jotron Tron VHF User manual

Tron VHF
your safety – our concern
GB
OPERATORS MANUAL
JOTRON Electronics a.s
P.O.Box 54, NO-3280 Tjodalyng, Norway
Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]
www.jotron.com
www.los-grafisk.no O.nr: 250854

WARNING / IMPORTANT
Jotron Electronics a.s. is a prime manufacturer of safety equipment designed for
rescue of human lives and their property. For safety equipment to be effective in
line with the design parameters it is important that they are handled, stowed
and maintained in compliance with the manufacturers instructions. Jotron
Electronics a.s. can not be held responsible for any damage caused due to incorrect
use of the equipment or breach of laid down procedures or for failure of any speci-
fic component or other parts of the equipment.
The chapter covering battery replacement (5.1) is added for information only.
Jotron Electronics a.s. does not take any responsibility for improper disassemb-
ling/assemblin of the beacon. We strongly recommend all service to be done by
authorized Jotron agents. In addition to normal service, Jotron agents have the
necessary equipment and education to test the operational functions of the beacon.
Non-original maintenance and/or service parts may destroy the equipment
function and performance.
The information in this book has been carefully checked and is believed to
be accurate. However, no responsibility is assumed for inaccuracies.
CAUTION!
This equipment contains CMOS integrated circuits. Observe handling
precautions to avoid static discharges which may damage these devices.
JOTRON electronics a.s reserves the right to make changes without
further notice to any products or modules described herein to improve
reliability, function or design. JOTRON electronic a.s does not assume any
liability arising out of the application or use of the described product.
The equipment complies with the Harmonized Standards applied in order to
following Directives: verify compliance with the Directive(s):
MED 96/98/EC ETS 300 225:1998
EMC 89/336/EEC EN 300 828:1998
EN 60945
EN 50022 class B
EC Declaration of Confirmity, available at www.jotron.com

3
CHANGES RECORD NO. CHAPTER VERSION
NEW MANUAL EM3903 CAP. 5 B
REVISION HISTORY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
4
Glossary ............................................................................5
Battery Safety Data Sheet ............................................6
Radio Log Instructions ..................................................7
Test and Maintenance Record .....................................9
1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................10
1.1 General .....................................................................10
1.2 Features ...................................................................10
1.3 What comes with Tron VHF ..............................11
2. OPERATION ............................................................12
2.1 Outline Description .............................................12
2.2 How to operate TronVHF ..................................14
3. PRIMARY BATTERY ................................................16
3.1 How to change the battery ................................16
3.2 When to change the battery ..............................16
3.3 Special Care ............................................................17
4. SECONDARY BATTERY AND CHARGER..........17
4.1 Using the Nickel-Cadmium battery ..................17
4.2 How to charge the Nickel-Cadmium battery 17
4.3 Special Care ............................................................18
4.4 The tron charge Nicad battery.......................... 18
5. MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE .........................19
5.1 How to take care of your TronVHF ................19
5.2 Service .....................................................................19
5.3 Regular test procedure ........................................20
5.4 Cleaning of dirt and oil ........................................20
6.TROUBLESHOOTING ..........................................20
6.1 Precautions .............................................................20
6.2 Guide to troubleshooting ...................................21
7. OPTIONS ..................................................................21
MARINE SERVICE AGENTS ..............................23–29

5
GLOSSARY
COSPAS
Cosmicheskaya Sistyema Poiska Avariynich Sudov
(Space System for the Search of Vessels in Distress)
SARSAT
Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System
EPIRB Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
LUT Local User Terminal (Ground Station)
MCC Mission Control Center
RCC Rescue Coordination Center
km kilometer
MHz Mega-Hertz (106Hertz)
GPS Global Position System

