VEXILAR CLC-200 User manual

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CONTENTS
General Description 2
Specifications 3
Gimbal Unit Assembly and Installation 4
Portable Unit Assembly and Installation 10
Operation 14
Men F nctions 16
Using the Zoom modes 19
Understanding the Colors 20
Typical Indications 21
Freq ently Asked Q estions 24
Maintenance 25
Tro bleshooting 26
Other Vexilar Prod cts 27
Optional Transd cers 30
Service and S pport 32
Fo nded in 1960, Vexilar, Inc. has a long
history of bringing revol tionary
technology to the sport fishing ind stry.
Some of the Vexilar firsts incl de: the first
liq id crystal display, the first fish alarm,
the first three color display, the first CRT and straight line
paper graphs, and the first split-screen zoom flasher for the
sport fisherman.
CLC-200 Operation Manual

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The five-color CLC-200 is a compact and light-weight
liq id crystal depth so nder. It indicates depth, shows
changes in bottom content, and conditions. It can also
discriminate between large nderwater targets, s ch as
fish, and smaller targets s ch as bait fish and plankton.
The nit transmits b rsts of high freq ency p lses which
are converted from electrical to mechanical energy by the
transd cer. These "so nd" p lses radiate from the
transd cer downward and are reflected back p to the
transd cer where the energy is converted back to
electrical signals. The CLC-200 then processes these
signals and displays them.
The graphic display is accomplished by activating
individ al or gro ps of m lti-colored pixels, or dots, on
the LCD. The first vertical col mn of pixels, on the right
edge of the display, shows the most c rrent information.
This col mn is then moved to the next place, to the left, as
soon as a new col mn is
ready. This process is
repeated contin ally to make
p the graphic display. Th s
what yo see on the display
is a brief history of what the
boat j st went over. The CLC-
200 also displays the depth as
an easy to read digital
n mber on the right side of
the display.

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• Operating Voltage:
• C rrent Draw:
• Power O tp t:
• Freq ency:
• Beam Angle:
• Resol tion:
• So nding Rate:
• Display Size:
• Display Colors
• Backgro nd Color
• Temperat re Range
8 - 17 VDC (12 Volts Nominal)
83 mA
400 Watts (Peak to Peak)
200 kHz
12˚(Gimbal) / 22˚ (Bo ndary Waters)
192 x 160 Pixels
410/min. Max
2 3/4" x 2 1/4"
Black, Red, Green, Yellow, White
Selectable White or Black
30 - 100 Degrees F
SPECIFICATIONS
• Depth Ranges:
0-20', 0-30', 0-50', 0-75', 0-100', 0-125',
0-150', 0-200', 0-250’, and 0-300'.
CLC-200 Gimbal version (Left)
CLC-200TM - Transom transd cer
CLC-200PK - P ck style transd cer
CLC-200BW Bo ndary Waters
portable version (Right)

UNIT ASSEMBLY (Gimbal Version)
Yo will need to
find a place to mo nt
the CLC-200 that will
make it easy to view
and reach. Yo m st
provide the nit with
power and mo nt the
transd cer in an effective location.
MOUNTING THE UNIT
Attach the CLC-200 to the ProMo nt™bracket system.
First, remove the platform by lifting the tab and p lling it
forward, as in fig re 4. Use the s pplied hardware with
locking washers to sec rely attach yo r nit to the remov-
able platform section. Be s re yo mo nt the nit to the
ProMo nt™platform so that the “lift” tab is facing forward.
Yo are now ready to locate the permanent base. First
look for a flat area for mo nting. If yo are going to drill
holes in yo r dash or deck to r n cables, make s re yo
spend a little time to place the holes in the right spot before
beginning. Allow for
plenty of movement
for yo r electronics
and cables. If yo are
drilling a large hole
to accommodate the
cable connectors, yo
may want to position
Lift
P ll
Fig re 4

