• DO NOT remove the fuse holder or use a fuse larger than 10 Amps. Additional fuse holders may be purchased directly: FH1000

Battery Warranty

Vexilar Lithium & Max Lithium Warranty

The Vexilar Lithium batteries have a full replacement warranty, two years from date of purchase. The battery must not have been submerged, damaged or improperly charged.

All costs do not include shipping.

FH1000 Fuse Holder

Mounted on the positive terminal of your battery is a fuse holder and fuse. Vexilar knows your battery can cause fires if a dead short happens, so we have taken the added safety precaution to include this fuse holder with a 3 amp fuse for your battery.

Fuse Holder Notes

• It comes standard with a 3 amp automotive fuse, but you can put in a size fuse from 1 amp to 10 amps.
• If your sonar system does not power-up, check to see if fuse or fuse holder is loose.
• If your sonar system does not power-up, inspect the fuse itself, if the wire inside the fuse is burnt, the fuse must be replaced
• YES your Vexilar can run without the fuse holder by connecting directly to the battery, but please use it whenever possible for safety purposes.
• If for some reason you've lost your fuse holder or would like to put them on all your Vexilar systems, they are available directly at vexilar.com, order number: FH1000

Storage & Prevention Tips

• Store in cool dry area. Do not store in a sealed container like a bucket or Soft Pack, trapping moisture.
• Be sure an SLA battery is fully charged before storage and re-charged every 45 days. Vexilar Lithium batteries do not need to be fully charged when stored and can be stored for up to a year without issues. Ideally they should be stored at 50 to 80% capacity
• Clean the flasher body and screen with a soft cloth and a mild detergent. Do not submerge in water or other liquids.
• Do not expose the body or display to chemicals such as fish attractant or insect repellent. Damage to the surfaces can occur.
• Do not submerge the body in water or subject it to heavy wave splashing. The flasher housing is weather-proof for most conditions, but is not waterproof. Water damage is not covered under the warranty.

General Troubleshooting

Electrical Interference Troubleshooting

There may be situations where you experience interference from other electrical devices, not just from another nearby depth sounder. This interference will show on the display as random signals and interfere with your ability to see normal display signals. The most common sources of interference are electric trolling motors and engine ignitions systems. Your flasher's IR feature won't help much, as this is designed for cross-talk, but here are some tips that might.

Sources

Interference can be introduced into your sonar system through the power supply, transducer line or both. To identify the source, unplug the transducer and run the trolling motor or the engine. If the interference disappears, you know the noise is coming in through the transducer line. If not, it's coming through the power line or both.

Wiring

Power line interference can generally be solved by improvements in the wiring positions, connections and grounding. You want to be sure the sonar wiring is as far away as possible from the trolling motor wiring and that the wiring is neat. Make cable runs as short as possible and neatly coil extra wire and tie it off so it stays put in rough water or while pulling the boat. All electrical connections should be in very good condition. Push-on terminals should be tight. Wire crimp connections should not come free when pulled firmly. Conductors should be shiny, not dull or corroded.

Grounding

The boat's electrical system should have a common "Earth" ground to the water. In most boats, the electrical system is grounded through the outboard to the water. Many times an electric trolling motor interference problem can be solved by a "ground" wire from the negative trolling motor power source to the negative of the starting battery.

Equipment

Electric trolling motors and gas engines can have technical problems that can cause interference. If common wiring improvements do not solve the problem, be sure to check with the manufacturer to see if there are any recommendations or updates available regarding interference with depth sounders.

Vexilar Support

If you find that you need help, please contact us. Have the model number of your product ready and, if possible, the serial number. Please be sure to read this manual thoroughly and check vexilar.com for answers first.

Address:
Vexilar, LLC
6667 West Old Shakopee Road, Suite 101
Minneapolis, MN 55438-2622

Telephone: (952) 884-5291
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Warranty Information

This VEXILAR product is warranted against factory defects in material and workmanship for a period of 2 years from the date of purchase or receipt as a gift*. During the warranty period, VEXILAR will repair or at its option, replace at no cost to you for labor, materials or return transportation provided the unit is returned, shipped prepaid to Vexilar, LLC, 6667 West Old Shakopee Road, Suite 101, Minneapolis, MN 55438-2622. This warranty does not apply if the product has been damaged by accident or misuse, or as a result of service or modification by other than the factory. If a replacement is given, the original warranty period shall resume upon date of receipt.

Except as otherwise expressly stated in this previous paragraph, the COMPANY MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, AS TO MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR ANY OTHER MATTER WITH RESPECT TO THIS PRODUCT. Company shall not be liable for, and purchaser assumes responsibility for, all personal injury and property damage resulting from the handling, possession or use of the product by Purchaser or others who obtain it through purchaser.

* A sales receipt with date of purchase may be requested before service work is done under warranty if no warranty registration information is on file. A serial number or UPC code on the box cannot be used to establish date of purchase.

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Failure to disconnect battery terminals or to turn off your master power switch when not in use will drain the battery to the point it can never be used again.
This is not covered by warranty.

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