ICS Nav6 User manual

ICS NAV6 range
User Guide

Important Information
This equipment is not approved for use by SOLAS convention
vessels within the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
(GMDSS)
It is intended for use by leisure craft and other non-SOLAS vessels
wishing to participate within GMDSS
Safety Warnings
Do not use the sensor as a grab-handle
This instrument is for use as an aid to sailors and should not lead to
a reduction in the level of good seamanship required at all times
Reception of messages cannot always be guaranteed as this depends
on local radio propagation
The correct magnetic variation must be input at the navigation
instruments (e.g. GPS, electronic compass) for the accurate display
of COG, set, waypoint bearing and heading.
The technical data, information and illustrations contained in this publication
were to the best of our knowledge correct at the time of going to print. We
reserve the right to change specifications, equipment, installation and
maintenance instructions without notice as part of our policy of continuous
product development and improvement. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, electronic
or otherwise without permission in writing from McMurdo Limited. No liability
can be accepted for any inaccuracies or omissions in the publication,
although every care has been taken to make it as complete and accurate as
possible.
Copyright  2004, McMurdo Limited. All rights reserved.

Contents
User Guide .............................................................................................................2
Quick Start..............................................................................................................2
Introduction.............................................................................................................3
What Is NAVTEX?..............................................................................................3
How Does NAVTEX Work? ................................................................................3
ICS NAV6 Features................................................................................................3
The ICS NAV6 range..........................................................................................3
Display Unit ........................................................................................................4
NAVTEX Sensor.................................................................................................4
Advanced Operation.............................................................................................12
NAVTEX Mode .....................................................................................................12
NAVTEX Mode, Message View ........................................................................12
NAVTEX Mode, Print View§ .............................................................................13
NAVTEX Mode, Sort View................................................................................13
NAVTEX Mode, Filter View ..............................................................................14
Navigate Mode§ ...................................................................................................17
Setup Mode ..........................................................................................................21
Setup Mode, General View, LCD Page ............................................................21
Setup Mode, General View, Options Page .......................................................23
Setup Mode, NAVTEX View, Options Page .....................................................24
Setup Mode, NAVTEX View, Options Page, Print Setup§................................25
Setup Mode, NAVTEX View, 518 and 490 Names Pages................................26
Setup Mode, NAVTEX View, 518 and 490 Names, Station Database Setup ...26
Setup Mode, NAVTEX View, Monitor Page......................................................28
Setup Mode, Navigate View, Options Page§....................................................29
Setup Mode, Navigate View, User View Page§................................................29
Setup Mode, Navigate View, Monitor Page§ ....................................................30
Alarm Operation ...................................................................................................31
Output to a PC or Plotter§ ....................................................................................31
Maintenance and Trouble Shooting......................................................................32
Cleaning ...........................................................................................................32
Faultfinding ICS NAV6 display .........................................................................32
ICS NAV6hub faultfinding.................................................................................33
User Serviceable Parts.....................................................................................34
Software Upgrade.............................................................................................34
Fuses................................................................................................................34
Specification .........................................................................................................35
Outline Drawings ..................................................................................................39
Appendix I: NAVTEX Station Database................................................................39
Appendix I: NAVTEX Station Database................................................................40
Appendix II: Message Type Indicators .................................................................43
Appendix VII: ICS NAV6 Menu Navigation ...........................................................44
§ See Page 2 for an explanation of this symbol

Page 1
Congratulations on purchasing this ICS NAV6 product. It is not only an excellent
NAVTEX receiver, but a first class instrument repeater. It may be the only display
you will ever need at your navigation position. We hope that it gives you many
years of reliable service. Please take the time to read this manual carefully as it
contains some essential information regarding the operation and maintenance of
the product and a useful background to the NAVTEX system.
We recommend that you regularly visit the McMurdo product website
www.mcmurdo.co.uk for information on updates, the availability of software
enhancements, further options and support. The support pages contain frequently
asked questions about the ICS NAV6 that you may find useful. There is also a
NAVTEX database providing a list of operational NAVTEX stations and their
details.
.

