Uniden MHS550 User Manual

Maritime Radio Services Operation

Warning! This transmitter operates on channels/frequencies

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 (1-888-225-5322).

For individuals requiring a license, such as commercial
users, you should obtain a license application from your

nearest FCC eld ofce (for US users) or Industry Canada

(for Canadian users).

FCC/Industry Canada Information

Certication FCC Part 80 or RSS-182/188

Transmitter Frequency Range - VHF: 156.025 to 157.425
MHz; FRS: 462.5625-467.7125 MHz

This device complies with Part 80 of the FCC Rules, as
well as Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject

to the condition that this device does not cause harmful
interference.

Unauthorized changes or modications to this equipment

may void compliance with the FCC Rules. Any change

or modication must be approved in writing by Uniden.
Changes or modications not approved by Uniden could void

the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

2

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Table of Contents

Maritime Radio Services Operation .............................................2

FCC/Industry Canada Information ...............................................2

A Quick Start Guide for the MHS550 ...........................................6

Marine Band ..............................................................................6

FRS Band ..................................................................................7

Weather Band ...........................................................................8

AM Band ...................................................................................8

FM Band ....................................................................................9

Aircraft Band .............................................................................9

Scanning Introduction ...............................................................10

Normal ....................................................................................10

TripleWatch ............................................................................ 11

FCC RF Exposure Information .................................................. 12

Lithium Ion Battery Pack Warning ............................................ 13

What’s Included .......................................................................... 14

Introduction .................................................................................15

Features........................................................................................15

MHS550 Controls ........................................................................ 17

Radio Charger Cradle................................................................. 20

LCD Displays ..............................................................................21

VHF Marine Band ...................................................................21

Family Radio Service (FRS) Band ......................................... 21

AM Band ................................................................................21

FM Band .................................................................................22

Aircraft Band ..........................................................................22

Indicator Meanings ......................................................................22

Owner’s Manual Conventions ....................................................23

Indicator Sounds .........................................................................24

Batteries .......................................................................................24

Installing the Lithium Ion Battery Pack ....................................25

3Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Using the Alkaline Battery Pack ..............................................25

Battery Life and Indication ......................................................26

Alkaline Batteries and Radio Performance .............................27

Mounting the Charging Cradle ...................................................27

To Mount the Cradle on a Counter Top ...................................27

Mounting on a Wall .................................................................27

Attaching the Belt Clip ................................................................28

Basic Operation, Controls, and Settup Options .......................29

Operation - Marine and Weather Bands ....................................29

Selecting a Channel ................................................................

Setting the Transmitting Power Level ......................................

Transmitting

Operation - Family Radio Service Band ....................................32

Operation - AM Band ..................................................................32

Operation - FM Band ...................................................................33

Operation - Aircraft Band ............................................................33

Using the Radio Menu Options ..................................................34

Accessing the Menus ..................................................................35

USA/CAN/INT (U.I.C.) .............................................................

Lamp (Backlight) Adjust ..........................................................

Adjusting Display Contrast ......................................................37

Setting Dual or TripleWatch (Tri Watch) ..................................37

Setting the Key Beep ..............................................................38

Adding FIPS Codes .................................................................

Changing Channel Names ......................................................

Restoring Default Names ........................................................40

Setting CTCSS Codes ............................................................

Setting Frequency Steps .........................................................

AM Band

FM Band ..............................................................................

Setting FM Muting ...................................................................

.............................................................................31

.............................................................................. 43

30

30

35

36

38

40

41

43

43

44

4

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Other Options ..............................................................................44

Setting the Key Lock ...............................................................

Manually Selecting

Coast Guard/Distress/Hailing Channels ..................................45

Storing a Channel or Frequency in Memory ...........................

Selecting and Using the

Weather Channel and Weather Alert (WX/ALERT) ...................47

Using the TripleWatch or DualWatch Mode ............................

Scanning - the Basics and Beyond............................................49

Normal Scanning .....................................................................51

TripleWatch and DualWatch Scanning ....................................52

Both Watches and Weather Channel ......................................

