Fish Hawk X4D User manual

USER GUIDE

Thank you for your purchase. For over 40-years anglers have relied on Fish Hawk
Electronics to give them accurate water temperature and speed information.
Helping them nd and catch more sh!
Our customers are our best sales people. Our mission is to build products that you
happily recommend to your shing friends.
We’ve built a reputation around personalized customer service. No call centers
here! If you have a question or problem with your Fish Hawk, please contact us
immediately. We’ll help you gure it out and do what needs to be done.
Remember, Troling Without a Fish Hawk is
Just Boating!
Trevor Sumption
President
Fish Hawk Electronics

USE PREFFERED WATER TEMP TO FIND FISH
Each species of sh lives in a preferred water temperature range. The chart
below shows the preferred water temperature range for the most popular
freshwater game sh and baitsh species in Fahrenheit.
Preferred Water Temperature Ranges
(shown in Fahrenheit)
Species Lower Limit Optimum Upper Limit
Brown Trout 44 60 75
Chinook Salmon 42 50 60
Coho Salmon 44 54 60
Crappie 60 70 75
Kokanee 55
Lake Trout 42 50
Largemouth Bass 50 65 75
Atlantic Salmon 54
Rainbow Trout 44 55 75
Smallmouth Bass 50 65 73
Steelhead 38 55 62
Walleye 50 67 75
Alewife 48 54 72
Cisco 53
Emerald Shiner 61
Gizzard Shad 69
Rainbow Smelt 43 50 57
Spottail Shiner 54
Fish suspend in the water column by water temperature. Using your Fish Hawk will
allow you to nd them. With the Fish Hawk you can create a temperature prole of
the water column by lowering the probe close to the bottom and observing the water
temperature as you slowly raise the probe to the surface. This will allow you to nd the
correct water temperature for the species you are targeting.

FISH HAWK X4/X4D COMPONENTS
Fish Hawk System
• Transducer with 30’ cable
• Transducer mounting kit
• LCD display
• Power cord for LCD display
• LCD display stand
• Fish Hawk Probe
• Protective rubber probe bumper
HOW THE FISH HAWK OPERATES
The Fish Hawk Probe is fastened to the downrigger cable just above the downrigger ball and
has sensors that constantly monitor water temperature and speed as it travels through the water.
The probe sends a sonar signal with that information to the Transducer mounted on the back of
the boat. The Transducer, which is hooked up to the LCD display, sends the data from the Probe
and the water’s surface to the liquid crystal display (LCD) mounted in the boat.
As the water temperature, speed or depth (model X4D only) changes, the LCD updates to
reect the new information. To compensate for wave action, speed is calculated over a 20-second
period. The probe operates at depths from 1 to 300 feet.
X4 Digital Display
Transducer
Transmitter
Downrigger Ball
Downrigger Line
Temperature Sensors
Speed
Sensor
Probe

THE FISH HAWK PROBE
Installing the Batteries
The Probe is powered by four AA Alkaline batteries (not included.) Do not
use Heavy Duty or rechargeable batteries. Fresh Alkaline
batteries will provide 100+ hours of in-the-water
life depending on water temperature. To
install the batteries:
Unscrew the probe’s battery cap.
Carefully pull the battery holder out of the
probe. Place the four batteries into the battery
holder matching the appropriate +/- terminals. Please
note: pay special attention to the polarity of the batteries because the probe will function
if only three of four batteries are correctly installed, but the readings provided may be
inaccurate.
Place the battery holder back into the probe with the battery wires facing the
rear of the probe. The wires are designed to be longer to make replacing batteries
easier. Please note: if the battery holder is replaced with the wires facing the front of the
probe the slack wire can get caught in the threads of the cap, damaging the battery wires.
While this easily repaired it may cause you to lose shing time with the probe.
Turn the battery cap back onto the probe and hand-tighten snug. Do not over-
tighten. The battery cap has a double O-ring design that does not need to be overly
tight to keep water out of the battery compartment. Keep the O-rings clean and
lightly lubricated.
Turning the Probe On and Off
The Fish Hawk Probe features a water sensitive auto on/off switch that turns the
probe on when it is lowered into the water and shuts the probe off when it is removed
from the water, conserving battery life. To test the probe, simply wet your ngers and
place them across the two activated metal
temperature sensors coming out of the
front of the probe. A red LED inside
the body of the probe will ash when
the probe is on.
Low Battery Warning
When the probe’s batteries are low a LOW BAT sign
will appear in the center of the LCD display. When the LOW BAT sign is present
and the probe readings appear as dashes it is time to change the batteries in the
probe.
Twist off Battery Cap
Pull out battery holder
Flashing Red LED
Water sensitive
Auto On/Off switch