Page 2
USER GUIDE
This user guide describes the operation of the ICS NAV6plus, ICS NAV6Aplus,
ICS NAV6dual and ICS NAV6repeater equipments.
Not all the menu features described are provided by the ICS NAV6dual.
Where this is the case, the symbol § is used to mark the feature.
The ICS NAV6repeater will display NAVTEX menu pages only when incorporated
with a ICS NAV6 system or ICS NAV6 sensor.
Installation instructions are provided in the separate NAV6 range Installation
Guide. Further installation information is furnished separately with each ICS NAV6
ancillary instrument. It is recommended that installation be carried out be a
recognised marine installation engineer.
QUICK START
You will find the NAV6 extremely easy to operate. Please don't be intimidated by
the comprehensive nature of this manual. In reality, receiving your first NAVTEX
messages could not be simpler.
•Follow the installation guidelines
•Re-check the cable connection
•The ICS NAV6 system has no ON/OFF switch, it will start up as soon as
power is applied.
•If you have not connected a GPS navigation receiver, make sure that you set
the date and time on the screen which will appear at start up.
•Wait for your first NAVTEX message. If you are within range of a NAVTEX
transmitter, you should not need to wait for more than four hours.
•Refer to “Appendix VII: ICS NAV6 Menu Navigation” for an overview of the
available operating modes & how they relate to each other.
•Read the “Basic Operation” section to find out how to use some of the
commonly used features of this product
•If you then want to get the best from the system, read the rest of the manual!

Page 3
INTRODUCTION
What Is NAVTEX?
NAVTEX is a worldwide system for the broadcast and automatic reception of
maritime safety information (MSI) in English by means of a narrow-band direct-
printing telegraphy. NAVTEX provides shipping with navigational and
meteorological warnings and urgent information.
NAVTEX is an element of the IMO/IHO worldwide Navigational Warning Service
(WWNWS) as defined by IMO Assembly Resolution A.706(17). It is included
within the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). Since 1 August
1993, a NAVTEX receiving capability has become mandatory equipment for
certain vessels under the provisions of the International Convention for the Safety
of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
NAVTEX broadcast information is available to all seafarers, free of charge.
How Does NAVTEX Work?
NAVTEX transmissions are sent from stations situated worldwide. The power of
each transmission is regulated to avoid the possibility of interference between
transmitters. Each station is allocated a 10-minute time slot every 4 hours so that
many stations can share the same frequency. Stations typically have a
transmission range of 250 – 300 Nm.
ICS NAV6 FEATURES
The ICS NAV6 range
ICS NAV6plus full feature NAVTEX with NMEA repeater instrument displays,
includes dual channel NAVTEX sensor with 10m sensor cable.
ICS NAV6Aplus full feature dual channel NAVTEX with NMEA repeater
instrument displays, supports a wide variety of antenna types such as an
insulated backstay wire or active and passive whip antenna systems.
ICS NAV6dual dual channel NAVTEX only, includes dual channel NAVTEX
sensor with 10m sensor cable.
ICS NAV6repeater stand alone NMEA repeater instrument display, can be
connected to ICS NAV6plus/Aplus NAVTEX system using a ICS NAV6hub

Page 4
Feature ICS
NAV6dual
ICS
NAV6plus
ICS
NAV6Aplus
ICS
NAV6repeater
Dual receiver x x x
NMEA Auto station x x
NMEA GPS Display x x x
NMEA instrument display x x x
NMEA Logging x x x
Display backlight x x x x
Printer / data output x x x
Antenna options x
Note: ICS NAV6dual has no PC or printer interface connection.
Display Unit
•The Display Unit has a high resolution backlit LCD.
•The display unit contains a large non-volatile memory to store NAVTEX
messages.
•Messages can be filtered and sorted.
•The ICS NAV6plus and ICS NAV6Aplus can act as an NMEA instrument
repeater and are capable of displaying data in a choice of formats.
•The ICS NAV6plus and ICS NAV6Aplus can be connected to a printer or
computer to print NAVTEX messages and Navigation logs.
•Audible and visible alarms can be set up to indicate reception of SAR and/or
New Messages.
•A sleep mode allows long standby periods with minimum power consumption,
such as when the vessel is left in a marina with main batteries being trickle
charged from the shore.
NAVTEX Sensor
•The Sensor Unit contains dual receivers that can receive on both 490kHz and
518kHz simultaneously.
•The ICS NAV6plus and ICS NAV6dual have a dual channel NAVTEX sensor
unit.
•ICS NAV6Aplus has the ability to connect to a wide range of remote antenna
types by using the NAVTEX Receiver Unit

