ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 2
I
NTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 4
Box Contents ....................................................................................................... 4
Support ................................................................................................................. 4
S
ETUP .........................................................................................5
Outdoor Use and Care ...................................................................................... 5
Charging and Battery Information ................................................................. 5
F
EATURES .................................................................................. 7
Front Panel .......................................................................................................... 7
Rear Panel .......................................................................................................... 10
O
PERATION ............................................................................... 11
Bluetooth® Connecting with Tailgater
TM
Boom .......................................... 11
Stereo-Link
TM
: Syncing Between Two Speakers ........................................ 12
Using the Radio ................................................................................................ 14
Connecting an Audio Device Using the Aux Input ................................... 15
USB Playback Mode .......................................................................................... 16
Using the USB Charge Port ............................................................................. 17
App Control ........................................................................................................ 18
T
ROUBLESHOOTING ............................................................... 19
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 3
A
PPENDIX ................................................................................. 21
Technical Specifications .................................................................................. 21
Trademarks & Licenses ................................................................................... 22
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 4
Thank you for purchasing the Tailgater
TM
Boom. At ION, your entertainment is as important to
us as it is to you. That’s why we design our products with one thing in mind—to make your life
more fun and more convenient.
Note: Before you first use the product, please fully charge the battery. Your unit was purposely
shipped with a reduced battery charge to ensure safe transit. For optimal charging, power o
the speaker while charging.
Use the included USB-A to USB-C® cable to connect the unit to a 5V, 2A power adapter (not
included) connected to a power outlet and let it charge for up to 4 hours (depending on the
specifications of your adapter). This helps ensure the longest life for your battery.
Box Contents
Tailgater
TM
Boom
USB-A to USB-C® Charging Cable (3.28 ft / 1 m)
Quickstart Guide
Support
For the latest information about this product (documentation, technical specifications, system
requirements, compatibility information, etc.) and product registration, visit i
onaudio.com.
For additional product support, visit i
onaudio.com/support.
INTRODUCTION
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 5
Outdoor Use and Care
Though Tailgater
TM
Boom is water-resistant and able to tolerate splashing water, please review
the tips below to get the best performance from your Tailgater
TM
Boom:
•
Bring Tailgater
TM
Boom indoors during extreme weather.
•
Please do not place Tailgater
TM
Boom in standing water or puddles.
•
Please do not attempt to charge Tailgater
TM
Boom in a wet environment. Make sure the
power input, USB cable, power adapter, and power outlet are all completely dry before
making any connections.
•
WARNING: Keep any non-water-resistant devices (phones, music players, etc.) in a dry
place where they will not be aected by water and cause a risk of electric shock.
Charging and Battery Information
For the quickest charging time, power o Tailgater
TM
Boom and use the included USB-A to
USB-C® cable to connect the USB-C® charging port on the rear panel of the speaker to a USB
power adapter (DC 5V 2A, not included) connected to a power outlet, or your computer
(powered on). A full charge can take up to 4 hours, depending on the specifications of your
5V, 2A adapter.
The l
ightning bolt icon on the display will light up when Tailgater
TM
Boom is
connected to a power source and charging. The b
attery icon will fill to display
the battery life percentage. When charging is complete, the lightning bolt icon
will disappear, and the battery icon will be completely filled.
SETUP
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 6
If no audio is played through the Tailgater
TM
Boom speaker for 15 minutes, the unit will enter
a standby mode to conserve battery life. This may mean the Bluetooth signal is paused, no
audio is coming through a device connected to the aux port, or the volume is set to zero. To
wake the unit, simply resume audio signal or press any button.
After 60 minutes without use, Tailgater
TM
Boom will fully power o. To resume using it, press
and hold the P
ower button to turn the speaker back on.
Here are some other recommendations for getting the longest life from the internal battery.
G
eneral Usage Fully charge the battery before using it.
Avoid full discharge of the battery if possible. Li-Ion batteries are
maintenance-free, and the battery will last longest when operating
between 30–80% charged.
Do not use the product while charging the battery.
Do not charge the battery in exceedingly hot (greater than 90°F/32°C) or
exceedingly cold (less than 32°F/0°C) temperatures.
S
torage For best product longevity, do not store at exceedingly hot (greater than
90°F/32°C) or exceedingly cold (less than 32°F/0°C) temperatures.
For best product longevity, store with a 50% battery charge.
If you leave the battery level low and do not charge it for 6 months, it may
permanently lose capacity.
R
epair If the battery fails to charge, contact ION Audio at ionaudio.com.
