The Microcat

Thank you for purchasing this highly advanced fishing aid. Before you use it, please take a few moments to read these instructions in conjunction with the radio control instructions and the video.

Operation

1)  Screw the aerial to the connector on the boat.

2)  Extend the transmitter (handset) aerial fully and turn it on.

3)  Turn on the boat by briefly pressing the on/off button. The boat will go through a system check and turn on each of the four pumps in turn.

4)  Open the hopper doors by moving the door catches forwards manually, or by moving the left-hand transmitter stick to the left or right. When opening the doors using the Transmitter (not manually) then you must wait approximately 15-20 seconds for the door catches to return to their natural position. Place your line and hooked bait up through the open doors and guide the lines so that they trail from the small tunnels at the stern of the boat in the centre and make sure exposed hooks are kept clear of the top edge of the doors.  Close the doors, which will lock in place, load your bait into either or both hoppers ensuring the bait is away from the top of the doors.

5)   Place the boat in the water and lift the rear of the boat until the rearward facing jets are half out of the water.

6)   Press the on/off button down and keep it down until the two forward pumps cause a good stream of water to issue from both outlets. This procedure is necessary to prime the forward drive pumps. The reverse pumps are self-priming.

7)   Move the right hand joystick forwards, backwards, left and right to steer and guide the Microcat to its destination.  At the desired place, unload the bait by moving the door  operating control depending on which operation you require:

TO OPERATE HOPPERS INDIVIDUALLY - OPEN THE RIGHT HAND HOPPER FIRST BY MOVING THE DOORS CONTROL TO THE RIGHT, THEN OPEN THE LEFT HAND HOPPER BY MOVING THE DOOR CONTROL TO THE LEFT. TO OPERATE BOTH HOPPERS - MOVE THE DOOR CONTROL TO THE LEFT

8)   At this time the boat lights will go “off” until the control is centred and the doors opened. The hoppers can operate independently of the other controls so you have the option to unload bait while moving.  When the bait and/or line(s) have been unloaded, guide the boat back to you. To get a minimum turning circle simply move the rudder control to the left or right (ie either 3’Oclock or 9’Oclock), leaving the throttle control in the neutral position.

9)   Moving the left joystick (light control) fully forward will allow normal operation of the lights. If this control is placed in the reverse position it will turn off the lights.  The lights will then only operate to indicate that the radio link is lost.

10)  Remove the Microcat from the water and gently close the hopper door(s).  Switch off the boat by pressing the button again.

11)  Switch off the transmitter.

Lights

Lights continuously “on” - normal operation

Slow flashing lights - radio link failure to the boat.

Two/three second blink - hopper door(s)/ operated.

No lights - transmitter set to” no lights” mode / or the boat is” off”.

Additional  operating  notes.

a)  There is no mechanical rudder used in the boat. Its steering is achieved by altering the power of the pumps.

b)  The speed controller is a variable unit, therefore the positions of the transmitter control sticks are directly proportional to the pump power.

c)  The boat possesses a very high degree of manoeuvrability, the maximum turning force being when the throttle stick is in the central position and the rudder stick is at extreme right or extreme left.

d)  With the lights set to “off” there is no visual indication that the hopper doors have opened.

e)  If it appears that the boat is becoming exhausted and may not make it back to you, then let the boat drift for a while and the battery may recover enough energy to make the return. It is recommended that a bankside or solar charger be used to top up the battery after every trip.

f)   If the pumps filters become blocked the steering of the boat may become impossible. Putting the boat into reverse will not clear the filters. If the boat appears to have a blocked filter, let it drift for a while as the offending blockage may fall away from the filter.

g)  Should the boat take in water, holding the boat with its bow facing down should drain the water from the forward drain holes. This practise is recommended at all times.

h)  The boat can be used in wind and rain. If the situation gets very difficult while the boat is still on the water, it should be driven into or away from the wind whichever is most convenient.

