Simrad Axis 250 GMDSS User manual

MAXIMIZING YOUR PERFORMANCE AT SEA

Instruction Manual

III

Simrad Axis

Handheld VHF Radio

MANUAL

IV

Part No. E02066 Issue 4.0 12/05/04 CR

The technical data, information and illustrations contained in this publication were to the best of our knowledge correct at the time of going to print. We
reserve the right to change specifications, equipment, installation and maintenance instructions without notice as part of our policy of continuous devel­opment and improvement.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, electronic or otherwise without prior permission
from Simrad Ltd.
No liability can be accepted for any inaccuracies or omissions in the publication, although every care has been taken to make it as complete and accurate
as possible.

© 2004 Simrad Ltd

CONTENTS

1. GENERAL

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Technical Specification

1.3 Licensing

2. OPERATION

2.1 Location of Controls

2.2 Operation - 150

2.3 Operation - 200/250

2.3.1 The Function Key

3. BATTERY USE

3.1 Removal,Fitting & Options

3.2 Charger Options

3.3 Mains Adaptors for Drop-In Chargers

3.4 Charging of Batteries

3.5 Notes on Charging

3.6 200/250 Battery Level Indicator

3.7 150 Battery Status LED

3.8 Battery Life Guidelines

4. A

NTENNA & ACCESSORY SOCKET

4.1 Antenna

4.2 Accessory Socket (150 & 250 only)

5. APPENDIX

5.1 Spares & Accessories

5.2 Transmission Range

5.3 Frequency of Channels

5.4 Troubleshooting

5.5 Service & Warranty

V

Page 7

1 GENERAL

1.1 Introduction

The Simrad Axis waterproof handheld VHF
radio is manufactured in our modern factory
facilities in the UK. The radio was designed to
meet or exceed stringent International
Regulations including EN301 178.

In addition Simrad GMDSS specification
radios conform to Pan European specification
ETS300 225 for the use of radios for Safety at
Sea, including waterproofing to IP67/68 stan­dard.

Please note that regulations vary from country
to country. Simrad sets are also approved
specifically by the countries in which they are
sold. Consequently, there may be differences in
the programming of sets bought in different
countries, and therefore in their associated
manuals. If using outside the country of pur­chase, it is vital to check that the set conforms
to local regulations before use.

Thank you for choosing Simrad.

If you are pleased with your radio, we hope
you will be interested in our range of marine
electronic equipment, which is manufactured
to the same high standards as Axis. Please con­tact your nearest Simrad Agent for a catalogue
showing our increasing range of high-tech nav­igational instruments, autopilots and VHF
radio sets.

Simrad operate a policy of continual develop­ment and reserve the right to alter and
improve the specification of their products
without notice.

Axis

®

is a registered trademark of

Simrad Ltd.

Simrad waterproof handheld VHF

HI LO

HI LO

LO

Rx

D/W

D/W

16

SQ

M+

SQ

F

AS

SIGSQBAT VOL

VOL

SIG

VOL

M+

SQ

F

CH

MS

AS

CH

AXIS200

AXIS200

Page 8

1.2 Technical Specification

Electrical

Channel Capability (Axis200) 55 international channels 1–28, 60–88.

UK : includes M (previously 37) and M2.
USA : includes 0, 29, 89, 75, 76, Wx1–10 receive only.
Scandinavia : leisure or fishing channels as appropriate.
Canada : Canadian and USA channels.

(250) As 200 plus up to 16 private channels may be

programmed.*

(150) 16 channel capability – channels 06, 16 and 67 are

programmed as standard. Remaining channel spaces may be
programmed with further international or private channels as
specified. The standard channels may also be changed as
required.*

(GMDSS Versions) GMDSS sets are shipped with only simplex channels fitted.

