West Marine VHF595 User manual

VHF595 CLASS ‘D’ MARINE RADIO
MODEL 18114520 (BLACK) / 18114512 (WHITE)
Owner’s Manual

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 automatic 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 or call sign of your boat}.”
5. Say “MAYDAY {name or call sign of your boat}.”
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 overboard, on fire, adrift, etc.
8. Give number of persons aboard and conditions of any injured persons.
9. Estimate present seaworthiness of your ship (e.g. how immediate is the danger due to flooding or fire or proximity to shore).
10. Briefly describe your ship (length, type, color, hull).
11. Say: “I WILL BE LISTENING ON CHANNEL 16.”
12. End message by saying “THIS IS {name or call sign of your boat}, OVER.”
13. 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.
Lift the red cover
and press the
DISTRESS button.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Making a Voice Distress Call Inside Front Cover
Introduction 1
Features 1
Explanation of Terms 1
Getting Started 1
What’s Included 1
Parts of the Radio 2
Parts of the Microphone 3
Turning on the Radio 3
Setting the UIC Channel Mode (USA/CAN/INT) 4
How It Works 4
Normal Mode Operation 4
Scan Mode 6
Weather Mode 7
Using Your Radio 8
Using Your Radio 9
Making a Voice MAYDAY Call 9
Setting the Volume 9
Setting the Squelch Level 9
Changing the Channel 10
Making a Transmission 10
Boosting the Transmission Power 10
Choosing Triple Watch or Dual Watch 10
Using FIPS Codes for Weather Alerts 11
Changing Display and Sound Options 12
Setting the GPS Position Manually 12
Using Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Features 12
What is DSC? 12
Advanced DSC Features 13
What is an MMSI Number? 13
Entering MMSI Numbers 13
Using the Directory 14
Making DSC Calls 15
Making an Automatic Distress Call 17
Receiving a DSC Call 17
Test Calls 18
Position Request and Reply 20
Putting the Radio into Standby 21
Disabling Automatic Channel Switching 21
Renaming Channels 21
Installing the Hardware 22
Mounting the Radio 22
Connecting the Radio 23
Connecting the Accessory Cable 23
Connecting to a GPS Receiver 24
Connecting to a Chartplotter 25
Connecting to an External Speaker 25
Maintenance and Troubleshooting 26
Engine Noise Suppression 27
Specications 27
Radio Specifications 27
Reference Tables 28
Channel Descriptions and What They Mean 28
Marine Radio Channel Chart 29
Weather Channels and Frequencies (US, CAN, and INT) 31
Emergency Alert System (SAME) Information 31
No Response Event Code 33
NMEA Operation 33
Regulations and Safety Warnings 34
Three Year Limited Warranty 35
Notes 38

INTRODUCTION
Features
• Submersible Design Complies with IPX8 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 succession.
• 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.
Explanation of Terms
Term What it Means
DSC Digital Selective Calling. A VHF radio standard for communicating among boats and sending automated distress calls.
FIPS Federal Information Processing Standard. A set of location codes roughly equivalent to your county codes.
WX Weather Radio
GPS Global Positioning System
NMEA National Marine Electronics Association. The organization that governs standards for electronic equipment used on boats.
NMEA 0183 is the standard for serial data communication used by GPS.
MMSI Maritime Mobile Service Identity number. A unique, nine-digit number that identifies you and your boat when making DSC
calls. It is also used by the Coast Guard if you send an automated distress call.
Station Any DSC radio, whether it’s operated on a boat, at a marina, or by a shore station.
GETTING STARTED
What’s Included
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Mounting Bracket and Knobs Mounting Hanger and
Mounting Hardware Mounting Hardware
DC Power Cable Accessory Cable
Parts of the Radio
DISTRESS
button
CALL/MENU
button
CLR-SCAN
(channel scan)
button
SQUELCH knob (turn
clockwise to decrease
channel noise
WX-MEM
button
16/9-TRI
(Triple/dual-watch
button
LCD
display
ENT
1W/25W
button
CHANNEL UP &
CHANNEL DOWN
button
VOLUME-PWR (power
knob - turn clockwise to
increase volume)
Button Press to... Press and hold to...
ENT-1W/25W Choose an option on a menu or to display the GPS data. Change the transmit power (see page 10).
Channel Up Move up one channel at a time. Move quickly up the channels.
Channel Down Move down one channet at a time. Move quickly down the channels.
16/9-TRI
1st press: Go to Channel 16.
2nd press: Go to Channel 9.
