Uniden MHS550 User Manual
A World Without Wires
MHS550
®
UNIDEN
MARINE
2-WAY
VHF RADIO
MHS550
OWNER’S MANUAL
Making a Distress Call
For future reference, write your boat’s name & call sign here:
Speak slowly -- clearly -- calmly.
Make sure your radio is on.
1.
Press the 16/9-TRI button to switch to Channel 16
2.
(156.8 MHz). (If the corner of the display does not
show 16, press the 16/9-TRI button again until it does.)
Press the PUSH TO TALK button and say,
3.
“MAYDAY --MAYDAY-- MAYDAY.”
Say, “THIS IS {name or call sign of your boat}.”
4.
Say, “MAYDAY{name or call sign of your boat}.”
5.
Tell where you are (what navigational aids or landmarks are near, or give your position from a GPS).
State the nature of your distress (e.g. sinking, medical
6.
emergency, man overboard, re, adrift, etc.).
Give the number of persons aboard and describe the
7.
condition of any injured persons.
Estimate present seaworthiness of your ship (e.g.
8.
how immediate is the danger due to ooding or re or
proximity to shore).
Briey describe your ship (length, type, color, hull).
9.
Say, “I WILL BE LISTENING ON CHANNEL 16.”
10.
End message by saying,
11.
“THIS IS {name or call sign of your boat} OVER.”
Release the PUSH TO TALK button and listen for a
12.
response.
If you do not get an answer after 30 seconds,
repeat your call, beginning at step 3, above.
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
Table of Contents
Making a Distress Call ..................................... inside front cover
Introduction ....................................................................................4
Features.......................................................................................4
Manual conventions .....................................................................5
Getting Started ...............................................................................5
What’s included ...........................................................................5
Parts of the MHS550 ...................................................................6
Front view ...............................................................................6
Back view ...............................................................................8
Parts of the charger ................................................................9
Using the menus ..........................................................................9
How It Works ................................................................................10
Normal mode operation .............................................................11
Normal mode with Weather Alert Watch ...............................11
Normal mode with Triple Watch or Dual Watch ....................12
Both Weather Alert and Triple/Dual Watch in normal mode .12
Scan mode operation.................................................................13
Using the radio in scan mode ..............................................13
Scan mode with Weather Alert Watch ..................................14
Scan mode with Triple Watch or Dual Watch .......................14
Both Weather Alert and Triple/Dual Watch in scan mode .....15
Weather mode ...........................................................................15
Using the radio in weather mode ..........................................15
Weather mode with Weather Alert Watch .............................16
Weather mode with Triple Watch or Dual Watch ..................16
Setting Up the Hardware .............................................................17
Installing the battery...................................................................17
Using the alkaline battery case .............................................18
Attaching the belt clip.................................................................19
Mounting the charger ................................................................20
Mounting on a at surface ....................................................20
Mounting on a wall ................................................................20
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
1
Using the Radio (General Operation) ........................................21
Setting the volume .....................................................................21
Setting the squelch level ............................................................21
Changing the channel ................................................................21
Contrast .....................................................................................22
Lamp adjust ...............................................................................22
Turning the key beep on and off ................................................22
Using the external speaker/mic jack .........................................23
Using the Marine VHF Band .......................................................23
Reading the marine band screen ..............................................23
Marine band status messages ...................................................24
Marine VHF band menu options ................................................24
Making a transmission ...............................................................25
Boosting the transmission power ..........................................26
Choosing Triple Watch or Dual Watch .......................................27
Setting the UIC channel mode (USA/CAN/INT).........................27
Changing channel names ..........................................................27
