GME GX850W User manual

GX850 INSTRUCTION MANUAL 1
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
MARINE RADIO
Handheld VHF Radio
GX850W
PRINTING SPECIFICATIONS: GX850 IM
Flat size: 266 x 157 Folded to 133W x 157H mm, 36 Pages,Stich with 2 wires
Stock: 90gsm + Gloss Laminiate
Print: Colour - CMYK
Finishes: Gloss laminate
Part Number: 310616 Drawing Number: 47025-3
FINAL ARTWORK PROOF
DRAWING # 47025-3
PART # 310616
JIRA REFERENCE GRA-1557
ECO # 8422
SUPPLIER WK
MPE #

2 INSTRUCTION MANUAL GX850
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .......................................................3
CAUTION..................................................................3
RF RADIATION INFORMATION.................................3
OPERATING RULES..................................................4
Radio Licences.......................................................4
RANGE.....................................................................4
MARINE MOBILE SERVICE IDENTITY (MMSI)..........5
FEATURES................................................................5
SUPPLIED WITH ......................................................5
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES ........................................5
CONTROLS...............................................................6
LCD Icons.................................................................7
KEY FUNCTIONS ......................................................7
GENERAL OPERATION .............................................8
Power On/O Volume Control...............................8
Squelch..................................................................8
Channel Selection..................................................8
Weather Channels.................................................8
16 Key....................................................................8
Second Priority Channel........................................9
Hi/Lo Power ...........................................................9
Key Lock ................................................................9
Scrambler ..............................................................9
Man Over Board (MOB) .........................................9
Backlight ...............................................................9
Scanning................................................................9
Dual Watch..........................................................10
Triple Watch........................................................10
Time Out Timer....................................................11
Displaying Time and Date ...................................11
Displaying Local Time..........................................11
Digital Selective Calling.......................................11
DSC and GPS .......................................................11
User MMSI...........................................................11
Distress Calls .......................................................11
DSC MENU.............................................................12
My MMSI ID Setup ..............................................13
Individual Call, Position Request, Group Call and
Test Call................................................................ 13
All Ships Call........................................................15
Receive Call Log ..................................................16
Send Call Log.......................................................16
Phone Book .........................................................17
DSC Setup............................................................18
MAIN MENU OPTIONS...........................................18
VHF Operation.....................................................19
GPS Setup............................................................19
ATIS Operation ....................................................19
My ATIS ID ...........................................................20
DSC Operation .....................................................21
My MMSI ID.........................................................21
LCD Backlight ......................................................21
Backlight Time.....................................................21
LCD Contrast .......................................................21
Key Beep .............................................................21
Version Info .........................................................22
Factory Reset ......................................................22
Charging the Battery...........................................22
INTERNATIONAL MARINE VHF CHANNEL
AND FREQUENCIES ...............................................23
U.S. MARINE VHF CHANNEL FREQUENCIES .........25
CANADIAN MARINE VHF CHANNEL AND
FREQUENCIES........................................................28
SPECIFICATIONS ....................................................33
SC CONTRACT WARRANTY AGAINST DEFECTS ....34

