VEXILAR FISH SCOUT
UNDERWATER CAMERA SYSTEM
OWNER’S MANUAL
Contents
Vexilar — Pioneers in Marine Electronics |
2 |
Introduction |
3 |
Fish Scout Features |
4 |
About Your Fish Scout |
5 |
Fish Scout Camera |
6 |
Camera Mounting Options |
7 |
Battery and Charge Indicator Location |
8 |
Battery Charging Instructions |
9 |
Soft Pack Features |
10 -11 |
Fish Scout Operation |
12 - 15 |
Fish Scout Camera LED Lighting |
16 |
DTD Operation |
16 |
Calibrating Your DTD Display |
17 |
Ice Fishing & Open Water Use |
18 |
D-130 Battery Status Indicator |
20 |
Fish Scout Care & Specifications |
21 |
Vexilar Accessories |
22 - 23 |
Trouble Shooting |
24 |
Contact Vexilar & Warranty Information |
25 |
Fish Scout Configurations
The Vexilar Fish Scout underwater camera and monitor system is offered in two basic configurations:
•Fish Scout Standard (#FS800 & FS2000DT)
Includes camera, 7” color monitor, and carrying case with soft pack
•Fish Scout Double Vision Underwater Camera And Monitor
Includes color camera, 7” color monitor and carrying case with soft pack. The Double Vision case allows you to attach any FL series flasher above the camera, giving you the ultimate view of what’s below.
•DTD Option: This is a camera only feature that adapts to any Fish Scout Monitor to display depth, temperature and direction. It is available on all Fish Scout systems. Only the gray/black camera housing with the DTD decal is capable of showing Depth, Temperature and Direction. Also, a camera control box is required to fit between the end of the camera cable and the monitor input.
MNL011C RV2
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VEXILAR — PIONEERS IN MARINE ELECTRONICS
Established in 1960, Vexilar, Inc. has been a leading innovator of marine electronics in the sport fishing industry for over 50 years. Some of their innovations include:
•The first straight-line paper graph for sportfishing (model 155)
•The first CRT (television) display (model 660)
•The first color display (model DE-12)
•The first fish alarm (model 120-SOS)
•The first Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) (model 480)
•The first self-leveling ice fishing transducer design (Ice-Ducer)
•The first split-screen zoom flasher (model FL-18)
•The first shoot-through-aluminum transducer design (AlumaDucer)
•The first Tri-Beam ice fishing transducer (Ice-Ducer)
•The first wi-fi sonar system (SonarPhone)
The FL series three-color flashers continue to lead the way in real-time high definition flasher performance. Quality products backed by great customer service is the bedrock of Vexilar, Inc. The Fish Scout Underwater Camera systems continue this great tradition.
A Long History of Vexilar Products
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INTRODUCTION
Fish Scout
Fish Scout
Double Vision
Congratulations, and thank you for purchasing a Fish Scout, Fish Scout Double Vision, Fish Scout Double Vision without sonar or one of our Fish Scout systems with DTD (Depth, Temperature and Direction). All Fish Scout systems are basically the same in operation, so this Owner’s Manual will cover all current Fish Scout camera systems. For care and operation of your Vexilar FL Flasher system on your Double Vision system, please review the Vexilar FL flasher series Owner’s Manual. For this manual, we will be referring to both the Fish Scout Underwater Viewing Systems and the Fish Scout Double Vision Underwater Camera Systems as “Fish Scout” and will highlight items that relate to the DTD systems.
Vexilar has incorporated cutting edge technology in producing the most advanced and versatile underwater viewing systems possible. Your new Fish Scout monitor and camera can be used to view underwater structure, view bottom composition, watch fish and see how fish react to your lure presentation. You can even discover sunken treasures or just inspect the bottom of your boat. Vexilar’s mission is to create a tough and reliable product you can enjoy for years. The Fish Scout Color Underwater Camera will be fun to use in both open water and on the ice when safe conditions permit. Underwater viewing is a great educational tool for young and old to experience the underwater world without getting wet.