D
isposal Bring the unit to a recycling center or dispose of in accordance with local
ordinances.
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 7
Front Panel
Click a control below to jump to that section.
1
. Display
This screen shows information relevant to Tailgater
TM
Boom’s current operation:
• S
ource Icons (FM, AUX, USB): These icons will indicate whether Tailgater
TM
Boom
is in FM, Aux, or USB playback modes.
• B
luetooth Icon ( ): The Bluetooth icon will display when a device is paired to
Tailgater
TM
Boom. See Operation > Bluetooth® Connecting with Tailgater
TM
Boom to
learn how to connect a Bluetooth device.
• S
tereo-Link
TM
Icon ( ): The Stereo-Link
TM
icon will display when Tailgater
TM
Boom
is linked to another speaker. The Stereo-Link
TM
icon will be o when a single speaker
is used. See O
peration > Stereo-Link
TM
: Syncing Between Two Speakers below for
instructions on how to link two speakers.
FEATURES
9
1
2
6 7 8
1213
14
15
16
3
54
10
11
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 8
• R
adio Station: The centered numerals indicate the current radio station that is
selected. This area will also show the volume and the current repeat mode when
either are changed. See O
peration > Using the Radio for more information.
• L
ightning Bolt Icon ( ): The lightning bolt icon will display when Tailgater
TM
Boom
is connected to a power outlet and charging.
• B
attery Indicator ( ): The battery icon displays the battery life percentage. When
fully charged, the battery icon will be completely filled.
• B
OOM Icon: The BOOM icon will display when the Boom Button
TM
is pressed. The
icon will be o when the function is deactivated.
2
. Power Button
Press and hold this button to turn Tailgater
TM
Boom on and o.
3
. Bluetooth Button
Press this button to enter Bluetooth pairing mode. When connected to a Bluetooth device,
double-press this button to disconnect a paired device and re-enter pairing mode, or
single-press to disconnect a paired device and enter Aux mode. See O
peration >
B
luetooth® Connecting with Tailgater
TM
Boom to learn how to connect a Bluetooth device.
Press and hold this button to enable or disable voice prompts.
4
. Source Button
Press this button to cycle between FM, USB, and Aux modes.
5
. Previous Button
In Bluetooth and USB modes, press this button once to go to the start of the current track.
Press the button again within one second to go to the previous track.
In FM mode, press this button briefly to go to the previous station. Press and hold this button
to seek the previous strong station.
6
. Play/Pause / Presets Button
Press this button to play and pause Bluetooth or USB audio.
In FM mode, use this button to save and recall radio presets. See O
peration > Using the
R
adio to learn more.
7
. Next Button
n Bluetooth and USB modes, press this button to go to the next track.
In FM mode, press this button briefly to go to the next station. Press and hold this button to
seek the next strong station.
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 9
8. EQ Button
Press this button to cycle through adjusting the Low, Mid, and Hi EQ frequencies, and then
press the V
OL +/- buttons to adjust the level. If no changes are made within five seconds,
Tailgater
TM
Boom will exit EQ adjustment.
9
. Boom Button
TM
Press to simultaneously enhance the bass EQ and volume and activate a light show that
pulses to the beat of the music.
1
0. Repeat Button
Press this button to cycle between repeat modes during USB playback. See O
peration >
U
SB Playback Mode to learn more.
1
1. Stereo-Link
TM
Button
See O
peration > Stereo-Link
TM
: Syncing Between Two Speakers to learn more about
syncing two Tailgater
TM
Boom speakers together using this button.
1
2. Volume Up/Down Buttons
Press these buttons to adjust the speaker’s volume. The current volume level will be shown
on the display.
1
3. Mic Volume Up/Down Buttons
Press these buttons to adjust the volume of the microphone input. The current volume
level will be shown on the display.
1
4. Mic Input
Connect a dynamic microphone (not included) to this input using the 1/4" (6.35 mm) cable.
Use the M
IC +/- buttons to adjust the microphone volume.
1
5. Aux Input
Connect an MP3 or other audio player to Tailgater
TM
Boom here using a 1/8” (3.5 mm)
auxiliary cable (not included). See O
peration > Connecting an Audio Device Using the
A
ux Input for more information.
1
6. USB-A Playback/Device Charging Port
Connect a USB drive here for USB mode playback. See O
peration > USB Playback Mode
for more information.
Tailgater
TM
Boom includes a power bank function, which allows you to charge a
compatible 5V, 1A smartphone, tablet, or other device using the unit’s internal battery
(Capacity: 2000mAh/11.1V 22.2Wh) by connecting a cable here. See O
peration > Using
t
he USB Charge Port for more information.