6
BATTERY SAFETY DATA SHEET
(Form: EEC directive 91/155)
(2) SAFETY ADVICE
S2 Keep out of reach from children.
S8 Keep container dry.
S26 In case of contact with eyes, rinse immediately with
plenty of water and seek medical advice.
S43 In case of fire, use D type extinguishers. Never use water.
S45 In case of accident or if you feel unwell, seek medical
advice immedately (show the label where possible).
(3) FIRST AID MEASURES
In case of contact of cell contents with eyes, flush immediately
with water for 15 min.With skin, wash with plenty of water and
take off contaminated clothes. If inhalation, remove from exposure,
give oxygen, seek medical advice.
(4) FIRE-FIGHTING MEASURES
Extinguishing media
Suitable: Type D fire extinguishers
Not to be used: Water - CO2- Halon, dry chemical or foam
extingiushers
Special exposure hazards
Generation of chlorine, sulfur dioxide, disulfur dichloride during
thermal decomposition.
Special protective equipment
Use protective working boots, rubber apron and safety glasses
with side shields.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR KEEPING THE RADIO LOG AND
THE RADIO OPERATORS OBLIGATION ACCORDING
TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL REGULATION.
1. The radio log shall be kept in accordance with requirements in the Radio
Regulations, SOLAS Convention, national regulations regarding radio installations
and the STCW Convention (STCW 95 including the STCW Code) including
relevant regulation regarding watchkeeping on board passenger- and cargo ships.
2. Unauthorized transmissions and incidents of harmful interference should,
if possible, be identified, recorded in the radio log and brought to the attention
of the Administration in compliance with the Radio Regulations, together with
an appropriate extract from the radio log. (STCW Code B-VIII/2 No.32)
TEST OF RADIO EQUIPMENT AND RESERVE SOURCE OF ENERGY
Weekly:
GMDSS handheld VHF transceivers to be tested without using the mandatory
required emergency batteries.
Monthly:
Float-free and manual EPIRBs to be checked using the means provided for testing on the
equipment. Check data for periodical maintenance requirement for float-free EPIRB.
Float-free EPIRBs are required to go through a periodical maintenance
every 24 months. (Only for NOR/NIS flag vessels).
False alerts transmitted by EPIRB
False alerts are a serious problem for the rescue service. Nearly 90% of EPIRB
initiated distress alerts turn out to be false alarms.
If for any reason, your EPIRB should cause a false alarm, it is most important that you
contact the nearest search and rescue authority and tell them it was a false alarm. They
can then stand down any rescue service (coast radio station or appropriate CES or
RCC). Use any means at your disposal to make contact. Switch off the distress alarm
by de-activating your EPIRB, as soon as possible.

8

9
DATE N/T/B SIGN INSP
N=NEW EPIRB INSTALLED,T=TEST, B=NEW BATTERY
TEST AND MAINTENANCE RECORD

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1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 GENERAL
TronVHF is specially designed and manufactured to comply with the GMDSS
Survival craft two-way VHF radiotelephone apparatus.The radio is covering
the specifications from the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
Resolutions A.569(14),A.605(15) and A.694(17),A.809(19) ITU Radio-
regulations 18 and 19, SOLAS 1974, as amended in 1988, and ETS 300 225.
TronVHF is a 156 MHz 1W radiotelephone with a housing made of rough
glassfilled polycarbonate in a highly visible orange colour, and is a result of a
comprehensive development to meet the requirements encountered under
severe maritime conditions. It is possible to install up to 11 operating channels
for international maritime mobile service and is well fitted for
on-board communication.
1 .2 FEATURES
– Watertight
TronVHF is watertight to a depth of 1 metre for 5 minutes.With the batteries
93002 and 93030, it is also floats in case of accidental drop in to the water.
– Rugged design
TronVHF is made to resist a drop from 1 metre onto a hard surface. It is also
resistant to seawater, oil and sunlight, and is not unduly affected by this.
– Handling
TronVHF is made for easy operation, with a brief operating instruction printed
on the front. It is possible to fully operate TronVHF with only one hand and
operation when wearing thick gloves or survival suit gloves is no problem.
– Housing
TronVHF is of small size (70 x 195 x 50mm), and has no sharp edges to
damage raft or clothing. It also comes with a belt clip and a short wrist strap
for easy carrying.
ENG