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FISH SCOUT FEATURES
•FS2000DT: Sony 1⁄4” CCD Super HAD 90 degree camera performs like two separate camera systems in one. You will receive a high definition color image when light conditions permit or it automatically shifts to black and white mode if you are in low light conditions.
•FS800: CMOS7959 (color) 90 degree camera. It too will automatically shift to the black and white mode if in low light conditions.
•7“ High resolution LCD monitor equipped with thermostatically controlled heater that engages at –4°F to enhance your viewing experience in extremely cold conditions. This monitor also has a built-in light contrast sensor to automatically brighten or dim the display as the light conditions change. Newer monitors may also have a battery status display option.
•Tri-light lighting camera system not only gives you two variable power super bright LED white lights for night viewing, but also side and directional internal lights so you can easily see the direction the camera is pointed in the dark.
•Cable: 80 feet (FS2000DT) / 50 feet (FS800) Super thin, high strength, camera cable with depth marking. You will find the cable is easy to wind and easy to keep from tangling. The buckle on the handle allows you to clip the cable wrap to your Fish Scout’s soft pack carrying case.
•The camera is designed to be used effectively in many ways: Resting on the bottom, hanging at a 90 degree angle down to 80 feet, Down-View option for looking straight downward, trolling where you can use of the optional tail fin and the use of a rigid arm to suspend the camera at any angle. The Vexilar camera housing has a special DOUBLE chamber system, so the outer protective shell DOES take-on water for better balance and smaller profile and the inner lexan camera chamber is 100% water proof.
•Easy touch keypad control panel automatically lights up in low light.
•On screen monitor adjustments by using menu keys.
•Video output jack. (connects to any camcorder that has a AV-IN port)
•Waterproof and weatherproof cable connections.
•Padded soft pack carrying case with cable and camera pouch.
•Super strong ABS molded internal frame holds the battery with an easy-charge jack and a battery status indicator along with a Master Power Switch.
•9 amp hour, 12v rechargeable battery with 1-amp V-410 Vexilar digital charger.
•Low power consumption allows you to view for over 10 hours on a full charge, and over 8 hours using the Double Vision system.
•2-Year limited warranty. Battery warranty is pro-rated.
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ABOUT YOUR FISH SCOUT
The Monitor
The Fish Scout features a high resolution 1414 by 234, 7 inch LCD with two viewing options, a 16:9 wide screen monitor display or the more traditional 4:3 perspective for close-up viewing. Your Fish Scout gives you a bright, sharp and clear view under most conditions, but if the water is stained, dirty or has a lot of suspended materials, the viewing WILL BE limited. The daylight viewable display should not require
a sun shield for most outdoor viewing. When viewing outdoors, the brightness can be increased or decreased to improve your viewing experience manually, but your Fish Scout system is equipped with an internal light sensor that will automatically adjust your display for ideal viewing. You will find that the best visibility will always be achieved when you turn the display away from direct sunlight. Light conditions under water will dictate if you see your image as color or black and white. The system automatically shifts from color in good light conditions to black and white display, this is the normal operation of the system to maximize your display contrast.
The ultra-thin monitor housing is sealed with a rubber gasket and all plug-in connections are potted to protect the internal electronics from the harsh elements. The Fish Scout may be used in the outdoor elements under most conditions, but cannot be submerged underwater. The digital keypad on the monitor activates an on-screen menu display for making adjustments to the monitor brightness, contrast, color and camera perspective. In addition to adjusting the display screen settings, the digital keypad also controls underwater lighting with 38 levels of lighting intensity. It also turns your monitor and camera on and off and even tells you when you have power to your system. It is important to know that your Master Power ON/OFF Switch, located in the back of the unit, controls all power drain to your battery, so it must be in the off position when not in use to prevent over-draining your battery and voiding your battery warranty.
Important: You will need to turn OFF the Master Power Switch in the back of the unit to shut off all power drain from your system. Leaving your Master Power Switch ON means you have power running to your system and this will over-discharge the battery in about three weeks. You will want to keep the Master Power Switch in the OFF position when not in use. This is NOT covered by your warranty.