Using FIPS codes for weather alerts .........................................28
Using the Family Radio Service (FRS) Band ............................30
Reading the FRS band screen ..................................................30
FRS band status messages.......................................................30
FRS band menu options ............................................................31
Setting CTCSS privacy codes ...................................................31
Using the AM Band ......................................................................33
Reading the AM band screen ....................................................33
AM band menu reference ..........................................................34
Using the FM Band ......................................................................34
Reading the FM band screen ....................................................35
FM band menu options ..............................................................35
Using the Aircraft Band ..............................................................36
Reading the aircraft band screen ..............................................36
Aircraft band menu options ........................................................37
Maintenance and Troubleshooting ............................................37
Common questions ....................................................................38
2
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
Specications ..............................................................................39
General Specications ...............................................................39
Receiver Specications .............................................................40
Transmitter Specications .........................................................41
Channels and Frequencies ........................................................42
US channel frequencies and names .....................................42
Canadian channel frequencies and names ..........................43
International channel frequencies and names ......................45
Weather channel frequencies ...............................................46
FRS channel frequencies .....................................................46
FRS privacy codes (CTCSS and DSC codes) ...........................46
CEA2009-SAME event codes....................................................48
Regulations and Safety Warnings .............................................50
Maritime radio services operation ..............................................50
Basic radio guidelines ................................................................50
FCC/Industry Canada information .............................................51
FCC RF exposure information ...................................................51
Lithium ion battery warning ........................................................52
Three Year Limited Warranty Statement....................................52
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
3
Introduction
Features
The MHS550 provides the following key features:
Submersible design
•
Complies with JIS8 water-resistant standards, which
means the radio can be submerged in 1.5 meters of
water for 30 minutes without damage.
Family Radio Service (FRS) band with privacy codes
•
Provides 2-way communication using the 14 FRS
channels, and Continuous Tone Coded Squelch
System/Digital Squelch Control (CTCSS/DSC) privacy
codes reduce interference from nearby FRS units.
Standard AM and FM broadcast bands
•
Aircraft broadcast reception (108-137MHz)
•
Lets you monitor aircraft-to-ground transmissions.
Memory scan mode
•
Lets you save channels to memory and monitor them in
quick succession.
Transmitter power level select
•
Lets you boost the transmitter power from 1 Watt to 2.5
or 5 Watts for added transmission distance.
Battery level display and low battery alert.
•
Triple or dual watch operation
•
Checks the Coast Guard Distress/Hailing channels 16
and 9 in the background.
All marine VHF channels for the U.S., Canada, and
•
international waters
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
•
(NOAA) weather channel watch
Sounds a warning tone when a hazard alert is issued
for your area.
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Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
Manual conventions
MHS550
Radio
Charger
(RSC550)
DC Adapter
(DC550)
AC Adapter
(AD-0007)
Lithium Ion
Battery
(BP550)
Alkaline
Battery Case
(BT550)
(batteries not
included)
Belt Clip
(CLIP550)
Wrist Strap
Mounting Hardware
MHS550
Radio
Charger
(RSC550)
DC Adapter
(DC550)
AC Adapter
(AD-0007)
Lithium Ion
Battery
(BP550)
Alkaline
Battery Case
(BT550)
(batteries not
included)
Belt Clip
(CLIP550)
Wrist Strap
Mounting Hardware
This manual uses several different type styles to help you
distinguish between different parts of the radio:
BOLD SMALL CAPITALS indicates an actual button or
•
knob on the radio.
Italics indicate text on the display, such as menu
•
options, prompts, and conrmation messages.
Getting Started
What’s included
If any pieces are missing or damaged, contact Uniden (see
back cover for contact information).
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
5
Parts of the MHS550
Antenna
LCD
display
BAND-1/2.5/5W
button
CHANNEL UP &
DOWN buttons
VOLUME-POWER
knob
(Turn clockwise
to increase
volume.)
Microphone
16/9-TRI
(triple/dual
watch)
button
WX-ALERT
(weatheralert) button
SCAN-MEM
(scanmemory)
button
MENU button
SQUELCH knob
(Turn clockwise
to decrease
channel noise.)
