Icom IC-M302 User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

VHF MARINE TRANSCEIVER

iM302

FOREWORD

IMPORTANT

Thank you for purchasing this Icom product. The IC­M302 V
with Icom’s state of the art technology and craftsman­ship. With proper care, this product should provide you
with years of trouble-free operation.

We want to take a couple of moments of your time to
thank you for making the IC-M302 your radio of choice,
and hope you agree with Icom’s philosophy of “tech­nology first.” Many hours of research and development
went into the design of your IC-M302.

D

HF MARINE TRANSCEIVER

FEATURES

is designed and built

❍ Large 2-digit Ch with scrolling channel

comment

❍ Easy to hear speaker

❍ Built-in DSC meets RTCM SC101

requirement

❍ Rugged waterproof construction

Icom, Icom Inc. and the logo are registered trademarks of Icom Incor­porated (Japan) in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France,
Spain, Russia and/or other countries.

i

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS carefully and completely

before using the transceiver.

SAVE THIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL — This in-

struction manual contains important operating instructions for
the IC-M302.

EXPLICIT DEFINITIONS

WORD DEFINITION

R WARNING!

CAUTION

NOTE

CLEAN THE TRANSCEIVER AND MICROPHONE THOR­OUGHLY WITH FRESH WATER after exposure to water

including salt water, otherwise, the keys and switches may
become inoperable due to salt crystallization.

Personal injury, fire hazard or electric shock
may occur.

Equipment damage may occur.

Recommended for optimum use. No risk of
personal injury, fire or electric shock.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

WARNING.

WARNING
STICKER

NOTE

If your vessel requires assistance, contact other vessels and
the Coast Guard by sending a distress call on Channel 16.

USING CHANNEL 16

DISTRESS CALL PROCEDURE

1. “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY.”

2. “THIS IS ...............” (name of vessel)

3. Your call sign or other indication of the vessel (AND 9­digit DSC ID if you have one).

4. “LOCATED AT ...............” (your position)

5. The nature of the distress and assistance required.

6. Any other information which might facilitate the rescue.

Or, transmit your distress call using digital selective calling on
Channel 70.

USING DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALLING

DISTRESS CALL PROCEDURE

1. While lifting up the key cover, push and hold
[DISTRESS] for 5 sec. until you hear 5 short beeps
change to one long beep.

2. Wait for an acknowledgment on Channel 70 from a
coast station.

• After the acknowledgment is received, Channel 16 is

automatically selected.

3. Push and hold [PTT], then transmit the appropriate
information as listed above.

(Ch 70)

A WARNING STICKER is supplied with the transceiver.
To comply with FCC regulations, this sticker must be affixed in
such a location as to be readily seen from the operating con­trols of the radio as in the diagram below. Make sure the cho­sen location is clean and dry before applying the sticker.
(p. 31)

EXAMPLE

ii

RADIO OPERATOR WARNING

WARNING

Icom requires the radio operator to meet the
FCC Requirements for Radio Frequency Expo­sure.An omnidirectional antenna with gain not
greater than 9 dBi must be mounted a minimum
of 5 meters (measured from the lowest point of

the antenna) vertically above the main deck and
all possible personnel. This is the minimum safe separation
distance estimated to meet all RF exposure compliance re­quirements. This 5 meter distance is based on the FCC Safe
Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) distance of 3 meters
added to the height of an adult (2 meters) and is appropriate
for all vessels.

For watercraft without suitable structures, the antenna must
be mounted so as to maintain a minimum of 1 meter vertically
between the antenna, (measured from the lowest point of the
antenna), to the heads of all persons AND all persons must
stay outside of the 3 meter MPE radius.

Do not transmit with radio and antenna when persons are
within the MPE radius of the antenna, unless such persons
(such as driver or radio operator) are shielded from antenna
field by a grounded metallic barrier. The MPE Radius is the
minimum distance from the antenna axis that person should
maintain in order to avoid RF exposure higher than the allow­able MPE level set by FCC.

