Garmin VHF 720 User Manual

VHF 720

Marine Radio

Owner’s Manual & Reference Guide

FCC

GARMIN International, Inc.

Compliance

1200 E 151 Tel. 913-397-8200 or 800-800-1-20

Statement

Fax. 913-397-8282

Street, Olathe, Kansas 66062 USA

GARMIN (Europe) Ltd. Unit 5, The Quadrangle, Abbey Park Industrial Estate, Romsey, SO51 9AQ UK Tel. 011-44-1794-519944 Fax. 011-44-1794-519222

GARMIN (Asia) Corp. 3F, No. 1, Lane 45 PaoHsing Road, Hsin Tien, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel. 011-886-02-2917-4107 Fax. 011-02-2917-1758

Copyright 1999 GARMIN Corporation. All rights reserved. Except as expressly provided herein, no part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, transmitted, disseminated, downloaded or stored in any storage medium, for any purpose without prior written consent of GARMIN Corporation. GARMIN Corporation hereby grants permission to download a single copy of this manual onto a hard drive or other electronic storage medium to be viewed for personal use, provided that such electronic or printed copy of this manual contains the complete text of this copyright notice and provided further that any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual is strictly prohibited.

Information in this manual is subject to change without notice. GARMIN reserves the right to change or improve its products and to make changes in the content without obligation to notify any person or organization of such changes. Visit the GARMIN website for current updates and supplemental information concerning the use and operation of this and other GARMIN products.

Website address: www.garmin.com

GARMIN and VHF 720 are registered trademarks of GARMIN Corporation and may not be used without expressed permission of GARMIN.

Part Number 190-00150-00 Rev. B Printed inTaiwan

INTRODUCTION

About This

Manual

Thank you for choosing the GARMIN VHF 720. To get the most from your new VHF marine radio, take time to read through this owner’s manual in order to understand all of the operating features. This manual is organized into three sections for your convenience:

The Introduction to the “VHF 720 Features“ section gives you an overview of the unit’s functional features.

The Getting Started section gets you started on using the VHF 720 for basic radio uses.

The Reference section contains information on items such as accessories, a channel list, a troubleshooting guide, and the index.

Before getting started, check to be certain that your VHF 720 package includes the following items. If you are missing anything, please contact your dealer immediately.

Standard Package:

o VHF 720 Unit oOwner’s Manual

o Lanyard oAntenna (SMA

o Belt Clip Connector)

Refer to Section 3, Appendix A, for a list of optional accessories available from your GARMIN Dealer.

INTRODUCTION

FCC

Compliance

Statement

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

This device meets requirements for Parts 2, 15, and 80 of the FCC Regulations. It has been tested for compliance with all necessary FCC standards.

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

The VHF 720 does not contain any user-serviceable parts. Repairs should only be made by and authorized service center. Unauthorized repairs or modifications could void your warranty and your authority to operate this device.

IMPORTANT!

GARMIN strongly recommends obtaining a marine radio user’s guide such as the “Maritime Radio User’s Handbook” published by the RCTM (Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services), P.O. Box 19087, Washington, D.C. 20036, to ensure proper radio operation and protocol. Improper usage can result in fines levied on mariners by the FCC.

INTRODUCTION

Warnings

and

Precautions

IMPORTANT!

The Telecommunications Act of 1996, effective February 8,

1996, provides the FCC discretion to eliminate radio station license requirements for aircraft and ships. At the present time, you do not need an individual license to operate the VHF 720 aboard your private vessel in many circumstances. To find out the specific details on whether you are exempt from licensing, please refer to the FCC Fact Sheet PR 5000 or contact the FCC at: 1-800-322-1117.

Note that no license is required for a portable radio used only as a backup on a vessel which already has a station license per FCC 506 Instructions, dated 1993. If a marine license is required or desired, contact the FCC at 1-800-322-1117 to request Form 506, Application for Ship Radio License. The FCC also has a fax-on-demand service to provide forms by fax at 1-202-418-0177. The VHF 720 user accepts all responsibility for obtaining the proper licensing before using the transmitter.

WARNING!