Page 5
BASIC OPERATION
The ICS NAV6 is a flexible & powerful tool for receiving, storing & viewing
NAVTEX messages. To assist you in getting the best from your ICS NAV6
equipment, read this section which contains short cuts to the most commonly
used NAVTEX operations. Read the rest of the manual for a comprehensive guide
to the ICS NAV6 range.
First, find your way around the keypad and the display.
Centre keys are a ‘navigation pad’ ( UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT ).
Softkeys are situated on either side of the navigation pad. The current
function is shown on the soft-key menu area at the bottom of the LCD.
The MODE softkey switches between the three operating ‘modes’
(NAVTEX, Navigate & Setup).
The VIEW softkey switches between ‘views’ in each operating ‘mode’. If
a ‘view’ has several ‘pages’ associated with it then these are selected
with the page softkey.
Operate the keys in this order to get to the mode that you want:
MODE →VIEW →PAGE →FUNCTION
Softkeys are context sensitive and cyclical in operation; several button presses
will return you to the start of the cycle. As the button is pressed, the softkey labels
change to show the current functions of the keys.
navigation pad
FUNCTION PAGE VIEW MODE
The Keypad
softkeys

Page 6
The Display
At the bottom of the display is the softkey menu area:
The softkey menu area shows what each softkey does in the current operating
mode.
The top line of each softkey menu box indicates the option that is
currently selected.
The bottom line of each softkey menu box indicates the current function
of that softkey.
The example above shows the ICS NAV6 in NAVTEX Mode; the right softkey
selects the mode, and current mode is Navtex.
At the top of the display is a status bar:
The status information is displayed as a series of icons. The meaning of the icons
is as follows:
Message identifier for the top message
An alarm is active
NMEA / GPS position data available
490 kHz reception available
518 kHz reception available
Receiving message now
Signal Carrier, but no message
Sensor communication fault
SAR message received
NEW message received
UTC Time
Current softkey function
Current option

Page 7
Viewing & Scrolling Through NAVTEX Messages
To view NAVTEX messages you must first select the NAVTEX Mode.
Use the right hand softkey to change modes until ‘NAVTEX Mode’ is visible in the
right hand softkey menu box.
You can now use the UP, DOWN, LEFT & RIGHT keys to scroll through any
previously received messages that already show on the display.
UP & DOWN keys scroll line by line
LEFT & RIGHT keys scroll message by message
The messages currently displayed are a sub-set of all the messages stored in
memory. Whether you can see a particular message or not depends upon the
current station selection, message filter and age limit settings and the sort order
applied (see following sections for details).
Message Storage
All received NAVTEX messages are stored in the ICS NAV6 regardless of
whether you have them selected for viewing or not. The memory size provides
enough storage for all messages received in any 72 hour period (in fact much
longer). You can even change your mind later and view a message that was
received previously but not displayed at the time by simply changing a 'filter
preset' , message 'filter setting' or 'age limit'.
Messages to be displayed are selected from the ICS NAV6 memory by applying a
'filter preset' and message age limit setting.
After using the ICS NAV6 for a while you may notice that if you receive a
particular message more than once there will only ever be one copy in view. The
ICS NAV6 stores only the best version of a message. It even attempts to repair
corrupted messages by comparing copies of the same message!
Filter Presets
The messages currently available for viewing are selected from all the messages
stored in memory by applying 'Filter View' presets’.
Filter page settings are used to define which messages are in view and which
messages are hidden from view.
To view the 'active' filter preset number go to [NAVTEX Mode⇒Filter View]. You
will notice that the left hand softkey is labelled PRESET and a number from 1 to 5
is visible. This number is the current 'active' filter preset number.