FAILURE TO OBSERVE THESE LIMITS MAY ALLOW
THOSE WITHIN THE MPE RADIUS TO EXPERIENCE RF
RADIATION ABSORPTION WHICH EXCEEDS THE FCC
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE (MPE) LIMIT.
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RADIO OPERATOR
TO ENSURE THAT THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPO­SURE LIMITS ARE OBSERVED AT ALL TIMES DURING
RADIO TRANSMISSION. THE RADIO OPERATOR IS TO
ENSURE THAT NO BYSTANDERS COME WITHIN THE
RADIUS OF THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE
LIMITS.

Determining MPE Radius
THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE (MPE) RA­DIUS HAS BEEN ESTIMATED TO BE A RADIUS OF
ABOUT 3M PER OET BULLETIN 65 OF THE FCC.
THIS ESTIMATE IS MADE ASSUMING THE MAXIMUM
POWER OF THE RADIO AND ANTENNAS WITH A MAXI­MUM GAIN OF 9dBi ARE USED FOR A SHIP MOUNTED
SYSTEM.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD ………………………… i
IMPORTANT ………………………… i
EXPLICIT DEFINITIONS …………… i
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ……… ii
NOTE ………………………………… ii
RADIO OPERATOR WARNING … iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS …………… iv
PRECAUTION ……………………… v

1 OPERATING RULES …………… 1
2 PANEL DESCRIPTION ……… 2–5

■ Front panel …………………… 2

■ Function display ……………… 4

■ Microphone …………………… 5

3 BASIC OPERATION ……… 6–10

■ Channel selection …………… 6

■ Receiving and transmitting … 8

■ Call channel programming…… 9

■ Channel comments ………… 10

■ Microphone lock function …… 10

■ Display backlighting ………… 10

4 DUALWATCH/TRI-WATCH …… 11

■ Description …………………… 11

■ Operation …………………… 11

5 SCAN OPERATION ……… 12–13

■ Scan types …………………… 12

■ Setting tag channels ………… 13

■ Starting a scan ……………… 13

6 DSC OPERATION ………… 14–27

■ MMSI code programming … 14

■ MMSI code check …………… 14

■ DSC individual ID …………… 15

■ Position indication …………… 16

■ Distress call ………………… 17

■ Transmitting DSC calls……… 18

■ Receiving DSC calls ………… 25

7 SET MODE ………………… 28–30

■ SET mode programming …… 28

■ SET mode items …………… 29

8 CONNECTIONS AND

MAINTENANCE …………… 31–34

■ Supplied accessories ……… 31

■ Antenna ……………………… 31

■ Fuse replacement …………… 31

■ Cleaning ……………………… 31

■ Connections ………………… 32

■ Mounting the transceiver …… 33

■ Optional MB-92 attachment… 33

■ Optional MB-69 installation … 34

9 TROUBLESHOOTING………… 35
10 CHANNEL LIST ……………… 36
11 SPECIFICATIONS ……… 37–38

■ Specifications………………… 37

■ Dimensions ………………… 38

12 MB-69 TEMPLATE …………… 39
13 OPTIONS ……………………… 41

iv

PRECAUTION

RWARNING! NEVER connect the transceiver to an AC

outlet. This may pose a fire hazard or result in an electric
shock.

CAUTION: Changes or modifications to this device, not ex-

pressly approved by Icom Inc., could void your authority to
operate this device under FCC regulations.

NEVER connect the transceiver to a power source of more

than 16 V DC or use reverse polarity. This will ruin the trans­ceiver.

NEVER cut the DC power cable between the DC plug and

fuse holder. If an incorrect connection is made after cutting,
the transceiver may be damaged.

NEVER place the transceiver where normal operation of the

vessel may be hindered or where it could cause bodily injury.

