PRESIDENT MC-8050 DSC User manual

MC-8050 DSC
Owner’s Manual

2
-
Lift the red cover
and press the
DISTRESS button.
MAKING A DISTRESS CALL
Lift the red cover. Press and hold the DISTRESS button for three seconds.
Your radio transmits your boat’s location every few minutes until you receive
a response.
NOTE: If the radio displays Enter User MMSI, cancel the auto-
matic distress call and make a normal voice distress call.
Making a Voice Distress Call
Speak slowly - clearly - calmly.
For future reference, write your boat’s name & call sign here:
1. Make sure your radio is on.
2. On the microphone, press the 16/9-TRI button to switch to Channel 16 (156.8 MHz).
(If the corner of the display does not show “16”, press the 16/9-TRI button again until it
does.)
3. Press the PUSH TO TALK button on the microphone and say: “MAYDAY -- MAYDAY
-- MAYDAY.”
4. Say “THIS IS {name of your boat} (three times) and {call sign/boat registration number}
(once).”
5. Repeat “MAYDAY {name of your boat}” (once).
6. Tell where you are: (what navigational aids or landmarks are near, or read the latitude
and longitude from your GPS).
7. State the nature of your distress (e.g. are you sinking, medical emergency, man over-
board,onre,adrift,etc.).
8. State the type of assistance you need (medical, towing, pumps, etc.).
9. Give number of persons aboard and conditions of any injured persons.
10. Estimate present seaworthiness of your ship (e.g. how immediate is the danger due to
oodingorreorproximitytoshore).
11. Brieydescribeyourship,givingshipname(e.g.“BlueDuckis32footcabincruiser,
white hull, blue deck house”).
12. Say: “I WILL BE LISTENING ON CHANNEL 16”.
13. End message by saying “THIS IS {name or call sign of your boat}, OVER.”
14. Release the PUSH TO TALK button and listen.
If you do not get an answer after 30 seconds, repeat your call, beginning at step 3,
above.

3
CONTENTS
Making a Voice Distress Call .............................................................................................. 2
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4
Features ..................................................................................................................... 4
Manual overview ........................................................................................................ 4
Getting Started..................................................................................................................... 5
What’s included.......................................................................................................... 5
Parts of the Radio ...................................................................................................... 7
Parts of the Microphone ............................................................................................. 7
Turning on the Radio.................................................................................................. 8
Setting the UIC Channel Mode (USA/CAN/INT) ........................................................ 8
How It Works........................................................................................................................ 8
Normal mode operation.............................................................................................. 9
Scan mode ............................................................................................................... 10
Weather mode.......................................................................................................... 12
Using Your Radio............................................................................................................... 14
Using Your Radio ..................................................................................................... 14
 MakingavoiceMAYDAYcall ................................................................................... 15
Setting the volume ................................................................................................... 15
Setting the squelch level .......................................................................................... 15
Changing the channel .............................................................................................. 15
Making a transmission ............................................................................................. 15
Boosting the transmission power ............................................................................. 16
 ChoosingTripleWatchorDualWatch ..................................................................... 16
Using FIPS codes for weather alerts........................................................................ 17
Changing display and sound options ....................................................................... 18
Setting the GPS position manually........................................................................... 18
Using Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Features.............................................................. 19
 WhatisDSC?........................................................................................................... 19
 AdvancedDSCfeatures........................................................................................... 19
 WhatisanMMSInumber?....................................................................................... 19
Entering MMSI numbers .......................................................................................... 20
 UsingtheDirectory................................................................................................... 21
 MakingDSCCalls.................................................................................................... 22
Making an automatic distress call ............................................................................ 24
 ReceivingaDSCcall ............................................................................................... 25
Test Calls.................................................................................................................. 26
Position Request and Reply..................................................................................... 27
Putting the radio into standby................................................................................... 29
 Disablingautomaticchannelswitching .................................................................... 29
Renaming Channels................................................................................................. 30
Installing the Hardware..................................................................................................... 30
Mounting the radio ................................................................................................... 30
Connecting the radio ................................................................................................ 31
Connecting to a GPS receiver.................................................................................. 32
Connecting to a Chartplotter .................................................................................... 34
 ConnectingtoanExternalSpeaker ......................................................................... 35