Scanning (Memory Preset Station Tuning) in the

AM, FM, and Aircraft Bands ....................................................54

Examples of Mode Applications ................................................55

Accessory Options - Using the External

Speaker/Mic Jack ..................................................................55

Care and Maintenance ................................................................56

Troubleshooting ..........................................................................56

Reference Section .......................................................................58

Specications ........................................................................58

USA Channel Frequencies ..................................................60

Canadian Channel Frequencies ..........................................62

International Channel Frequencies ....................................64

NOAA Channels and Frequencies .......................................66

FRS Channels and Frequencies ..........................................66

CTCSS Channels and Frequencies .....................................66

DCS Codes .............................................................................66

Three Year Limited Warranty ......................................................67

44

46

48

53

5Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

A Quick Start Guide for the MHS550

A

01 A V T S/C om

03 A C G On ly

05 A V T S/C om

06 S a fet y

88 A C o mme rc

88 M a r Op r

87 M a r O pr

Me m or y

A

01 A V T S/C om

03 A C G On ly

05 A V T S/C om

06 S a fet y

88 A C o mme rc

88 M a r Op r

87 M a r O pr

Me m or y

Follow these steps to get going!

Marine Band

Rotate VOLUME until the display lights. The Power

1.
On tone sounds. The default display starts with the
VHF Marine Band and displays USA Channel 16, at a
5 watt power level, and DISTRESS is displayed in the
LCD message line area.

Press ▲ or ▼ to change channels. The marine

2.
channels begin with 01 in Canada and 01A in the
USA, and continue in a closed loop, through 88A in
the USA and 88 in Canada.

6

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Before you transmit, press and hold BAND/1/2.5/5W

BANDBAND

3.

to select a power level. Then press ▲ or ▼ to select

a channel.

Press PTT (the Push To Talk button) on the side of

4.
the radio to transmit. Release to stop transmitting.

To change bands, follow these steps.

FRS Band

Briey press BAND/1/2.5/5W. The radio changes to

1.
the FRS Band.

Use ▲ or ▼ to select one of the 14 FRS channels.

2.

You can choose to leave the CTCSS coding disabled

3.
(default) in which case OFF appears to the right of the
channel selected. Or, you can press MENU to select
and activate a CTCSS code for the chosen channel.
See Using the Menu options for the FRS Band on
Page 35.

Note: Selecting and assigning one of the 142 Privacy

Codes (CTCSS/DCS) to the operating FRS channel
lets you and another radio communicate without
interference from others in your area who might being
using the identical FRS channel. Without enabling the
CTCSS code feature, you and others in your group
might also hear everyone else in the area on that
same channel.

7Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

To transmit, press PTT. TRANSMITTING appears in

4.
the message line of the LCD screen.

Note: Do not press PTT and turn on power at the

same time. The radio sounds the PTT error tone and

RELEASE PTT appears in the LCD message line.
See Page 35 to select various menu options for this

band using the FRS MENU screen.

Weather Band

Press WX/ALERT to

1.
switch to the weather
channels. Ten channels
are designated as
weather channels.
All carry the same
information. One
will provide the best
reception for your particular area.

Use ▲ or ▼ to cycle through the ten channels until

2.
you locate the one with the best reception.

Press WX/ALERT again to return to the band in use

3.
prior to switching to the weather channels.

AM Band

1. Briey press BAND/
1/2.5/5W to change

to the AM Broadcast
band. The default LCD
screen shows the
frequency, the USA
frequency step setting
and the power level
icon.

2. Press either ▲ or ▼ to change frequency by 10KHz

8

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

(500, 510, 520 KHz, etc) until you reach the desired

station. In Europe, the step is 9kHz.

Note: See Page 35 to select various menu options for
this band using the AM MENU screen.

FM Band

Briey press BAND/1/

1.

2.5/5W to change to the
FM Broadcast band.
The default LCD screen
shows the frequency,
the USA frequency step
setting and the power
level icon.