KEEP the transceiver at least 3.3 ft (1 m) away from the

ship’s navigation compass.

DO NOT use or place the transceiver in areas with temper-

atures below –4°F (–20°C) or above +140°F (+60°C) or, in
areas subject to direct sunlight, such as the dashboard.

AVOID the use of chemical agents such as benzine or al-

cohol when cleaning, as they may damage the transceiver
surfaces.

BE CAREFUL! The transceiver rear panel will become

hot when operating continuously for long periods.
Place the transceiver in a secure place to avoid inadvertent
use by children.

BE CAREFUL! The transceiver employs waterproof con-

struction, which corresponds to JIS waterproof specification,
Grade 7 (1 m/30 min.). However, once the transceiver has
been dropped, waterproofing cannot be guaranteed due to
the fact that the case may be cracked, or the waterproof seal
damaged, etc.

v

OPERATING RULES

1

DD

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 signals are prohibited and pun­ishable by law.

DD

PRIVACY

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

• Indecent or profane language is prohibited.

DD

RADIO LICENSES

(1) SHIP STATION LICENSE

You must have a current radio station license before using the
transceiver. 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 application. This
government-issued license states the call sign which is your
craft’s identification for radio purposes.

(2) OPERATOR’S 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 or kept with the operator. Only a licensed radio opera­tor may operate a transceiver.

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

Keep a copy of the current government rules and regulations
handy.

Radio license for boaters (U.S.A. only)

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 permits recreational
boaters to have and use a VHF marine radio, EPIRB, and
marine radar without having an FCC ship station license.
Boaters traveling on international voyages, having an HF
single sideband radiotelephone or marine satellite termi­nal, or required to carry a marine radio under any other
regulation must still carry an FCC ship station license. For
further information, see the FCC Ship Radio Stations Fact
Sheet.

1

1

2

Speaker

Function
display

q

ew

riuyt

PANEL DESCRIPTION

■ Front panel

q CHANNEL/WEATHER CHANNEL KEY [CH/WX•DUAL]

➥ Toggles between regular channels and weather chan-

nel when pushed momentarily. (p. 7)

➥ Starts Dualwatch or Tri-watch when pushed for 1 sec.

(p. 11)

➥ Stops Dualwatch or Tri-watch when either is activated.

w CHANNEL 16/CALL CHANNEL KEY [16•

➥ Selects Channel 16 when pushed. (p. 6)
➥ Selects call channel when pushed for 1 sec. (p. 6)

•“CALL” appears when call channel is selected.

➥ Push for 3 sec. to enter call channel programming con-

dition when call channel is selected. (p. 9)

➥ While pushing [CH/WX

nel comment programming condition. (p. 10)

➥ Enters Set mode when pushed while turning power ON.

(p. 28)

e POWER/VOLUME CONTROL [VOL]

Turns power ON and OFF and adjusts the audio level. (p. 8)

r SQUELCH CONTROL [SQL]

Sets the squelch threshold level. (p. 8)

t DISTRESS KEY [DISTRESS]

Transmits Distress call when pushed for 5 sec. (p. 17)

y DSC/POSITION KEY [DSC•

➥ Selects the DSC menu when pushed. (p. 14)
➥ Shows current position and time from a GPS receiver,

when pushed for 1 sec. (p. 16)

•DUAL], push to enter the chan-

POS]

9]

2

PANEL DESCRIPTION

2

u SCAN KEY [SCAN•TAG]

➥ Starts and stops Normal or Priority scan.
➥ Sets or clears the displayed channel as a tag (scanned)

channel when pushed for 1 sec.

➥ While pushing [HI/LO] on the microphone, push for 3

sec. to clear or set all tag channels in the selected chan­nel group.

i CHANNEL UP/DOWN KEYS [YY]/[ZZ]•

➥ Selects the operating channels, Set mode settings, etc.