4
Maintenance and Troubleshooting .................................................................................. 35
Engine Noise Suppression....................................................................................... 36
Specications .................................................................................................................... 37
 RadioSpecications................................................................................................. 37
Reference Tables ............................................................................................................... 38
Channel descriptions and what they mean .............................................................. 38
US Marine Channels and Frequencies .................................................................... 38
Canadian Marine Channels and Frequencies.......................................................... 40
International Marine Channels and Frequencies ..................................................... 41
Weather Channels and Frequencies (US, CAN, and INT)....................................... 42
Emergency Alert System (SAME) Information ......................................................... 42
No Response Event Code........................................................................................ 44
NMEA Operation ...................................................................................................... 45
NMEA Output ........................................................................................................... 45
Regulations and Safety Warnings ................................................................................... 45
Three Year Limited Warranty ............................................................................................ 47
INTRODUCTION
Features
• Submersible Design - Complies with JIS8 water-resistant standards, which means the
radio can be submerged in 1.5 meter of water for 30 minutes without damage.
• Large,dotmatrixdisplay
• AdvancedDSCClassDfunctions,includingTestCalling
• Channelselectbuttonsonthemicrophone
• Memoryscanmode-Letsyousavechannelstomemoryandmonitortheminquicksuc-
cession.
• TransmitterPowerLevelSelect-Letsyouboostthetransmitterpowerfrom1wattto25
watts for added transmission distance.
• Batteryleveldisplayandtone-Soundsanalerttoneifthebatteryvoltagegoestoohighor
too low.
• TripleWatchOperation-CheckstheCoastGuardDistress/Hailingchannels16and9in
the background.
• AllmarineVHFchannelsfortheU.S.,Canada,andinternationalwaters
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather channel watch -
Sounds a warning tone when a hazard alert is issued for your area.
Manual overview
Conventions
This manual uses several different type styles to help you distinguish between different parts
of the radio:
• BOLD SMALL CAPITALS indicates an actual button or knob on the radio or microphone.
• Upper and Lower Case bold indicates a connector or label on the radio.
• Italicsindicatetextonthedisplay,suchasmenuoptions,prompts,andconrmationmessages.

5
Term
DSC
FIPS
WX
GPS
NMEA
MMSI
Station
Meaning
DigitalSelectiveCalling.AVHFradiostandardforcommunicatingamong
boats and sending automated distress calls.
Federal Information Processing Standard. A set of location codes roughly
equivalent to your county codes.
Weather Radio.
Global Positioning System.
National Marine Electronics Association. The organization that governs stand-
ards for electronic equipment used on boats. NMEA 0183 is the standard for
serial data communication used by GPS.
Maritime Mobile Service Identity number. A unique, nine-digit number that
identiesyouandyourboatwhenmakingDSCcalls.Itisalsousedbythe
Coast Guard if you send an automated distress call.
AnyDSCradio,whetherit’soperatedonaboat,atamarina,orbyashore
station.
GETTING STARTED
What’s included
Mounting Bracket
and Knobs
Mounting Hardware Microphone Hanger and
Mounting Hardware

6
Parts of the Radio
SQUELCH knob
(turn clockwise to
decrease channel
noise)
16/9-TRI
(triple/dual-
watch) button
CLR-SCAN
(channel
scan) button
WX-MEM
button
CALL-
MENU
button
DISTRESS
button
LCD
display
ENT-
1W/25W
button
VOLUME-PWR
(power) knob
(turn clockwise to
increase volume)
Microphone
cord
CHANNEL UP &
CHANNEL DOWN
button
Button
ENT-1W/25W
Channel Up
ChannelDown
16/9-TRI
CLR-SCAN
WX-MEM
CALL-MENU
DISTRESS
Press to...
Choose an option on a menu or
to display the GPS data.
Move up one channel at a time.
Move down one channel at a
time.
1st press: Go to Channel 16.
2nd press: Go to Channel 9. 3rd
press: Go back to the original
channel.
Go to previous menu or cursor
position in menu mode.
Listen to the current weather
conditions in your area.
Displaythecallmenu.
Select the nature of your distress
for a distress call.
Press and hold to...
Change the transmit power (see
page 16).
Move quickly up the channels.
Move quickly down the channels.
GointoTripleWatchorDual
Watch mode (see page 16).
Start scanning the channels
saved in memory.
Save a channel into memory or
remove a channel from memory.
Displaythenormalmenu.
Transmit a distress call.

