MINN KOTA TALON User manual

Shallow Water Anchor-Owner’s Manual

© 2010 Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ......................................................................................3
Getting Started..................................................................................4
Using Your Remote ..............................................................................4
Programming A New Remote..............................................................4
Using your Talon................................................................................6
Auto-Deploy/Retract ...........................................................................6
Auto-Drive............................................................................................7
Depth Indication ...................................................................................8
Wave Absorption .................................................................................9
Manual Retraction Procedure...............................................................9
Rough Water Mode............................................................................ 11
Cancelling Rough Water Mode ..........................................................12
Deployment Notification Alarm .........................................................12
Retraction Notification Alarm ............................................................12
Removal/Storage................................................................................14
Service and Maintenance.................................................................. 16
Accessories...................................................................................... 21
Frequently Asked Questions............................................................. 24
Troubleshooting............................................................................... 29
Parts List ......................................................................................... 32
Compliance Statements ................................................................... 36
Warranty ........................................................................................ 38
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INTRODUCTION
Overview
Thank you for purchasing the Minn Kota®Talon. This revolutionary shallow
water anchor uses state-of-the-art technology to deliver unprecedented levels
of boat control. Intuitive features and wireless control enable Talon to
accurately position your boat and improve your bait presentation. Talon
positions your boat for you, so you can focus on fishing. By following
instructions in this manual, you will learn how to properly install and operate
your new Talon for years of trouble free use. We encourage you to read this
manual thoroughly in order to maximize your product experience.
Safety and Cautions
You are responsible for the safe and prudent operation of your vessel. We
have designed Talon to be an accurate and reliable tool that will enhance boat
control and improve your ability to catch fish. This product does not relieve
you from the responsibility for safe operation of your boat. You must avoid
hazards to anchoring and always maintain a permanent watch so you can
respond to situations as they develop.
Caution: Never leave the boat unattended with the Talon as your only boat
anchor. Talon is not intended to provide primary anchorage.
Talon Registration Card
To receive all the benefits of your product warranty please fill out and
mail the registration card, you may also register your product online
at minnkotamotors.com.

USING YOUR REMOTE
Your Talon comes direct from the factory
with two remotes pre-programmed to
your unit. Each remote includes a lanyard
that may be attached to either end of the
remote to suit your preference. The
remote has two buttons; UP and DOWN.
1. To Deploy: Press the DOWN
button twice within 1⁄2second.
2. To Retract: Press the UP button once.
3. To Stop: Press the UP button once or DOWN button
twice within 1⁄2second.
Each remote uses a CR2032 size lithium coin cell battery. See page 14 for
instructions on how to replace the battery.
PROGRAMMING A NEW REMOTE
Your Talon can store 10 total remote ID’s. If 10 IDs have been learned to
the Talon unit and an 11th remote is learned, the first ID learned will be
overwritten with the 11th remote ID. The new remote will be learned,
the oldest will be erased.
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GETTING STARTED
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To learn a new remote ID:
1. Retract the anchor if it is not already retracted by pressing the
Auto UP switch .
2. After the anchor has retracted, press and hold the Auto UP switch
on the Talon. A steady tone will be heard.
3. While continuing to press the Auto UP switch , press the UP button
on the new remote one time.
4. A series of 3 beeps will be heard, indicating the new remote has
been learned.
5. Release the Auto UP switch on the Talon after the 3 beeps begin.
To erase all stored remote IDs (this may require assistance from a
second person):
1. Retract the anchor if it is not already retracted.
2. Disconnect the power cable white power lead from the battery.
3. Press and hold the Auto UP switch on the Talon.
4. While continuing to press the Auto UP switch , reconnect the power
cable white power lead to the battery.
5. A series of fast beeps will be heard and then a long steady tone .
6. Release the Auto UP switch after the long steady tone has begun.
All remote IDs are now erased.

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USING YOUR TALON
Auto-Deploy/Retract
Deploy
Raising and lowering your Talon can be done wirelessly from anywhere
in the boat using your remote or directly through the control panel. Two
button presses (within 1 second) of the remote DOWN button or
one button press of the control panel Auto DOWN button
automatically deploys the anchor.
Retract
One button press of the remote UP button or control panel Auto
UP button automatically raises the anchor to the retracted position.
Talon shuts off automatically when completely retracted. There is no
need to hold down a switch or button.
Rough Water Mode
Indicator Light
Rough Water Mode
On/Off Button
Auto Up/Auto Down
Buttons
Depth of Deployment
Indicator Lights

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Auto-Drive
Talon’s revolutionary Auto-Drive feature stops your boat with greater
speed and precision than the competition. Two button presses (within
1 second) of the remote DOWN button not only deploys your
anchor automatically, but Talon actually drives the anchor in for you to
ensure the anchor is seated. Talon’s Auto-Drive deploy shuts the anchor
off when the spike contacts the bottom. Auto-Drive will automatically
power the spike into the bottom with three successive hits, using increasing
force on each hit.
USING YOUR TALON
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3
SECONDS
3
SECONDS