(pgs. 6, 7, 28)

➥ While pushing [SCAN

the brightness of the LCD and key backlight. (p. 10)

➥ Selects one of 3 regular channels in sequence when

both keys are pushed. (p. 7)

• International, U.S.A. and Canadian channels are available for
regular channels.

], push [Y] or [Z] to adjust

•TAG

[U/I/C]

2

3

t

w

e

r

q

u

y

i

o

!0

!2
!1

2 PANEL DESCRIPTION

■ Function display

q TRANSMIT INDICATOR (p. 8)

“” appears while transmitting.

w BUSY INDICATOR (p. 8)

“” appears when receiving a signal or when the
squelch opens.

e CHANNEL NUMBER READOUT

➥ Indicates the selected operating channel number.

• “” appears when a simplex channel is selected. “” ap-
pears when a receive only channel for a Canadian channel
group is selected. (p. 7)

➥ In Set mode, indicates the selected condition. (p. 28)

r CHANNEL COMMENT INDICATOR

➥ Channel comment appears if programmed. (p. 10)
➥ “” scrolls when the battery voltage drops

to approx. 10 V DC or below.

➥ “” blinks during Dualwatch; “” blinks during Tri-

4

watch. (p. 11)

t TAG CHANNEL INDICATOR (p. 13)

Appears when a tag channel is selected.

y GPS INDICATOR

➥ Appears while valid position data is received.
➥ Blinks when invalid position data is received.
➥ Disappears when no GPS receiver is connected.

u DSC INDICATOR

Indicates the DSC status.

➥ “DSC” appears when a DSC call is received. (p. 25)
➥ “POS REPLY” appears when a Position Request Reply

call or Position Report Reply call is received. (p. 27)

i DUPLEX INDICATOR (p. 7)

Appears when a duplex channel is selected.

o WEATHER CHANNEL INDICATOR (pgs. 7, 29)

➥ “WX” appears when a weather channel is selected.
➥ “WX ALT” appears when the Weather alert function is

in use; blinks when an alert tone is received.

!0 CALL CHANNEL INDICATOR (p. 6)

Appears when the call channel is selected.

!1 CHANNEL GROUP INDICATOR (p. 7)

Indicates whether a U.S.A. “USA,” International “INT” or
Canadian “CAN” channel is in use.

!2 LOW POWER INDICATOR (p. 8)

Appears when low power is selected.

■ Microphone

Microphone

w

q

e

q PTT SWITCH [PTT]

Push and hold to transmit; release to receive. (p. 8)

w CHANNEL UP/DOWN KEYS [YY]/[ZZ]

Push either key to change the operating memory channel,
Set mode settings, etc. (pgs. 6, 7, 28)

e TRANSMIT POWER KEY [HI/LO]

➥ Toggles power high and lower when pushed. (p. 8)

• Some channels are set to low power only.

➥ While pushing [HI/LO], turn power ON to toggle the mi-

crophone lock function ON and OFF. (p. 10)

PANEL DESCRIPTION

2

2

5

3

for 1 sec.

Push

Scrolls

Push

Scrolls

BASIC OPERATION

■ Channel selection

ïï

Channel 16

Channel 16 is the distress and safety channel. It is used for
establishing initial contact with another station and for emer­gency communications. Channel 16 is monitored during both
Dualwatch and Tri-watch. While standing by, you must moni­tor Channel 16.

➥ Push [16•
➥ Push [CH/WX•

6

ing Channel 16, or push [Y] or [Z] to select operating chan­nel.

9] momentarily to select Channel 16.

DUAL] to return to the condition before select-

ïï

Channel 9 (Call channel)

Each regular channel group has a separate leisure-use call
channel. The call channel is monitored during Tri-watch. The
call channels can be programmed (p. 9) and are used to store
your most often used channels in each channel group for
quick recall.

➥ Push [16•

lected channel group.

•“CALL” and call channel number appear.

