GME GX800W User Manual

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CONTENTS

FEATURES ..........................................................................	2
SUPPLIED WITH..................................................................	2
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES....................................................	2
INTRODUCTION .................................................................	3
CAUTION ...........................................................................	3
RF RADIATION INFORMATION............................................	3
OPERATING RULES.............................................................	4
Radio Licences .................................................................	4
RANGE ..............................................................................	4
CONTROLS.........................................................................	5
LCD ICONS ........................................................................	6
KEY FUNCTIONS ................................................................	6
GENERAL OPERATION........................................................	7
Power On/Off Volume Control...........................................	7
Squelch............................................................................	7
Channel-Set.....................................................................	7
Channel Selection ............................................................	7
16 Key .............................................................................	8

Priority Channel 16 ..........................................................	8
Second Priority Channel ...................................................	8
Hi/Lo Power .....................................................................	8
Key Lock ..........................................................................	8
Backlight .........................................................................	8
Scanning..........................................................................	8
Dual Watch ......................................................................	9
Triple Watch .....................................................................	9
Time Out Timer...............................................................	10
ATIS Operation...............................................................	10
Charging the Battery......................................................	11
INTERNATIONAL MARINE VHF CHANNELS
AND FREQUENCIES..........................................................	12
US MARINE VHF CHANNELS AND FREQUENCIES ..............	14
CANADIAN MARINE VHF CHANNELS AND FREQUENCIES...	17
SPECIFICATIONS ..............................................................	21
SC CONTRACT WARRANTY AGAINST DEFECTS.................	23

FEATURES		SUPPLIED WITH
•Waterproof to IP67		• GX800 Handheld Marine Radio
• 5/1 watt Switchable Power		• Belt Clip
• Large LCD		• 240V AC Charger
• Private Channel Facility		•Wrist Strap
• Programmable Scan, Priority Scan, Dual and Tri Watch		• High Gain Flexible Antenna
•All International, US and Canadian Marine VHF Channels		• Instruction Manual
•Weather channels on US and Canadian bands
		OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
• Integrated 1700 mAh Lithium Polymer Battery
		• MB046 – Belt Clip
		• PSK20U – Plug Pack for 9V1A
		•AE4024 – Flexible Antenna
		• CSGX800 – Cap and Seal
		• LS800 – Programming Lead

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INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on purchasing this GME fully featured VHF marine radio. Your GX800 has been built to offer excellent value by combining advanced features, great design and manufacturing quality. To ensure you are familiar with the operation and features of your radio, and in order to obtain the best performance, please read this manual thoroughly before operation.

CAUTION

IMPORTANT: READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS carefully and completely before operating your radio and retain this manual for future reference.

To maintain the waterproof integrity of the radio;

•ENSURE the antenna and the connector cover are both firmly tightened against the rubber seal (refer to the diagram on page 5).

•NEVER attempt to disassemble the radio.

NEVER: connect the radio to a power source other than the supplied battery. This may damage your product.

NEVER: operate your radio with the antenna less than 5 cm from exposed parts of the body.

NEVER: use or charge your radio in a potentially explosive atmosphere.

DO NOT: use your radio with a damaged antenna. DO NOT: attempt to modify your radio in any way.

ALWAYS: charge your radio at normal room temperature.

ALWAYS: switch off your radio where notices restrict the use of two-way radio or mobile telephones.

AVOID: storing or charging your radio in direct sunlight.

AVOID: storing or using your radio where temperatures are below -20º C or above +60º C.

RF RADIATION INFORMATION

RF RADIATION PROFILE

Your radio is designed and tested to comply with a number of national and international standards and guidelines (listed below) regarding human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic energy. This radio complies with the IEEE and ICNIRP exposure limits for occupational/controlled RF

exposure environment at operating duty factors of up to 50% transmitting and is authorised by the FCC for occupational use only. In terms of measuring RF energy for compliance with the FCC exposure guidelines, your radio radiates measurable RF energy only while it is transmitting (during talking in PTT mode), not when it is receiving (listening) or

in standby mode.

The device complies with SAR and/or RF field strength limits of RSS-102 requirements.

RF RADIATION SAFETY

In order to ensure user health, experts from relevant industries including science, engineering, medicine and health work with international organizations to develop standards for safe exposure to RF radiation. These standards consist of:

•United States Federal Communications Commission, Code of Federal Regulations; 47CFR part 2 sub-part J;

•American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) C95. 1-1992;

•Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) C95. 1-1999;

•International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) 1998;

FCC Regulations

Federal Communication Commission (FCC) requires that all radio communication products should meet the requirements set forth in the above standards before they can be marketed in the US, and the manufacturer shall post a RF label on the product to inform users of operational instructions, so as to enhance their occupational health against exposure to RF energy.