GX850 INSTRUCTION MANUAL 3
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on purchasing this GME fully featured VHF
marine radio. Your GX850 has been built to offer excellent
value by combining advanced features, great design and
manufacturing quality. To ensure you are familiar with the
operation and features of your radio, and in order to obtain
the best performance, please read this manual thoroughly
before operation.
CAUTION
RF RADIATION INFORMATION
RF RADIATION PROFILE
Your radio is designed and tested to comply with a number
of national and international standards and guidelines
(listed below) regarding human exposure to radio frequency
electromagnetic energy. This radio complies with the IEEE
and ICNIRP exposure limits for occupational/controlled RF
exposure environment at operating duty factors of up to 50%
transmitting and is authorised by the FCC for occupational
use only. In terms of measuring RF energy for compliance
with the FCC exposure guidelines, your radio radiates
measurable RF energy only while it is transmitting (during
talking in PTT mode), not when it is receiving (listening) or in
standby mode.
The device complies with SAR and/or RF field strength limits
of RSS-102 requirements.
RF RADIATION SAFETY
In order to ensure user health, experts from relevant
industries including science, engineering, medicine and health
work with international organizations to develop standards
for safe exposure to RF radiation. These standards consist of:
• United States Federal Communications Commission,
Code of Federal Regulations; 47CFR part 2 sub-part J;
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute of
Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) C95. 1-1992;
•Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) C95.
1-1999;
• International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation
Protection (ICNIRP) 1998;
FCC Regulations
Federal Communication Commission (FCC) requires that all
radio communication products should meet the requirements
set forth in the above standards before they can be marketed
in the U.S, and the manufacturer shall post a RF label on the
product to inform users of operational instructions, so as to
enhance their occupational health against exposure to RF energy.
Part 15 Compliance
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with
the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
IMPORTANT: READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS carefully and
completely before operating your radio and retain this
manual for future reference.
To maintain the waterproof integrity of the radio;
• ENSURE the antenna and the connector cover are
both firmly tightened against the rubber seal (refer
diagram on page 6).
• NEVER attempt to disassemble the radio.
NEVER: connect the radio to a power source other than
the supplied battery. This may damage your product.
NEVER: operate your radio with the antenna less than
5 cm from exposed parts of the body.
NEVER: use or charge your radio in a potentially
explosive atmosphere.
DO NOT: use your radio with a damaged antenna.
DO NOT: attempt to modify your radio in any way.
ALWAYS: charge your radio at normal room temperature.
ALWAYS: switch off your radio where notices restrict the
use of two-way radio or mobile telephones.
AVOID: storing or charging your radio in direct sunlight.
AVOID: storing or using your radio where temperatures
are below -20º C or above +60º C.

4 INSTRUCTION MANUAL GX850
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference
to radio or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and
receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different
from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult your dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician
for help.
NOTE: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly
approved by the party responsible for compliance could void
the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
EU Regulatory Conformance
As certified by the qualified laboratory, the product is in
compliance with the essential requirements and other
relevant provisions of the Directive 1999/5/EC. Please note
that the above information is applicable to EU countries only.
OPERATING RULES
Priorities
• Read all rules and regulations pertaining to priorities and
keep an up-to-date copy handy. Safety and distress calls
take priority over all others.
• You must monitor Channel 16 when you are not operating
on another channel.
• False or fraudulent distress calls are prohibited under law.
Privacy
• Information overheard but not intended for you cannot
lawfully be used in any way.
• Indecent or profane language is prohibited.
RADIO LICENCES
Ship Station License
When your craft is equipped with a VHF FM radio, you must
have a current radio station licence before using the radio.
It is unlawful to operate a ship station which is not licensed.
Inquire through your dealer or the appropriate government
agency for a Ship-Radiotelephone license. This license
includes the call sign which is your craft’s identification for
radio purposes.
Operators License
A restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit is the license
most often held by small vessel radio operators when a
radio is not required for safety purposes. The restricted
Radiotelephone Operator Permit must be posted near the
radio or be kept with the operator.
Only a licensed radio operator may operate a radio. However,
non-licensed individuals may talk over a radio if a licensed
operator starts, supervises, ends the call and makes the
necessary log entries.
A current copy of the applicable government rules and
regulations is only required to be on hand for vessels in which
a radio telephone is compulsory. However, even if you are
not required to have these on hand it is your responsibility
to be thoroughly acquainted with all pertinent rules and
regulations.
RANGE
The range of VHF transmissions depends on antenna height,
transmitter power and the terrain over which the signals
pass. For a 5 watt handheld radio like the TX850, ship to
ship communications up to 5 nautical miles should be
possible. Using an external antenna should allow ship to ship
communication of 8 nautical miles or more. Ship to shore
ranges will often be greater due to the increased height of
the shore antenna.