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 10
Rear Panel
Note: To access the rear panel port, pull the tab on the protective rubber panel to release it
and access the port.
1. U
SB-C® Charging Port: Connect the USB-C® end of the included cable to Tailgater
TM
Boom
here, then connect the USB-A end to a 5V, 2A USB power adapter (sold separately) and
plug it into a power outlet, or your computer (powered on). See S
etup > Charging and
B
attery Information for more information.
1
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 11
Bluetooth® Connecting with Tailgater
TM
Boom
Note: Press and hold the Bluetooth button to turn voice prompts on or o.
1. Turn on Tailgater
TM
Boom by holding down the Power button for 2 seconds. Tailgater
TM
Boom will automatically enter Bluetooth pairing mode the first time it is powered on. After
that, it will remember the last mode used and enter that mode when powered on.
2. The Bluetooth icon on the display will flash to indicate it is ready to pair, and you will hear
“Bluetooth Pairing” if voice prompts are enabled.
3. Navigate to your device’s Bluetooth setup screen, find T
AILGATER BOOM, and connect.
The B
luetooth icon will appear in the display, and you will hear “Bluetooth Connected” (if
voice prompts are enabled).
Note: Do not connect to iPA162B_BLE; this is reserved exclusively for connecting to the
ION Sound Control
TM
app. If you experience trouble in connecting, select “Forget this
Device” on your Bluetooth device and try to connect again.
4. Now you can use the buttons on the front panel to control audio playback:
• Press the P
lay/Pause / Presets button to play or pause the current track.
• Press and quickly release the V
OL + button to increase the volume.
• Press and quickly release the V
OL - button to decrease the volume.
• Press the >
button to skip to the next track.
• Press the <
button to revert to the beginning of the current track. Repeat this action
within one second to skip to the previous track.
T
o disconnect a paired device, do any of the following:
• Turn o Bluetooth from your device’s Bluetooth settings. The speaker will enter
Bluetooth pairing mode to make it available for another device.
• Double-press the Bluetooth button to disconnect and re-enter pairing mode.
• Briefly press the Bluetooth button to disconnect and enter Aux mode.
Once you have disconnected, the Bluetooth icon will return to flashing, and you will hear
“Bluetooth Disconnected” if voice prompts are enabled.
OPERATION
TAILGATER
TM
BOOM
31 - PRESS & HOLD 2 - BLUETOOTH PAIRING
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 12
Stereo-Link
TM
: Syncing Between Two Speakers
To sync audio between two Tailgater
TM
Boom speakers:
Note: When you begin the Stereo-Link
TM
process, any connected Bluetooth devices will be
automatically disconnected. You can also disconnect your device prior to beginning by
double-pressing the Bluetooth button.
1. Press and hold the S
tereo-Link
TM
button on each Tailgater
TM
Boom speaker. A beeping
sound will be heard and the S
tereo-Link
TM
and Bluetooth icons in each unit's display will
begin flashing while attempting to link. Please allow 10 to 30 seconds for the speakers to
link.
Note: Speakers should be within 50’ (15 m) of each other to properly link. The closer the
speakers are, the faster they will link.
Note: To exit Stereo-Link
TM
mode, double-press the Stereo-Link
TM
button again.
Once the speakers are linked, the S
tereo-Link
TM
icons on both speakers will be lit solidly,
and the Bluetooth icons will flash to indicate it is searching for a device to pair with.
2. Select which unit will be the “primary” speaker by pressing and releasing the B
luetooth
button on that unit.
3. Navigate to your device's Bluetooth settings menu and select T
AILGATER BOOM to
connect.
When the connection is successful, you will hear "Bluetooth Connected" from the primary
speaker (if voice prompts are enabled). When Bluetooth audio playback begins, you should
hear it through both speakers. The primary speaker will play the left channel while the
secondary speaker plays the right channel. Playback controls are active on both speakers.
Note: Radio, Aux, and USB modes will be disabled when Stereo-Link
TM
is active.
TAILGATER
TM
BOOM
4
1 - PRESS & HOLD
(speaker 1)
2 - PRESS & HOLD
(speaker 2)
3 - PRESS
(primary speaker)
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 13
T
o exit Stereo-Link
TM
mode, double-press the Stereo-Link
TM
button. The primary speaker will
remain paired to your Bluetooth device. The secondary speaker will begin searching for a new
Bluetooth device to pair to, and you will hear "Bluetooth Pairing" if voice prompts are enabled.