i)    Do not use the boat in very high winds and choppy conditions. To prevent water from getting into the hull, waterproof tape may be used around the battery boxes and the drain holes at the bows.

j)    If the transmitter is turned “off” while the boat is still “on” the boat lights and pumps may operate erratically, this is not good practise.

k)   The pumps may be operated out of water without fear of damage, unless fouled by a blockage, which interferes with the impellers. Never try and remove anything that is fouling the impeller with the batteries still connected.

l)     There are differences between the video and your boat that include the transmitter, battery connectors, filters etc. These changes have been made to improve the original system. These instructions supersede the video instructions.

m)   If you place the boat in the water without priming the forward pumps you will still be able to drive the boat but only in reverse.

n)    It is important when not charging the boat that the supplied cover is placed over the charging socket. This will prevent anything entering the connector and will help prevent corrosion.

o)    If you are using trout pellets or similar sized bait, ensure it does not get caught between the highest part of the door(s) and the hull as this may prevent the doors from opening fully.

p)   Always pick up the boat gently as a fully loaded boat snatched up may cause excessive strain on the handle and hull structure.

Batteries

Two mains powered chargers are provided with the boat.  The Boat charger is capable of charging the boats standard batteries from fully discharged to fully charged in approximately 18 hours.  Under no circumstances should the batteries be deliberately discharged before charging as this can severely damage them. Boat battery charging can take place at any time without any detrimental effect on their performance. If the batteries are not used for some time they will need to be regularly charged (at least every three months) to keep them healthy. Please always disconnect and remove the batteries when the boat is in storage or transportation.
 

The handset charger will charge the transmitter in about 7 hours with the voltage selector on 9v (do not charge for more than 10 hours).

The charger must not have the voltage selector in any other position.
 

The transmitter batteries do benefit from being completely discharged before being recharged. They can exhibit a ‘memory’ and repeated charging and fully discharging will remove this memory effect.
 

Contrary to the radio instructions, dry cells cannot be used in the handset as it is designed for rechargeable battery packs. Spare battery packs are available.
 

Do not under any circumstance use batteries other than 6-volt units as this will lead to irreparable damage to your boat and will void the guarantee.
 

Both the Boat and the Transmitter are charged while they are switched “off”.
 

If the boat is not going to be used for some months then every 2-3 months give the boat an overnight charge to ensure the batteries remain fully charged. 

CARE OF YOUR EQUIPMENT

1.  Do not drop / severally knock the Microcat  as this may damage internal parts.

2.  It is recommended that the boat be wiped down with a damp cloth and allowed to dry out any condensation in a warm

   & dry place for a day or two, after use.

3.  Although the electronics are sealed, it is important that the boat and transmitter be stored in a warm, dry place when not in use, in order to prevent condensation build up.

4.  The transmitter should be protected from water / condensation at all times.

 Fault Diagnosis

                   Problem                                             Cause                                                      Action

Many things will cause radio interference with the boat including other boat users, CB radios, metal to metal rubbing, weather (especially rain), low batteries, radio 'dead spots' (defined areas where the boat receives overwhelming point transmissions from unknown sources).  If you suspect it is a fault with the boat then, before contacting us, please try again on another water well away from the area. If you have any further questions regarding the boat, a technical helpline is available on +44 (0)1666 575144

Guarantee

Your boat is guaranteed for 12 months from the date of purchase.  The guarantee covers any defects arising from faulty material or workmanship; it does not cover damage arising from improper use, breakage, or normal wear of the boat or associated equipment.  The guarantee is invalidated if unauthorised persons undertake repairs or modifications.
 

To register your guarantee, please complete ALL of the following slip in BLOCK CAPITALS and return to:

Angling Technics Limited, Unit 5, Kemble Business Park, Crudwell, Wiltshire. SN16 9SH. Tel.Fax: +44 (0) 1666 575144.   Web Site   www.anglingtechnicsbaitboats.co.uk

If the Guarantee is not completed and returned then the warranty on the Microcat will be taken from the date of manufacture.