ATTACHING THE PROBE TO THE
DOWNRIGGER CABLE
Terminate your downrigger cable following
your downrigger manufacturer’s instructions. Prior
to attaching the probe it is a good idea to inspect
the downrigger cable for kinks or frays that might
weaken the downrigger cable which could cause
you to lose your valuable Fish Hawk Probe. Attach
using a high quality snap run through the stamped
stainless steel loop on top of the Fish Hawk Probe.
Attaching the Downrigger Ball
Two snap swivels connected together by a
heavy-duty split ring are included. Attach one
of the snap swivels to the stamped stainless steel
loop on the bottom of the Fish Hawk Probe and
the other snap swivel to the downrigger ball. The split ring will pull apart under
approximately 50-pounds of pressure in the event you snag your downrigger
weight on the bottom. NOTE: The included snap swivels with heavy-duty split
ring are designed for use with downrigger weights weighing 12-pounds or less.
When using heavier downrigger weights, we encourage the use of a shock-
absorbing “snubber” between the Probe and downrigger ball. These are available
for purchase on our website.
Probe “Bumper”
A clear silicone rubber bumper comes installed on the Fish Hawk
Probe. The bumper provides additional protection for the thermistor
tubes against accidental damage. For storage, remove the Probe
Bumper insuring that trapped moisture does not turn the probe on
when not in use.
Selecting the Proper Weight Downrigger Ball
Although it is minimized, water resistance from the Probe will cause some
additional drag on the downrigger line. If you consider the sway in the downrigger
line to be too much, a heavier downrigger ball can be used (i.e. switching from a 10
pound ball to a 12 pound ball.)
Connect probe to
downrigger line here.
Connect probe to
downrigger ball here.
Downrigger
Ball
Note
The X4/X4D probe is very durable, but denting the temperature sensor probes will cause
your probe to read 03.9 or 04.0. Remove the probe from the downrigger cable and store
in a protected place when not in use.

INSTALLING THE TRANSDUCER
Properly installing the Transducer on the
back of your boat is key to getting the best
performance from your new Fish Hawk.
Properly located, the Transducer will
be completely immersed in the water at
trolling speeds and will ride nearly ush
with the bottom of the hull at planning speeds.
Selecting a Location for the Transducer
The Transducer should be located in an area not affected
by turbulence from the hull or motor. To locate the best place on the transom to
mount the Transducer, observe the water ow out from under the hull at trolling
speeds and while on plane. At trolling speeds look for the area that has the least
amount of prop or back wash. At planning speed look for the area with the least
amount of turbulence or bubbles. This will be the best place to mount the Transducer.
Mount the Fish Hawk Transducer as far away as possible from other transducers
that operate within 20 kHz of the 70 kHz Fish Hawk Transducer. When possible,
mount your Fish Hawk Transducer on the opposite side of the boat from other trans-
ducers. The Transducer has a wide angle of 77-degrees that permits the signal to be
received near the surface while increasing reception the deeper the probe goes.
DO NOT cut the Transducer cable. If the cable is too long simply coil the excess
out of the way. 15-foot cable extensions are available for sale on-line from Fish
Hawk Electronics if a longer cable is needed.
FH
FH
FH
FH
S
FH Fish Hawk Transducer - 70 kHz
Single Outboard/Outdrive
Recommended Transducer Locations
Twin Outboard/Outdrive
Single Outboard with Kicker Motor
Twin Inboards
Sonar Transducer - 200/83/50 kHz, CHIRP
Mid-Ship Thru Hull Sonar Transducer
Operate at
200 kHz or CHIRP
Run Fish Hawk Probe
on same side as
Fish Hawk Transducer
S
S
S