Part 15 Compliance

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with

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the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a

residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

•Consult your dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

NOTE: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

EU Regulatory Conformance

As certified by the qualified laboratory, the product is in compliance with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions of the Directive 1999/5/EC. Please note that the above information is applicable to EU countries only.

OPERATING RULES

Priorities

•Read all rules and regulations pertaining to priorities and keep an up-to-date copy handy. Safety and distress calls take priority over all others.

•You must monitor Channel 16 when you are not operating on another channel.

•False or fraudulent distress calls are prohibited under law.

Privacy

•Information overheard but not intended for you cannot lawfully be used in any way.

•Indecent or profane language is prohibited.

RADIO LICENCES

Ship Station License

When your craft is equipped with a VHF FM radio, you must have a current radio station licence before using the radio. It is unlawful to operate a ship station which is not licensed. Inquire through your dealer or the appropriate government agency for a Ship-Radiotelephone license. This license includes the call sign which is your craft’s identification for radio purposes.

Operators License

A restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit is the license most often held by small vessel radio operators when a radio is not required for safety purposes. The restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit must be posted near the radio or be kept with the operator.

Only a licensed radio operator may operate a radio. However, non-licensed individuals may talk over a radio if a licensed operator starts, supervises, ends the call and makes the necessary log entries.

A current copy of the applicable government rules and regulations is only required to be on hand for vessels in which a radio telephone is compulsory. However, even if you are not required to have these on hand it is your responsibility

to be thoroughly acquainted with all pertinent rules and regulations.

RANGE

The range of VHF transmissions depends on antenna height, transmitter power and the terrain over which the signals pass. For a 5 watt handheld radio like the TX800, ship to ship communications up to 5 nautical miles should be possible. Using an external antenna should allow ship to ship communication of 8 nautical miles or more. Ship to shore ranges will often be greater due to the increased height of the shore antenna.

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CONTROLS

	ANTENNA	VOLUME
		ON/ OFF

CONNECTOR

COVER

RUBBER

SEAL

PUSH TO

TALK

SQUELCH

	DISPLAY
PRIVATE CHANNELS/	UP
CHANNEL SET	WEATHER / ALERT
	WX
	UIC
CH 16	HI / LO POWER
	KEY LOCK
SCAN	DOWN
MEMORY	DUAL WATCH /
	TRIPLE WATCH

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LCD ICONS

TX	ATIS	BATTERY
INDICATOR RX BUSY	SYSTEM	STATUS

RX SIGNAL

TX POWER PRIORITY SCAN

DUAL WATCH

TRIPLE WATCH

SQUELCH LEVEL

KEY LOCK

TX BUSY ATIS

	HILOW	M
	PSCAN
	DUALW
	TRIW	B
	MEM
		A
	SQL:
		U I C WXALT

EXTERNAL

POWER

MEMORY

CHANNEL DESIGNATORS

							WEATHER	WEATHER
	US BAND		INTERNATIONAL	CANADIAN				ALERT
							CHANNELS
			BAND	BAND
			KEY FUNCTIONS
KEY			SHORT PRESS				LONG PRESS
Hi/LO [LOCK]			TX Power Hi/Low				Key Lock
16			Channel 16				Secondary Priority Channel
DW [TRIW]			Dual Watch Mode				Triple Watch Mode
WX/ALT			Weather Channel				Weather Alert
SCAN			Scan				Priority Scan
MEM			Memory Mode				Save/Delete Memory Channel
Up/ Down			Channel Up/Down				Fast Up/Down
CH/*/UIC			Private Channel				Band Selection
SQL			Squelch Level Setting
			ROTARY CONTROL
Volume		Power On/Off and Adjust Volume

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GENERAL OPERATION

POWER ON/OFF VOLUME CONTROL

Turn the Volume control clockwise past the ‘click’ to turn the radio on. Continue turning the control clockwise to increase the volume.

Turn the control counter-clockwise to reduce the volume. Continue turning the control counter clockwise past the ‘click’ to turn the radio off.

SQUELCH

To adjust the Squelch, briefly press the SQL key. The present Squelch level will flash. Use the or keys to adjust the squelch level from 0 (min) to 9 (max).

Press the SQL key again to save the new setting.

CHANNEL-SET

The GX800 supports the International, US and Canadian channel sets. When operating outside the US or Canada the International channel-set should be selected.

