Tronix Explorer XT3 User manual

USER’S GUIDE

TRONIX EXPLORER XT3
Congratulations on your purchase of the Tronix Explorer XT3!
The technically superior Tronix Explorer XT3 , rated at 800 Watts continuous and at 2000 Watts
peak po er, is designed to provide po er to most flash and po er pack units. It makes your
studio lights ork on location - ith faster recycling time, more po er and better performance.
Power and Reliability
- 2400 Watts peak po er
- Provides a clean sine ave from a 24 V DC source
- Efficient circuit design that generates almost a thousand pops for 300 Ws flash units
Flexibility and Mobility
- Auto-volt/Global charging feature (100 V - 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz)
- 14 V DC car battery charger and Auxiliary Battery port for 24 V external battery pack
- It can also be used for po ering battery chargers, laptops, printers, etc.
Safe and Easy to Use
- Plug and play
- Battery po er and charging indicators
- S itch over circuit from battery to external battery pack
- Short circuit protection
- Overload protection
The convenience and reliability that Explorer XT3 boasts ould be reason enough to bring this
gadget herever a photographer travels and goes for ork, and needs it most.
Thank you for your urchase of Tronix Ex lorer XT3.
We ho e you will enjoy the roduct as much as we enjoyed develo ing it to serve your
needs.

Contents
Important Safety Instructions
General Safety
Electrical Safety
Battery Safety
Getting Started
Shipping Materials
Installation
Operation
Charging
Maintenance
Battery Replacement
Troubleshooting
Frequently Asked Questions
Technical Specifications
Service and Warranty
Contact Information

Im ortant Safety Instructions
SAVE THESE SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS AND USER’S GUIDE. Safety Instructions
Save this User’s Guide. Contents of this User's Guide should be follo ed during installation,
operation and maintenance of Explorer XT3.
General Safety
- Do NOT expose Explorer XT3 to dust, moisture, liquids, rain or sno .
- Do NOT block ventilation openings of Explorer XT3. Overheating may occur. Do not place
Explorer XT3 in a compartment ith zero clearance.
- Not recommended attachments, hen used ith Explorer XT3, may result in risk of fire,
electrical hazard or injury.
- Periodically observe the status of the LED indicators to ensure that Explorer XT3 orks as
intended.
Electrical Safety
- The disconnect device of Explorer XT3 is the mains plug.
- Al ays connect Explorer XT3 to a grounded outlet. The outlet to hich Explorer XT3 is connected
must be in close proximity and must be easily accessed.
- Flash units and other supported equipment must be properly connected to Explorer XT3. As ith
the connection to the outlet, connections of the equipment to Explorer XT3 must be easily
accessed.
- Before doing any maintenance, al ays s itch off and unplug all attachments connected to
Explorer XT3.
- Explorer XT3 incorporates multiple po er sources. Only connect one of these sources at a time.
Though not posing any risk, simultaneous connection of any of these sources is not
recommended. Disconnect all po er cords to completely remove po er from the unit.
- If the external flexible cord of the unit is damaged, it shall be replaced by a cord available from
the manufacturer.

Battery Safety
Warning: Contains otentially hazardous voltages.
Do not make any changes or modifications to Explorer XT3 unless other ise specified. Explorer
XT3 has no user-serviceable parts.
•Caution : Do not place the batteries near open flame or heat. The batteries may explode.
•Caution : Do not open the batteries. The batteries contain chemicals that are harmful to the skin
and eyes. The batteries can also emit dangerous or explosive gases.
•Caution : To avoid injury due to electrical hazard, remove metal accessories such as rist atches
and je elries hen replacing batteries. Use properly insulated tools and handles.
•Caution : Explorer XT3 uses 12 V DC, 9 Ah valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries, Replace
batteries ith the same type as originally installed in Explorer XT3.
•Caution : Observe proper polarity hen connecting the batteries. Incorrect polarity may cause
electrical hazards or damage to Explorer XT3.
Dis ose re laced batteries ro erly. Deliver the battery to its manufacturer for recycling.
Im ortant: Innovatronix Inc. does not recommend Explorer XT3 for use in life support
equipment, here malfunction of the product ill significantly degrade effectiveness of such
equipment.
Examples of life support equipment are, but not limited to, the follo ing: pacemakers, blood
pumps, ventilators and dialysis systems.

Getting Started
Shi ing Materials
Please check if the shipped package contains the follo ing:
-1 Tronix Explorer XT3 unit
-1 Po er Cord
-1 14VDC Car Battery Charger
-User's Guide (this document)
Contact Tronix Customer Service or reseller in case any item is missing in the ackage
(see Contact Information).
Installation
1. S itch off Explorer XT3.
2. On the rear panel, plug the po er cord to a 100 V to 240 V mains outlet.
The green Charging LED indicator should blink. This indicates that Explorer XT3 is charging.
If Explorer XT3 is being charged the first time, charge the unit for 12 to 15 hours. This ensures
optimum battery performance. Succeeding charges ould only take 6 to 9 hours.
Note: The mains outlet to hich Explorer XT3 is connected must be in close proximity and must
be easily accessed.
Explorer XT3 has the follo ing po er sources: AC mains outlet, car battery input and auxiliary
battery. Only connect one of these sources at a time. Though not posing any risk, simultaneous
connections of any of these inputs are not recommended.