7
Connector/Cable
Antenna connector
Power cable
Accessory cable
Connects to...
ExternalVHFantennawithamalePL259
(SO238)connectorand50Ωimpedance.
Minimum 4 ft, 3dB rated antenna for sail-
boats, 8 ft, 6 dB rated for power boats.
Nominal13.8VDCpowersupplywith
negativeground(10.5VDCto16.0VDC)
(Red wire +, black wire -).
GPS receiver, GPS chartplotter.
For details, see...
Connecting the radio
(see page 31).
Connecting the radio
(see page 31).
Connecting accesso-
ries (see page 32).
Parts of the Microphone
Button
()
()
16/9-TRI
Push-toTalk
SCAN/MEM
Press to...
Move up one channel at a
time.
Move down one channel at a
time.
1st press: Go to Channel 16.
2nd press: Go to Channel 9.
3rd press: Go back to the origi-
nal channel.
Cancel scanning and stay on a
channel.
Activate the channel scan fea-
ture; start scanning channels.
Press and hold to
Move quickly up
the channels.
Move quickly down
the channels.
Go into Triple
WatchorDual
Watch mode (see
page 16).
Talk on a channel.
Save/delete the
current channel
from memory.
NOTE: SCAN/MEM on the microphone functions the same as the
SCAN and MEM buttons on the radio.

8
Turning on the Radio
TurntheVOLUME-PWRknobclockwisetoturnontheradio.Asitpowerson,theradiodis-
plays the user MMSI number; if there is no MMSI set, the radio displays MMSI not entered.
When it powers on, the radio selects the last channel used.
Setting the UIC Channel Mode (USA/CAN/INT)
The radio comes preset to use the UIC channels assigned for the United States. If you are
operating in an area that uses Canadian or international UIC channels, you will need to
change the channel mode.
1. Press and hold CALL-MENU to display the normal menu, and choose the Setup sub-
menu.
2. Select USA/CAN/INT. The screen displays the UIC channel setup.
3. Choose the channel mode you want to use: US (USA Mode), Canadian (Canada Mode),
or international (Intl Mode).
4. Press ENT-1W/25W.Theradioactivatesthenewchannelmodeandexitsthemenu.
16
UIC Channels
USA Mode
Canada Mode
Intl Mode
Back[CLR]
Select[ENT]
Setup
Press and hold -
USA/CAN/INT
Mode To
Normal
Scan
Weather
What It Does
Monitors a single marine radio
channel and lets you talk on
that channel.
Monitors all the channels you
save into memory.
Monitors the selected NOAA
weather channel.
Use It When
You want to talk to another station
onaspecicchannel.
You have a small group of chan-
nels you use most often and want
tocheckthemfortrafc.
You want to hear the current and
forecasted weather in your area.
Turn it on/off...
(default mode)
Press and hold
the CLR-SCAN
button.
Press the WX-
MEM button.
In addition to the three basic operation modes, your radio also provides three different “watch”
modes which you can activate during any of the three basic modes. In these watch modes,
theradiobrieychecksforactivityonaspecicchannelthenreturnstoitspreviousmode.
HOW IT WORKS
Your radio has three basic modes of operation:

9
25
Marine Operator
25 Watts INT
Memory Alert
GPS Data OK
Transmit power
(1 W or 25 W)
Current channel
is stored in
memory
Status messages
(see the status
message table)
Current
channel
number
Current channel
name (if the name
is too long, the
name line scrolls)
Channel mode
(USA, CANadian,
or INTernational)
Weather Alert
Watch on
Watch Mode
Weather Alert
Triple
Dual
What It Does
Checks for alerts on the
last weather channel
you used every seven
seconds.
Checks for activity on
channels 16 and 9 every
two seconds.
Checks for activity on
channel 16 every two
seconds.
Use It When
You want to be made
aware of severe weather
conditions in your area.
You want to monitor a
channel yet maintain a
watch on channels 16
and 9.
You want to monitor a
channel yet maintain a
watch on channel 16.
Turn it on/off...
conditions in your area.
Select WX Alert Mode
in Setup submenu, and
then choose ON or OFF.
Press and hold 16/9-TRI
for two seconds.
Change Triple Watch to
DualWatchinthesetup
menu, then press and
hold 16/9-TRI for two
seconds.
NOTE: You are required to monitor channel 16 whenever your boat is underway.
You should have either Triple Watch or Dual Watch on at all times.
Normal mode operation
Normal mode monitors whatever channel you select, and you can transmit on that channel
also. While using normal mode, the display lets you see the following information (not all
indicators will display at the same time):
-
Message
GPSDataOK
Check GPS
Input Position
Battery Low
Battery High
Meaning
The radio is receiving valid GPS data.
The radio is not receiving valid GPS data: check the GPS status screen and
the GPS connection.
The radio has been unable to receive valid GPS data for at least four hours;
it can no longer track your position. You need to manually input your position
(see Setting the GPS position manually on page 18).
Thebatteryvoltageoutputistoolow(below10.5VDC).
Thebatteryvoltageoutputistoohigh(above16.0VDC).