Note: Pressing and holding the Power button on the primary speaker while in Stereo-Link
TM
mode will power o all connected speakers. Tailgater
TM
Boom speakers powered o in Stereo-
Link
TM
mode will automatically enter Stereo-Link
TM
mode the next time they are powered on
and begin searching for secondary speakers to connect to.
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 14
Using the Radio
To use the radio, press the S
ource button so that FM is selected and shown on the display.
While in FM mode, briefly press the P
revious and Next buttons (</>) to move to the previous
or next station. Press and hold the <
/> buttons to seek for the next strongest station in that
direction.
T
o save a radio station as a preset:
1. Press and hold the P
lay/Pause / Presets button.
2. Use the <
/> buttons to select a preset number, 1–12, shown on the display.
3. When you have selected the desired preset number, quickly press and release the
P
lay/Pause / Presets button again to save it.
T
o recall a previously saved preset, briefly press the Play/Pause / Presets button to cycle
between the 12 presets.
PRESS
PRESS - Previous/Next Station
HOLD - Seek
1 - HOLD
2 - PRESS - Select Preset
3 - PRESS
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 15
Connecting an Audio Device Using the Aux Input
1. Connect a 1/8” (3.5 mm) auxiliary cable to the input on the front panel of Tailgater
TM
Boom
and connect the other end to an audio device such as an MP3 or CD player.
2. Press the S
ource button so that AUX is selected and shown on the display. Doing so will
also cause Bluetooth devices to disconnect.
3. Press play on your device’s music player. Use the V
olume Up/Down (+/-) buttons to adjust
the Aux volume.
Note: The Tailgater
TM
Boom speaker volume controls act independently from your
connected device. Lower the volume on your device if signal distortion occurs.
T
o exit Aux mode, press the Source button to switch to FM or USB playback, or press the
B
luetooth button to reconnect to a Bluetooth device.
PRESS
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 16
USB Playback Mode
Connect a USB drive to the USB-A port on the front panel of Tailgater
TM
Boom to play music
files. USB Mode will be automatically selected, and music files will begin playing.
While in USB playback mode, you can use the following buttons on the front panel to control
playback:
• Press the P
lay/Pause / Presets button to start or stop USB playback.
• Use the P
revious and Next buttons (</>) to skip to the previous or next USB track.
• Briefly press the R
epeat button to cycle between repeat modes, as shown on the display:
o A
LL: Repeats all tracks on the USB drive.
o F
OLd: Repeats all tracks in the current folder of the USB drive.
o O
nE: Repeats the currently playing track.
o r
An: Randomly shues the track order.
1 - CONNECT
2 - PRESS
(Play/Pause Playback)
4 - PRESS TO CYCLE
(OFF, ALL, FOLDER, ONE, RANDOM)
3 - PRESS
(Previous/Next Track)
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 17
U
sing the USB Charge Port
T
o use the USB charge port:
1. Connect a USB type-A cable to the U
SB Charge Port on the front panel of your Tailgater
TM
Boom (see image).
2. Connect the other end of the cable to the charging input on your smartphone, tablet, or
other compatible device.
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 18
A
pp Control
IMPORTANT: To ensure the best possible experience with the app, use the most current
Android OS or iOS on your device.
F
ollow these steps to download the free app on your device:
1. Open the Apple App Store or Google Play on your device. Then, search for the I
ON Sound
C
ontrol
TM
app.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the app. Once downloaded, the
I
ON Sound Control
TM
app will appear on your device's home screen.
3. Connect your device to Tailgater
TM
Boom via Bluetooth. See Operation > Bluetooth®
C
onnecting with Tailgater
TM
Boom to learn how to do this.
4. Open the ION Sound Control
TM
app. If prompted, allow the app to access your device's
Bluetooth and Location Services.
5. Follow the steps on screen to find and connect to your Tailgater
TM
Boom. Once connected,
you can control various functions of the speaker, such as:
• S
ource Selection: Select the source to use (Bluetooth, USB, FM, or Aux).
• V
olume: Adjust the speaker's volume.
• E
Q: Adjust the speaker's equalization.
• V
oice Prompts: Enable or disable the voice prompts.
• B
attery Life: Check the speaker’s battery life status.
• S
upport: Visit ionaudio.com, contact Technical Support, and view Warranty information
and Frequently Asked Questions.
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 19
I
f the unit is not charging: Make sure the USB-C® charging cable is properly connected to the
power input, the power adapter, and the power outlet.
I
f the sound is distorted: Try lowering the volume control of your sound source.