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yo r base directly over the hole
sing the hole cover spacer
gasket. Be s re to r n cables o t
the back side of the spacer
gasket which has the pre-c t
groove. (See fig re 5 )
Now mark the center of each
of the fo r holes with a fine point
marker or center p nch. Pre-drill
the mo nting holes sing a 1/8" drill bit and se the
s pplied mo nting screws. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THE
SCREWS.
When reattaching the ProMo nt platform ( nit attached)
to the mo nted base, slide it back into position ntil yo
hear a lo d“click”. This confirms it is locked into place.
IN-DASH MOUNTING
The CLC-200 can be mo nted in
the dash of yo r boat sing the
optional In-Dash Mo nting Kit (part#
IDK001). This kit will contain the
necessary hardware and instr ctions
to complete the installation.
CONNECTING POWER
Pl g the 2 pin connector into the back of the nit. Find
the closest so rce of 12 volts and ro te the cord to it. Keep
the cord away from sharp metal edges and avoid tight
places where the cord may get cr shed. Connect the white
Fig re 5
CLC-200 In-Dash
Kit #IDK001

wire to positive and the black wire to negative. If the cord
provided is not long eno gh, more can be added. Use 18
ga ge wire minim m. Install the incl ded 1 amp in-line
f se, placed in the positive line, as close to the power so rce
as possible, to protect against shorts in the wiring.
ASSEMBLING THE TRANSOM STYLE
TRANSDUCER
Locate the transd cer, and bracket hardware. This
incl des;
1 - Transd cer
2 - Angle Brackets
4 - Bracket Screws
2 - Bracket Plates
4 - N ts
4 - Mo nting Screws
Attach the bracket to the transd cer as shown in Fig re
7. The flanges of the bracket normally point o tward, away
from the transd cer. If mo nting space is tight, yo can
reverse the angle brackets and face the flanges inward.
TRANSOM TRANSDUCER INSTALLATION
When choosing an area to mo nt the transd cer, keep
in mind that yo need clear water flow across the face of
the transd cer to ins re a clear reading at all speeds. Try
to stay away from rivets, ribs, or strakes that wo ld be j st
in front of the transd cer. They can dist rb the water and
scramble the reading.
6

With the mo nting bracket
attached to the transd cer,
hold it p to the boat where
yo are planning to mo nt it.
Mark the holes on the transom,
or mo nting plate, so that
when the bottom of the
transd cer is fl sh with the
bottom of the boat the holes are
located at the bottom of the
bracket slots. This gives yo
room to "fine t ne" the position
of the transd cer and optimize
yo r reading after yo 've p t
the boat in the water. Ideally,
the transd cer sho ld be j st
nder the bottom of the boat.
However, yo may need to
lower it 1/2” to 5/8” to get a clear reading at top speed.
Drill o t the holes and tighten the bracket to the h ll
sec rely. Be s re to seal any holes drilled into the transom
with silicone to prevent water from leaking into the boat.
Give the transd cer a slight tilt downward so that the back
is abo t 1/8” lower than the front. Tighten the bracket
screws and n ts sec rely. R n the transd cer cord p to
the nit. Pl g the transd cer connector into the back of the
nit and screw the retaining ring down sn gly.
7
Fig re 7

PUCK TRANSDUCER MOUNTING
To attach a P ck style transd cer to a trolling
motor se the large cable tie
provided. Notice the slots in the
transd cer for this p rpose. Locate
the transd cer on the bottom of the
lower nit (fig re 8). R n the cable
p the shaft sing smaller cable ties
to hold it in position. Make s re that
the motions of the trolling motor will
not damage the cable. Pl g the trans-
d cer connector into the back of the
nit and screw the retaining ring down tight.
IN-HULL MOUNTING
P ck transd cers can also be mo nted in-h ll. This
method gives high-speed reading witho t the worry of
having a transd cer hanging on the back of the boat to get
damaged. Finding the best location for the transd cer before
installation is critical. Choose a flat smooth spot near the
center of the bilge and near the back of the boat. Be s re to
make a "test r n" before yo permanently install the
transd cer to make s re that yo can get a good reading
thro gh yo r h ll at all speeds. When the boat is in the
water, p t abo t a half inch of water in the bilge and hold
the transd cer in the intended location. Move the it aro nd
ntil yo get the best reading. Mark the spot.
To install the transd cer, first clean the spot of m d and
oil. Using an epoxy* or silicone gl e, make a p ddle, abo t
8
Fig re 8