This transmitter will operate on frequencies (channels) that have restricted use in the United States. The channel assignments include frequencies assigned for exclusive use of the U.S. Coast Guard, use in Canada, and use in International waters. Operation on these frequencies without proper authorization is strictly forbidden. For frequencies (channels) that are currently for use in the U.S. without an individual license, please contact the FCC Call Center at 1-888-CALL-FCC.

iii

INTRODUCTION

Warnings

and

Precautions

IMPORTANT!

Read all instructions carefully and completely before using

the VHF 720 Marine Radio. This device is intended only as an aid to boating safety and navigation. The performance of the VHF 720 can be affected by many factors including environmental conditions and improper handling or use. It is the user’s responsibility to exercise good safety and navigational judgement and the GARMIN VHF 720 should not be relied upon in lieu of such prudence and judgement.

CAUTIONS

For these reasons, the operator should exercise the following precautions to ensure proper and reliable use of the GARMIN VHF 720.

DO NOT

operate this transceiver within 1 meter of the ship’s navigational compass.

recharge batteries except in methods described in this manual

use this transceiver for inappropriate communications. Know and observe the FCC Rules for Marine Radio Operation.

GETTING

STARTED

Table of

Contents

SECTION ONE Introduction

Packing List....................................................................i

FCC Compliance Statement...................................................ii

Cautions.....................................................................iii-iv

SECTION TWO Getting Started

Unit Description...............................................................2-3

Keys and Function Displays............................................4-9

Maritime Radio Services Operation..............................10-4

Installing the Antenna.........................................................15

Installing the Battery Tray..............................................15-16

Selecting a Channel.......................................................16-17

Setting the Squelch Threshold..............................................17

Adjusting the Volume...........................................................18

Scanning Channels..........................................................18-19

Tri-Watch........................................................................19-20

Monitoring Weather Channels.......................................20-21

Receiving and Transmitting...........................................21-24

Backlighting the LCD Display ...........................................24

Using the Key Lock Feature..................................................24

SECTION THREE Reference

Appendix A - Optional Accessories............................25-26

Appendix B - Specifications...........................................27

Appendix C - VHF Channel List.............................28-29

Appendix D - Maintenance and Troubleshooting........30-32

Appendix E - Messages...................................................33

Appendix F - Glossary.....................................................34

Appendix G - Index.........................................................35

Appendix H - Warranty and Service Information................36

GETTING

STARTED

Unit

Description

Squelch Key

Press To Talk (PTT)

Key

Hi/Low Power-Lock

Key

Tri-Watch -

Channel 16- Channel

9 - Key

PWR

16/9

Flexible Antenna

LCD Display Screen

LOW

USA

TRI

VOL

Scan Key

Memory Key

Channel Band

Selection Key

SCAN

MEM

U/I/CWX/CH

Power/Backlighting

Key

Weather/Regular

Channel -

Weather Alert Key

Battery Tray

+/- Volume Control

Keys

UP/DOWN Arrow Channel Selection

Keys

Microphone

Speaker

GETTING

STARTED

Description

The VHF 720 is a 3 watt marine VHF communications transceiver in a convenient handheld package.

A keypad located on the front of the unit provides onehand control of communication features. The knobless design allows push-button Squelch and Volume adjustment. A single button press provides a manual Squelch Override function. Tri-Watch monitoring mode allows simultaneous monitoring of emergency channel (16), calling channel (9) and a channel selected by the user. The channel 16/9 key allows you to toggle between emergency and calling channels.

A 1” high by 1-3/8” wide LCD display provides indication of all features and functions of the VHF 720. The scan feature allows the operator to select up to 10 channels for continuous monitoring in any combination of U.S.A., Canadian, and International bands.

Unit

The weather channel key toggles between regular channels and weather channels. It enables the weather alert mode when pressed and held for more than one second. The high/low key toggles the transmitter power level from between three watts and one watt. When held for more than one second, it locks and unlocks the “Key Lock” function to prevent inadvertent changing of unit settings and modes.

The power key turns the unit off and on and, when pressed briefly after the unit is powered on, enables the display backlighting feature. The weather/regular channel key enables or disables the weather alert function.

Small size and light weight characterize the portability of the GARMIN VHF 720.

GETTING

STARTED

Keys &

Function

Displays

Power/Backlighting

Key

Channel Up &

Channel Down Keys

ALERT

Weather Channel/

Regular Channel Key

Eleven keys provide access to all of the unit’s

features and functions. When any key (except the PTT key) is pressed, the unit will acknowledge by emitting a single beep confirmation tone. Some keys have dual functions.