10
Using the radio in normal mode
• Totransmit,pressandholdPUSH TO TALK on the microphone. Release the button when
youarenishedtalking.
• Forthebestsoundquality,holdthemicrophoneabouttwoinchesfromyourmouthwhile
you’re talking.
• PressCHANNEL UP on the radio or the microphone to move up one channel at a time.
Press and hold either button to scroll quickly up the channels.
• PressCHANNEL DOWN on the radio or the microphone to move down one channel at a
time.
Press and hold either button to scroll quickly down the channels.
• Tochangethetransmit power, press andhold the ENT-1W/25W for two seconds. The
transmit power switches between 1 watt and 25 watts each time you press and hold ENT-
1W/25W.
Normal mode with Weather Alert Watch
If you activate Weather Alert Watch while
operating in normal mode, the radio checks
the most recently-used weather channel
every seven seconds. If it detects a weather
alert for your area, it will change the channel to the last-used
weather channel. The radio will not check the weather chan-
nel while you are actively transmitting; it waits until your trans-
missionisnishedandthencheckstheweatherchannel.
To turn Weather Alert Watch on or off, press and hold CALL-
MENU while the radio is idle. Select Setup and then WX Alert
Mode. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN to choose WX
Alert Mode setting ON or Off.
Normal mode with Triple and Dual Watch
If you activate Triple Watch while operating in normal mode, the radio checks channels 16
and9everytwoseconds;withDualWatchturnedon,theradioonlycheckschannel16.The
radio will not check channels 16 or 9 while you are actively transmitting; it waits until your
transmissionisnishedandthenchecksthechannels.
Press and hold 16/9-TRI(ontheradioorthemicrophone)fortwosecondstoturnTriple/Dual
Watchonoroff.(TochangebetweenTripleorDualWatch,seepage16.)
Normal mode with both Weather Alert and Triple/Dual Watch
You can activate Weather Alert Watch
andTriple/DualWatchatthesametime.
The radio performs both checks at their
scheduled time.
Scan mode
You can save channels into memory
and then use scan mode to monitor
those channels. When the radio detects
a signal on a channel, it pauses on that
channel as long as the signal is received;
wx
Every 7 seconds,
the radio checks the
most recently-used
weather channel.
with WX Alert on
09 16 09 16 09 16
Every 2 seconds, the radio
checks channels 9 & 16.
with Triple Watch on
Monitoring Channel 25

11
when the transmission stops, the radio will continue scanning.
11
1008 1312 17
15 20
14
The radio scans about
5 channels in 1 second.
When it detects a signal, the radio stays on the
channel until you press the CHANNEL UP button or the
signal stops.
Resume scan
In scan mode, you can get
the following information
from the display (some
indicators will not always
be displayed).
Using the radio in
scan mode
• Youcannottransmitwhile
in scan mode.
• Youmusthavetwoormorechannelsinmemorytostartascan.
• Tosaveachannelintomemory,selectthechannel,thenpressandholdWX-MEM for two
seconds. Memory will show on the display.
• Toremoveachannelfrommemory,settheradiotothatchannel,thenpressandholdWX-
MEM for two seconds. Memory will no longer show on the display.
• Toactivatescanmode,pressandholdCLR-SCAN. Press and hold CLR-SCAN again to
return to the previous mode.
• Whentheradioautomaticallystopsonachannel,pressCHANNEL UP to leave that chan-
nel and resume scanning.
• Toendthescan,pressthemicrophone’sPUSH TO TALK, CALL-MEM, or WX-MEM but-
tons. The radio remains on the last scanned channel.
Scan mode with Weather Alert Watch
If you activate Weather Alert
Watch while operating in scan
mode, the radio checks the
most recentlyused weather
channel every seven seconds,
then continues scanning the
nextchannelinmemory.
To turn Weather Alert Watch on or off, press and hold
CALL-MENU while the radio is idle. Select Setup and
then WX Alert Mode. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL
DOWN to choose WX Alert Mode setting ON or Off.
Scan mode with Triple and Dual Watch
If you activate Triple Watch while operating in scan mode, the radio checks channels 16 and
9everytwoseconds,thengoesontoscanthenextchannel;withDualWatchturnedon,the
1 Watt INT
Memory
Scanning Channels
01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07
07
Transmit power
last used
Channel mode
(USA, CANadian,
or INTernational)
Current
channel being
scanned
Scan list (if the
text is too long,
the line scrolls)
All scanned
channels must
be in memory
Normal scan
mode or Triple/
Dual-watch on