150 GMDSS : 06, 08, 10–17, 67, 69, 71–74
250 GMDSS : 06, 08–17, 67–69, 71–77

Frequency Range 155–165Mhz (can be extended to suit market requirements)*.
Operating Temperature Range -20ºC to +60ºC
Output Power 2 levels, maximum 5 Watts (1 & 5 Watts standard)*.
Harmonic and Spurious Emissions <.25µW Tx, <1nW Rx
Sensitivity 0.5µV for 20 dB SINAD
Selectivity 75 dB (±25 kHz)
Intermodulation 75 dB
Channel Spacing 25kHz (12.5 khz also possible)*
Blocking 90dB
Spurious Response 80dB
Audio Output Power Max 1 Watt
Current Consumption Squelched <25mA

Receive typically 125mA
Transmit 5 Watts 1.4A

1 Watt 0.8A

Weight 600g (approx)

* Contact local Simrad Service Agent for further details of channel programming, etc.

Environmental

Waterproof To a depth of 1m fully submersed, including a 45ºC thermal

shock.

Drop Resistance Will withstand a drop from 1M on to a hard surface on any

face.
Hermetically Sealed Will withstand petrol, diesel and other fuel oils.
Ergonomics Is designed to fit comfortably into the hand and be

operated with ease in the worst weather conditions.

Page 9

1.3 Licensing

Prior to use check the national licensing requirements for operators.

In the UK licence applications and queries should be made to the following authority:

Ship Radio Licensing

Radio Licencing Centre

The Post Office

PO Box 1495

Bristol

BS99 3QS

Website: www.radiolicencecentre.co.uk/rlc

A set may only be operated by or under the supervision of the holder of a Marine Radio
Operator’s Certificate of Competence and Authority to Operate. This is awarded on completion of

the Marine Short Range Certificate course administered by the Royal Yachting Association:

Royal Yachting Association

RYA House

Ensign Way

Hamble

Southampton

SO31 4YA

Website: www.rya.org.uk

Tel. [phone]

Holders of the Restricted Certificate of Competence in Radio-telephony (which covers MF/HF
SSB, etc.) do not need a separate VHF certificate.

In the USA licence applications should be made to:

Federal Communications Commission

Gettysburg

Washington DC 20554

PA17325

Website: www.fcc.gov

In Canada licence applications should be made to the regional or district offices of:

Spectrum Direct

®

Industry Canada

Website: http://sd.ic.gc.ca/engdoc/main.jsp

In all other countries, please contact your regional authority for information.

Page 10

2 OPERATION

2.1 Location of Controls

The location of the controls for the 150 and
200/250 are shown in Figures 2.1 and 2.2:

150 –

1 On/Off Button
2 PTT Button
3(Accessory Socket)
4High/Low Transmit Power Button
5Autosquelch On/Off Button
6 Backlight On/Off (Channel Display)
7 Channel Selection Knob
8Audio Volume Control Knob
9 (Tx Status LED)
10 (Battery Status LED)
11 (Rx Status LED)

200/250 –

1 On/Off Button
2 PTT Button
3(LCD Screen)
4High/Low Transmit Power Button
5Audio Volume Up
6Audio Volume Down
7 Dual Watch (D/W)
8 Squelch Up/Enter Memory
9 Channel 16
10 Channel Up/Memory Scan
11 Squelch Down/Scan Inhibit
12 Function*/LCD Backlighting
13 Channel Down/All Scan

* Scanning models only. All functions listed in
italics are secondary functions accessed by
pressing the FUNCTION (F) key first.

Fig 2.1 - 150 schematic

Fig 2.2 - 200/250 schematic

7

3

8

1

2

91011

AS

1

2

3

89

7

11 12 13

AS

4

5

6

4

5

6

10

Page 11

2.2 Operation – 150

The operation of any of the push buttons or
the channel selector knob is confirmed by an
audible beep from the unit. The operation of
the controls for the 150 and 150 GMDSS is as
follows:

On/Off Button (1)

Pressing this button will turn the radio on and
off. To turn the radio off it is necessary to hold
the button in for two seconds. This prevents the
radio being accidentally switched off.