• Watch the Transducer installation video found on the Fish Hawk Website.
• We install marine grade plastic transducer mounting boards on the back of
our boats because they allow us to change the position of transducers without
drilling new holes in the transom.
Sonar Interference
Sonar interference is caused when similar sonar frequencies are used in close
proximity to one another. The Fish Hawk uses a 70 kHz frequency while most sh
nders operate around 200 KHz, meaning the Fish Hawk will not interfere with
most sh nders. Some dual frequency nders use a 50 or 83 kHz frequency that can
interfere with the Fish Hawk at high gain settings if the transducers are mounted too
close together on the transom. You can opt not to use the 50 or 83 kHz frequency in
your sh nder’s settings if it causes a problem, or relocate the Transducer on the
transom. Lowering the gain will help the Fish Hawk minimize interference but may
reduce the usable depth range.
THE FISH HAWK LCD DISPLAY
Installing the Display
Place the display in a visible location on the helm. An optional foul weather
cover is available for purchase on-line if you plan on leaving the
display in an exposed location.
You can ush mount the display into your boat’s console by
cutting a 3 1 ⁄2” wide x 6 1 ⁄8” tall hole in the dash and using a
silicone sealant to secure the display in place.
The display requires that two connections be made;
the power cord and the Transducer. Additional
wire can added to the power cable if you follow
theproperpolarity (+/-.) The display isprotected
by an in-line 1 amp fuse. As with most radio
or sonar devices, we recommend wiring the
display directly to a 12-volt battery. Connecting
to a fuse block can result in unwanted electrical
noise that can interfere with the Fish Hawk.
Pull rubber fuse
housing apart to access fuse.
Use the four
holes at the
bottom of
the base to
secure it in
place. There
are two holes on
each side of base.

Adjusting the Angle of the Display
You can remove, or adjust the angle of the LCD display by pressing the tabs at
the top of the mounting base.
USING THE FISH HAWK DISPLAY
The Fish Hawk Display is divided into a top and bottom section. The top half
of the display shows water temperature and boat speed at the surface, and the bot-
tom half of the display shows water temperature and speed at the probe. Actual
Probe depth is displayed as the top number on the model X4D. If the probe signal
is not detected, dashes will appear for both the probe temperature and speed. To
indicate that the probe is functioning correctly, every time a new signal is received
the decimal points in the probe readings will ash.
The POWER button turns the display on and off. The display draws 35 mAwhen
on and .3 mA when off. The display is equipped with a backlight for low-light
conditions. Enable the backlight by pressing the UP arrow or turn the backlight off
by pressing the DOWN arrow. There are three backlight brightness levels.
The display has four screen settings. To access each setting press the SET but-
ton, each time the SET button is pressed, the display will move to the next setting.
• Screen #1 allows you to set the gain (sensitivity) with a range of 0-25, the de-
fault is 15. Use the UP and DOWN arrows to adjust.
• Screen #2 allows you to set the temperature unit of measure to Fahrenheit or Cel-
sius, the default is Fahrenheit. Use the UP and DOWN arrows to adjust.
• Screen #3 allows you to set the speed unit of measure to MPH, KNOTS, or
KPH, the default is MPH. Use the UP and DOWN arrows to adjust.
• Screen #4 allows you to calibrate the sensor readings, + or – 5 degrees F on the
temperature and up to two-times adjustment for the speed. Use the UP
and DOWN arrows to adjust. You can exit these screens by pressing
the POWER button at any time. All changes are saved at that point.
Note: Calibration is typically not necessary.
Probe
Speed
Probe
Temperature
Current
Settings
Surface*
Speed
Surface
Temperature
POWER
Button
SET
Button
UP
Arrow
DOWN
Arrow
POWER
Button
SET
Button
UP
Arrow
DOWN
Arrow
Probe
Speed
Probe
Temperature
Current
Settings
Probe*
Depth
Surface
Temperature