GX850 INSTRUCTION MANUAL 5
MARINE MOBILE SERVICE IDENTITY
(MMSI)
The MMSI is a 9-digit number used to identify a radio that is
capable of using Digital Selective Calling (DSC). The number
is used to selectively call other vessels. To setup and use the
DSC feature on your radio: Please refer to the ‘DSC’ section of
this manual.
USER MMSI
To use the DSC feature you must be registered with the
appropriate licensing authority (AMSA in Australia) who
will issue you with your unique user MMSI number. Having
a registered user MMSI means you can be identified much
quicker in an emergency. Once you have obtained your MMSI
number you can then enter this into your GX850 to enable
DSC operation. Your GX850 is shipped from the factory
without a user MMSI number. It is up to the user to obtain a
valid MMSI from the appropriate licensing authority.
NOTE: If you don’t register for a User MMSI, you can still
receive DSC distress calls from other vessels however you
cannot send a DSC call.
GROUP MMSI
The Group MMSI is used for DSC Group Calls. A Group Call
provides a method for contacting a group of vessels with a
common interest, for example, alerting all yachts in a race to
announce a change in the race conditions. Any number with
a leading zero can be used as a Group MMSI, and they do
not need to be registered, but the entity deciding on a Group
MMSI must use the MID of the host country or country of
vessel registration (e.g. 503 in Australia). The Group ID should
be based on a key vessel in the Group, and the recommended
system is to drop the last digit of the key vessel’s MMSI and
place a zero in front.
For example, a fleet of vessels that has a lead vessel with a
DSC User MMSI of 503080110 could use the Group MMSI
of 050308011. This would then be programmed into all fleet
vessels as the special event Group MMSI.
See ‘My MMSI ID Setup’ on page 13 for details on entering
a group MMSI.
FEATURES
• Waterproof to IP67
• Man Overboard Alarm Function
• Floats with Auto-Flashing LCD if dropped overboard
• Integrated 48 Channel GPS Receiver
• 5/1 watt Switchable Power
• Large Dot-Matrix LCD
• Private Channel Facility
• Programmable Scan, Priority Scan, Dual and Tri Watch
• All International, US and Canadian Marine VHF
Channel Sets.
• Integrated 1700 mAh Lithium Polymer Battery
SUPPLIED WITH
• GX850 DSC Marine Radio
• Belt Clip
• 240V AC Charger
• Wrist Strap
• High Gain Flexible Antenna
• Instruction Manual
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
• MB046 – Belt Clip
• PSK20P – Plug Pack for 9V1A Prop Conn
• AE4024 – Flexible Antenna
• CSGX850 – Cap and Seal

6 INSTRUCTION MANUAL GX850
CONTROLS
ANTENNA
CONNECTOR
COVER
RUBBER
SEAL
PTT
SCRM/ MOB
CH / WX
CH 16
SCAN
MEMORY DUAL WATCH /
TRIPLE WATCH
DOWN
HI / LO POWER
KEY LOCK
CALL / MENU
UP
DISPLAY
SQL
DISTRESS
VOLUME
ON/ OFF

GX850 INSTRUCTION MANUAL 7
KEY FUNCTIONS
KEY SHORT PRESS LONG PRESS
Hi/LO [LOCK] Transmit Power Hi/Low Key Lock / Key Unlock
16 CH 16 Secondary Priority channel
DW [TRIW] Dual Watch Mode Triple Watch mode
CH/* [WX] Private Channel Weather channel
SCAN Scan Priority Scan
MEM Memory Mode Save/Delete Memory channel
Up/ Down Channel Up/Down Fast Up/Down
Call/ Menu DSC Menu Main Menu
SCRM/MOB Scrambler MOB Activated
Distress Distress Menu Distress Alert Calling
SQL Squelch Setting Switch ON/OFF Time and Date Display
Volume Knob Power ON / OFF. Adjust the Volume Level
BATTERY
LEVEL
HIGH TX
POWER
DIGITAL SELEC-
TIVE CALLING
DATE/ TIME
SQUELCH LEVEL
GPS POSITION
CHANNEL
DISTRESS MODE
BAND
DSC
DISTRESS
22° 32. 3608’ S
113° 57. 0323’ E
24 OCT 03 : 39 UTC
HI
SQL :5 16
INT
LCD ICONS