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Depth Indication
Talon shows your deployed status of the anchor via the LED display on
your control panel. High visibility LED’s display one light for each foot of
deployment from anywhere in the boat. Know the immediate status
of your anchor, or deploy the Talon to a specific length for stopping
during a drift.
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1 LED per foot of
depth of deployment

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USING YOUR TALON
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Wave Absorption
Talon enables your boat to
move up or down without
affecting the anchor. It
uses a built-in floating
suspension to keep your
boat locked to the
bottom, even in rough
water conditions.
Manual Retraction
Procedure
In the event of a power
failure or other occurrence
where the Talon cannot
be retracted in the normal
manner your Talon can be
manually retracted.
Minn Kota recommends
keeping a 7⁄16" socket and
socket wrench in your
boat, as they are
required for the manual
retraction procedure.
NOTE: Be sure to disconnect
power BEFORE attempting
this procedure!!

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1. Remove power from the
Talon by disconnecting the
negative battery lead or
turning the battery selector
switch to OFF.
2. Place the 7⁄16 socket wrench
over the exposed hex.
3. Crank the socket wrench in a
clock-wise direction until the
unit is fully retracted.
4. If this procedure does not
retract the unit, you will need
to remove the unit from the
mounting bracket, by
loosening the four 1⁄2" hex
head bolts on the sides of the
mounting bracket.
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USING YOUR TALON
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Rough Water Mode
For an even stronger hold, activate Rough Water Mode (RWM)
located on the control panel of Talon. In Rough Water Mode, Talon
performs three Auto-Drive sequences at ten second intervals. At this point,
the rough water mode sequence is complete, but remains active as indicated
by the RWM indicator LED. RWM will not run again until you press the
DOWN button on the control panel, or double-click the DOWN
button on your remote.
This feature will automatically shut off after 60 minutes of no anchor
activity from the time it was turned on. The Rough Water Mode button
must be pushed again to turn the feature back on after this timeframe.
*NOTE: Rough Water Mode is NOT recommended for use in soft bottom structure.
Sequence repeated 3 times during rough water mode.
3
SECONDS
3
SECONDS
10
SECONDS
3x

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Cancelling Rough Water Mode
Rough Water Mode can be cancelled two ways.
1. Depress the button, thereby turning off the RWM indicator
LED . This will cancel the rough water mode.
2. If the RWM is running a sequence, press the Auto UP button on the
control panel, or click the UP button on the remote 1x. This will
cancel the RWM sequence, but the RWM indicator LED will remain on.
Deployment Notification Alarm
If installed, the Auto Alarm will emit a tone each time you turn the ignition key
to the ON position if the anchor is not retracted. This alarm reminds you that
your Talon is still deployed. Taking off with the Talon in the deployed
position could cause damage to your anchor or boat which will not be covered
by warranty.
Retraction Notification Alarm
Your Talon is equipped with a built-in retraction control alarm to protect the lift
motor. If the lift capacity of the motor is exceeded -OR- the motor takes more
than 10 seconds to retract, the motor will stop and notify you with a series of
three triple beeps. (...-...-...)
The most common reasons for the Retraction Notification Alarm sounding are
1) because of an extremely soft or muddy bottom and the spike is deeply buried
and cannot retract on its own, or 2) there may be an excessive amount of side
load on the spike, generally due to fast moving water currents or wind.
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USING YOUR TALON
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If the Retraction Notification Alarm is emitted, the following
steps should be taken to retract the anchor:
1. Press the "UP" button on the remote or control panel. If the
anchor does not raise within two attempts;
2. Loosen the spike from the bottom by CAREFULLY shifting the boat back
and forth using the main engine power, then attempting to raise the
anchor again. This is especially useful if you are fishing in a soft or muddy
bottom structure.
3. Remove any excessive side loads on the anchor as described above. This
generally requires backing against the current (or direction of the load)
then attempting to to retract the anchor again with side loads removed.
Other reasons for the Retraction Notification Alarm may include:
1. Battery power is low. This may induce a retraction time greater
than 10 seconds.
2. Obstructions on the anchor preventing it from retracting.
In the event the anchor cannot be retracted normally, please refer to
page 9 of this booklet for the manual retraction procedure.