the same size as
the transd cer,
on the inside of
the h ll. Place
the transd cer in
the gl e and
press it down
firmly, gently
twisting it back and forth, making s re that there are no air
b bbles in the gl e between the transd cer and the h ll. It
is important that yo let the gl e dry completely before
t rning the nit on.
* If yo r h ll is al min m, se silicone. This material will flex with
the h ll at high speeds and in ro gh water.
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OPTIONAL TEMPERATURE SENSOR
To install the optional temperat re sensor (part# TP0002)
se the s pplied mo nting screws to sec re the probe to
boat transom. Alternately, yo can se a plastic cable tie or
wire twist tie to sec re it to existing hardware. The probe
sho ld be in the water, b t not below the h ll line.
Ro te the cable p to the nit j st as yo ran the
transd cer cable. Remove the plastic protective cap from
the temperat re sensor jack on the back of the nit. Be s re
to keep it for f t re se. Pl g the 8
pin connector into the CLC-200.
When yo t rn the nit on, the
temperat re reading will appear on
the screen a tomatically. TP0002

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UNIT ASSEMBLY (Portable Version)
Remove the gimbal knobs from the nit and then
remove the r bber washers from the knobs. Set the battery
pack down on a table top and place the nit, face down,
inside with the top of the nit opposite the battery pack
handle. Place one gimbal knob on each side of the nit.
Place the metal ends of the carry strap over each knob with
the bend pointing o tward, away from the threads. P t a
flat r bber washer onto each of the threaded shafts to hold
the strap ends in place. Install the knobs into the nit,
thro gh the battery pack. Tighten both slightly.
INSTALLING THE
BATTERIES
T rn the nit over to
access the battery compart-
ment door (fig re 11).
Unscrew the two retaining
screws and remove the com-
partment door. Install eight
AA ALKALINE batteries (not
incl ded) by following the
imprinted g ides in the battery compartment. Replace the
compartment door and tighten the screws back into place.
Pl g the power cord from the battery pack into the
CLC-200 and tighten sn gly.
Note— The battery compartment is not sealed. After se in a wet
environment, remove the batteries and leave the compartment open.
This allows it to dry and minimize any corrosion that may develop.
Fig re 11

ASSEMBLING THE TRANSDUCER
Locate the transd cer and bracket assembly. This
incl des:
1 - Transd cer
1 - Metal Bracket
1 - S ction C p
1 - Short Panhead Screw
2 - Short Machine Screws
2 - N ts
2 - Washers
1 - Safety rope
The s ction c p installs sing the single short screw.
Attach it to the hole in the flat bracket as shown in fig re
12. Now locate the transd cer and the remaining hardware.
Install the transd cer onto the bracket as shown. Install the
two short screws thro gh the transd cer slots and into the
bracket holes. Place the washers and then the n ts onto the
screws and tighten
sec rely. Finally,
install the safety rope.
Tie a knot in the rope
and r n it thro gh
the pper hole in the
bracket ntil the knot
stops at the hole. Yo
will tie the other end
to the boat.
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Fig re 12