8 INSTRUCTION MANUAL GX850
GENERAL OPERATION
POWER ON/OFF VOLUME CONTROL
Turn the Volume knob clockwise past the ‘click’ to turn the
radio ON. Continue turning the knob clockwise to increase
the volume. Turn the knob counter-clockwise to reduce the
volume. Continue turning the knob counter clockwise past
the ‘click’ to turn the radio OFF.
SQUELCH
To adjust the Squelch, briefly press the SQL key. The present
squelch level will be displayed. Use the or keys
to adjust the squelch level from 0 (min) to 9 (max).
CHANNEL SELECTION
Briefly press the key to step upwards one channel or the
key to step downwards one channel. Press and hold the
or keys to scroll quickly through the channels at a
faster rate. When the key is released the channel scrolling stops.
WEATHER CHANNELS (USA & CANADIAN
CHANNEL SET)
The US NOAA weather channels are available only when the
USA or Canadian Channel Set is selected. Weather channels
are not available on the International marine band.
To access the weather channels while on the USA or
Canadian band, press and hold the key. The radio
will switch to the weather channels and the ‘WX’ icon will
appear. Weather channels are numbered 01 – 10 and are
selected using the or keys.To return to the normal
communications channels press and hold the key again.
NOTE: Weather channels provide a receive-only weather
information service in and around the USA and Canada. You
cannot transmit on the weather channels.
Weather Alert Operation (WAT) (USA &
Canada)
When a weather warning is issued in your area the NOAA
weather service will transmit a weather alert tone on your
local weather channel. If the weather alert function is
activated on your radio, the reception of this tone will cause
a short alarm to sound and the radio will automatically tune
to the weather channel where the alert tone was detected.
The alert should be detected in all the modes of operation
including Standby, Dual and Tri-watch and Scan etc.
To Activate the Weather Alert Function
1. Press and hold the key to select the weather
channels. ‘WX’ is displayed.
2. Press and hold the key again to switch ON the
weather alert function. ‘WAT’ will appear in the upper right
of the display.
3. Select the local weather channel that you wish to monitor
for alerts using the or keys.
4. Briefly press the key to return to normal operation.
When the weather alert function is enabled the radio will
check the selected weather channel every 4 seconds for a
weather alert tone. If an alert tone is detected, the ‘WX’ and
‘WAT’ icons will flash and a short alarm tone will sound. The
radio will then automatically switch to the selected weather
channel to allow you to hear the weather warning.
To disable weather alerts;
1. Press and hold the key to enable the weather
channels. ‘WX’ is displayed.
2. Press and hold the key again to switch OFF the
weather alert function. ‘WAT’ will disappear from the
upper right of the display.
3. Briefly press the key to return to normal operation.
Private Channels
A brief press of the key is for private channels. This
feature is not available to users in Australia and New
Zealand.
16 KEY
The GX850 supports two priority channels.
Priority Channel 16
Briefly press the key to switch to Channel 16. All
previous functions such as scanning or low power will be
cancelled and the radio will switch to channel 16 with Hi
transmit power selected. When the key is used to select

GX850 INSTRUCTION MANUAL 9
channel 16, ‘P-CH’ is displayed.
Briefly press the key again to return to the last selected
channel or to go to an alternative channel press the or
keys.
SECOND PRIORITY CHANNEL
Programming the Second Priority Channel
The second priority channel can be preset through the main
menu (see menu section) or can be changed directly from the
display as follows.
1. Press and hold the key to switch to the second
Priority channel. ‘P-2nd’ is displayed.
2. Press and hold the key again. ‘Set 2nd Prior CH’ is
displayed and the channel number flashes.
3. Use the or keys to select a new channel.
4. Press and hold the key to store the new channel as
the second priority channel.
NOTE: Priority channel 16 is factory set and cannot be
changed.
HI/LO POWER
Briefly press the key to toggle high or low transmitter
power. The display will show ‘Hi’ or ‘Lo’ to confirm the
selected power setting.
NOTE: Some channels may be permanently set to Hi or Lo
power by default. If any of these channels are selected you
will not be able to change the power setting for that channel.
KEY LOCK
Press and hold the key to lock the keypad. The
icon will be displayed when the keypad is locked and all keys
except the PTT and any Distress related keys will be locked.
To unlock the keypad, press and hold the key again. The
icon will disappear.
SCRAMBLER
Your radio incorporates a simple voice scrambler that, when
activated, will make your signal intelligible only to other
radios using the same scrambler technology.
•To activate the Scrambler, briefly press the key. will
appear on the display.
•To disable the Scrambler, briefly press the key again.
will disappear from the display.
MAN OVER BOARD (MOB)
The MOB function is designed to automatically send a MOB
distress call with your MMSI and latitude and longitude.
To activate the MOB function, press and hold the key for
2 seconds.
NOTE: In order to make DSC distress calls including MOB calls
you must have your user MMSI programmed into your radio.
BACKLIGHT
The backlight operates automatically whenever any key
(except the PTT) is pressed and switches off about 7 seconds
after the last keypress. The backlight provides lighting for the
display, keypad and Distress button.
Water Activated Backlight Alert
If the GX850 is immersed in water, sensors built into the
case will cause the backlight to flash urgently. This feature is
designed to make it easier to locate and recover your radio if
it is accidentally dropped into water.
SCANNING
Basic Scan
The basic scan function allows the radio to scan all channels
for transmissions. When a signal is detected the scan pauses
to allow the signal to be heard. Once the signal has gone the
scan resumes.
To activate the scan function, briefly press the key.
‘SCAN’ appears on the display and the channel numbers
change rapidly.
To deactivate the scan function, briefly press the key
again. ‘SCAN’ disappears from the display.
Priority Scan
Priority scan is similar to the basic scan except it regularly
inserts channel 16 into the scan. Signals received on channel
16 have priority over signals received on other channels.