PTT Button (2)

The PTT, or Press-To-Talk, button is used to
switch the radio from receive to transmit.
Unlike other keys, the radio will not beep if this
key is pressed, but the Rx LED (11) will go off
and the Tx LED (9) will illuminate.

If the radio will not transmit when the PTT but­ton is pressed, this may be because the selected
channel is not valid for transmission.

High/Low Transmit Power Button (4)

This button will toggle the transmit power
between the preset maximum level (normally 5
Watts) and low power (normally 1 Watt).

Autosquelch On/Off Button

When pressed, this button will open the
squelch to incoming signals. The squelch set­ting is preset at the factory to cope with most
operating conditions. If, however, it is found
necessary to change this setting, the following
procedure should be followed :

1. With the radio on, turn the volume control
(8) fully anti-clockwise (Fig 2.3).

2. Turn the radio off.

3. Without adjusting the rotary controls, hold

in the squelch button and turn the radio on.

4. A triple beep will be heard. This will be fol­lowed by a series of beeps indicating the
squelch level being set.

5. The setting is from 1 to 8 beeps, with 8 being
fully squelched. When the correct setting is
reached, release the squelch button. The setting
is now stored in the radio.

TURN RADIO OFF

TURN RADIO ON

HI LO

TX BAT RX

RELEASE BUTTON WHEN COR-

RECT SETTING IS SELECTED

Fig 2.3 - Setting Autosquelch

Anti-clockwise

HI LO

TX BAT RX

Page 12

Backlighting On/Off (6)

This button will illuminate the channel selec­tion window for a period of ten seconds. The
window will re-illuminate for a further ten sec­onds if a key is subsequently pressed, thus pre­serving battery life. Pressing this button again
will switch the backlighting off.

Channel Selection Knob (7)

This is a sixteen-position rotary switch used to
select the channels programmed into the radio.
The channel selected is shown in the channel
selection window next to the knob, with each
programmed channel selection being con­firmed by a beep. This first position (normally
channel 16) is indicated by a long beep. NB,
although there are sixteen channel locations,
not all of these may have a channel pro­grammed into them.

Audio Volume Control Knob (8)

Turn the knob clockwise to increase volume
and anticlockwise to reduce volume.

Tx Status LED (9)

This LED indicates the transmit power status
of the radio:

LED Blinking Receive, high power selected.
LED Off Receive, low power selected.
LED Flashing Transmit, low power selected.
LED On Transmit, high power selected

(Fig 2.4).

Battery Status LED (10)

This shows the charge status of the battery -

LED Off Battery charge okay.
LED Blinking Battery level low (Fig 2.5).

Rx Status LED (11)

This displays the squelch status of the radio as
follows:

LED Blinking Fully squelched (Fig 2.5).
LED On Squelch open.

Fig 2.4 - Tx LED: transmitting on high power

Fig 2.5 - Rx LED: receiving, fully squelched

HI LO

TX BAT RX

HI LO

TX BAT RX

Page 13

Fig 2.6 - Switching On and Off

D/W

SQ

SQ

16

F

CH

CH

VOL

VOL

HI LO

M+

MS

AS

VOL

VOL

Rx

Fig 2.7 - Volume bargraph on LCD display

2.3 Operation – 200/250

The operation of any of the push buttons, or
the channel selector knob is confirmed by an
audible beep from the unit. The operation of
the controls for the 200, 250 and 250 GMDSS is
as follows -

On/Off Button (1)

Pressing this button will turn the radio on and
off (Fig 2.6). To turn the radio off it is necessary
to hold the button in for two seconds, prevent­ing the radio being accidentally switched off.

PTT Button (2)

The PTT, or Press-To-Talk, button is used to
switch the radio from receive to transmit.
Unlike other keys, the radio will not beep if this
key is pressed, but the LCD legend will change
from to , and the bar graph will display
the current battery strength.

