Cobra Electronics MRHH425 Users manual

Owner’s Manual

VHF MARINE RADIO

MR HH425LI VP

Printed in China Part No. 480-344-P

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

English

Our Thanks to You and

Introduction

Our Thanks to You

Thank you for purchasing a CobraMarine®VHF/GMRS Dual Band radio. Properly used, this Cobra

How Your CobraMarine VHF/GMRS Radio Works

This dual band radio is a battery-powered portable transceiver for use afloat or on land. In Marine VHF mode it gives you two-way vessel-to-vessel and vessel-toshore station communications, primarily for safety and secondarily for navigation and operational purposes. In GMRS mode it allows you to reach other GMRS capable radios for short-distance two-way land mobile communication. This mode is normally used for small group communication such as in a general residential area or during recreational group outings. Note: GMRS radio usage requires an FCC License.

Besides two-way communications, the radio can provide quick access to receive all the NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) weather channels and alert you to weather emergencies with a tone on a weather channel you can select for your area.

Customer Assistance

Should you encounter any problems with this product, or not understand its many features, please refer to this owner’s manual. If you require further assistance after reading this manual, Cobra Electronics offers the following customer assistance services:

For Assistance in the U.S.A.

Automated Help Desk English only. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 773-889-3087 (phone).

Customer Assistance Operators English and Spanish. 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Central Time Mon. through Fri. (except holidays) 773-889-3087 (phone).

Questions English and Spanish. Faxes can be received at 773-622-2269 (fax).

Technical Assistance English only. www.cobra.com (on-line: Frequently Asked Questions). English and Spanish. productinfo

For Assistance Outside the U.S.A.

Contact Your Local Dealer

English

Customer Assistance

product will give you many years of reliable service.

@cobra.com (e-mail).

6500 West Cortland Street

Chicago, Illinois 60707 USA

www.cobra.com

•

Introduction

Radio Controls and Indicators

Dual Band

Antenna

Backlit

LCD

Screen

Channel Up

Button

Push to

Tal k

Button

Channel

Down

Button

Backlight/

Key Lock

Button

Power

Level/Weather

Button

Band

(VHF/GMRS)

Button

Tri-Watch

Button

External Speaker/

Microphone

Cover

ON/OFF/Volume Control

Belt Clip

Engagement

Squelch Control

Wrist Strap Connector

Battery

Instant Channel 16/9 Button

SCAN Button

Call/Enter Button

Rewind-Say-Again™ Button

Memory/Escape Button

Microphone

Battery Clip

Speaker

English

Introduction

Backlit LCD Screen and Product Features

Backlit LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) Screen

Transmit and Receive Icons

Frequency

Band Icons

Active Channel

Numbers

Tri-Watch Icon

Button Lock Icon

Scan Icon

Key Tone Icon

Rewind Icon

Roger Beep Icon

UIC Active Channel Map Icons

Low/Medium/High Power Icons

Battery Power Icon

Product Features

USA/International/Canada Channels

Allows operation on any of the three different VHF channel maps established for these areas. Instant access to all Marine VHF channels, 24 hours a day.

15 GMRS Channels

Seven (7) shared with GMRS/FRS and eight (8) GMRS only.

All NOAA Weather Channels

Instant access to all National Weather Channels, 24 hours a day.

Emergency Weather Alert

Can alert you with an audible tone and visual alarm if threatening weather is nearby.

Submersible to JIS7 Standards

Waterproof to 3.3 ft (1 m) of water for 30 minutes.

Button/Key Lock

Prevents accidental setting changes when button lock is set.

English

Bands

Exclusive dual VHF (Very High Frequency) and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) bands allow you to use different frequencies while using this radio either on land or water. VHF can be used for two-way vessel-to-vessel and vessel-to-shore station communications. GMRS can be used for small group communication such as in a general residential area or during recreational group outings. Note: GMRS radio usage requires an FCC License.

Power Settings

Selectable power settings produce 1, 3 or 5* watts of output power for near or distant calling.

121 Privacy Codes

Allows semi-secure communications, creating up to 1815 privacy combinations (38 CTCSS codes-83 DCS codes).

* Units sold in Canada will not transmit with 5

watts of power on GMRS frequencies in Canada.

•

Weather Icon

Weather Alert Icon

Call Tone VibrAlert®Icon

Memory Channel Icon

Memory Channel

CTCSS and DCS Subcodes

Voice Activated Transmit Icon

Simplex Operation Icon

•

Introduction

Product Features

Product Features (continued)

Channel Scan/Memory Scan

Use to scan through all channels or all selected memory locations to find conversations in progress.

Instant Channel 16/9

Provides instant access to priority Channel 16 and calling Channel 9.

Tri-Watch

Lets you monitor three (3) channels at once — Channel 16 and two (2) user-programmable channels.

Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery Pack

Provides extended operating time compared to alkaline batteries with no memory effect.

120V/12V Charger Included

Use to charge battery pack in the radio, at home, in a car or in a boat.