ENTER button
PUSH TO
TALK
button
Speaker
Jack for
external
microphone
or speaker
Wrist strap
anchor
Antenna
LCD
display
BAND-1/2.5/5W
button
CHANNEL UP &
DOWN buttons
VOLUME-POWER
knob
(Turn clockwise
to increase
volume.)
Microphone
16/9-TRI
(triple/dual
watch)
button
WX-ALERT
(weatheralert) button
SCAN-MEM
(scanmemory)
button
MENU button
SQUELCH knob
(Turn clockwise
to decrease
channel noise.)
ENTER button
PUSH TO
TALK
button
Speaker
Jack for
external
microphone
or speaker
Wrist strap
anchor
Front view
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Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
BUTTON
PUSH-TO TALK
16/9-TRI
MENU
ENTER
CHANNEL UP
CHANNEL
DOWN
WX-ALERT
SCAN-MEM
BAND-1/2.5/5W
Press to... Press and hold to...
Transmit on a channel.
Note: You cannot transmit while the radio is in
st
1
press: Go to Channel 16.
2nd press: Go to Channel 9.
3rd press: Go back to the
original channel.
the charger.
Turn on Triple Watch or
Dual Watch mode (see
page 27).
Display the radio menu.
Choose an option on a menu.
Move up one channel at a time
or move up one option at a
time in a menu screen.
Move down one channel at a
time or move down one option
at a time in a menu screen.
Listen to the current weather
conditions in your area.
Start scanning the channels
saved in memory.
Cycle through the radio bands:
marine/VHF, FRS, AM, FM,
and aircraft band
Move quickly up the
channels.
Move quickly down the
channels.
Monitor weather channels for alerts (any area).
Save a channel into
memory or remove a
channel from memory.
Change the transmit
power (see page 26)
KNOB
VOLUMEPOWER
SQUELCH
Turn clockwise to...: Turn counter-clockwise to...:
Turn on the radio or
increase the volume.
Raise the squelch level
to reduce channel noise.
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
Decrease the volume or turn off
the radio.
Lower the squelch level to hear
weaker signals.
7
Back view
(BACKLIGHT/
KEY LOCK)
button
PUSH TO TALK
button
Battery latch
Belt clip
Battery
charging
contacts
(BACKLIGHT/
KEY LOCK)
button
PUSH TO TALK
button
Battery latch
Belt clip
Battery
charging
contacts
BUTTON
PUSH-TO TALK
BACKLIGHT/
KEY LOCK
8
Press to... Press and hold to...
Transmit on a channel. Note:
You cannot transmit while
the radio is in the charger.
Turn on the LCD and
keypad backlight.
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
Lock and unlock the keypad.
Parts of the charger
DC 12V-13.8V
input jack
charge
LED
charging
latch
Screw holes
for wall
mounting
Screw
holes for
flat surface
mounting
DC 12V-13.8V
input jack
charge
LED
charging
latch
Screw holes
for wall
mounting
Screw
holes for
flat surface
mounting
Lights while the battery is charging and turns off when
CHARGE LED
the battery is fully charged. (If a fully charged battery
is placed in the cradle, the LED does not light.)
Power input jack
(DC 12V-13.8V)
Use ONLY the AC or DC adapter that came with your
radio! The DC adapter must connect to a 12-13.8V
power supply with a negative ground.
Using the menus
Here are some general hints on operating the MHS550
menu screens. The specic screens and menu options are
different for each radio band. For details, see the operation
instructions for each radio band starting on page 23.
The current item is highlighted in reversed out text.
•
Use the CHANNEL UP button to move up a line in the
•
menu.
Use the CHANNEL DOWN button to move down a line in
•
the menu.
Press the ENTER button to choose the selected item.
•
Select Exit to close the menu.
•
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
9
How It Works
The MHS550 radio has three main operation modes, normal
mode, scan mode, and weather mode.
Mode What it does
Monitors a single chanNormal
mode
nel. In marine and FRS
bands, it allows you to
talk on that channel, too.