While operating in cold temperatures (under –4°F), the Fish Scout utilizes a thermostatically controlled LCD heating element that allows the display to operate at peak performance. You may experience some delay in start up on extremely cold days, this is normal. When
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you turn on your monitor in cold weather it will flash red & green when the internal sensor on the heating element detects the monitor temperature is below -4°F degrees. The red light will continue to flash until the heating element has heated up the monitor enough to give you the best image possible. The heating cycle will vary, but can take up to five minutes for the light to stop flashing. This is normal on very cold days. Because the liquid in the LCD can freeze, prolonged exposure to extreme temps can result in monitor damage.
Remember: A flashing red & green light and a delay in the monitor coming on when temperatures are very cold is normal and is done to protect the LCD monitor. On very cold days, expect the display to be a little blurry at first as the camera display may take a few minutes to reach its optimum performance brightness. This procedure is done to protect your investment and avoid excessive battery drain. Storing your camera in a warm place at all times is ideal.
The Fish Scout Camera
In order to create an ultra clear, high-resolution picture, Vexilar matched it with a high quality camera. The Fish Scout uses a ultra low lux CCD camera. This camera offers a wide 90° viewing angle, giving you a wide coverage area for maximum visibility.
This camera has a very wide performance range, giving you great picture quality. It offers both a color
camera, during good lighting conditions and automatically changes to a black and white camera display for low light conditions. The Fish Scout camera sensor will automatically switch between a color display or black and white depending on light conditions. The Fish Scout will automatically switch between color modes depending on the light conditions. You can check this yourself by turning on the camera and watching as you lower the system under a table for example. While you may not be able to see much detail under a dark table with the human eye, the low lux performance of your camera clearly shows you in great detail what is under the table. While in the water, a cloud passing in front of the sun could change the monitor from a color image to black and white, this is normal. Note that the image you see out of the water with your camera is not the same as what you will see under the water. Water distorts the perspective you normally expect to see. Your Fish Scout camera is designed to function BELOW the water, not above it, for the best image possible.
Your Vexilar Fish Scout camera has two high intensity white LEDs for low-light conditions. This lighting control is easily accessible from the monitor control panel. These lights are specifically positioned to flood all 90 degrees of your camera viewing angle with light. The monitor control panel also lets you change the intensity of the lights by simply pressing the plus or minus keys right after you hit the LED “ON” button on the far left side. A good rule to remember is to use the least amount of additional light as possible to reduce the amount of reflective particles seen in the water. Sharing your video images is easy with
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the pre-wired video-out RCA plug. The yellow video output jack located on the rear of the monitor makes it possible to add an external monitor such as a big screen TV or a video recording devise. Remember, not all camcorders have an AV-IN option so be sure to check your camcorder before you head out on the water.
The camera and power cables have a custom-built waterproof and sealed connector. It is critical you unscrew the connector
before trying to disconnect. This connection routes power and signals to your camera, so you want to make sure this connection
is tight at all times when in use. Your system has a super thin, super strong transmission cable. It is NOT a good thing if you cut or damage your cable as water in the cable will, over time destroy the cable. If you have any doubts as to the damage to your cable, please contact the Vexilar service center for specific instructions. See page 24.
Camera Mounting Options
Your Fish Scout comes with two cable holding options. One is an elbow suspension arm attached directly to the bottom of your internal ABS frame. The elbow arm is ideal for when you wish to look down an ice fishing hole directly next to the monitor. The elbow support arm easily folds out of way when not in use. The “egg”
attaches to your cable and allows you to suspend the camera at whatever depth you wish to hold. By simply rotating the cable and dropping the egg back into the round slot on the elbow arm, you can hold the camera at any depth or direction.
Another option is to use the folding over-the-hole suspension arm. This arm is kept in the long pocket on the side of your Fish Scout soft pack case. This is used when you want to suspend the camera over the ice fishing hole away from
the monitor. This is a common application since Down View having the camera too close to where you are fishing will result in the
fish getting tangled in the cable. By using the larger over-hole suspension arm, you can place the camera in a secure viewing position four to eight
Suspension Arm
feet from where you are fishing to avoid hooking the cable while fishing. The over-the-hole suspension arm also has a compass mounted in the arm so you will be able to know which direction your camera is pointing with a (DTD systems only) camera system.