I
hear a hum when cables are connected:
• Disconnect cables from the input jacks to see if it’s a faulty cable.
• Make sure the signal cables are not placed near power cables.
• Connect all audio equipment power cables to outlets which share a common ground.
I
f there is a high-pitched whistling noise when using microphones: This is probably
feedback. Point the microphone away from the speaker.
I
f you can’t hear the microphone over the music volume: Turn down the music volume from
your source.
I
f there is too much bass: Try adjusting the tone or EQ control on your sound source or on
Tailgater
TM
Boom to lower the bass level. This will allow you to play the music louder before
clipping (distortion) occurs. You can also check to make sure the BOOM function is o.
I
f you cannot connect your audio device to Tailgater
TM
Boom via Bluetooth:
• Have your audio device (e.g., smartphone or tablet) and Tailgater
TM
Boom as close
together as possible while trying to connect. Make sure both the audio device and
Tailgater
TM
Boom are unobstructed by walls, furniture, etc.
• Double-press the Bluetooth button to disconnect Tailgater
TM
Boom from any other audio
device and restart the search process. If this does not work right away, power o
Tailgater
TM
Boom and then power it back on. See Operation > Bluetooth® Connecting with
T
ailgater
TM
Boom for more information.
• Reset the Bluetooth connection on your audio device by turning Bluetooth o and back
on. You can find this under the Bluetooth menu in the Settings for your phone or other
audio device.
If this does not work, and you have connected to Tailgater
TM
Boom before, find Tailgater
TM
Boom in the list of available or previously connected devices in your audio device's
Bluetooth menu, tap the "gear" or “i” icon located next to it and then select U
npair or
F
orget. Turn Tailgater
TM
Boom o and back on and try pairing again once it reappears in
your available devices list.
Note: If Tailgater
TM
Boom has been paired to another audio device recently that is still
within range, you may need to repeat this process with that audio device to fully
disconnect.
TROUBLESHOOTING
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 20
If you experience audio dropouts while playing music from a Bluetooth device, this may be
happening because your unit is trying to link to another speaker. This can occur if you power
o a speaker that was linked to your unit or if you have just turned on your unit and it is in
Stereo-Link
TM
mode. To stop the audio dropouts, exit Stereo-Link
TM
mode by double pressing
the S
tereo-Link
TM
button. Alternatively, you can wait for your unit to link to another speaker
if there is one within range.
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 21
Technical Specifications
O
utput Power 60 W (peak)
Drivers 5.25" (135.35 mm) woofer
2.0" (50.8 mm) tweeter
Frequency Response 50 Hz - 17 kHz @ -10dB
Bluetooth Specifications Profile: A2DP, AVRCP
B
luetooth Version: 5.0
T
ransmitter Frequency Range: 2.4 – 2.4835 GHz
R
ange: Up to 100 ft. (30.5 m) *
S
tereo-Link
TM
Range: Up to 60 ft. (18.3 m) between speakers
Water-Resistance Rating iPX5
USB USB Charge Output: 5V / 1A
A
udio: Music playback from USB drive
S
upported File System: FAT32
S
upported File Type: MP3
M
aximum File Size: 4 GB
M
aximum USB Drive Size: 16 GB
Battery Type: Li-Ion polymer
C
apacity: 2000mAh/11.1V, 22.2Wh
B
attery life: Up to 15 hours **
C
harge Time: Up to 4 Hours
FM Radio Freq Range: 87.5 – 107.9 MHz
P
resets: 12
Power Connection: USB-C
I
nput Voltage: 5V DC, 2A
C
able: USB-A to USB-C® Charging Cable
C
able Length: 3.28 ft / 1 m
Dimensions
(width x depth x height)
11.93” x 7.13" x 11.61"
303 mm x 181 mm x 295 mm
Weight 7.14 lbs.
3.24 kg
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
* Bluetooth and wireless reception and range are aected by walls, obstructions, and
movement. For optimal performance, place the product so it is unobstructed by walls or
furniture and is raised o the ground.
** Battery life may vary based on temperature, age, and volume usage of product.
APPENDIX
ION Audio Tailgater™
Boom User Guide 22
Trademarks & Licenses
ION Audio is a trademark of inMusic Brands, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such
marks by ION Audio is under license.
App Store is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Android and Google Play are registered trademarks of Google Inc.
USB Type-C, USB and USB-C are trademarks (or registered trademarks) of USB Implementers
Forum, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries.
All other product names, company names, trademarks, or trade names are those of their
respective owners.