Scan
mode
Weather
mode
Monitors all the channels
you save into memory
Monitor the selected
NOAA weather channel.
Use it when you
want to...:
Monitor a channel or
talk to another radio.
Check a small group
of regularly-used
channels for trafc
You want to hear the
current or forecasted
weather in your area
To turn it
on/off
(default
mode for
each radio
band)
Press SCAN-
MEM.
Press WX-
ALERT.
In addition to the three operation modes, the MHS550
provides three different watch modes which you can activate
during any operation mode. In the watch modes, the radio
briey checks for activity on a specic channel, then returns
to its previous operation.
Watch mode What it does To turn it on/off
Weather Alert
Watch
Triple Watch
Checks the last-used
weather channel for hazard
alerts every 7 seconds
Checks channels 16 and 9
for activity every 2 seconds
Press and hold WX-ALERT
for 2 seconds
Press and hold 16/9-TRI for
two seconds
Change Triple Watch to
Dual Watch
Checks channel 16 for
activity every 2 seconds
Dual Watch in the menu,
then press and hold 16/9-
TRI for 2 seconds
Note: Private boats must monitor channel 16 whenever they are underway. Water-going vessels should
have either Triple Watch or Dual Watch on at all times.
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Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
Normal mode operation
wx
WX-ALERT on:
Every 7 seconds, the
radio checks the last-
used weather channel.
Monitoring Channel 25
wx
WX-ALERT on:
Every 7 seconds, the
radio checks the last-
used weather channel.
Monitoring Channel 25
Press the CHANNEL UP button to move up one channel
•
at a time. Press and hold the button to scroll quickly up
the channels.
Press the CHANNEL DOWN button to move down one
•
channel at a time. Press and hold the button to scroll
quickly down the channels.
You can listen to all of the available radio bands. You
•
can transmit on FRS channels and most marine VHF
channels.
To transmit, press and hold the PUSH TO TALK button
•
to transmit. Release the button when you nish talking.
For the best sound quality, hold the microphone about
•
two inches from your mouth while you’re talking.
To change the transmit power, press and hold the
•
BAND-1/2.5/5W button for about 2 seconds. The radio
switches to the next transmit power each time you
press and hold the BAND-1/2.5/5W button.
Normal mode with Weather Alert Watch
If you activate Weather Alert Watch while operating in normal
mode, the radio checks the most recently-used weather
channel every seven seconds. If it detects a weather alert for
your area, it will switch to the last-used weather channel. (If
you are actively transmitting, the radio waits until you nish
your transmission before checking the weather channel.
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
11
Normal mode with Triple Watch or Dual Watch
09
16
09
16
09
16
Triple Watch on:
Every 2 seconds, the radio checks channels 9 & 16.
Monitoring Channel 25
09
16
09
16
09
16
Triple Watch on:
Every 2 seconds, the radio checks channels 9 & 16.
Monitoring Channel 25
wx
Every 7 seconds, the
radio checks the last-
used weather channel.
WX Alert Watch
09
16
09
16
09
16
Every 2 seconds, the radio
checks channels 9 & 16.
Triple Watch
Monitoring Channel 25
wx
Every 7 seconds, the
radio checks the last-
used weather channel.
WX Alert Watch
09
16
09
16
09
16
Every 2 seconds, the radio
checks channels 9 & 16.
Triple Watch
Monitoring Channel 25
If you activate Triple Watch while operating in normal mode,
the radio checks channels 16 and 9 every two seconds; with
Dual Watch turned on, the radio only checks channel 16. The
radio will not check channels 16 or 9 while you are actively
transmitting; it waits until your transmission is nished and
then checks the channels.
Both Weather Alert and Triple/Dual Watch in normal mode
You can activate Weather Alert Watch and Triple/Dual Watch
at the same time. The radio performs both checks at their
scheduled time:
12
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
Scan mode operation
11
1008 1312
The radio scans about
5 channels in 0.5 seconds.