11
– Low power consumption
TronVHF has a low power consumption and will operate for a long time.With
a transmit, receive and standby ratio of 1 : 1 : 8 the battery lifetime is more
than 8 hours.
– LED indicators
TronVHF is equipped with LED’s to indicate its status.There are two LED’s to
tell which channel is active and one to indicate power output during transmit-
tion.The colour of the LED’s are red, to prevent the nightsight from being
impaired.The Tx LED flashes when battery voltage is low.
– Frequency synthesizer
TronVHF is built with a frequency synthesizer to assure an easy channel selec-
tion, with high frequency stability.
– Electronic construction
TronVHF is built with surface mount techniques on one multilayer circuit
board, to assure homogeneous quality and high reliability.
– Battery pack
The Battery pack is easily replaced without any tools.When mounted inside
the radio it is protected from rough handling.
– Service
JOTRON’s net of trained agents worldwide give the best service and support.
1.3 WHAT COMES WITH TRONVHF
X-93000 TronVHF GMDSS Complete packed
Consisting of:
X-93001 TronVHF without antenna and battery.
X-93025 Helical Antenna.
X-93002 Lithium Battery for GMDSS use.
X-93035 Operators Manual.
ENG

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2 OPERATION
2.1 OUTLINE DESCRIPTION
1) Helical antenna
The helical antenna is fastened
with a M4 heavy duty thread.
2) Volume control
Sound volume is increased with
increasing number in indication
window.
3) Rotary channel selector
To select channel’s, other than
channel 16, turn rotary switch.The
selected channel will be displayed
in the window (15).The selected
channel is only active when there is
light under the channel number. If
channel 16 is active, turning the
rotary switch will activate rotary
channel selector and turn of
channel 16.
4) ON / Channel 16 selector
Pushing ON/16 turns on the
power and puts the radiotele-
phone to channel 16.Whenever
wanting channel 16 after having
used another channel, push this
button again.
5) Microphone
Talk into the microphone during
transmitting.
6) OFF switch
Push OFF to switch off the power.
7) PTT (Push To Talk)
Push PTT for transmitting, release
for receiving.
8) Loudspeaker
Sound is produced from the loud-
speaker during receiving.
ENG

13
9) Battery release buttons
When changing battery, push these
buttons and pull out the battery pack.
10) Battery pack
Supplies power to the radiotelephone.
See section 3.1 for changing battery.
11) Belt clip
For attaching to a belt.
12) Squelch control
Squelch level is increased with increasing
number in indication window.
13) Remote connector
Connector for remote equipment. See
section A.2.3 for pin description.
14) Channel 16 indication
Light is indicating that channel 16 is
selected.
15) Selected channel indication
Light is illuminating the selected channel
number.
16) Transmit indication
The light is on during transmitting.This
light is monitoring transmit output. If no
output when PTT is pressed, this may
indicate a fault.

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2.2 HOW TO OPERATE TRONVHF
2.2.1 Switching ON and selecting channels
1) Turn VOL and SQ to position 0.
2) Turn TronVHF on by pushing the ON/16 button for 3 seconds.TronVHF is
now working on channel 16.
3) Adjust the sound volume by turningVOL. Use noise from the loudspeaker
to find a proper level.
4) Adjust the squelch level by turning SQ.Turn SQ carefully until noise from
the loudspeaker is suppressed. Be careful not to turn the squelch level to
high.This may lead to no squelch opening when weak signals are received.
The TronVHF is now ready for reception.
5) Selecting another channel is done with the CH wheel. 16 light will switch
off and CH light will switch on.
Re-selecting the channel 16 is done by pressing ON/16.
2.2.2 Emergency call sequence
1) Start the emergency call sequence by selecting channel 16.
2) Emergency calling:
– Push PTT and send the emergency signal MAYDAY, repeated
three times,
– the words;THIS IS,
– call sign or other identification on the mobile station being at
distress, repeated three times.
– Release PTT.