Page 8
Each of the 5 presets has its own 4 filter pages associated with it (518 Types, 518
Stns, 490 Types & 490 Stns)
1 of 5
Preset
490 Types
Page
2 of 5
Preset
490 Stns
Page
3 of 5
Preset
518 Types
Page
4 of 5
Preset
518 Stns
Page
5 of 5
Preset
Pressing the PRESET softkey changes the active preset number. The filter page
settings change as each different preset number is selected. Similarly, the PAGE
softkey changes the filter pages applicable to the selected preset.
IT IS MOST IMPORTANT to understand that the ‘active preset’ is always the
filter that is applied to the NAVTEX message display – even when the preset
selection is not visible.
Presets can be used to switch quickly between different sets of messages filter
selections. For instance, if you want to show ‘weather warnings from all stations in
range’, you can set up a preset number for that specific display.
Tip : Start by using 'preset 1' for normal operation, only use the other presets once
you are familiar with the way presets work and want to switch quickly between
different sets of message selections.
Station Selection
If you leave all NAVTEX stations selected for viewing (subject to your current
location) you may quickly become overwhelmed with NAVTEX messages.
By filtering out unwanted stations, you can greatly reduce the amount of
unnecessary messages that are displayed. Station filtering can be automatic or by
manual selection.
Automatic selection§ can be used if a GPS is connected to the system.
The 'in range' stations are then calculated based on the information
stored in the station database.
Manual Station selection is used whenever a GPS position fix is
unavailable, or can be used to override an automatic selection.
(Each key
cycles through
all the available
options)
1 of 5
Preset
490 Types
Page
Filter
View
Navtex
Mode

Page 9
View the current stations settings.
Go to [NAVTEX Mode⇒Filter View⇒490 or 518 Stns Page].
Pick the required 'preset number' (use preset 1 if you are just starting for the first
time).
Each 'station setting can be changed between On, Off or Auto.
Setting Operation
On Messages from station always in view (see note 1)
Off Messages from station never in view
Auto§ Messages from station only viewed when nearest or in
range depending upon setting (see note 1)
Note 1: messages are only displayed if they also fall within the ageing
limit, error limit and message category filter settings.
An * (asterisk) to the right of the station name indicates that the station is currently
selected.
Automatic Station Selection Using GPS
Many users will just want to display messages from the nearest NAVTEX station,
or only from stations that provide information in their cruising area. This is easily
achieved by connecting a GPS receiver and letting the ICS NAV6 system
automatically make the best selection.
Go to the [NAVTEX Mode⇒Filter View⇒490 or 518 Stns Page].
Select the required 'active preset number' (use preset 1 if you are just starting for
the first time).
Use the LEFT or RIGHT key to move between the 'In Range' or
'Nearest' setting.
Provided all the station names have 'Auto' next to them and the GPS
position fix is valid, an asterisk will appear to the right of the currently
selected station names.
Ensure that all the stations that you want to view have a asterisk by
them.
You can still override an automatic selection by 'forcing' an individual station 'ON
or OFF'
To do this, move the cursor over the station name, use the LEFT & RIGHT cursor
keys to change between ON, OFF (or back to AUTO).
You may wish to set your ‘home’ station to always 'ON' so that you can display its
messages even if it is not currently an automatically selected station.

Page 10
Note that if a valid GPS position fix becomes unavailable, after a short time
delay all 'auto' stations will turn on and remain on until the GPS position
returns.
Manual Station Selection
If no GPS position fix is available or no GPS is connected to the system, you will
probably need to manually select or de-select unwanted stations from view.
Go to the [NAVTEX Mode⇒Filter View⇒490 or 518 Stns Page].
Select the required 'active preset number' (use preset 1 if you are just starting for
the first time).
•Use the UP & DOWN keys to move the cursor over the station name.
•Use the LEFT & RIGHT cursor keys to change between ON, OFF (not
AUTO)
Message Filtering
You can further reduce the amount of messages that are displayed by applying
filters to the message categories.
Go to the [NAVTEX Mode⇒Filter View⇒490 or 518 Types Page].
•Select the required 'active preset number' (use preset 1 if you are just
starting for the first time).
Each message category type can be turned ON or OFF, or made to display NEW
messages only by using the UP, DOWN, LEFT & RIGHT keys.
‘New’ Messages
Sometimes it is useful to know which messages have been received since you
last looked at the ICS NAV6 display. Whenever a message is received the
message header box displays a ‘NEW’ or 'SAR' icon.
Even if a new message is currently out of view, the status bar at the top of the
display will also indicate a ‘NEW’ icon.
Go to [NAVTEX Mode⇒Message View]
•What was the PAGE soft key has changed to a NEXT NEW key.
•The left hand softkey is now a MARK READ key.
Once you have read the ‘NEW’ message and want to clear the ‘NEW’ icon, press
MARK READ.
The ‘NEW’ icon will disappear from the message header.
•Press NEXT NEW to move on to the next NEW message.
•Once all NEW messages have been marked as read the ‘NEW’ icon in the
status bar at the top of the display will disappear.
Hiding 'marked as read' messages from view
Messages that have been ‘marked as read’ are still displayed but now without a
‘NEW’ icon.
If you wish, you can automatically hide 'marked as read' messages from view.
Go to [NAVTEX Mode⇒Filter View⇒490 or 518 Types Page]
•Select the required 'preset number'
•Place the cursor bar over the message categories that you want to hide and
change to ‘New’ instead of ‘On’.