If the radio will not transmit when the PTT but­ton is pressed, this may be because the selected
channel is not valid for transmission. NOTE -
transmit is also inhibited when the Dual Watch
or Scanning functions are activated.

High/Low Transmit Power Button (4)

This button will toggle the transmit power
between the preset maximum level (normally
5 Watts) and low power (normally 1 Watt). The
power setting selected will be indicated by
either the HI or LO legend on the LCD dis­play.

Audio Volume Up (5)

This button will increase the audio volume in
graduated increments. The volume setting will
be indicated on the LCD display by the bar
graph (Fig 2.7).

Audio V olume Down (6)

This button will decrease the audio volume in
graduated decrements. The volume setting will
be indicated on the LCD display by the bar
graph.

Dual Watch (7)

The Dual Watch function enables the radio to
scan between the selected channel and the pri­ority channel (normally channel 16). T o activate
Dual Watch mode, select the channel and press

TxRx

D/W

M+

SQ

16

SQ

MS

CH

F

AS

HI LO

VOL

VOL

CH

D/W. While the radio is in Dual Watch mode,
the D/W legend will be displayed on the LCD.

REVERT Function - If D/W is pressed when
CH16 is selected, the radio will revert to the
previously selected channel.

Squelch Up (8)

This button will increase the receiver muting
threshold (or SQUELCH) level, i.e a stronger
signal will be required to activate the receiver.
The squelch level selected is indicated by the
bar chart on the LCD display (Fig 2.8).

Squelch Down (11)

This button will decrease the squelch level, i.e
weaker signals will be able to activate the
receiver. The squelch level selected is indicated
by the bar chart on the LCD display.

Channel 16 (9)

Will automatically select Channel 16 on High
Power when pressed. Any function active
(such as Dual W atch, Scanning, etc) will be can­celled.

Channel Up (10)

This button will scroll up through the channels
available, the selected channel being shown by
the large digits on the LCD display (Fig 2.9).
The radio will automatically switch to Low
Power if the selected channel is inhibited to
transmit on the Low Power setting only, even if
High Power is currently selected.

Channel Down (13)

This button will scroll down through the chan­nels available as Channel Up (see above).

2.3.1 The Function Key (12)

(SCANNING MODELS ONLY) Function (F) is
used to access second level functions available,
and is indicated by the

F legend appearing in

the LCD display for two seconds. After this
time, the legend will disappear and the radio
will revert to first level functions. Therefore,
the subsequent buttons must be pressed within
two seconds of F being pressed.

Page 14

D/W

SQ

SQ

16

F

CH

CH

VOL

VOL

HI LO

M+

MS

AS

SQ

SQ

Rx

Fig 2.8 - Squelch bargraph on LCD display

D/W

SQ

SQ

16

F

CH

CH

VOL

VOL

M+

MS

AS

VOL

VOL

SIG

Rx

SIG

Rx

CH

VOL

VOL

SIG

Rx

Fig 2.9 - Scrolling through channels using CH▲ and

CH▼ buttons

NOTE - Second level functions are only avail-

able on scanning versions of the 200 and 250.
On non-scanning versions, the F key is re­placed with a backlighting key.

- Backlighting (F-F)

On scanning models of the 200 and 250, the
LCD display backlighting can be switched on
by pressing F and F again within two seconds.
By keeping F depressed, the radio will step
through the six levels of illumination available
(Fig 2.10). A second press will turn the back­lighting off.

On non-scanning versions, the backlighting
key – which replaces the F key – must only
be pressed and held once.

While the backlighting is activated, the lamp
legend will be shown on the LCD display.
On all versions, the backlighting will automat­ically switch off if no button is pressed for ten
seconds or longer. The backlighting will r e-illu­minate if a button is subsequently pressed.