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Emergency call answer:
– The word; MAYDAY
– the call sign or other identification, repeated three times.
– the words;THIS IS,
– call sign or other identification on the mobile station answering
the emergency call, repeated three times,
– the words; RECEIVED MAYDAY.
When no answer:
– Repeat point 2).
– If there is no answer on channel 16, try any channel and repeat
point 2).
3) Emergency message:
– Push PTT and send the emergency signal MAYDAY,
– call sign or other identification on the mobile station being at
distress,
– information on position,
– what kind of emergency it is,
– what kind of help is needed,
– other information that can be of any help to the rescue operation,
4) Emergency traffic:
– During emergency traffic, always use the emergency signal;
MAYDAY, in front of any radio-message.
5) Asking for silence on the air:
– In cases where the emergency station wants to order silence, use
the words; SEELONCE MAYDAY.
2.2.3 Switching OFF
Switching off the TronVHF is done by pressing OFF button until all ligth´s are off.
This is indicating that power is off. If you are leaving the power on, the total opera-
ting time will be much shorter.

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3 PRIMARY BATTERY
3.1 HOW TO CHANGE THE BATTERY
The primary battery unit is a 7.2V / 5000mAh lithium cell.This unit is specially
designed for GMDSS emergency use to preserve a long shelf- and operating-life.
Type no. of battery: X-93002
Battery change procedure:
1) Hold down the two push-buttons on each side, and pull the battery pack
out of the housing.
2) Check the gasket inside the housing for no damage.
If it is broken, replace it with a new (stock no. X-93024). Remove dirt when
replacing the gasket.
3) Replace the expired battery.The label on the battery is marked with date
of replacement.
The primary battery is equipped with a seal to prevent inadvertent use.
Break this seal before use. Breaking this seal indicates that the shelf life has
expired.
4) Push the new battery unit into the housing until you hear the two push-
buttons are clicking into right position.TronVHF will not be waterproof
unless the pushbuttons are in correct position.
3.2 WHEN TO CHANGE THE BATTERY
Replace the battery before expiry date.The battery pack, 93002, has a shelf life
of 4 years.
If TronVHF is indicating low voltage during a regular test procedure, also change the
battery.The Tx LED also flashes when battery voltage is low.
To prevent the possibility of being in an emergency situation with a TronVHF
equipped with a used battery, we strongly recommend storing an extra battery-set,
93002, in lifeboats and rafts. Store this battery without breaking the plastic bag
sealing.

3.3 SPECIAL CARE
The battery pack, 93002, is of high energy lithium type, and some precautions
must be taken.
Do not heat above 100ºC, recharge, crush, disassemble or incinerate.This may
result in fire, explosion and severe burn hazard.
Do not throw used batteries overboard, but return them to your local dealer.
4 SECONDARY BATTERY AND CHARGER
4.1 USING THE NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERY
Tron VHF can be delivered with a rechargeable NiCad battery, type
93003/93030 (850mAh/400mAh) which is equipped with two connectors
for charging with Tron CHARGE.
These battery are specially designed for On-Board communication.
After recharging the battery, it can be used in the same way as the primary
battery unit. However, the voltage of Nickel-Cadmium batteries drops rapidly
just before they are exhausted, so when the transmit indicator LED (Tx) goes
out, be sure to immediately stop using it, and recharge the batteries again.
When changeing the batteries, see chapter 3.1 How to change the battery.
4.2 HOW TO CHARGE THE NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERY
1. Use the Tron CHARGE NiCad charger and power it up.
2. The power of TronVHF must be switch OFF, or remove the battery
unit from the transceiver.
3. Insert the TronVHF / battery unit into the charging slot.
4. The Charge LED will indicate that the charge cycle is beginning.
It is now operating in fast charge mode which will fully charge the
battery within 4 hours.
5. When Charge LED goes out, the battery is recharged.The charger
has now switched to trickle charge mode.
17