Page 11
You may wish to leave SAR messages as ‘On’ so that they are not hidden
once read.
Displaying the Newest Message
To display the newest message at the top of the display.
Go to [NAVTEX Mode⇒SortView⇒Descending Order⇒Date Criteria].
The newest message is now at the top of the display.
Caution : Messages are 'date and time' stamped even if there is no GPS
connected and therefore no corrected time reference to work from.
When you first power up the ICS NAV6, if there is no GPS connected you
should manually enter the date and time. From then on the ICS NAV6 will
keep time until power is removed from the system.
The ICS NAV6 'Calendar & Clock' stops while power is off, consequently the
date and time should be checked and if necessary corrected each time the
system is powered on.
If the correct time and date is not set, messages will still be date stamped in
a chronological order but the indicated time of reception will then be wrong.
Message Ageing
NAVTEX messages become less relevant over time & eventually may just clutter
the display. In order to reduce the number of obsolete NAVTEX messages that
are being displayed, the ICS NAV6 uses the concept of a message ‘Age Limit’. By
setting an age limit it is possible to hide older messages from view.
Go to [Setup Mode⇒NAVTEX View⇒Options Page]
Use the UP or DOWN key to move the cursor over the age limit setting,
the LEFT & RIGHT keys to select a new value.
3 days is an appropriate age limit to select as most NAVTEX messages have a
nominal life of 72 hours.
Set a longer age limit if you want to display NAVTEX messages going back over
previous days and weeks.
Remember all messages are still stored in memory for a considerable length of
time, consequently increasing the age limit can bring older messages back into
view.

Page 12
ADVANCED OPERATION
This section provides a detailed description of the ‘advanced’ operation of your
ICS NAV6. The three operating modes are described in detail. Remember to use
the right-hand MODE softkey to switch between the operating modes.
NAVTEX MODE
NAVTEX Mode is only available if a sensor is
(or has been) connected to the display and the
NAVTEX frequency setting on the NAVTEX
options page is set to 518 kHz, 490 kHz or
Both.
In NAVTEX Mode, the display consists of a
large area dedicated to displaying NAVTEX
messages, with a status bar at the top, and
descriptions of the softkey functions at the
bottom.
It is possible to scroll up and down the
messages line by line, using the UP and
DOWN keys. Additionally, you can step through
the display, message by message using the
LEFT and RIGHT keys.
Four different ‘views’ can be selected by pressing the VIEW softkey:
Message View
Print View (when enabled in setup)
Sort View
Filter View
NAVTEX Mode, Message View
Used to view messages. Each new message can be accessed by a single key
press & then marked as read, if required.
The NEXT NEW softkey should be used to move the next new message to the
top of the NAVTEX display, where it can be marked as read by pressing MARK
READ. Note that the message that will be ‘marked as read’ is indicated in the top
left of the status bar. This is particularly useful when the message’s header has
scrolled off the top of the display area.

