ION Audio Tailgater® TD 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 ........................................................................................................... 11
O
PERATION .............................................................................. 12
Bluetooth® Connecting with Tailgater® TD .................................................. 12
Stereo-Link
TM
: Syncing Between Two Speakers ....................................... 14
Using the Radio ................................................................................................. 16
Connecting an Audio Device Using the Aux Input ................................... 17
USB Playback Mode .......................................................................................... 18
Using the USB Charge Port ............................................................................. 19
Light Modes ........................................................................................................ 19
App Control ........................................................................................................ 21
T
ROUBLESHOOTING .............................................................. 22
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 3
A
PPENDIX ................................................................................ 24
Technical Specifications ................................................................................. 24
Trademarks & Licenses ................................................................................... 25
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 4
Thank you for purchasing the Tailgater® TD. 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 either a 9V, 2.2A USB-C
adapter for up to 2 hours or to a 5V, 1A adapter for up to 8 hours connected to a power outlet.
This helps ensure the longest life for your battery.
Box Contents
Tailgater® TD
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® TD User Guide 5
Outdoor Use and Care
Though Tailgater® TD is water-resistant and able to tolerate splashing water, please review
the tips below to get the best performance from your Tailgater® TD:
• Bring Tailgater® TD indoors during extreme weather.
• Please do not place Tailgater® TD in standing water or puddles.
• Please do not attempt to charge Tailgater® TD 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® TD 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 (not included) connected to a power outlet, or your computer (powered on).
The l
ightning bolt icon on the display will light up when Tailgater® TD 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
1
2
3
10
5
6
7 8
9
4
11
12
13
14
15
16
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 6
If no audio is played through the Tailgater® TD 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® TD 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.
1
2
3
10
5
6
7 8
9
4
11
12
13
14
15
16
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 8
1
. Display
This screen shows information relevant to Tailgater® TD’s current operation:
• S
ource Icons : These icons will indicate whether Tailgater® TD is in FM, Aux, or USB
playback modes.
• B
luetooth Icon : The Bluetooth icon will display when a device is paired to
Tailgater® TD. See O
peration > Bluetooth® Connecting with Tailgater® TD to learn
how to connect a Bluetooth device.
• S
tereo-Link
TM
Icon : The Stereo-Link
TM
icon will display when Tailgater® TD
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.
• 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® TD
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.
2
. Power Button
Press and hold this button to turn Tailgater® TD
on and o.
Double press this button to enable or disable voice prompts.
3
. Light Button
Press this to cycle through the dierent light modes. See L
ight Modes for more details.
4
. 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® TD to learn how to connect a Bluetooth device.
5
. Source Button
Press this button to cycle between FM, USB, Bluetooth, and Aux modes.
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 9
6
. 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.
7
. 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.
8
. Next Button
In 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.
9
. 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® TD will exit EQ adjustment.
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
See O
peration > Stereo-Link
TM
: Syncing Between Two Speakers to learn more about
syncing two Tailgater® TD 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
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 10
15. Aux Input
Connect an MP3 or other audio player to Tailgater® TD
here using a 1/8” (3.5 mm) auxiliary
cable (not included). See O
peration > Connecting an Audio Device Using the Aux 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® TD
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:
2600mAh/11.1V) by connecting a cable here. See O
peration > Using the USB Charge Port
for more information.
1
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 11
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® TD
here, then connect the USB-A end to a 9V, 2.2A USB-C adapter (sold separately) and plug
it into a power outlet, or your computer (powered on). See S
etup > Charging and Battery
I
nformation for more information.
1
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 12
Bluetooth® Connecting with Tailgater® TD
1. Turn on Tailgater® TD by holding down the P
ower button for 2 seconds. A red light will
move from the bottom of the speaker toward the top, lighting up all LEDs. Once all LEDs
are lit up, the lights will hold for two seconds before fading out. Tailgater® TD 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. All LEDs will fade in and out blue until a
Bluetooth device is connected to the speaker. When paired, all LEDs will flash blue two
times before going back to the last selected light mode.
3. Navigate to your device’s Bluetooth setup screen, find T
AILGATER TD, 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 iPA162C_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.
Note: Make sure to turn up the volume on your Bluetooth device.
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.
OPERATION
2
TAILGATER® TD
1 - PRESS AND HOLD FOR 2 SECONDS
3
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 13
• 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.
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 14
Stereo-Link
TM
: Syncing Between Two Speakers
To sync audio between two Tailgater® TD 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® TD 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 TD 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.
3
TAILGATER® TD
1 - PRESS AND HOLD
(speaker 1)
1 - PRESS & HOLD
(speaker 2)
2 - PRESS AND RELEASE
(on the primary speaker)
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 15
To 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® TD 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® TD User Guide 16
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.
To 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, 1–6, shown on the display.