12
radio only checks channel 16.
Press and hold 16/9-TRI (on
the radio or the microphone)
for two seconds to turn Triple/
DualWatchonoroff.(To
changebetweenTripleorDual
Watch, see page 16.)
Press and hold the CLR-SCAN
key to turn off Scan mode and
settheradiotoTriple/Dual
Watch mode.
Scan mode with both Weather Alert and Triple/Dual Watch
You can activate Weather Alert
WatchandTriple/DualWatch
at the same time. The radio
performs both checks at their
scheduled time.
09 16
Every 2 seconds,
the radio checks
channels 9 & 16
then goes on to
the next channel.
with Triple Watch on
Every 7 seconds,
the radio checks
the last-used
weather channel,
then scans the
next channel.
wx
with WX Alert on
Memory Channel Scan
08 252417151413121110 20
09 16
Every 2 seconds,
the radio checks
channels 9 & 16
then goes on to
the next channel.
with Triple Watch on
Memory Channel Scan
08 252417151413121110 20
09
Hurricane Warning
Weather Band
Alert
Weather
mode is on
Current
channel
number
Type of alert (if the
text is too long, the
line scrolls)
Flashing: An alert
has been issued
Steady: Weather
Alert Watch is on
Using the radio in weather mode
• Youcannottransmitwhileinweathermode.
• Toenterweathermode,pressWX-MEM.
• Weathermodecanlteroutalertsthatdonotaffectyourlocationifthelocationcode(FIPS
code) of the alert is entered in your radio (see page 17). If you have no FIPS codes
programmed into your radio, the radio will notify you of all alerts in any area.
• Toturnofftheradio’salerttone,pressanybutton.
• Tocancelweathermodeandreturntothepreviousmarinechannel,presstheWX-MEM
button again.
Weather mode
In cooperation with the FCC,
NOAA also uses the weather
channels to alert you of other hazards besides weather (child abduction alerts, nuclear, bio-
logical, etc.). In weather mode, the radio monitors one of the ten NOAA weather channels.
If any type of alert is received for your area, the radio sounds an alert tone and displays the
type of alert. In weather mode, the display shows the following:

13
Weather mode with Weather Alert Watch
Because weather mode already monitors the weather channels, you don’t need Weather
Alert Watch to check the weather channel every seven seconds. If you activate Weather Alert
Watch while operating in weather mode, it operates as a type of “sleep mode”: the radio stays
on the weather channel and mutes the speaker. If an alert is detected for your area, the radio
sounds an alert tone and turns the speaker back on. This mode is very useful when you are
anchoring for the night but want to stay informed of any hazards in your area.
To turn Weather Alert Watch on or off, press and hold CALL-MENU while the radio is idle.
Select Setup and then WX Alert Mode. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN to choose
WX Alert Mode setting ON or Off.
Weather mode with Triple and Dual Watch
If you activate Triple Watch while operat-
ing in weather mode, the radio checks
channels 16 and 9 every two seconds;
withDualWatchturnedon,theradioonly
checks channel 16.
Press and hold 16/9-TRI (on the radio or
the microphone) for two seconds to turn
Triple/DualWatchonoroff.(Tochange
betweenTripleorDualWatch,seepage
16).
09 16 09 16 09 16
Every 2 seconds, the radio checks
channel 9, then channel 16
with Triple Watch on
Monitoring Weather Channel WX08

14
USING YOUR RADIO
To display the radio call menu, press CALL-MENU. To display the radio normal menu, press
and hold CALL-MENU. The menu has the following options:
USA/CAN/INT
Dual/TriWatch
GPS Setup
FIPS Codes
Auto CH SW
POS Reply
Test Reply
Channel Name
Group MMSI
User MMSI
WX Alert Mode
[Exit]
Contrast
Lamp Adjust
Key Beep
[Exit]
(Close Menu)
Setup
System
[Exit]
Press and hold -
Using Your Radio
• Anarrowontheleftsideindicatesthecurrentselection.
• PressCHANNEL UP on the radio or the microphone to move up a line in the menu; if you
are at the top line in the menu, the cursor jumps to the bottom of the menu.
• PressENT-1W/25W to choose the selected item.
• PressCHANNEL DOWN on the radio or the microphone to move down a line in the menu;
if you are at the bottom line of the menu, the cursor jumps to the top of the menu.
• PressCLR-SCAN to go back to the previous menu screen.
• Fromanymenuscreen,chooseExit or press and hold CALL-MENU to close the menu screen.