Page 13
NAVTEX Mode, Print View§
Allows individual messages to be printed. The ‘Print View’ is only displayed if the
manual print setting is enabled on the [Setup Mode⇒NAVTEX View⇒Options
Page]. Printing is only possible if an external printer or PC is installed as part of
the system.
The NEXT NEW softkey can be used to move the next new message to the top of
the NAVTEX display where pressing PRINT will print it.
NAVTEX Mode, Sort View
From within this view different sort criteria can be applied to change the order of
the messages on the display. The NAVTEX Mode display can be sorted in one of
three ways by pressing the CRITERIA softkey:
Sort by Station
Sort by Type
Sort by Date
The sort can be further organised in ascending or descending order by pressing
the ORDER softkey.
Sort by Station
Sorts by station name.
Ascending sort is 490 stations A to Z , then 518 stations A to Z.
Messages are ordered by message category A to Z.
Descending sort is 518 stations Z to A, then 490 stations Z to A.
Messages are ordered by message category Z to A.
Sort by Type
Sorts by message category.
Ascending sort is 490 message category A to Z before 518 message
category A to Z.
Descending sort is 518 message category Z to A before 490 message
category Z to A.
Sort by Date
Sorts by time and date of message reception.
Descending sort puts the newest message at the top of the display.
Ascending sort puts the oldest message at the top of the display.
For sort by date to work properly, the correct time and date should be set using
either time data from the NMEA input, or if this is not available, time should be
entered manually at start-up.
The scroll bar at the right edge of the display indicates how far you have
progressed through the filtered and sorted messages.
The total height of the scroll bar represents the total number of messages

Page 14
available for viewing with the current filter settings.
The lighter section of the scroll bar represents the messages that are currently
visible on the screen.
The vertical position of the scroll bar represents how far through the messages
you have scrolled.
NAVTEX Mode, Filter View
This view allows specific stations to be selected for display and the various
message categories to be turned on or off. Use the filter view to select which
message types from which stations you wish to see displayed.
Presets
Using the filter presets allows quick selection of 5 different filter settings. Once a
preset is selected, the filter settings for that preset may be changed as required.
The filter settings for the active preset will be applied when NAVTEX messages
are next viewed.
Press the PRESET softkey to select a preset.
Set up the 5 filter presets for the stations and message types that you use most.
For example:
Preset 1 - all message types from nearest station
Preset 2 - meteorological warnings from nearest station
Preset 3 - navigational warnings from nearest station
Preset 4 - new messages of all message types from nearest station
Preset 5 – new messages of all message types from stations in range)
There are 5 separate Filter View presets. Each preset has its own set of 4 Filter
View Pages.
Use the PAGE softkey to select one of the four possible filter pages: 518 Stations,
518 Types, 490 Stations, or 490 Types.

Page 15
Message Categories
The picture shows the 518 Types filter page;
the 490 Types filter page is similar.
Each of the message types can be selected as
either On, Off or New
Use the UP and DOWN keys to select the
message type setting that you wish to edit. Use
the LEFT and RIGHT keys to change the
setting.
Set each message type filter to one of the
following:
Setting Notes
On Message type always
displayed
Off Message type never
displayed
New Message type only
displayed when new.
Messages marked as
read will not appear.
Stations
The picture shows the 518 Stations filter page;
the 490 Stations filter page is similar. Use the
UP and DOWN keys to select the station filter
setting that you wish to edit. Use the LEFT and
RIGHT keys to change the setting.
The ‘Auto Station Filter’ setting can be either
Nearest or In Range. This setting is active only
when you have a GPS receiver connected to
the NMEA input and it applies only to stations
set to Auto. To display messages from the
nearest station to your current position, set the
auto station filter to Nearest.
To display messages from all stations in range
of your current position, set the auto station
filter to In Range.
An asterisk appears next to all stations for
which messages will be displayed.

Page 16
Set the filter for each station to one of the following:
Setting Notes
On Messages from station always displayed
Off Messages from station never displayed
Auto Messages from station displayed only when nearest or in range
depending upon ‘Auto Station Filter’ setting.
Important: You may wish to leave your ICS NAV6 running whilst your GPS or
instrument system is switched off. Be aware that the Navigate data items derived
from NMEA (including position) will time out after a short while. If you have
chosen to display only the ‘nearest’ NAVTEX station or stations ‘in range’ it will
revert to displaying all stations that are set to ‘Auto’. As soon as the NMEA data
becomes available again only the ‘Nearest’ or ‘In Range’ stations will be displayed
dependant upon your current settings.