• Each channel group may have an independent call channel after

programming a call channel. (p. 9)

➥ Push [CH/WX•DUAL

lecting call channel, or push [Y] or [Z] to select an oper­ating channel.

9] for 1 sec. to select the call channel of the se-

] to return to the condition before se-

BASIC OPERATION

Push

once or twice

When Weather alert is OFF.

When Weather alert is ON.

Scrolls

U.S.A. channels

Canadian channels International channels

Push and

3

ïï

U.S.A.,Canadian and international channels

There are 57 U.S.A., 61 Canadian and 57 international chan­nels. These channel groups may be specified for the operat­ing area.

q Push [CH/WX•

• If a weather channel appears, push [CH/WX•DUAL] again.

w Push both [Y] and [Z] on the transceiver to change the

channel group, if necessary.

• U.S.A., International and Canadian channels can be selected in
sequence.

e Push [Y] or [Z] to select a channel.

•“DUP” appears for duplex channels.

•“ ” appears when a simplex channel is selected. “” appears

when a receive only channel for a Canadian channel group is
selected.

DUAL] to select a regular channel.

ïï

Weather channels

There are 10 weather channels. These are used for monitor­ing broadcasts from NOAA (National Oceanographic and At­mospheric Administration.)
The transceiver can detect a weather alert tone on the se­lected weather channel while receiving the channel, during
standby on a regular channel or while scanning. (p. 29)

q Push [CH/WX•

channel.

•“WX” appears when a weather channel is selected.

• “WX ALT” appears when the Weather alert function is in use.

(p. 29)

w Push [Y] or [Z] to select a channel.

DUAL] once or twice to select a weather

3

7

3 BASIC OPERATION

u

wr tre

M

qy

M: Microphone

■ Receiving and transmitting

CAUTION: Transmitting without an antenna may dam-

age the transceiver.

q Rotate [VOL] to turn power ON.
w Set the audio and squelch levels.

➥ Rotate [SQL] fully counterclockwise in advance.
➥ Rotate [VOL] to adjust the audio output level.
➥ Rotate [SQL] clockwise until the noise disappears.

e To change the channel group, push both [Y] and [Z] on

the transceiver. (p. 7)

r Push [Y] or [Z] to select the desired channel. (p. 6)

• When receiving a signal, “” appears and audio is emitted
from the speaker.

• Further adjustment of [VOL] may be necessary.

t Push [HI/LO] on the microphone to select the output

power if necessary.

•“LOW” appears when low power is selected.

• Choose low power for short range communications, choose high

power for longer distance communications.

• Some channels are for low power only.

y Push and hold [PTT] to transmit, then speak into the mi-

crophone (M).

•“ ” appears.

• Channel 70 cannot be used for transmission other than DSC.

u Release [PTT] to receive.

Simplex channels, 3, 21, 23, 61, 64, 81, 82 and 83 CAN-
NOT be lawfully used by the general public in U.S.A. wa­ters.

IMPORTANT: To maximize the readability of your trans­mitted signal, pause a few sec. after pushing [PTT], hold
the microphone 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) from your mouth
and speak into the microphone (M) at a normal voice level.

8

■ Call channel programming

BASIC OPERATION

3

Call channel is used to select Channel 9 (default), however,
you can program the call channel with your most often-used
channels in each channel group for quick recall.

q Push both [Y] and [Z]

on the transceiver one or
more times to select the
desired channel group
(U.S.A., International or
Canada) to be pro­grammed.

w Push [16•

select the call channel of
the selected channel
group.

•“CALL” and call channel
number appear.

e Push [16•9] again for 3

sec. (until a long beep
changes to 2 short beeps)
to enter call channel pro­gramming condition.

• Channel number starts
blinking.

r Push [Y] or [Z] to select

the desired channel.

] for 1 sec. to

9

t Push [16•

the displayed channel as
the call channel.

• Push [CH/WX•DUAL] to
cancel.

• The channel number stops
blinking.

9] to program

3

9