15
Making a voice MAYDAY call
(see inside front cover)
Setting the volume
Turn the volume knob clockwise to increase the speaker volume; turn it counter-clockwise to
decrease the volume.
Setting the squelch level
Thesquelchfeaturereducesthelevelofstaticonthespeakerbylteringoutthebackground
channel noise. At the lowest squelch level, the speaker plays all radio signals, including any
noiseonthechannel.Settingthesquelchlevelhigherltersoutchannelnoiseandletsonly
actual radio transmissions through.
Weak signals
No
Squelch
Medium
Squelch
High
Squelch
Strong signals
Noise
Whilelisteningtoachannel,adjusttheSQUELCHknobuntilthenoiseislteredoutandyou
can only hear the transmission. If you switch to a channel with a lot of noise or with a weak
transmission, you may need to adjust the squelch level again.
NOTE: Setting the squelch level too high may prevent you from hearing weaker
transmissions. If you are having dif culty hearing a transmission, try setting
the squelch level lower.
Changing the channel
Press CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWNbrieytoscrollthroughthechannelsonechan-
nel at a time. Press and hold CHANNEL UP or CHANNEL DOWN to quickly scroll through
the channels.
Making a transmission
To make a transmission, press and hold the microphone PUSH TO TALK button. Release the
PUSH TO TALKbuttonwhenyou’renishedtalkingtolettheotherpartyrespond.
• TopreventstuckmicrophoneproblemsorsituationswherePUSH TO TALK is pushed ac-
cidentally, the radio limits your talk time to 5 minutes in a single transmission. If you talk for
over 5 minutes continuously, the display shows RELEASE MIC BUTTON.
• Forthebestsoundquality,holdthemicrophoneabouttwoinchesawayfromyourmouth.
• Youcannottransmitwhiletheradioisinweathermodeorscanmode.
• Seethechannellistsbeginningonpage38foralistofreceive-onlychannels.
-

16
Boosting the transmission power
Inmostsituations,the1Watttransmissionpowerisallyouneed.Ifyoundyourselffaraway
from other stations and have trouble getting a response, you may need to boost the transmis-
sion power from 1 Watt to 25 Watts:
1. Select the channel you want to transmit on.
2. Push and hold ENT-1W/25W for two seconds. The display shows “25 Watts” in the up-
per left hand corner.
3. The transmit power remains at 25 Watts until you change the setting back. Push and
hold ENT-1W/25W for two seconds. The display shows “1 Watt”.
NOTE: Don’t forget to change the transmission setting back to 1 Watt when you
move closer to other stations.
NOTE: By default, when you change to channel 16, the radio automatically
boosts the power to 25 Watts. Be sure to change the power back to 1 Watt if
you are not making an emergency transmission.
Somechannels(forexample,channels13and67)limitthepoweroftransmissionto1Watt
so that there is less interference between boaters attempting to use the channel at the same
time. If you switch to one of these channels, the radio changes back to 1 Watt automatically.
See the channel lists beginning on page 40 for a list of power-restricted channels.
Choosing Triple Watch or Dual Watch
InTripleWatchmode,theradiobrieycheckschannels16and9everytwoseconds.InDual
Watch mode, the radio checks channel 16 only. Generally, Triple Watch is used in areas
wherechannel9isusedasahailingfrequencywhileDualWatchisusedinareaswhere
channel 16 is used for distress and hailing. Your radio comes set to use Triple Watch; if you
wanttouseDualWatchinstead,youwillhavetoselectitinthesetup:
-
-
Dual/TriWatch
88 A
Dual Watch
Triple Watch
[Exit]
Dual/TriWatch
Setup
Press and hold -
Back[CLR] Select[ENT]
1. Press and hold CALL MENU to display the normal menu.
2. Select Setup and then Dual/Tri Watch.
 3. ChooseDualWatchandpressENT-1W/25W. The radio activates the new setting and
returns to the Setup menu.
4. To reactive Triple Watch, repeat the procedure described above, but choose Triple
Watch in step 3.