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Removal and Storage
If needed, your Talon can be easily removed from the Transom Bracket.
To remove:
1. Prior to removal, first
disconnect the power cables
from the starting battery.
Ensure the cable is
disconnected and will not
interfere with removal of
the Anchor Assembly. If the
Deployment Notification Alarm
is being used, the user installed
Alarm wire will have to be cut
and re-spliced each time.
Note: You may need to loosen the Outboard Cable and Wire Harness
to pass the power cable and Fuse Assembly back through the boot.
2. Remove the wire ties holding the power cable.
3. Ensure the power cable is free and clear prior to removing the anchor.
4. Remove the lower stop nut from the bottom of the Talon starboard track. Be
sure to store this in a safe location or place it back onto the Talon once it is
remove from the mounting bracket.
5. Loosen the 4 vertical adjustment nuts while supporting the Talon so it does
not fall. Then slide the Talon up until it clears the tracks.
NOTE: A Quick Disconnect Plug accessory is available from Minn Kota
to simplify the removal of the electrical connection when mounting and
dismounting your Talon. For additional Talon accessories, see pages 21 thru 23.

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USING YOUR TALON
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6. Reconnect and tighten
battery terminations.
7. Be sure to store the mounting
hardware in a safe location or
tightten the mounting straps
the ensure they do not fall
out.
8. IMPORTANT: When reinstalling
Talon, it is important to check
tension of the 4 vertical
adjustment nuts after initial
use and periodically thereafter
to ensure they are at the
recommended torque of
20 - 30FT. LBS.
For storage:
Rapid Removal Accessories:
If you intend to remove or
adjust your Talon frequently,
you might consider installing the
following accessory kits: Quick
Release Handle Kit (1810230)
and Talon Quick Disconnect Plug
(1810240).
Photos in Additional
Accessories section.

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SERVICE & MAINTENANCE
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Remote Battery Replacement
1. Make sure hands are clean, dry and static free. Discharge any static
electricity by touching a metal object that is grounded.
*Static electricity can damage the circuit board.
2. With the remote upside down, remove the four case screws.
3. Remove the bottom cover.
4. Carefully remove the old battery from the battery holder and replace
with a new one. The batteries snap in and out of the battery holder.
Install the new battery with the positive (+) side facing up away from
the circuit board. Use
a name brand CR2032
lithium coin cell battery.
5. Replace back cover and
reinstall case screws.
Do not over tighten
case screws as this
will damage the
remote enclosure.

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SERVICE & MAINTENANCE
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IMPORTANT: Check tension of the 4 vertical adjustment bolts after
initial use and periodically thereafter to ensure they are at the recommended
torque of 30FT. LBS.
Cleaning the Unit
•Minn Kota recommends rinsing off the anchor after each use – especially in
saltwater applications – to minimize residue build up on the anchor.
•At the top of the anchor assembly
is a wash out port designed to flush
out sand, silt, or other debris that
may collect inside of the unit. A
simple garden hose is sufficient for
this purpose.
• Aspartoftheroutinecleaningand
maintenance of your Talon, it is
recommended that the lower roller
assembly shown in the
illustration below, be
periodically lubricated
to ensure long life and
high performance. You
may use any all purpose
household lubricant
(such as WD40) for
this purpose.

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Replacing the Spike
1. The spike for your Talon comes
with a lifetime guarantee, with
2 years of labor covered for
repair. See the warranty
section of the manual for
further details.
2. If replacement of the spike is
necessary in the field, the
following steps should be taken.
a. Extend the spike out so that
the 2nd stage begins to exit
the bottom of the anchor.
This may require removing
the anchor from the
mounting bracket, and laying
the anchor horizontally or
on a flat surface.
b. You will need to remove
two retainer pins in order to
replace the spike. First
remove the spike isolator
pin, and slide the spike
isolator out from the
bottom of the 2nd stage.
Next, remove the spike
retainer pin.
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SERVICE & MAINTENANCE
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SERVICE & MAINTENANCE
c. Remove the spike from
the anchor. (You will not
need to retain the o-ring
from the spike you are
replacing. The new spike
will include a replacement
o-ring.)
d. Place the new spike into
position along with the
replacement o-ring. When
the spike is fully seated
into the anchor, the o-ring
should be slid up to the
face of where the spike is
held. Be sure to align the
retainer groove on the
spike with the retainer
pin hole.
f. Slide the spike isolator up
the spike and into the
2nd stage. Carefully
replace the spike isolator
retainer pin.
g. Carefully replace the spike
retainer pin, making sure
the ends of the pin are
recessed on both sides.

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ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES
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Fuse Replacement
To replace the 30A in-line fuse, the
following steps should be taken.
The 30A fuse is located 6" from the
positive battery terminal.
1. Remove the protective cap from
the fuse holder, exposing the
30A blade fuse. (Replacement
fuses are readily available at most
auto parts stores)
2. Pull the blade fuse out and
replace with a new fuse. Be sure
the fuse is fully seated.
3. Replace the protective cap onto
the fuse holder, making sure that
the fuse holder cover snaps back
on to ensure a watertight seal.
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