Press either ▲ or ▼ to change frequency by 200KHz

2.
(87.9, 88.1, 88.3 MHz etc) until you reach the desired
station.

Note: See Page 35 to select various menu options for
this band using the FM MENU screen.

Aircraft Band

Briey press BAND/1/

1.

2.5/5W to change to the
Aircraft (commercial)
band. The default LCD
screen shows the
frequency, and the power
level icon.

Press either ▲ or ▼ to change frequency by 25KHz

2.
(108.00, 108.025, 108.050 MHz etc) until you reach
the desired frequency.

9Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Scanning Introduction

Channel Scan of 8 Channels Stored in Memory

CH 21A CH 22A CH 64A CH 80ACH 79ACH 07A CH 08 CH 10

Channel Scan of 8 Channels Stored in Memory

CH 21A CH 22A CH 64A CH 80ACH 79ACH 07A CH 08 CH 10

There are three types of VHF marine scanning choices
that you can select: Normal, DualWatch, and TripleWatch.
Normal and TripleWatch scanning are described below. For
additional details regarding the various scanning modes, see
Page 49.

Normal

Normal Scanning lets you scan all the channels you store
in memory. This means the radio checks each channel in
memory then moves to the next channel if no activity is

found. If activity is found, the radio stops so you can monitor

the channel.
To activate Normal Scan mode, momentarily press SCAN/

MEM. The radio scans all the channels stored in memory
from lowest to highest. The display shows CHANNEL SCAN
in the VHF marine band at the bottom. For the other bands,
the Scan icon appears in the display.

When you scan those channels, each channel is checked in

order and the scan sequence repeats until you interrupt it.

10

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

TripleWatch

16

25

2 sec

immediateimmediate

09

TripleWatch of Marine Ch. 25,

16

25

2 sec

immediateimmediate

09

TripleWatch of Marine Ch. 25,

Using the MARINE MENU option choices (see Page 35),
you can choose to have the radio monitor a working channel

(in this example, Channel 25,) and Channel 16, the safety

and hailing channel, and Channel 9, the backup hailing, and

calling channel. Although this feature is called TripleWatch,
the LCD only shows TRIWATCH due to character count
limitations.

When you press and hold 16/9/TRI, the radio monitors

according to the sequence shown. In the illustration, the
radio is set to marine Channel 25 (the working channel) and

TripleWatch has been selected from the MARINE MENU.
To learn about details dealing with General Setup, Battery

Operation and Charging, Menu Options, Storing Channels,

Scanning Channels as well as Memorized Station Preset

operations for the other bands, in addition to using the
special features of either Triple or DualWatch, consult the

Table of Contents which immediately precedes these Quick

Start pages.

11Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

FCC RF Exposure Information

WARNING! Read this information before using the radio

In August 1996 the Federal Communications Commission

(FCC) of the United States with its action in Report and
Order FCC 96-326 adopted an updated safety standard for
human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic energy
emitted by FCC regulated transmitters. Those guidelines
are consistent with the safety standard previously set by
both U.S. and international standards bodies. The design
of the radio complies with the FCC guidelines and these
international standards.

Never allow children to operate the radio without adult

supervision and the knowledge of the following guidelines.
WARNING! It is up to the user to properly operate this radio

transmitter to insure safe operation. Please adhere to the

following:
Use only the supplied or an approved antenna. Unauthorized

antennas, modications, or attachments could impair call

quality, damage the radio, or result in violation of FCC
regulations.