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TRANSDUCER MOUNTING
The s ction c p bracket assembly is designed to be
mo nted on the side of a canoe or kayak. However, it can
also be attached to the transom (back) of a normal fishing
boat.
Wet the s ction c p and press the assembly onto the
s rface of the h ll in the area where yo are going the attach
it. Slide the assembly p or down ntil the transd cer is
completely in the water. Yo may want to bend the
bracket so that the transd cer is not pointing off at an angle.
Ideally, it sho ld point straight down when yo r boat is
normally loaded.
Tie the end of the safety rope to the boat. Leave as
little slack in the rope as yo can. If the s ction c p lets
loose, the rope can save yo r transd cer and depth so nder
from being lost.
If yo ’ll be mo nting to a flat
transom and yo wish to get clear
readings while the boat is moving at
faster speeds, yo may want to
p rchase the optional Tri-C p
bracket (part# BK0061) shown in fig re 13.
IN-HULL MOUNTING
This method, gl ing the transd cer to the h ll, gets sim-
ilar res lts as if yo were mo nting the transd cer exter-
nally, only there is no transd cer on the o tside of the boat
to get damaged by impact or tangled in weeds or fishing
line. This method works well for most types of single layer
Fig re 13

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h ll materials, incl ding al -
min m. However, the trans-
d cer is not easily removed
after installation.
Finding the best location
for the transd cer before
installation is critical. Choose
a flat smooth spot near the
center of the h ll and near the back of the boat. It is a good
idea to make a "test r n" before yo permanently install
the transd cer to make s re that yo can indeed get a
reading thro gh yo r h ll at all speeds. When the boat is
in the water, p t abo t a half inch of water in the bottom
of the boat and hold the transd cer in the intended
location. Move the transd cer aro nd ntil yo get the best
reading. Mark the spot.
To install the transd cer, first clean the spot of m d and
oil. Using an epoxy* or silicone gl e, make a p ddle, abo t
the same size as the transd cer, on the inside of the h ll.
Place the transd cer in the gl e. Press it down firmly,
gently twisting it back and forth, making s re that there
are no air b bbles in the gl e between the transd cer and
the h ll. It is important that yo let the gl e dry completely
before t rning the nit on.
* If yo r h ll is al min m, se silicone. This material will flex with
the h ll at high speeds and in ro gh water.

1
OPERATION
The CLC-200’s control panel contains the basic controls
yo need to operate the nit. For example, Range controls
how deep the nit will read and Gain controls how m ch
signal will be displayed on the screen. This section describes
in detail the controls of the CLC-200.
ON/POWER/OFF
This t rns the CLC-200 ON and OFF. If yo choose to
modify any of the control feat res, yo r settings will be
saved in memory when the nit is t rned off or discon-
nected from power. When yo t rn it on again, the nit
will operate the same way as it did when yo last sed it.
RANGE CONTROL
The two red b ttons at the top of the control panel set
the depth range when the A to Range Mode is off. Pressing
the (1) b tton changes the range to the next shallowest
range. Pressing the (2) b tton changes the range to the
next deeper range.
GAIN CONTROL
The two green b ttons control the CLC-200’s gain level
when the A to Gain Mode (located in the men controls)
is set to off. Pressing the (3) decreases the gain level
and (4) b tton increases the gain level.

MODE
During Normal Operation - The Mode b tton cycles
thro gh the three different types of views; Normal, A to
Zoom, and Bottom Lock. Zoom modes will be described
in a coming section.
While in the Menu - The Mode b tton is sed to
toggle between men choices. The Men choices will be
described in the next section.
MENU
Pressing the MENU b tton opens the men page.
Pressing it again will go back to the normal view. Each item
in the men will be explained in the next section.
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MENU FUNCTIONS
Press the MENU b tton to enter the CLC-200’s men
page. To select a feat re item, press the (1) or the (2)
b tton to move the c rser and highlight the desired item.
CONTRAST
Contrast controls the overall lightness or darkness of
the display. Press the (4) b tton or the (3) to increase
or decrease the display contrast to yo r preference. Contrast
adj stments sho ld only be req ired after large changes in
ambient light or if yo switch COLOR modes (see COLOR).
SWEEP
Sweep controls how fast the image moves across the
screen. There are 4 sweep speeds, pl s STOP. The c rrent
sweep speed is displayed as a series of red arrows on the
right side of the display. Fo r arrows showing indicates
the fastest sweep speed. Press the (4) b tton or the
(3) to increase or decrease the sweep speed to yo r
preference. The sweep speed sho ld ro ghly match the
speed of the boat. When in do bt, se the fastest sweep
speed setting.
AUTO_R
AUTO_R controls the CLC-200’s A tomatic Range
Control feat re. When set to ON, the nit will
a tomatically change the range to the optimal setting. To