3rd press: Go back to the original channel.
Go into Triple Watch or Dual Watch mode (see page 10).
CLR-SCAN Go to previous menu or cursor position in menu mode. Start scanning the channels saved in memory.
WX-MEM Listen to the current weather conditions in your area. Save a channel into memory or remove a channel from memory.
CALL-MENU Display the call menu. Display the normal menu.
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Button Press to... Press and hold to...
DISTRESS Select the nature of your distress for a distress call. Transmit a distress call.
Connector/Cable Connects to... For details, see ...
Antenna connector
External VHF antenna with a male PL259 (SO238) connector
and 50 Ω impedance. Minimum 4 ft, (3dB), 8 ft. (6dB), or 11.5
ft. (9 dB).
Connecting the radio (see page 23).
Power cable pigtail Nominal 13.8 VDC power supply with negative ground (10.5
VDC to 16.0 VDC) (Red wire +, black wire -). Connecting the radio (see page 23).
Accessory cable
pigtail GPS Receiver, GPS Chartplotter, and External Speaker. Connecting accessories (see page 23)
Parts of the Microphone
Button Press to... Press and hold to...
( + ) Move up one channel at a time. Move quickly up the channels.
( - ) Move down one channel at a time. Move quickly down the channels.
16/9-TRI
1st press: Go to Channel 16.
2nd press: Go to Channel 9.
3rd press: Go back to the original channel.
Go into Triple Watch or Dual Watch mode (see page 10).
PUSH TO TALK Cancel scanning and stay on a channel. Talk on a channel.
Turning on the Radio
Turn the VOLUME-PWR knob clockwise to turn on the radio. As it powers on, the radio displays the user MMSI number; if there
is no MMSI set, the radio displays MMSI not entered.
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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.
HOW IT WORKS
Your radio has three basic modes of operation:
Mode What It Does Use It When To Turn it on./off...
Normal Monitors a single marine radio channel
and lets you talk on that channel.
You want to talk to another station on a specific
channel. (default mode)
Scan Monitors all the channels you save into
memory.
You have a small group of channels you use most
often and want to check them for traffic.
Press and hold the CLR-SCAN
button.
Weather Monitors the selected NOAA weather
channel.
You want to hear the current and forecasted
weather in your area. 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 briefly checks for activity on a specific channel then returns to its
previous mode.
Watch Mode What It Does Use It When To Turn it on./off...
Weather Alert
Checks for alerts on the last weather
channel you used every seven
seconds.
You want to be made aware of severe
weather conditions in your area. Select WX-ALERT Mode in Setup
submenu, and then choose ON or OFF.
Triple Checks for activity on channels 16
and 9 every two seconds.
You want to monitor a channel yet
maintain a watch on channels 16 and 9.
Press and hold 16/9-TRI for two
seconds.
Dual Checks for activity on channel 16
every two seconds.
You want to monitor a channel yet
maintain a watch on channel 16.
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
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lets you see the following information (not all indicators will display at the same time):
Message Meaning
GPS Data OK The radio is receiving valid GPS data.
Check GPS The radio is not receiving valid GPS data: check the GPS status screen and the GPS connection.
Input Position 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 12).
Battery Low The battery voltage output is too low (below 10.5 VDC).
Battery High The battery voltage output is too high (above 16.0 VDC).
Using the radio in normal mode
• To transmit, press and hold PUSH TO TALK on the microphone. Release the button when you are finished 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 channel while you are actively transmitting; it waits until your
transmission is finished 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 finished and then checks the channels.
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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 10.)
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; when the transmission stops, the radio will continue scanning.
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.
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• 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 channel and resume scanning.
• To end the scan, press the microphone’s PUSH TO TALK , CALL-MEM , or WX-MEM buttons. 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 recently-used 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 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 10.)
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.
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, biological, 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 follow-
ing:
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Using the radio in weather mode
• You cannot transmit while in weather mode.
• To enter weather mode, press WX-MEM .
• Weather mode can filter out alerts that do not affect your location if the location code (FIPS code) of the alert is entered in your
radio (see page 11). 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 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 operating 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 10.)
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:
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CALL
ENT
1W/2.5 W
ENT
1W/2.5 W
ENT
1W/2.5 W
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.
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 filtering 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 filters out channel
noise and lets only actual radio transmissions through.
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While listening to a channel, adjust the SQUELCH knob until the noise is filtered 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 difficulty
hearing a transmission, try setting the squelch level lower.