O eration
1. Charge Explorer XT3 as instructed in Installation.
2. Set up the necessary lighting equipment.
3. On the front panel, connect the plug of the flash unit to one of the sockets of Explorer XT3.
For 115-60 models, a universal adapter is supplied.
Note: The connections bet een the flash units and Explorer XT3 must be in close proximity
and must be easily accessed.
4. S itch on Explorer XT3.
The battery level indicators (green High, yellow Mid and red Low) indicate the amount of
po er left in the battery. Explorer XT3 is no supplying po er to the flash units.
5. Test the flash units. If the desired lighting requirements are set, proceed ith the photo
shoot.
6. To conserve battery, s itch off Explorer XT3 hen the flash units are not in use.
Note: Using the modeling lamps in flash units ill prolong recycling time and ill quickly
discharge the battery. Therefore, it is advised not to use modeling lights hen using
Explorer XT3 as po er source.
Optional: For additional safety, connect the earth stud of Explorer XT3 to earth.

Belo is a table of the status LEDs of Explorer XT3 and its corresponding indication:
Status Indication
Charging Green Charging LED indicator is blinking
Charging -
Battery full Green Charging LED indicator stays lit
Battery full Green High LED indicator is lit
Battery at half
po er Yellow Mid LED indicator is lit
Battery lo Red Low LED indicator is lit
Overload or
short circuit
Green High, Yellow Mid, and Red Low LED
indicators are lit
Aside from its normal use of po ering strobes and flashes, the battery of Explorer XT3 ill be
discharged if any of the follo ing occurs:
•Explorer XT3 is s itched on at no load. The battery of Explorer XT3 ill be discharged after 10
hours.
•Explorer XT3 is s itched off at no load. The battery of Explorer XT3 ill be discharged after 200
days. Thus, hen not in use, it is recommended that Explorer XT3 should be plugged in to a 100 V
to 240 V AC mains outlet or to a 14 V DC outlet.
•Even hen s itched off, the internal circuitry of Explorer XT3 still consumes po er. A totally
discharged battery ill severely affect its useful life.
Should Explorer XT3 run out of po er and no po er source is present, the Tronix Auxiliary Battery
Pack can be connected to Explorer XT3. When the Auxiliary Battery Pack is connected, Explorer
XT3 bypasses its internal battery and dra s po er from the battery pack. Tronix Auxiliary Battery
Pack is sold separately. More information can be obtained from the Innovatronix ebsite (see
Contact Information).

Charging
•S itch off Explorer XT3.
•Explorer XT3 can be charged through the follo ing methods:
Mains Supply
- Plug the po er cord to a 100 V to 240 V AC mains outlet. (see Installation)
- Except for the initial charging, Explorer XT3 should be fully charged after 6 to 9 hours.
- When the green Charging LED indicator stopped blinking (LED stays on), the battery is fully
charged.
14V DC Outlet
- Plug Explorer XT3 to a 14 V DC outlet. A car cigarette lighter socket ould be an example. Use
the appropriate adapter.
- Note that Explorer XT3 can not be fully charged hen this method is used.
Tip: You can leave Explorer XT3 plugged in even after it is fully charged. Explorer XT3 uses trickle
charging method. If the cord is still plugged after the battery reached full charge, the battery ill
not be damaged in any ay. Trickle charging also maintains the battery's optimum life span.
Maintenance
•For optimum performance, keep the battery fully charged. A lit green High LED indicates a fully
charged battery hen Explorer XT3 is being used. On the other hand, a lit red Low LED indicates
a drained battery.
•S itch off the unit hen not in use. Leaving Explorer XT3 on hen not in use ill severely drain
the battery.
•Use a dry cloth hen cleaning the unit. Do not use any liquids or detergent.
•Coil cables hen not in use. Loose cables may cause accidents.
•Battery Replacement: See Battery Replacement

Battery Re lacement
WARNING:
Risk of electric shock. Proceed with extreme caution.
Before re lacing batteries, disconnect all cords and wait 30 minutes.
Remove any metal objects such as wristwatches and jewelry.
Use ro erly insulated tools and handles.
Strictly follow the instructions stated to avoid ossible damage to the unit and
injury.
1. S itch off Explorer XT3.
2. Remove the scre s of the plastic frame and the unit
itself.
3. Remove the scre s of the cover located at the sides and top portion of the unit.
Remove the cover. Place scre s in a container to avoid misplacement.
4. Carefully disconnect the battery terminals located on the boost converter and the battery
converter side (the S-shaped cord that connects the t o batteries) located on the charger
board side from the battery to avoid short circuit.
Note: Position the ires in such a ay that correct reconnection ill be made later.
5. Remove the charger board located at the sides of the batteries. The charger board serves
as DC charger of the batteries inside.
6. Remove the scre of the battery bracket and scre under the battery casing.
7. Remove the battery bracket and the battery at the same time.
8. Turn the unit to the other side and remove the boost converter board.
9. Remove the scre of the battery bracket and the scre under the battery casing.
10. Slide the battery out of the battery casing.
11. Securely place the ne battery, sliding it into the battery casing. Tighten the scre s and
install the boost converter board.
12. Turn to the other side and make sure to place the batteries inside the metal closure first.
Reinsert the battery scre s and put back the charger board before connecting the battery
terminals and connector.
Note: Ensure the battery terminals do not touch the heat sink. For safety, cover the area of
the heat sink here the battery terminals ill pass during battery replacement.
Attention: Do not interchange the polarity of the ires. Black ire is for the negative
(–) terminal and red ire is for the ositive (+) terminal.
13. Place back the cover and plastic frame. Reinsert and tighten all scre s.
Dis ose re laced batteries ro erly. Deliver the battery to its manufacturer for recycling.