17
Using FIPS codes for weather alerts
The US National Weather Service established 6-digit Federal Information Processing Sys-
tem(FIPS)codestoissueweatheralertsinspecicareas.Youcanchoosewhichareasyou
want to hear alerts for by entering these FIPS codes in your radio. This can prevent you from
being bothered by events that are far from where you are boating. The radio only sounds the
alert tone if an incoming FIPS code matches one of the areas you selected.
• FormoreinformationabouthowtheNWSusesFIPScodes,seetheNWSwebsite:www.
nws.noaa.gov/nwr/nwspschg.htm.
• ToseeanindexofFIPScodesbystate,seethewebsiteoftheNationalInstituteofStand-
ardsandTechnology(NIST):www.itl.nist.gov/pspubs/co-codes/states.htm.
• ForinformationontheCanadianimplementationofFIPScodes,calledCanadianLocation
Codes, see the website of the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC): http://www.msc.
ec.gc.ca/msb/weatheradio/transmitter/index_e.cfm
NOTE: If you travel outside the areas you have entered into your radio, you may
not hear alerts that affect your new location. Be sure to enter the FIPS codes of
all the areas you plan to travel to during this trip.
Follow the steps below to edit the list of FIPS codes. You can store up to 30 different FIPS
codes in your radio.
-
000000
Use the up and down arrows
to adjust each of the six
digits in turn.
16
FIPS Code
Back[CLR] Forward[ENT]
FIPS Codes
Setup
Press and hold -
[New]
 1. DisplaythenormalmenuandchoosetheSetupsub-menu.
2. Select FIPS Codes. The screen displays any previously-entered FIPS codes.
3. To add a new FIPS code, select New.
4. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWNtochangetherstofthesixdigits;CHAN-
NEL UP increases the number and CHANNEL DOWN decreases it.
 5. Whentherstdigitiscorrect,pressENT-1W/25W.Thecursormovestothenextdigit.
EntertheremainingvedigitsoftheFIPScodeinthesameway.Ifyoumakeamistake
while entering a digit, press CLR-SCAN to erase the wrong number and moved the cur-
sor to the left digit.
 6. Whenthesixthdigitiscorrect,pressENT-1W/25W. The radio displays the new FIPS
codeandasksyoutoconrm.Tosavethiscode,selectYes; to cancel this code, select
No. The radio returns to the list of FIPS codes.
 7. TochangeanexistingFIPScode,selectthecodeyouwanttochange.
8. To delete the FIPS code, select Delete. To edit the code, select Edit, then use CHAN-
NEL UP and CHANNEL DOWNbuttonstochangeeachofthesixdigits.
 9. WhenyouaresatisedwiththelistofFIPScodes,selectExit to close the menu screen.

18
Changing display and sound options
Contrast
Your radio display has 10 levels of contrast. To adjust the contrast, press and hold CALL-
MENU while the radio is idle. Select System and then Contrast. Use CHANNEL UP and
CHANNEL DOWN to change the contrast to your desired level.
To restore the default contrast setting, turn the radio off. Press CALL-MENU and hold it in
while you turn the radio on.
Lamp adjust
Your radio has 10 brightness levels on the display. To adjust the brightness, press and hold
CALL-MENU while the radio is idle. Select System and then Lamp Adjust. Use CHANNEL
UP and CHANNEL DOWN to change the brightness to your desired level.
Turning the key beep on and off
Key beep is the tone that sounds when you press a key or a button. To turn off the key beep,
press and hold CALL-MENU while the radio is idle. Select System and then Key Beep.
Choose Off to turn off the key beep.
Setting the GPS position manually
If the radio is not receiving valid GPS data, the radio displays Input Position. Follow the steps
below to manually input your position.
NOTE: Be certain any manually-entered position is correct. If you enter the
wrong position and then make a DSC distress call, you will be telling the arrows
to adjust each of the values in turn.
-
--/-- 11:22U
---o--.- KT
35o40.610 N
139o46. 564 E
Use the up and down arrows
to adjust each of the values
in turn.
16
Back[CLR] Forward[ENT]
Setup
Press and hold -
GPS Setup
Position Set
 1. DisplaythenormalmenuandchoosetheSetup sub-menu.
2. Select GPS Setup and then choose Position Set.
 3. TheGPSmanualinputscreendisplays;theeldstobeenteredblink.Thecursorhigh-
lights the hour. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN to set the displayed hours
to match coordinated universal time (UTC, also call Greenwich Mean Time and Zulu
Time). When the display matches UTC time, press ENT-1W/25W. If you make a mistake
while entering a digit, press CLR-SCAN to erase the wrong number and moved the cur-
sor to the left digit.
4. The cursor moves to highlight the minutes. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN
to adjust the minutes and press ENT-1W/25W.
5. The cursor moves to highlight the degrees latitude. As you update each value, the cur-
sormovestothenextvalueinturn.Ateachnumber,useCHANNEL UP and CHANNEL
DOWN to adjust the number and press ENT-1W/25W.
When you have entered the last value, the radio returns to the GPS Setup menu.