AS - All Channel Scan (F-Channel Down)

This function enables the radio to scan through
each channel sequentially until a signal is
detected which is above the squelch level set.
Once the signal ends or drops below the
squelch level, the radio will continue scanning.
Pressing Channel Up will step to the next
channel regardless of the signal strength.
Pressing Channel Down or F-Channel Down
will exit Scan mode.

M+ - Memory Enter (F-Squelch Up)

This function will add the currently selected
channel into the Scan Memory. The LCD dis­play will show ‘ENT’ indicating that the chan­nel has been entered into the Scan Memory.
When that channel is subsequently selected, a

legend will be shown on the bottom line of

the LCD display indicating that the channel is
in the Scan Memory (Fig 2.11). Pressing F-
Squelch Up if the channel is already in the
Scan Memory will remove it from the memory

- indicated by ‘DEL’ appearing on the bottom
line of the LCD display.

D/W

SQ

SQ

16

F

CH

CH

M+

MS

AS

Fig 2.10 - LCD backlighting

D/W

SQ

SQ

16

F

CH

CH

VOL

VOL

M+

MS

AS

D/W

SQ

SQ

16

F

CH

CH

VOL

VOL

M+

MS

AS

Fig 2.11 - Entering channel into Scan Memory

SIG

Rx

F

SIG

Rx

SQ

SIG

Rx

D/W

M+

SQ

16

SQ

F

F

CH

MS

CH

AS

HI LO

VOL

VOL

Page 16

MS - Memory Scan (F-Channel Up)

This function operates in the same way as the
Scanning function (F-Channel Down), except
that it will only scan channels that have been
entered into the Scan Memory. If no channels
have been entered into the memory, then this
function will not be available.

- Channel Inhibit (F-Squelch Down)

Since the Scanning function operates by stop­ping on channels where a signal is detected, the
function will lock onto a channel with a lot of
interference noise, or if a channel is transmit­ting a continuous carrier wave signal. This will
prevent the radio from continuing its scan of
the other channels.
The Inhibit function allows unwanted channels
to be removed from the Scanning function
while remaining available for use on the radio.
Pressing F-Squelch Down will inhibit the cur-
rent channel – indicated by ‘INH’ appearing on
the bottom line of the LCD display (Fig 2.12).
When that channel is subsequently selected, a

legend will be shown on the bottom line of
the LCD display indicating that the channel is
inhibited from the Scanning function.
Pressing F-Squelch Down if the channel is
already in inhibited will restore it to the Scan
function – indicated by ‘SCAN’ appearing on
the bottom line of the LCD display.

Mem (F-Channel Up held for two seconds)

This function allows the radio to operate only
on the channels held in the Scan Memory ­indicated by ‘MEM’ shown on the LCD dis­play. If the Scanning function is selected, it will
operate the same way as the Memory Scan
function.

Pressing CH16 or F-Channel Up held for
two seconds will return the radio to normal
operation.

D/W

SQ

SQ

16

F

CH

CH

VOL

VOL

M+

MS

AS

D/W

SQ

SQ

16

F

CH

CH

VOL

VOL

M+

MS

AS

Fig 2.12 - Inhibiting channel from Scan

SIG

Rx

F

SIG

Rx

SQ

Page 17

Fig 3.2 - Release lever in ‘unlocked’ position

3 BATTERY USE

3.1 Removal,Fitting and Options

The radio comes equipped with a 700- or
850mA-hour NiCad battery pack as standard
(depending on model). All battery types are
housed in an identical enclosure.

Model Battery Pack Supplied

200 NCB700 - 700mAh
150 NCB850 - 850mAh
250 NCB850 - 850mAh
150 GMDSS NCB850 - 850mAh
250 GMDSS NCB850 - 850mAh

To remove the battery, lift the release lever sit­uated at the base of the battery pack to the ver­tical position. Turn this through 180º, and pull
the release lever to withdraw the battery (Fig

3.1).

Before inserting a battery, check that the release
lever is in the ‘unlocked’ position (Fig 3.2), i.e.
the textured side of the lever is pointing away
from the recess on the base of the battery pack.