To select the desired channel-set, press and hold the key. The radio will beep and the selected channel-set icon will be displayed below the channel display

ICON		CHANNEL SET
U		US
I		INTERNATIONAL
C		CANADA

CHANNEL SELECTION

Briefly press the		key to step upwards one channel or
the	key to step downwards one channel. Press and hold
the	or	keys to scroll quickly through the channels

at a faster rate. When the keys are released the channel scrolling stops.

Weather Channels (US & Canadian Channel Set)

The US NOAA weather channels are available only when

the US or Canadian Channel Sets are selected. Weather channels are not available on the International marine channels. To access the weather channels while on the US or Canadian channel sets, briefly press the WX key. The radio will switch to the weather channels and the ‘WX’ icon will appear. Weather channels are numbered 01 – 10 and are selected using the or keys. To return to the normal communications channels briefly press the WX key again.

NOTE: Weather channels provide a receive-only weather information service in and around the US and Canada. You cannot transmit on the weather channels.

Weather Alert Function (US & Canada)

When a weather warning is issued in your area the NOAA weather service will transmit a weather alert tone on the local weather channel. If you have enabled the weather alert function on your radio, the reception of this tone will cause a short alarm tone to sound and the radio will automatically tune to the selected weather channel. The weather alert should be detected in all the modes of operation including Standby, Dual and Tri-watch and Scan etc.

To use the Weather Alert Function;

1. Briefly press the WX key to select the weather channels. ‘WX’ is displayed.

2.Use the or keys to select the local weather channel that you wish to monitor for alerts.

3. Press and hold the WX key to enable the weather alert function. ‘ALT’ will appear in the lower right of the display.

4. Briefly press the WX key again to return to normal operation.

When the weather alert function is enabled the radio will check the selected weather channel every 4 seconds for a weather alert tone. If an alert tone is detected, the radio will sound a short alarm, the ‘WX’ and ‘ALT’ icons will flash and the radio will automatically tune to the selected weather channel to allow you to hear the weather warning.

To disable weather alerts, press and hold the WX key. The radio will beep and the ‘ALT’ icon will disappear from the display.

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Private Channels

The GX800 can be programmed with private channels for use by organisations that have been officially allocated special frequencies within the VHF Marine band. To access private channels programmed into the radio briefly press the

key then press the or keys.

NOTE: This feature is not available to users in Australia and New Zealand. If the key is pressed, an error beep will be heard and ‘– –‘ will be displayed. Press the key again to return to normal operation.

16 KEY

The GX800 supports two priority channels.

PRIORITY CHANNEL 16

To switch to Channel 16, briefly press thekey. All previous functions such as scanning or low power will be cancelled and Hi transmit power will be selected. When the key is used to select channel 16, ‘P’ is displayed. Briefly press thekey again to return to the last selected channel or press the or keys to switch to the next channel in sequence.

SECOND PRIORITY CHANNEL

To select the second priority channel press and hold the key. The radio will switch to the second priority channel and ‘P’ will be displayed.

The second priority channel can be user-programmed to any of the standard marine channels. To program your preferred channel into the second priority channel;

1.Press and hold thekey. The radio will switch to the present second priority channel and ‘P’ will be displayed

2.Press and hold thekey again. ‘P’ will disappear and the channel number will flash.

3.Select the required channel using the or keys.

4.Press and hold thekey again. The displayed channel will be stored as your new second priority channel.

HI/LO POWER

Briefly press the key to toggle high or low transmitter power. The display will show ‘HI’ or ‘LOW’ to confirm the selected power setting.

NOTE: Some channels may be permanently limited to HI or LOW power by default. If any of these channels are selected you will not be able to change the power setting for that channel. However, for some channels you are allowed to overrule this restriction temporarily – e.g. channels 13 & 67 in the US channel set.

To temporarily select HI power on these channels, hold the PTT then hold the key. The radio will switch to HI power. Now while still holding the key, release the PTT followed by the key. The channel will stay on HI power for as long as you remain on that channel.

KEY LOCK

Press and hold the key to lock the keypad. The icon will be displayed when the keypad is locked and all keys except the PTT and any Distress related keys will be locked.

To unlock the keypad, press and hold the key again. The icon will disappear.

BACKLIGHT

The backlight operates automatically whenever any key (except the PTT) is pressed and switches off a few seconds after the last key press. The backlight provides lighting for the display and keypad.

SCANNING

Basic Scan

The basic scan function allows the radio to scan all channels for signals. When a signal is detected the scan pauses to allow the signal to be heard. Once the signal has gone the scan resumes.

To activate the scan function, briefly press the key. ‘SCAN’ appears on the display and the channel numbers change rapidly as the radio scans for signals.

To deactivate the scan function, briefly press the key again. ‘SCAN’ disappears from the display.

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