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6. Charge temperature must be between 0ºC and 40ºC.
7. After charging, remove the unit from the charger.The TronVHF and battery
is now ready for operation.
4.3 SPECIAL CARE
The battery pack, 93003 and 93030, is of Nickel-Cadmium type, and some precau-
tions must be taken.
Do not shortcircuit, solder, reverse charge, crush, disassemble or incinerate.This may
result in fire, explosion and severe burn hazard.
Also avoid charging under 0ºC or over 40°C.
4.4 THE TRON CHARGE NICAD CHARGER
The Tron CHARGE NiCad charger is specially made for charging your secondary
battery, type 93003 or 93030. On the left side there is space for storing the primary
emergency battery, type 93002.
The charger has a fast charge facility which fully charges the 93003 battery within 4
hours.When the battery is fully charged, this is detected, and Tron CHARGE swit-
ches to trickle charge mode.This is indicated with the
Charge LED switching off.
There are also built in temperature sensors detecting charge temperature limits and
sudden rises in battery temperature. If the charger is detecting out of limit tempera-
tures, this causes the unit to switch to trickle charge mode. It is important to note
that the absolute battery temperature is not detected by the charger, and must be
within 0ºC to 40ºC when starting the charge cycle.The charger supply can be 230V
AC, 115V AC, 12 to 16V DC or 24 to 28V DC. For changing the AC source, modifi-
cations must be done on the Printed Circuit Board. If a DC source is required, the
power cable must be connected to the +12VDC socket within the unit. For 24 to
28V DC an extra resistor of 33ohm/20W must be connected in serial with the
power supply.This resistor is available from JOTRON at stock number X-93750.
NOTE!
If Tron CHARGE is connected to a DC source with higher voltage than 16V DC, an
extra resistor of 33ohm/20W must be connected in serial with the power supply.
This resistor is available from JOTRON at stock number X-93750.

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5 MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE:
5.1 HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR TronVHF
TronVHF is constructed to endure the rough maritime environment. Still the life is
dependent on taking care of the equipment. It is a good practice to regularly inspect
and test the equipment to trace error symptoms and prevent more serious
problems.
To keep in mind during inspection:
– If TronVHF has been immersed into sea water, it is a good practice to clean
it in fresh water.
– Inspect battery sealing and battery gasket.
– Inspect the housing for defects which can affect the water sealing.
5.2 SERVICE
Warranty Service.
The warranty of the equipment is not valid if the customer has tried to repair,
modify or rebuild the unit, deliberate or accidental damage , failure to follow
JOTRON’s instructions with respect to approved service agents or if the unit has
been exposed to environmental conditions outside the specifications for the unit.
As a standard Jotron Electronics AS warrants that this product will be free from
defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 12 months from the date
received by end user, limited to 18 months from purchase from Jotron.
If necessary to have the unit repaired, please return it carriage pre-paid to the
agent where you did your purchase. Provided that the unit(s) returned for repair
is found to be under warranty, man-hour cost and material cost will be covered by
Jotron.Additional costs not related to repair/replacement of the unit will not be
covered.
Out of Warranty Service.
For defects arising from normal wear and tear after 12 months of operation,
limited to 18 months from purchase from Jotron, normal service conditions will
apply.
For details see: http://www.jotron.com.

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5.4 CLEANING OF DIRT AND OIL
To clean away oil and dirt from the radio, use ordinary dish-soap and water. Immerse
the radio into the solution for apx. 5 min. and wash it clean.
The water temperature can be up to 45°C warm. Finish of by rinsing with fresh water.
6 TROUBLESHOOTING
6.1 PRECAUTIONS
– Before shipping TronVHF for repair, please check fundamental procedures on
operation and battery condition.
– On repair please contact your nearest JOTRON agent.
– Do not disassemble TronVHF unless you have JOTRON service authorization.
– See the next chapter for failure diagnosis.This may be of help when discussing
problems with an JOTRON agent.
1 Battery If Tx light is flashing, change the battery.
Also check if Tx light is flashing during
transmitting.
2 Volume control Check ifVOL control is smooth operating,
and check if sound is increasing gradually.
3 Squelch control Check if SQ control is smooth operating,
and check that noise is muted with
increasing squelch level.
4 Transmit Check that Tx is lighting when transmitting.
Tx light indicates that carrier is produced at
the antenna output.
5 Talk test Communicate with another radiotelephone
to test receive and transmit functions.
Step Unit Description
5.3 REGULAR TEST PROCEDURE
It is important to perform regularly testing to ensure proper operation in case of a
distress situation. If TronVHF is used regularly, perform test every month.When
TronVHF is stored in a lifeboat or raft, perform test at least once a year.