Although the set is fully waterproof even with
the battery removed, it is recommended that
any moisture on the top of the battery or in the
battery compartment is wiped clear prior to
insertion to prevent the water creating a con­ductive path between the contacts and reduc­ing battery life.

Fig 3.1 - Battery pack removal

SQ

AXIS 200

SQ

AXIS 200

CH

F

AS

CH

F

AS

Page 18

3.2 Charger Options

The 200 is supplied as standard with a 12v
drop-in trickle charger TCH12 that will accept
the whole radio, or the battery alone (Fig 3.3).
This charger will run from a standard 12v
marine supply (12.6v–15.5v), or from 110v/
220v/240v mains with an appropriate optional
adapter/power supply. Charging with the
trickle charger takes approximately 12–16
hours. There are also optional drop-in Comm­ercial Trickle and Rapid chargers available
(CTC1 and CRC1). The CRC1 will charge the
battery within 1

1

/

2

hours and has an additional
charge maintaining slot. Both the CTC1 and
CRC1 have an inbuilt mains adapter.

3.3 Mains Adapters for TCH12 Charger

Charger Country Mains Adapter

TCH12 UK MAD230:U

Europe MAD230:E
USA MAD115:A

3.4 Charging of Batteries

To charge the NiCad battery pack, insert the
radio or battery into the charger ensuring that
excess moisture is wiped clear from the three
contacts on the back of the battery pack (Fig

3.4). The TCH12 will constantly trickle charge
the battery even once it is fully charged, thus
ensuring that it is always at full capacity. The
RCH1 will rapid charge the battery until it is
fully charged and will then automatically
switch to trickle charge.

IMPORTANT – The lithium battery pack
(available with GMDSS sets, or as an option­al extra) are not rechargeable, and under no
circumstances should any attempt be made to
recharge these batteries.

Replacement lithium cells can be re-ordered
from your local Simrad Agent, quoting Part
No. LTB1.

Fig 3.3 - Battery Charger Options

Fig 3.4 - Battery Charging Contacts

Battery Contacts

Charging with

battery fitted

D/W

SQ

M+

SQ

F

AXIS200

Charging battery

only

HI LO

VOL

VOL

16

CH

MS

CH

AS

TCH12 Trickle Charger

Battery Contacts

HI LO

TX BAT RX

Page 19

3.5 Notes on Charging

1. NiCad battery packs are supplied un­charged and need charging before use.

2. Charge the battery up to full charge when
not in use, although it may lose a proportion of
its charge after some months of storage.

3. Do not charge at temperatures below 0ºC
or above 40ºC.

4. Check battery level indicator during
switch on to determine remaining battery life.

5. Turn off if charging battery while fitted to
Axis.

6. Always try to fully discharge the battery
before recharging – repeated recharging of the
battery while it is partly discharged may create
a ‘memory effect’, preventing the battery
reaching full charge.

7. Dispose of used batteries carefully. The
contents of the batteries are harmful to wildlife.

8. Never expose to a naked flame.

3.6 200/250 Battery Level Indicator

The battery level is shown when the radio is
first switched on, and also when transmitting
(Fig 3.5). This indicates the voltage at the bat­tery terminals, not necessarily the charge
stored. Seven or eight bars represent a fully
charged battery, whilst four bars represent a
battery whose charge is almost drained.

3.7 150 Battery Status LED

The battery status LED displays the current
condition of the battery.

LED off : Batter y level nominal.
LED blinking : Battery level low.

NOTE - When using a lithium battery pack, the
low level battery indicator may flash under
transmit conditions. This does not necessarily
reflect the charge level remaining in the battery,
as it is due to the different voltage characteris­tics of a lithium battery pack under load.

Replacement and spare batteries are available
from your local Simrad Agent. Please quote the
relevant part number.