3. When you have selected the desired preset number, quickly press and release the P
lay /
P
ause / Presets button again to save it.
T
o recall a previously saved preset, briefly press the Play / Pause / Presets button to cycle
between the 6 presets.
PRESS
PRESS - Previous / Next Station
HOLD - Seek
1 - HOLD
2 - PRESS - Select Preset
3 - PRESS
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 17
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® TD 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® TD 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® TD User Guide 18
USB Playback Mode
Connect a USB drive to the USB-A port on the front panel of Tailgater® TD 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
3 - PRESS
(Previous/Next Track)
4 - PRESS TO CYCLE
(ALL, FOLDER, ONE RANDOM)
2 - PRESS
(Play/Pause Playback)
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 19
Using 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®
TD (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® TD User Guide 20
Light Modes
When the speaker is first powered on, a red light will move from the bottom of the speaker
toward the top, lighting up all LEDs. Once all LEDs are lit up, the lights will hold for two
seconds before fading out.
After the power on light eect, all LEDs will fade in and out blue until a Bluetooth device is
connected to the speaker. When paired, all LEDs will flash blue two times before going back
to the last selected light mode.
Note: For the best lighting eect, you may need to increase the volume of your connected
device or input source.
Press the L
ight button to cycle through the light modes. The light modes are:
• R
ainbow Chase: A section of the color spectrum will flow downward through the left side
lights and then flow upward on the right side.
• B
ouncing Stars: The LEDs on the sides of the speaker will bounce up and down.
• L
ight Pulse – Beat Sync: All LEDs flow up through the color spectrum, changing the LED
brightness according to the bass level.
• T
wo-Tone Fade: All LEDs fade downward through the color spectrum in a two-tone style.
• C
olor Cycle: The side lights will show the same color while cycling through the color
spectrum.
• S
tatic Color: The speaker will display one color that is selected from the ION app. If a color
is not selected, it will default to white.
• O
ff: All LEDs are o.
PRESS
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 21
App 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® TD via Bluetooth. See O
peration > Bluetooth® Connecting
w
ith Tailgater® TD 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® TD. 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.
• L
ights: Changes the light modes.
• 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® TD User Guide 22
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® TD to lower the bass level. This will allow you to play the music louder before
clipping (distortion) occurs.
I
f you cannot connect your audio device to Tailgater® TD via Bluetooth:
• Have your audio device (e.g., smartphone or tablet) and Tailgater® TD as close together as
possible while trying to connect. Make sure both the audio device and Tailgater® TD are
unobstructed by walls, furniture, etc.
• Double-press the Bluetooth button to disconnect Tailgater® TD from any other audio
device and restart the search process. If this does not work right away, power o Tailgater®
TD and then power it back on. See O
peration > Bluetooth® Connecting with Tailgater® TD
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® TD before, find Tailgater® TD
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 Forget. Turn
Tailgater® TD o and back on and try pairing again once it reappears in your available
devices list.
Note: If Tailgater® TD 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® TD User Guide 23
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® TD User Guide 24
Technical Specifications
Drivers 5.25" (135.35 mm) woofer
2.0" (50.8 mm) tweeter
Frequency Response 45 Hz – 20 kHz (-10 dB)
Bluetooth Specifications Profile: A2DP, AVRCP
Bluetooth Version: 5.3
Transmitter Frequency Range: 2.4 – 2.4835 GHz
Range: Up to 100 ft. (30.5 m) *
Stereo-Link
TM
Range: Up to 75 ft. (22.9 m) between speakers
Water-Resistance Rating iPX5
USB USB Charge Output: 5V / 1A
Audio: Music playback from USB drive
Supported File System: FAT32
Supported File Type: MP3
Maximum File Size: 4 GB
Maximum USB Drive Size: 128 GB
Battery Type: Li-Ion polymer
Capacity: 2600mAh/11.1V
Battery life: Up to 10 hours **
Charge Time: up to 2 hours based on a 9V, 2.2A USB-C adapter.
Up to 8 hours based on a 5V, 1A adapter.
FM Radio Freq Range: 87.5 – 107.9 MHz
Presets: 6
Power Connection: USB-C
Input Voltage: 5V-20V DC, 3A Max
Cable: USB-A to USB-C® Charging Cable
Cable Length: 3.28 ft / 1 m
Dimensions
(width x depth x height)
12.01” x 7.43” x 11.65” / 305 x 189 x 295 mm
Weight 7.14 lbs. / 3.24 kg
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
* Bluetooth and wireless reception and range are affected by walls, obstructions, and
movement. For optimal performance, place the product so it is unobstructed by walls or
furniture and is raised off the ground.
** Battery life may vary based on temperature, age, and volume usage of product.
APPENDIX
ION Audio Tailgater® TD User Guide 25
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.