Calibrating the Sensors–Screen #4
While not necessary, you have the ability
to calibrate speed if desired. Remember that
due to differences in transducer mounting,
no two boats will read speed exactly the
same. Calibration is best done when water
conditions are calm. Lower the Probe 5-feet
under the transducer and compare the
surface speed to the Probe speed. Press
the SET button until the speed reading ashes for
the sensor you want to adjust. Once that speed reading
ashes, press the UP or DOWN arrow to adjust. Once
you’ve adjusted the speed readings to match each other,
press the POWER button once to save your changes.
Factory setting values are denoted for each sensor by a missing decimal point.
If you wish to go back to the factory settings press the UP or DOWN arrow until
the reading ashes without a decimal point. The factory default value is always in
the middle of the adjustment range. When the reading ashes without a decimal
point, press the POWER button once and the factory default will be restored.
The reading will
flash when selected.
Press the SET
button to select
the next item to
calibrate.
Calibration
Indicator.
Press UP or DOWN arrows
to define the setting that is
flashing.
Setting the Speed Unit of Measure–Screen #3
This screen allows you to select the unit of measure for speed.
The surface and probe speeds will automatically be in the same
unit of measure. The Fish Hawk will display speeds from .4 MPH
to 11 MPH at the probe and from .4MPH to planning speeds at
the surface.
Current speed
configuration.
Press UP or DOWN arrows to toggle be-
tween the MPH – KNOTS – KPH settings.
Current temperature
configuration.
Setting the Temperature Unit of Measure–Screen #2
This screen allows you to select which temperature unit
of measure is displayed on the screen. The Fish Hawk will
display temperatures ranging from 32 degrees to 104 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Press UP or DOWN arrow to
toggle between °F and °C.
Setting the Gain–Screen #1
The gain is also referred to as sensitivity, and ranges
from 0 to 25. The factory default setting of 15 usually
provides excellent results. The gain control only has an
effect on the probe function. Most of the time no or
only small adjustments are necessary. Increasing the
gain allows probe readings to be received from greater
depths. Lower gain settings reduce the possibility of
other sonar or electrical interference, and also may be
necessary in shallow water
Current gain setting
being displayed.
Press UP
arrow to
increase
gain
setting.
Press
DOWN
arrow to
decrease
gain
setting.

USING THE FISH HAWK MOBILE APP (X4D ONLY)
The Fish Hawk model X4D features built in Bluetooth® Smart wireless technol-
ogy that sends display data to mobile devices. Download the free Fish Hawk Elec-
tronics Mobile App from the App Store (for Apple® devices with iOS 8 or newer)
or Google Play (for Android® devices.)
Once downloaded, the Fish Hawk Electronics App will allow you to use your
mobile device as an auxiliary display anywhere in the boat.
The App’s Catch Log feature allows you to save the details of every catch,
including: the species and size of sh caught, Probe depth, Probe temperature,
Probe speed, time, and notes (lure info, weather conditions, etc…) The Catch
Log is organized by date and you can easily share logged catch information with
shing buddies in other boats via text message or email.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE
Your Fish Hawk requires simple maintenance to keep it working properly. Use the
following schedule to keep your Fish Hawk in top working order:
Item Check Action Interval
Liquid Crystal
Display Check for dirt and wa- ter spots on the screen. Clean with soft cloth. Daily
Transducer Check for marine
growth or deposits on
the face.
Clean with a soft bristle brush. Weekly
Downrigger
Cable Check for kinks for fraying. Replace cable. Daily
Probe Batteries Check for power. Replace if LED is not ashing
inside the probe or if LO BAT
appears on the display.
Daily
Probe O-Rings Check for dirt and
lubrication. Clean and apply a light coating of silicone lubricant if dry. Do
not over-lubricate.
Weekly
Probe Paddle
Wheel Axle clips Press tight against arbor Daily
Probe Check for condensation
in battery cap Loosen battery cap at the end of each day Daily
Probe Batteries Remove batteries for extended
storage Seasonally