Fig 3.5 - 200/250 Battery Level Indicator

Fig 3.6 - 150 Battery Status LED

BAT

Tx

Page 20

Ai Based on - 5% Transmit at 5 Watts setting of r.f. output power (1.4Amp)

5% Receive at 250mWatts Audio (.25Amp)
90% Receiver squelched (0.025Amp)

Aii Based on - 5% Transmit at 1Watt setting of r.f. output power (1.1Amp)

5% Receive at 250mWatts Audio (.25Amp)
90% Receiver squelched (0.025Amp)

B Based on - 10% Transmit at 5Watt setting of r.f. output power (1.4Amp)

10% Receiver at 250mWatts Audio (.25Amp)
80% Receiver squelched (0.025Amp)

Charge Held While Stored

The following data is approximate:

BATTERY PACK Typical Life of a fully charged pack at 25°C

Duty Cycle Ai Duty Cycle Aii Duty Cycle B

700mAh 5.6 hrs 6.7 hrs 3.2 hrs
850 mAh 8.0 hrs 9.4 hrs 4.6 hrs
Lithium > 15 hrs > 18 hrs >8 hrs

3.8 Battery Life Guidelines

To a large extent, the battery life will depend on
the usage, or Duty Cycle of the radio – i.e the
battery will be drained much quicker, if the
radio is transmitting continually than if it is
just receiving. Additionally, if the radio is set to
High Power (5 Watts*), the power drain will be
considerably greater than if transmitting on
Low Power (1 Watt*).

* Standard power settings

Battery Pack Duration

At 25 ºC At 45ºC

NiCad Battery Up to 50% Charge 4–6 months 4 weeks

(NCB700/

NCB850)

Page 21

4 ANTENNA & ACCESSORY SOCKET

4.1 Antenna

The antenna for the radio is fitted to the unit
via a robust screw fitting to an M8 threaded
socket on the top of the radio (Fig 4.1). This sys­tem is more rugged than a traditional BNC
connector, so the radio’s drop-proof integrity is
not compromised by the antenna fixing.

While the radio is drop-proof and very robust,
damage to the antenna such as bending or
kinking may adversely affect the transmission
efficiency of the unit, which may lead to over­loading of the power module. Damaged anten­nae should be replaced immediately.

Replacement antennae can be purchased from
authorised Simrad Service Agents. Afull list is
supplied with this unit. Please refer to section

5.1 for more details on spare parts and acces­sories available.

4.2 Accessory Socket (150 & 250 only)

Commercial and GMDSS versions of the radio
(150, 250) have an accessory socket fitted
behind the antenna housing (Fig 4.2). This
socket will accept approved accessories such as
waterproof fistmikes and headsets.

The accessory socket is waterproof, but it has
an additional splash cover to protect the elec­trical contacts from prolonged exposure to
moisture. Always replace the cover when the
socket is not in use. A coating of silicone or
Teflon grease to the socket is recommended to
assist in protecting the contacts from moisture.

Always turn the radio off before plugging any
accessory into the socket. It is recommended
that any excess moisture is wiped away to
avoid any problems caused by water shorting
out adjacent contacts.

NOTE - The use of unapproved accessories
with the accessory socket may damage the
radio and invalidate the warranty.

Fig 4.1 - Antenna fixing

Fig 4.2 - Accessory socket (150/250 only)

Splash Cover

Page 22

5 APPENDIX

5.1 Spares & Accessories

The following spares and accessories are
available from authorised Simrad Dealers.
A list of dealers is included with this unit.
Please quote the appropriate part number
when ordering.