Rapid-Charge Locking Desktop Charger

Allows charging of batteries at home, car or boat. Vertical or horizontal mounting.

Cobra Exclusive Rewind-Say-Again™

A dedicated button allows user to replay up to the last 20 seconds of audio. Press the dedicated rewind button and Cobra VHF will replay the last 20 seconds of the audio from your VHF.

Call Tones (Selectable)

10 selectable call tones.

Hands-Free Operation Voice Activation (VOX)

“Hands-Free” automatic transmission when you speak.

Emergency Weather Alert with/SAME

Receive NOAA alerts when threatening weather is nearby. SAME alerts provide notification of local severe weather conditions.

Speaker/Mic Jack

Allows connecting optional Cobra Lapel Speaker/Mic and other Cobra accessories.

Unlimited Memory Channels

Allows programming of unlimited VHF and GMRS memory channels.

Signal Strength Meter

Shows the strength of incoming or outgoing signals.

Illuminated Buttons

Allows high visibility of all function buttons.

Roger Beep Tone (Selectable)

Confirmation tone indicates the completion of the user’s transmission and signals to others it is clear to talk. On or Off selectable.

Patented VibrAlert

Provides a silent alert for incoming calls. Ideal for noisy or all-quiet environments.

•

English

Introduction

Table of Contents

Introduction

Our Thanks to You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1

Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1

Radio Controls and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2

Backlit LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3

Product Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3

Important Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

VHF Marine Radio Protocols

Recommendations for Marine Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

VHF Marine FCC Licensing Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

VHF Marine Radio Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

VHF Marine Voice Calling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

VHF Marine Radiotelephone Calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

VHF Marine Emergency Messages and Distress Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . 13

VHF Marine Channel Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

GMRS Radio Protocols

GMRS Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

GMRS FCC Licensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

GMRS/FRS Frequency Allocation and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

NOAA/SAME Weather Alerts

NOAA Weather Channels and Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

NOAA Test Alert System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Installation

Included in this Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Antenna, Wrist Strap and Belt Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Batteries and Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Operating Your Radio

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Setup Mode Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Standby/Receive and Transmit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Advanced Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Warranty and Trademark Acknowledgement

Limited 3-Year Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Trademark Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Customer Service

Product Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

Introduction

Important Safety Information

Before installing and using your CobraMarine VHF/GMRS Dual Band radio, please read these general precautions and warnings.

Warning and Notice Statements

To make the most of this radio, it must be installed and used properly. Please read the installation and operating instructions carefully before installing and using the radio. Special attention must be paid to the WARNING and NOTICE statements in this manual.

WARNING

Statements identify conditions that could result in personal injury or loss of life.

NOTICE

Statements identify conditions that could cause damage to the radio or other equipment.

Safety Training Information

This CobraMarine®radio is designed for, and classified as, “Occupational Use Only.” The radio must only be used in the course of employment by individuals aware of both the hazards and the ways to minimize those hazards. This radio is NOT intended for use in an uncontrolled environment by the “General Population.”

This radio has been tested and complies with the FCC RF exposure limits for “Occupational Use Only.” This CobraMarine VHF/GMRS Dual Band radio also complies with the following guidelines and standards regarding RF energy and electromagnetic energy levels as well as evaluation of those levels for human exposure:



FCC OET Bulletin 65 Edition 97-01 Supplement C, Evaluating Compliance with FCC Guidelines for Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields.



American National Standards Institute (C95.1-1992), IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz.



American National Standards Institute (C95.3-1992), IEEE Recommended Practice for the Measurement of Potentially Hazardous Electromagnetic Fields — RF and Microwave.

•

English

Introduction

Important Safety Information

The following WARNINGS and NOTICE information will make you aware of RF exposure hazards and how to ensure you operate the radio within the FCC RF exposure limits established for the radio.

WARNINGS

Your radio generates electromagnetic RF (radio frequency) energy when it is transmitting. To ensure that you and those around you are not exposed to excessive amounts of that energy, DO NOT touch the antenna when transmitting and KEEP yourself and all others on your vessel the required distance away from the antenna while transmitting. See page 33 in the antenna requirements section for further information.

DO NOT operate the radio without a proper antenna or equivalent dummy load attached. Doing so may expose you to excessive RF energy and will damage the radio.

DO NOT transmit more than 50% of the time the radio is in use — 50% duty cycle. The radio is transmitting when the Talk button is pressed and the transmit information shows on the LCD screen.

ALWAYS use only Cobra authorized accessories.

DO NOT operate the radio in an explosive atmosphere, near blasting sites,

or in any area where signs are posted prohibiting radio transmissions.

NEVER connect the transceiver directly to AC power. It can be a fire hazard, may cause an electric shock and may damage the transceiver.

NEVER mount the transceiver or microphone/speaker where they might interfere with operation of your vessel or cause injury.

DO NOT allow children or anyone unfamiliar with proper procedures to operate the radio without supervision.

Failure to observe any of these warnings may cause you to exceed FCC RF exposure limits or create other dangerous conditions.

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

+ 18 hidden pages