10 INSTRUCTION MANUAL GX850
To activate the Priority scan function, press and hold the
key. ‘SCAN’ appears on the display and the channel numbers
change rapidly with channel 16 appearing predominantly in
the channel display area.
To deactivate the Priority scan function, briefly press the
key. ‘SCAN’ disappears from the display.
User Memory Scan
User Memory Scan allows you to program a select group of
channels for scanning.
To Program User Memory Channels
1. Use the or keys to select the required channel.
2. Press and hold the key. The icon appears to
the right of the selected channel number to confirm the
channel is in Memory.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to add further channels to the User
Scan Memory.
NOTE: Separate User Memories can be stored for USA,
International and Canadian bands.
To Activate the User Memory Scan
1. Briefly press the key. ‘USER’ appears to the left of the
channel display indicating the radio is now in User Memory
mode and the channel number switches to a User Memory
channel (only User Memory channels are displayed while
in User mode).
2. Briefly press the key. The radio will begin scanning the
User Memory channels.
3. To stop scanning; briefly press the key.
4. To exit the User Channel mode, briefly press the key.
‘USER’ will disappear from the display and the radio will
return to the last selected channel.
Reviewing User Memory Scan Channels
To quickly determine which channels are stored in the User
Memory;
1. Briefly press the key. ‘USER’ appears to the left of the
Channel display.
2. Press the or keys to quickly to step through the
Memory Scan channels. Only channels stored in Memory
Scan will be displayed.
3. To exit Memory Scan, briefly press the key. ‘User’ will
disappear from the display.
NOTE: You cannot add or remove channels from the User
Memory Scan while in the User mode. You must exit the User
mode to edit User Memory channels.
DUAL WATCH
The Dual Watch function is a 2 channel scan feature where
the radio switches between Channel 16 and any other
selected channel. This allows you to monitor a working
or club channel while still being able to receive important
broadcasts on Channel 16.
To use the Dual Watch function:
1. Use the or keys to select your preferred working
channel.
2. Briefly press the key to activate Dual Watch.
‘DUALW’ will be displayed and the channel number will
quickly alternate between 16 and the selected channel as the
radio monitors both channels.
If a signal is received on the selected channel, the Dual Watch
will pause to allow the signal to be heard but will continue to
monitor channel 16 every 2 seconds resulting in short breaks
in the conversation. Once the signal has gone, Dual Watch
continues.
If a signal appears on channel 16 it will take priority over any
signals on the selected channel.
TRIPLE WATCH
The Triple Watch function is a 3 channel scan feature where
the radio switches between Channel 16, a selected channel
and the second priority channel. This allows you to monitor
2 channels while still being able to receive important
broadcasts on Channel 16.
NOTE: Prior to using Triple Watch ensure you have
programmed your second priority channel.