Changing the Channel
Press CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN briefly to scroll through the channels one channel 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
finished talking to let the other party respond.
• To prevent stuck microphone problems or situations where PUSH TO TALK is pushed accidentally, 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 29 for a list of receive-only channels.
Boosting the Transmission Power
In most situations, the 1 Watt transmission power is all you need. If you find yourself far away from other stations and have trouble
getting a response, you may need to boost the transmission 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 upper 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 29 for a list of power-restricted channels.
Choosing Triple Watch or Dual Watch
In Triple Watch mode, the radio briefly 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
VHF595 RADIO 1-800-BOATING
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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:
1.
CALL
ENT
1W/25W
ENT
1W/25W
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.
Using FIPS Codes for Weather Alerts
The US National Weather Service established 6-digit Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) codes to issue weather alerts
in specific 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/nwsfipschg.htm.
• To see an index of FIPS codes by state, see the website of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): www.itl.
nist. gov/fipspubs/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.
1.
ENT
1W/2.5 W
ENT
1W/2.5 W
ENT
1W/2.5 W
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 first of the six digits; CHANNEL UP increases the number and
CHANNEL DOWN decreases it.
5. When the first digit is correct, press ENT-1W/25W. The cursor moves to the next digit. Enter the remaining five 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 cursor 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 confirm. 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.
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8. To delete the FIPS code, select Delete. To edit the code, select Edit, then use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN buttons
to change each of the six digits.
9. When you are satisfied with the list of FIPS codes, select Exit to close the menu screen.
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.
CALL
ENT
1W/25W
ENT
1W/25W
ENT
1W/25W
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 fields to be entered blink. The cursor highlights 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 cursor 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 cursor 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.
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 identification 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
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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 Menu Item Function
Individual Call Individual Contact another vessel from your directory.
Group Call Group Contact all vessels that share your group MMSI code.
All Ships Call All Ships Broadcast to all vessels within range (used for safety or advisory
messages).
Position Request POS Request Request the current location of another vessel.
Position Send Position Send Transmit your current location to another vessel.
Test Call Test Make sure your radio is working and configured correctly.
Name and MMSI Directory Directory Store a list of 20 names and MMSI identification codes for DSC calls.
Standby Mode Standby Automaticcally respond to all DSC calls within an “Unavailable” status.
Received Call Log Receive Log 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 fleets, boating organizations, event coordinators, etc.
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 800-563-1536) or Sea Tow Services International (http://seatow. com/boating_safety/mmsi.asp)
• Commercial boaters need a ship station license to get an MMSI number. For more information, 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 (1-800-BOATING).
Follow the steps below to enter your individual or user MMSI number into the radio:
1.
CALL
ENT
1W/25W
ENT
1W/25W
ENT
1W/25W
Display the normal menu and choose the Setup sub-menu.
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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 (1-800-BOATING).
3. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN to enter the first of the nine digits; CHANNEL UP increases the number and
CHANNEL DOWN decreases it.
4. When the first 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 confirm.
NOTE: Be sure you entered the number correctly before confirming the entry. You can only save the user MMSI once.
6. To save this MMSI number, select Yes, then confirm the number. To cancel this MMSI number, select No. The radio returns to
the Setup menu.
Group MMSI number
You can change the group MMSI number as often as you want. Follow the steps below to enter a group MMSI number into the radio:
1.
CALL
ENT
1W/25W
ENT
1W/25W
Display the normal menu and choose the Setup sub-menu.
2. Select Group MMSI. If one was entered previously, the screen displays it.
3. Group MMSI numbers always start with a 0, so that digit is already entered for you. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN
to change the second of the nine digits; CHANNEL UP increases the number and CHANNEL DOWN button decreases it.
4. When the second digit is correct, press the ENT-1W/25W. The cursor moves to the next digit. Enter the remaining seven
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 confirm.
6. To save this MMSI number, select Yes and confirm the entry. To cancel this MMSI number, select No. The radio returns to the
Setup menu.
Using the Directory
The directory lets you store up to 20 MMSI numbers of other stations so you can call them quickly.
CALL
ENT
1W/25W
ENT
1W/25W
Follow the steps below to edit the MMSI numbers in your directory:
1. Press CALL-MENU to display the call menu.
2. Select Directory. The screen displays any previously-entered MMSI numbers and names.
3. To add a new MMSI number to the directory, select New.
4. The radio prompts you to enter the nine-digit MMSI number. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN to change the first
digit; the CHANNEL UP button increases the number and the CHANNEL DOWN button decreases it.