When it detects a signal, the radio
stays on the channel until you press the
CHANNEL UP button or the signal stops.
14
17
15
20
Resume scan
11
1008 1312
The radio scans about
5 channels in 0.5 seconds.
When it detects a signal, the radio
stays on the channel until you press the
CHANNEL UP button or the signal stops.
14
17
15
20
Resume scan
You can save channels into memory and then use scan
mode to monitor those channels from lowest to highest. If the
radio detects a signal on a channel, it stays on that channel
as long as the signal is received; when the signal stops, the
radio continues scanning.
Using the radio in scan mode
To activate scan mode, press SCAN-MEM.
•
You cannot transmit while in scan mode.
•
You must have at least two channels in memory to start
•
a scan.
To save a channel into memory, select the channel,
•
then press and hold the SCAN-MEM button for two
seconds. Memory shows on the display whenever you
tune to that channel.
To remove a channel from memory, set the radio to that
•
channel, then press and hold the SCAN-MEM button for
two seconds. Memory no longer shows on the display.
When the radio stays on a channel, press CHANNEL UP
•
to leave that channel and resume scanning.
To end the scan, press the SCAN-MEM button again;
•
the radio remains on the last scanned channel.
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
13
Scan mode with Weather Alert Watch
Every 7 seconds, the
radio checks the
last-used weather
channel, then scans
the next channel.
wx
WX Alert Watch on
Memory Channel Scan
08 252417151413121110 20
Every 7 seconds, the
radio checks the
last-used weather
channel, then scans
the next channel.
wx
WX Alert Watch on
Memory Channel Scan
08 252417151413121110 20
09 16
Every 2 seconds,
the radio checks
channels 9 & 16,
then scans the
next channel.
Triple Watch on
Memory Channel Scan
08 252417151413121110 20
09 16
Every 2 seconds,
the radio checks
channels 9 & 16,
then scans the
next channel.
Triple Watch on
Memory Channel Scan
08 252417151413121110 20
If you activate Weather Alert Watch while in scan mode, the
radio checks the most recently-used weather channel every
seven seconds, then continues scanning the next channel in
memory:
Scan mode with Triple Watch or Dual Watch
If you activate Triple Watch while operating in scan mode,
the radio checks channels 16 and 9 every two seconds, then
goes on to scan the next channel; with Dual Watch turned
on, the radio only checks channel 16:
14
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
Both Weather Alert and Triple/Dual Watch in scan mode
09 16
Every 2 seconds,
the radio checks
channels 9 & 16,
then scans the
next channel.
Triple Watch on
Every 7 seconds, the
radio checks the
last-used weather
channel, then scans
the next channel.
wx
WX Alert Watch on
Memory Channel Scan
08 252417151413121110 20
09 16
Every 2 seconds,
the radio checks
channels 9 & 16,
then scans the
next channel.
Triple Watch on
Every 7 seconds, the
radio checks the
last-used weather
channel, then scans
the next channel.
wx
WX Alert Watch on
Memory Channel Scan
08 252417151413121110 20
You can activate Weather Alert Watch and Triple/Dual Watch
at the same time. The radio performs both checks at their
scheduled time:
Weather mode
The NOAA weather channels now cooperate with the FCC to
alert you of other hazards besides weather (child abduction
alerts, nuclear, biological, etc.). In weather mode, the radio
monitors one of the ten NOAA weather channels. If any type
of alert is received for your area, the radio sounds an alert
tone and displays the type of alert.
Using the radio in weather mode
You cannot transmit while in weather mode.
•
To enter weather mode, press the WX-ALERT button.
•
Weather mode can lter out alerts that do not affect
•
your location if the location code (FIPS code) of the
alert is entered in your radio (see page 28). If you have
no FIPS codes programmed into your radio, the radio
will notify you of all alerts in any area.
To turn off the radio’s alert tone, press any button.
•
To cancel weather mode and return to the previous
•
marine channel, press the WX-ALERT button again.
Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
15
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