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The camera incorporates a custom designed zinc cast waterproof housing. The amount of weight in this camera housing is balanced and designed to give you good camera control while still-fishing or trolling. The housing WILL fill with water, to make for better balance in the water. It is normal for water to drain out of the housing for a few seconds when it is removed from the water. The optional tail fin (included) screws into position in the back of the housing.
With the trolling fin on the camera housing, you are also able to attach it to a long pole to hold the camera at various angles. This feature is popular with marinas and boat owners who want to see the bottom of a boat or look for something nearly impossible to see underwater without a camera. The actual pole is not available from Vexilar but is commonly found at hardware stores in the paint or the window cleaning departments.
The housing is also designed to make it easy to attach to your cable and use in the popular Down-Viewing perspective.
Battery and Charge Indicator Location
Following Vexilar’s superior standards, the Fish Scout monitor face is protected with a padded soft pack case. Inside the soft pack is a molded ABS hard frame with an enclosed battery compartment and D-130 battery status indicator
(FS2000DT DV systems only) to help keep track of power consumption. You also have a Master Power Switch which is critical to eliminate battery drain when not in use. Any time your Master Power Switch is in the “ON” position, your battery will be draining, so the Master Switch should be turned “OFF“ whenever you are not using your system.
The sealed 9 amp rechargeable lead-acid battery can provide over 10 hours of continuous use with ideal conditions on the Fish Scout, and over 8 hours on the Double Vision systems. Battery run time will vary depending on the condition of the battery, use of underwater LED lighting, level of display brightness and the ambient temperature (LCD heater system). The 1 amp, fully automatic charger will quickly charge the battery back to full capacity. See page 9 for complete battery charging and care instructions.
To remove the battery from the case for replacement, simply remove the ABS hard frame from the soft pack case. Then remove the two screws securing the bottom battery door and swing it open. When replacing the battery and reinstalling the door, be sure to be careful with the wire positions so nothing gets pinched as the door is screwed back into place.
Remove Screws to Access Battery Compartment
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Battery Charging CHARGE AFTER EACH USE
1 Amp Digital Automatic Charger (model V-410 / 1 Amp)
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 RED 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.
If your charger is NOT equipped with an Easy Charge Jack, remove the battery and connect connect the terminals to the battery with the RED (+) connected to positive and BLACK connected to negative (–). The charger’s light will switch to RED, indicating that it is connected correctly and the battery is charging.
FLASHING RED INDICATES A REVERSE CONNECTION.
Easy Charge Jack
4.Keep the charger plugged in and connected until the GREEN light turns on. This indicates the battery is at full charge.
5.Unplug the charger from the wall outlet and disconnect from the battery.
Charging times will vary depending on how much the battery has been drained. If the battery has been completely drained (approx. 8 to 10 hours of use on a 9 amp battery) the battery will require about 9 hours of charging. Once the battery is fully charged and the charger’s light returns to RED, the charger is then operating in a “Maintenance Mode”. At this stage, the charger can remain connected to the battery indefinitely and the battery will be maintained at full charge.
BATTERY DO’S
•Allow the battery to FULLY recharge after each use. Recharge after every use.
•Give cold batteries extra time to charge. Charge at room temperature if you can.
•Keep flames, sparks, and metal objects away from batteries and terminals.
•Charge periodically during battery storage.
•Disconnect the battery when not in use.
BATTERY DON’TS
•OVER DISCHARGE the battery, You should never drain a battery to the point where your Fish Scout stops.
•DISCONNECT exposed battery clips before switching the charger OFF.
•Damage the battery or terminals by dropping.
•Use another device to determine if your battery is fully charged. Go by the charger’s light alone.
DID YOU KNOW? Did you know? If you leave your main power switch on , in two weeks the power drain from your D-130 will drain your battery to a point it may no longer accept a charge. This battery miss-use is NOT covered under your warranty. Charge your battery after every use and make sure the Master power switch is off before storing your unit.
>> Remember to charge after each use. The Battery has a Pro-Rated Warranty.
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