TROUBLE SHOOTING
Please refer to the following table to help you identify and correct some of the
common troubleshooting scenarios we encounter.
Problem Possible Cause Solution
Display won’t
turn on The 1-amp in-line fuse is broken Replace the 1-amp fuse found near the end of the power cord
No probe data
appears on the
display
The probe is out of the water
The batteries in the probe
are dead
The transducer is not placed
correctly on the transom
The Gain adjustment is set
too low
The probe is too close to the
boat
The probe is only on when in the water
Replace with fresh alkaline AA batteries
Locate the transducer in a spot on the tran-
som where bubbles are minimized. Do not
locate the transducer near a kicker motor.
Make sure the transducer face is level with
the water’s
Press the SET button on the display. The
default setting is 15, use the arrow up key
to increase the gain. The Gain may need to
be set higher in water deeper than 150’ or
with cannon balls
The probe needs to be at least 5-feet under
the transducer
The probe
temperature on
the display reads
3.8 - 4.0
The thermistor tubes on the
probe have been damaged To prevent this from ever happening, remove the probe from the downrigger
cable when not in use, or secure the probe
tightly to the downrigger with a bungee.
Unfortunately there is no way to repair the
damage, the probe must be replaced.
Probe numbers
on the display are
erratic
Sonar interference from a
50 or 83 KHz transducer lo-
cated next to the Fish Hawk
transducer (70 KHz) on the
transom.
The fastest way to eliminate this is to turn
off the 50 KHz or 83 KHz beam on your
sh nder ad. You can also try reducing
the Gain setting on the Fish Hawk display
by pressing the SET button and then the
arrow down key, or separating transducer
cables if tied together. The permanent
solution is relocating the transducer away
from other 50 or 83 KHz transducers on
the transom.
Surface and
probe numbers
on the display are
erratic
Electrical interference from
the boat Run the Fish Hawk display power cord di- rectly to the boat battery and not through
a fuse panel
The Fish Hawk
display turns on
or off when you
start the engine.
There is an open ground in
the power system Replace the standard spark plugs with resistor value spark plugs

SERVICE
“HELP! I can’t sh without my Fish Hawk!” Many customers tell us that their Fish
Hawk is so important to their sh catching success that they won’t sh without it!
We make getting service simple to get you back on the water as quickly as
possible.
WARRANTY
All Fish Hawk Products come with a one-year standard warranty protecting
against defects in parts or workmanship. If you have a warranty issue, we’ll arrange
to repair or replace the product at no cost to you.
If your Fish Hawk product is in need of warranty service, please visit the Support/
Request Service page at shhawkelectronics.com. Please have a copy of your sales
receipt available.
OUT OF WARRANTY SERVICE
If your Fish Hawk is out-of-warranty we will repair it for a fee. If it can’t be
repaired, we’ll replace it for the at rate shown below. Return shipping is $10 inside
the Continental U.S. Actual shipping charges plus applicable taxes, duties and
brokerage apply for international shipping.
FLAT RATE REPLACEMENT CHARGES
Model Flat Rate Charge
X4 Probe $210
X4D Probe $235
X4 LCD $275
X4D LCD $310
If your Fish Hawk product is in need of service, please visit the Support/
Request Service page at shhawkelectronics.com.
Return Address
Fish Hawk Service
Grayden Outdoor LLC
7845 Brians Way
Brainerd, MN 56401
Contact Information:
Phone [phone]
Website: shhawkelectronics.com
Ofce hours: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM CST, Monday through Friday.

SERVICE ADVICE
• Please consult the Troubleshooting page on our website before sending your
product in.
• It is best to send your probe and display in together to be tested as a set.
• If you think you have a problem with the transom mount transducer, contact
us prior to removing it. Rarely is the transducer the culprit.
• Ship products back using FedEx, UPS, or Priority Mail and keep the tracking
number.
• Stick an address label on each part you send back to us.
• Please print the Service Request Form conrmation e-mail and include it with
the product being returned for service.
NOTES:

Grayden Outdoor LLC
Fish Hawk Electronics
7845 Brians Way
Brainerd, MN 56401
Phone [phone]
www.fishhawkelectronics.com
Made in the U.S.A.