Power/Backlighting Key - This key turns on the unit when pressed and released, and turns the unit off when pressed and held for more than one second. Briefly pressing and releasing the power key when the unit is on will activate the backlighting feature and will last for five seconds after the last key is pressed.

Channel Up and Channel Down Keys Pressing these CH arrow keys sets the operating channel. Pressing these keys while the Squelch key is pressed and held, sets the squelch threshold level.

Weather Channel/Regular Channel Key Pressing and releasing this key will toggle between the ten weather channel band and the fifty-six regular channel band. Pressing this key for more than one second will activate the weather alert feature if a weather channel is currently displayed.

NOTE: WX Alert Mode will interrupt regular use momentarily to monitor for a weather alert tone on the selected weather channel.

Volume Increase &

Volume Decrease

Keys

Volume Increase and Volume Decrease Keys Pressing the plus and minus keys increases or decreases the volume of received transmissions and audio tones.

Memory Key - Pressing this key after selecting a channel places that channel into the scanning memory. Pressing this key when a channel is stored in memory (as indicated by the MEM icon on the display) will remove the channel from memory. A maximum of ten channels can be stored in memory.

Scan Key - Pressing this key starts the scanning of channels entered into memory. Pressing this key while scanning disables the scan feature while retaining the selected channels in memory.

U/I/C (USA, International/Canadian) Frequency Bands Key - This key allows the operator to

select from the three channel bands. Pressing and releasing the key sequences through the three bands. The band selected is displayed on the LCD screen.

Channel 16/9 and Tri-Watch Key - This key provides the operator with a choice of three channel monitoring options. Pressing once will monitor channel 16 (the emergency channel). Pressing again will monitor channel 9 (the calling or hailing channel). Pressing a third time will return to the last used regular channel. Pressing and holding for more than one second will activate Tri-Watch to continuously monitor channels 16, 9 and a channel of your choice, from the regular or weather band.

GETTING

STARTED

Keys &

Function

Displays

Memory Key

Scan Key

USA

CAN

INT

U/I/C Frequency

Bands Key

TRI

Channel 16/9 & Tri-

Watch Key

PTT (Press To Talk) Key - This Key allows the operator to transmit over those regular band channels that permit transmission. Press and hold the key to talk and release to receive.

PTT Key

GETTING

STARTED

Keys &

Function

Displays

Squelch Key

H/L Power Key

Squelch Key - This key breaks the squelch (unmutes the audio) when pressed and held. It is also used to set the squelch threshold (the level at which only strong signals can be received). The squelch threshold is set by pressing and holding the squelch key while using the UP/ DOWN keys to adjust the squelch level from 0 to 9. At level 0 (L0), all signals can be heard, while at level 9 (L9), only the strongest signals can be heard. Adjusting the squelch level eliminates weak, unwanted signals, as explained on page 17.

H/L (High/Low) Power Key - This key toggles the transmitter power level from to

Low

(1 watt) when pressed and released. It also locks the keypad when pressed and held for more than one second.. The key, backlighting key and the function in the Lock mode. Locking the keypad prevents inadvertent changing of channel settings and feature modes.

High

Power

Squelch

(3 watts)

key,

PTT

key still

The VHF 720 LCD Display Screen gives indication of channels being monitored, battery power level, volume level, and the status of all unit features.

Channel Number Indicator - This large numeral display indicates the selected operating channel or the squelch threshold setting when the squelch key is pressed. This indicator is always active.

Channel Band Indicator - This display provides indication of the regular channel band selected, U.S.A., International, or Canadian.

Weather (WX) Channel Indicator - This display provides indication that a weather channel is currently being monitored.

GETTING

STARTED

Keys &

Function

Displays

Channel Number Indicator

Channel Band Indicator

Memory Channel Indicator - This display, in conjunction with the Channel Number Indicator, indicates that the channel number displayed has been entered into the unit memory for selection when the scan feature is active.

Tri-Watch Indicator - This display appears along with the Emergency (16) and Call (9) Channel indicators to give notification that the Tri-Watch (three channel monitoring) feature is active.

Weather Channel Indicator

Memory Channel Indicator

Tri-Watch Indicator

+ 30 hidden pages