select whether this feat re is ON or OFF, highlight the item
and press the MODE b tton on the control panel. In gen-
eral, yo will want to se the A tomatic Range Control
feat re. However, there may be times when yo want to
lock a range setting or switch to a deeper range; for instance,
if yo want to see the second echo of the bottom.
AUTO_G
AUTO_G controls the CLC-200’s A tomatic Gain
Control feat re. To select whether this feat re is ON or OFF,
highlight the item and press the MODE b tton on the
control panel. When set to ON, the nit will
a tomatically adj st the gain level for optimal performance.
Keep the feat re set to ON for normal operation. Yo can
set it to OFF if yo want to change the gain setting to see
more or less detail.
F_ALARM
F_ALARM t rns the CLC-200’s fish alarm feat re on
and off. To select whether this feat re is ON or OFF,
highlight the item and press the MODE b tton on the
control panel. When set to ON, an alarm will so nd each
time the nit sees a s bstantial target separated from the
bottom. The fish alarm makes a series of short beeps.
17

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B_ALARM
B_ALARM controls the Bottom Alarm feat re. To select
whether this feat re is ON or OFF, highlight the item and
press the MODE b tton on the control panel. When this
item is ON and highlighted, yo can press the (4)
b tton or the (3) to increase or decrease the minim m
depth at which the alarm will so nd. The bottom alarm
makes a series of long beeps.
TEMP_ADJ
TEMP_ADJ is sed to calibrate the optional
temperat re sensor. Normally, this setting does not need
to be changed, b t it allows for adj stment if necessary.
D_UNIT
D_UNIT is sed to switch the depth nit between Feet
and Meters.
RESET
Use this feat re to tro ble shoot problems or to get back
to a "known state”. Highlight the RESET item and then
press the MODE b tton to reset all items to the initial
factory settings.

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USING THE ZOOM MODES
The CLC-200 offers three different types of depth views,
Standard, A to Zoom, and Bottom Lock. Pressing the Mode
b tton on the front panel cycles thro gh the different
settings.
Standard - This view is the normal depth view. It shows
the entire water col mn from the s rface to the bottom.
This view shows the maxim m amo nt of history, as it ses
the entire width of the graphical view screen.
Auto Zoom - This view splits the graphical screen into
two parts. The right side shows the the Standard view. the
left side shows a magnified view of the bottom of the
c rrent depth range. This view allows for an increased
ability to see small str ct re and depth changes. It also
makes targets very close to the bottom m ch easier to see.
Bottom Lock - This mode also splits the screen into two
parts and works m ch the same as the A to Zoom feat re.
However, Bottom Lock identifies the bottom signal and
“locks” it into position on the zoom display. A depth scale
appears in this mode.The bottom will always line p with
the zero mark. The n mbered foot marks shown are feet,
or meters, away from the bottom. This mode can be very
sef l when trying to see fish and str ct re near the
bottom when in heavy waves or over q ick changes in
depth.

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UNDERSTANDING THE COLORS
The CLC-200’s color LCD display gives yo m ch more
information that a normal single color nit. The 5 different
display colors of the CLC-200 represent five different
levels of sonar signal strength. This is very sef l for
helping yo determine bottom content, target size and
target position. In addition, the CLC-200 offers two
different color modes. MODE 1 shows a light backgro nd
and MODE 2 show a black backgro nd.
SIGNAL MODE 1 MODE 2
Echo 1 (Strongest) Black Red
Echo 2 Red Yellow
Echo 3 Green Green
Echo 4 Bl e White
Echo 5 (Weakest) Yellow Bl e
Backgro nd White Black