5. When the first digit is correct, press ENT-1W/25W. The cursor moves to the next digit. Enter the remaining eight digits of the
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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.
6. When the ninth digit is correct, press ENT-1W/25W.
7. The radio prompts you to enter a name for this MMSI number; the name is what you will see in the directory list. Each name
can be up to 12 characters. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN to change the first character. The channel buttons scroll
through the available characters according to the following table:
Channel Up Button Channel Down Button
Capital letters (A through Z) One blank space
Lower-case letters (a through z) Numbers (0 through 9)
Punctuation (/ ‘ + -) Punctuation (/ ‘ + -)
Numbers (0 through 9) Lower-case letters (a through z)
One blank space Capital letters (A through Z)
8. When the first character is correct, press ENT-1W/25W button. The cursor moves to the next character. Enter the remaining
11 characters of the name. If the name is shorter than 12 characters, press and hold ENT-1W/25W to complete the name entry.
(If you press and hold ENT-1W/25W without entering a name, the radio uses the MMSI number in the directory list.) If you
make a mistake while entering a number, press CLR-SCAN to erase the wrong number and the cursor is moved to left digit.
9. When you finish entering the name, the radio displays the new MMSI number and name and asks you to confirm. To save this
directory entry, select Yes; to cancel this directory entry, select No. The radio returns to the directory list.
10. To change an existing directory entry, select the entry you want to change.
11. To delete the directory entry, select Delete. To edit the code, select Edit, then use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN to
edit the MMSI number and the name.
12. When you are satisfied with the directory list, select Exit to close the menu screen.
Making DSC Calls
There are essentially four different types of DSC voice calls:
Call type What it does When to use it
Distress Alerts all stations that you need assistance and sends them
your current position. In an emergency only.
Individual Calls a single station using the User MMSL. Any time you want to talk to another station.
Group Calls all the stations that have the same Group MMSL as
yours.
Any time you want with the whole group you are traveling with at
the same time.
All Ships Calls all stations within range of your radio. Safety warnings (e.g., debris in the water) or any urgent situation.
Suppose you are coordinating safety for a sailboat race. Before the race starts, you instruct all the racers to enter your group MMSI
number into their radios. During the race:
• Throughout the race, you use group calling to update the racers on the time, race status, and any course corrections.
• A power boat full of spectators comes a little too close to the race path. You use individual calling to contact the power boat and
advise them to stay clear of the race.
• You see a rowboat entering the area, but since it doesn’t have a radio, you can’t communicate with the rowboat. You use all ships
calling to alert all the other boats in the area of the possible danger.
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Calling a single station (Individual Call)
To call a single station with DSC, follow the steps below:
1. Press CALL-MENU to display the call menu.
2. Select Individual.
3. The radio displays the names listed in your directory; use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN to choose the directory entry you want
to call and press ENT-1W/25W . If you want to call a station that is not in your directory, select Manual. The radio prompts
you to enter the MMSI number you want to call. Enter the MMSI number the same way you enter directory entries (see page
14) Enter all nine digits and press ENT-1W/25W.
4. The radio prompts you to select a response channel. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN to scroll through the available
channels. When you reach the channel you want to use for a response, press the ENT-1W/25W button.
5. The radio displays the MMSI number you are about to call and asks you to confirm. If you want to call the displayed MMSI
number, select Send. To cancel the call, select Cancel.
6. The radio automatically switches to channel 70 to transmit the call request.
• When the other station accepts the call, both radios switch to the selected response channel for voice transmission.
• If the other station cannot respond on the channel you selected, the radio displays Not support CH .
Calling a particular group of stations (Group Call)
Group calling calls all the stations that share your group MMSI. You must have a group MMSI programmed into the radio to make
a group call, and the stations (boats) you are calling must have this same group MMSI programmed into their radios.
1. Press CALL-MENU to display the call menu.
2. Select Group.
3. The radio prompts you to select a response channel. Use CHANNEL UP and CHANNEL DOWN to scroll through the available
channels. When you reach the channel you want to use for a response, press ENT-1W/25W.
4. The radio asks you to confirm the call. Select Send to continue with the call or select Cancel to cancel the call.
5. The radio switches to channel 70 to transmit the call request then automatically switches to the designated response channel.
Calling all stations (All-Ships Call)
All ships calling contacts all DSC radios within range of your boat. You should only use all ships calling in the event of a Safety
warning (such as debris in the water) or to request assistance in an Urgency (any situation where your vessel has a serious problem
but is not yet in distress).
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