AXIS200

SIGSQBATVOL

Rx Tx

D/W

SQ

SQ

16

F

CH

CH

VOL

VOL

HI LO

M+

MS

AS

LO

off

on

Battery Charger CRC

status

rear
charge

charge

ANT1

Spare Antenna

LTB1

Spare Lithium
Battery Pack

NCB700

Spare NiCad Battery
Pack (700mAh)

NCB850

Spare NiCad Battery
Pack (850mAh)

3 M

(10 Ft)

CTC1

Commercial Trickle
Charger

CRC1

Commercial Rapid
Charger

MAD230:U (UK)
MAD230:E (Europe)
MAD115:A (USA)

Mains Adapters for
TCH12

TCH12

12v Trickle
Charger

Charging Accessories

Page 23

Carrying Accessories

LC1

Leather
Carrying
Case

LYD1

Lanyard

ADP1

Adapter Plate

BMT1

Bulkhead
Mount Plate

HS1

Handstrap

BCP1

Leather Belt

Clip c/w

Adapter Plate

ADP1

WPSM1:GY

Waterproof Speaker

Mike - Grey

WPSM1:Y

Waterproof Speaker

Mike - Yellow

WB1

Aluminium Wall

Mount Bracket

(For use with

TCH12)

SS1

Shoulder
Strap

FLT1

Flotation Strap

2.5M coiled cable

Page 24

5.2 Transmission Range

Because VHF signals travel in a straight line
and are not reflected back off the ionosphere as
lower frequency signals are, the range of VHF
signals is limited to ‘line of sight’, beyond
which the other vessel passes behind the curve
of the Earth. Therefore, the range will increase
greatly the higher above sea level the antenna
is, as Figure 5.1 illustrates (assuming maxi­mum transmission power is used):

Fig 5.1 - VHF transmission range

Therefore, the typical range of a handheld
radio such as this one used at sea level will be
approx. 8 km (5 miles). This will increase as
height above sea level increases, or if the other
radio user’s antenna is at a greater height –
note, that the range between the yacht with the
antenna mounted on a 9 m (30 ft) mast and the
handheld user increases to 13–16 km (8–10
miles).

Page 25

5.3 Frequency of Channels

In the UK channels 0 and 00 will only be made available to Coastguard users with written
authorisation.

Page 26 E02066 Issue 4.0

5.4 Troubleshooting

Symptom Possible Cause Remedy

Unit will not switch on * Battery not charged * Re-charge battery

* Battery not secured correctly * Ensure battery is fully

in radio locked in (see section 3.1)

Scan or Memory Scan is * Noise on the channel is * Increase squelch level
locking on a channel holding the scan * Inhibit channel from scan
without a signal - 200/250 (see section 2.3)

Dual Watch not being * Priority channel selected * Select a working channel
entered (normally CH16)

Cannot change channel * Dual Watch (D/W) engaged * Exit Dual Watch
Certain channel numbers * Some channels are restricted * Consult your national

are not obtainable and programmed out depend- authority for permitted

ing on country of purchase channels in your region

Will not transmit * Scanning or D/W function active * Exit D/W or Scan
Will not transmit on 5W * Low voltage when full transmit- * Battery charge low -

but OK on 1W ting current is drawn recharge the battery

* Some channels are restricted to * Consult your national

low power transmission only authority

Transmissions persistently * Damaged antenna * Replace antenna
weak

These simple checks should be carried out before seeking technical assistance and may save time
and expense.

Before contacting your servicing agent please obtain the radio’s serial number . On 200 & 250 mod­els the software iteration should also be quoted. This is shown in the large digits on the display
for 2 seconds after the radio is turned on.

5.5 Service & Warranty

Your radio should seldom need servicing, although it will benefit from an application of silicone
or Teflon grease to the battery contacts and accessory socket each season. If it is necessary to have
the unit repaired, the warranty card supplied with the unit should have been filled in and sent to
Simrad when the unit was purchased. Please refer to the Warranty Card booklet for more details.

IMPORTANT – The radio is a sealed waterproof unit. To create and maintain its waterproof
integrity it was assembled in a controlled environment using special equipment. The radio is
not a user maintainable unit, and UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should the unit be opened,
except by authorised Simrad Service Agents. Unauthorised opening of the unit will invalidate
the warranty.

MAXIMIZING YOUR PERFORMANCE AT SEA

www.simrad.com