FL-8SE Operation Manual CONTENTS General Description Specifications Unit Installation Power Connection Transducer Installation Operation Typical Indications Maintenance Operational Questions & Answers Transducer Beam Angle Chart Trouble Shooting Chart Accessories and Other Products Transducers Service and Support 2 3 4 4 5-8 9 - 10 11 - 14 15 16 - 20 21 22 23 - 25 26 - 27 28 Founded in 1960, Vexilar, Inc. has a long history of bringing revolutionary technology to the sport fishing industry.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION SPECIFICATIONS The FL-8SE is a compact and lightweight depth sounder designed for serious anglers. Besides indicating depth, the unit also shows changes in bottom content and conditions. It can also discriminate between large underwater targets, such as fish, and smaller targets such as bait fish and plankton. The unit transmits bursts of high frequency pulses, which are converted from electrical to mechanical energy by the transducer.
INSTALLATION TRANSDUCER INSTALLATION To make the FL-8SE work, you must provide the unit with power and mount the transducer in an appropriate location. There are three basic types of transducers to consider: High Speed, Puck Style, and the Ice-Ducer System. HIGH SPEED TRANSDUCERS UNIT INSTALLATION Find a convenient place to mount the unit. This may include a boat seat, deck, dash, or a portable case.
PUCK STYLE TRANSDUCERS TROLLING MOTOR MOUNTING There are three ways in which a Puck Style transducer can be mounted. It can be mounted In-Hull, on an electric trolling motor, or portable (with a suction cup or on an arm of some type). To attach a Puck Style transducer to a trolling motor, use a hose clamp or a large cable tie. Notice the slots in the transducer for this purpose. Locate the transducer on the bottom of the lower unit as in figure G.
THE ICE-DUCER™ SYSTEM* OPERATION The Ice-Ducer system provides a quick and easy way to set up the transducer for ice fishing. All of the adjustments needed to find the true perpendicular point are done automatically. To use the Ice-Ducer, simply adjust the transducer to the desired depth and drop the assembly in the ice hole. There are three main components to the Ice-Ducer system. They include the transducer, float, and the stop. The transducer comes assembled with the connector already installed.
GAIN CONTROL TYPICAL INDICATIONS The knob located at the top of the control panel is the gain control. This controls the amount of signal that you see on the display. A gain setting of zero will display a minimum amount of signal while a gain setting of ten will show the maximum amount. Different conditions will require different gain settings. Deeper water will require higher gain than shallow water. A weedy bottom will demand a lower gain setting than a clean bottom. Keep the gain level low.
Fig. J ZERO MARK 2ND ECHO SURFACE CLUTTER FL-8SE TRAILING EDGE BAIT FISH OR PLANKTON FISH BOTTOM Fig. K SEEING FISH LEADING EDGE ZERO MARK SURFACE CLUTTER The FL-8SE sees a fish as a target, much like the bottom. It has a leading edge, a width, and color content. Refer, again, to figure J. If the range setting is S x2 then the fish is just over two feet above the bottom. It is a fairly wide target and is made up of all three colors.
HIGH SPEED OPERATION MAINTENANCE The FL-8SE can accurately read depths at almost any boat speed. Here high speed is defined as any speed at or above the planning speed of the boat. Once the boat starts to plane out, turbulence will develop behind the transom. If you have the wrong type of transducer, or it is poorly mounted, the unit will lose the bottom at a certain boat speed. This is due to all of the air bubbles in the turbulent water.
OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS What Color Should Fish Be? Where Should The Gain Control Be Set? For ice fishing - with the FL-8SE being operated with the perpendicular position found, the fish target entering the outside of the cone of sound will appear in green, as it moves towards the bait it will add some orange into the center of the signal, and if the fish continues to the perpendicular line under the transducer, red will be added to the center of the fish target.
How Far Down The Ice Hole Does The Ice-Ducer Have To Be? You need water contact only to get a depth reading. The bottom or the face of the transducer, only, has to make contact with the water in order to get a good transfer of sound waves into the water There are times (usually deep ice - 36" or more) when the transducer needs to be placed at the bottom of the ice. The zero indication of the flasher will be unusually wide, 8 to 10 feet wide.
creates an insulation layer between the metal arm and the plastic housing of the transducer. This insulation layer eliminates any transmission vibrations caused when the unit transmits the signal to the water. What Does the Bottom Light Mean? Besides depth the bottom light can give you a lot of information. The width and color content of the bottom signal can tell you what type of bottom it is. Ice fisherman can look for movement of color in the bottom signal.
TROUBLE SHOOTING CHART Symptom Possible Cause Unit is turned on, but no display and motor is not running. Check for bad connections, proper hook up polarity, and make sure you have a good, fully charged, battery. Unit is turned on and the motor is running, but there is no display. Battery voltage too low. The unit will show no display if the voltage is below 10 volts. Check while unit is running. Unit runs well for a short time, then lights fade out or unit quits. Bad battery or connection.
L-100 Flexible Night Light It simply attaches to the Porta Case or other type of case to get light where it is needed. Just attach with the wing nut provided and hook up the battery clips. Extra bulb is included. S-240 Sun Hood The Sun Hood gives you full screen visibility in even the most extreme sunlight. Inexpensive and easy to take on and off. More Depth Sounders From Vexilar The FL-18 The FL-18 is the first ever flasher to incorporate a split-screen zoom.
Transducers and Accessories TB0044 - 19° Transom Mount High Speed Transducer. Comes with the Mounting Bracket and 25 Feet of Cable. TK184 - Complete Mounting Kit. Comes with TB0084 Transducer, FL Power Cord, Unit Mounting Bracket, and all the Hardware You Need to do the Job Right. TB0084 - 12° Transom Mount High Speed Transducer. Comes with the Mounting Bracket and 25 Feet of Cable. TB0030 - 9° Transom Mount High Speed Transducer. Comes with the Mounting Bracket and 25 Feet of Cable.
Service and Support If you find that you need help please contact us. Have ready the model number and, if possible, the serial number of your product. Be sure to read the Question and Answer and Trouble Shooting sections first. Address Vexilar, Inc. 6667 W Old Shakopee Road Minneapolis, MN, 55438-2622 Telephone (952) 884-5291 (8 am to 5 pm M-F Central Time) Fax (952) 884-5292 Email service@vexilar.com Web Site www.vexilar.