19
USING DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALLING (DSC) FEATURES
What is DSC?
DigitalSelectiveCalling(DSC)isastandardthatallowsyoutocallotherstationsusingtheir
uniqueidenticationcode(theMaritimeMobileServiceIdentityorMMSInumber),justlike
you would call a phone number. To call another station, just enter that station’s MMSI number
and choose the voice channel you want to talk on. The radio uses channel 70 to transmit your
MMSI number to the other station along with the voice channel you requested. If the other
station accepts your call, both radios automatically switch to the requested voice channel so
you can talk to the other station.
DSCprovidesasystemforautomateddistresscalls.Atthetouchofabutton,theradiocan
transmit your MMSI number, the nature of your distress, and your current position based on
data from your GPS receiver. The radio repeats the distress call every few minutes until it
receives an acknowledgement.
TheDSCstandarddedicates aVHFchannel-channel 70-todigitaltransmissions only.
Since digital transmissions require less bandwidth voice transmissions, channel 70 avoids
the problems of busy voice channels.
Advanced DSC features
YourradiosupportsthefollowingDSCfeatures:
Feature
Individual Call
Group Call
All Ships Call
Position Request
Position Send
Test Call
Name and MMS
Directory
Standby Mode
Received Call Log
Menu Item
Individual
Group
All Ships
POS Request
Position Send
Test
Directory
Standby
Receive Log
Function
Contact another vessel from your directory.
Contact all vessels that share your group MMSI code.
Broadcast to all vessels within range (used for safety or advi-
sory messages).
Request the current location of another vessel.
Transmit your current location to another vessel.
Makesureyourradioisworkingandconguredcorrectly.
Storealistof20namesandMMSIidenticationcodesfor
DSCcalls.
AutomaticallyrespondtoallDSCcallswithinan“Unavailable”
status.
Displaythelast10distresscallsreceivedbytheradioandthe
last 20 general calls.
What is an MMSI number?
InordertouseDSCfeatures,youmustbeassignedanMMSInumberandprogramthat
number into your radio. There are two kinds of MMSI numbers: individual numbers for use
bysingleboatsandgroupnumbersforusebyeets,boatingorganizations,eventcoordina-
tors, etc.

20
You can get more information on MMSI numbers at these resources:
• Thedealerwhereyoupurchasedtheradio
• RecreationalboaterscanobtainanMMSInumberfromtheBoatOwner’sAssociationof
the U.S. (http://www.boatus.com/mmsi/ or call 800-536-1536) or Sea Tow Services Inter-
national(http://seatow.com/boating_safety/mmsi.asp)
• CommercialboatersneedashipstationlicensetogetanMMSInumber.Formoreinforma-
tion, visit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website at http:// wireless.fcc.
gov/marine/ fctsht14.html.
Entering MMSI numbers
Individual or User MMSI Number
NOTE: Be sure you have the correct User MMSI number before entering it in
the radio. The radio only allows you to enter the user MMSI once. If you need to
re-enter the User MMSI number, contact customer service (see back page for
contact information).
Follow the steps below to enter your individual or user MMSI number into the radio:
-
-
0________
Use the up and down arrows
to adjust each of the nine
digits in turn.
16
User MMSI
Back[CLR] Forward[ENT]
User MMSI
Setup
Press and hold
[New]
 1. DisplaythenormalmenuandchoosetheSetup sub-menu.
2. Select User MMSI. (If an MMSI number was already entered, the screen displays it with
the message Cannot change over 1 time. Contact customer service. (See back page for
contact information).
3. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWNtoentertherstoftheninedigits;CHAN-
NEL UP increases the number and CHANNEL DOWN decreases it.
 4. Whentherstdigitiscorrect,pressENT-1W/25W.Thecursormovestothenextdigit.
Enter the remaining eight digits of the MMSI number in the same way. If you make a
mistake while entering a number, press CLR-SCAN to erase the wrong number and the
cursor is moved to the left digit.
5. When the ninth digit is correct, press ENT-1W/25W. The radio displays the new MMSI
numberandasksyoutoconrm.TosavethisMMSInumber,selectYes; the radio asks
forconrmationagain.TocancelthisMMSInumber,selectNo; the radio returns to the
Setup menu.
NOTE: Be sure you entered the number correctly before conrming the entry.
You can only save the user MMSI once.
 6. Beforesavingthenumber,theradiodisplaysanalconrmationscreenandreminds
you that this is a permanent setting. Press ENT-1W/25W to accept this MMSI. Press
CLR-SCAN to return to the User MMSI Entry screen.