Do not use the radio with a damaged antenna. If a damaged
antenna comes into contact with the skin, a minor burn may
result. Please contact your local dealer for a replacement

antenna.
Body-worn Operation — This device was tested for

typical body-worn operations using the supplied belt-clip. To
maintain compliance with FCC RF exposure requirements,
body-worn operations are restricted to the supplied belt­clip. For hand-held operation, the radio should be held 1
inch from the user’s face. The use of accessories that do
not satisfy these requirements may not comply with FCC RF
exposure requirements and should be avoided. For more
information about RF exposure, please visit the FCC website
at www.fcc.gov

12

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Lithium Ion Battery Pack Warning

This equipment contains a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery.
The rechargeable Lithium Ion battery contained in this

equipment may explode if disposed of in a re.
Do not short-circuit the Battery Pack.
Do not charge the rechargeable Lithium Ion battery used in

this equipment in any charger other than the one designed

to charge this battery as specied in the owner’s manual.

Using another charger may damage the battery or cause the

Battery Pack to explode.

Lithium Ion batteries must be recycled or disposed of
properly.

Avoid exposing the Lithium Ion battery, attached or

unattached to the radio, in direct sunlight, heated cars, or in
areas with temperatures below -4°F (-20°C) or above +140°F
(+60°C). Exposing the chemical contained within the battery

pack to temperatures above +140°F (+60°C) may cause the

battery to rupture, fail, or reduce performance.

In case of exposure to the cell contents, wash the affected
area thoroughly, and seek medical attention.

13Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

MHS550 Radio

Wrist Strap

Alkaline Battery Case

(batteries not included)

Lithium Ion

Battery Pack

Mounting

Hardware

What’s Included

DC Adapter

DC550

Belt Clip

CLIP550

AC Adapter

AC550

BP550

Charging Cradle

RSC550

BT550

Accessory ID
numbers such as
are provided to help you
order replacements
should that be neccessary.

CLIP550

Owners Manuals and

Other Printed Materials

O

WNERS

MAN

U

AL

O

WNERS

MAN

U

AL

MHS550 Radio

Wrist Strap

Alkaline Battery Case

(batteries not included)

Lithium Ion

Battery Pack

Mounting

Hardware

What’s Included

DC Adapter

DC550

Belt Clip

CLIP550

AC Adapter

AC550

BP550

Charging Cradle

RSC550

BT550

Accessory ID
numbers such as
are provided to help you
order replacements
should that be neccessary.

CLIP550

Owners Manuals and

Other Printed Materials

O

WNERS

MAN

U

AL

O

WNERS

MAN

U

AL

If any of these items are missing from the box, contact

Uniden or call 1-800-554-3988.

14

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Introduction

Your Uniden MHS550 represents the latest in marine radio

technology in a conveniently sized and rugged package. It

has features you’ll come to count on for day in and day out
use. The product combines size, value, and fully featured

performance that makes it a good choice for an all around

marine communications radio.

Features

The MHS550 brings the following key features to make

marine radio useful and easy:

Complete Marine VHF channels (USA-1A to 88A) for
the U.S., Canada, and International waters — let you

communicate with standard marine radio operators.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) Weather channels — let you listen to the local

weather conditions and be forewarned of dangerous
conditons.

NOAA Weather Alert — provides a siren tone warning of a
serious impending weather event and emergency weather
warnings, broadcast by NOAA.

Emergency CH 16 (Coast Guard/Distress Hailing) and
CH9 (Calling/Hail Secondary) operation

Family Radio Service Band (FRS) with CTCSS/DSC
(Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System/Digital
Squelch Control) Privacy encoding — Provides you with

2-way communication using 14 channels
to help interference from nearby FRS units.

Standard AM Broadcast Band (500-1800 KHz) —Lets
you listen to news, music, sports, and other programming.
enjoyment anywhere.

plus Privacy Codes

15Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Standard FM Broadcast Band (87.5-108 MHz) — Lets you
enjoy your favorite broadcast programming.

Aircraft Broadcast Reception (108-137MHz) — Lets you
listen in on aircraft to ground transmissions.

Triple and DualWatch Operation — In TripleWatch
operation, the radio monitors the working channel, then 2-

seconds later, the Coast Guard/Distress/Hailing Channel 16

then in another 2-seconds, Channel 9, the backup channel.
In DualWatch, the radio monitors the channel in use (marine

or weather) then 2-seconds later, Channel 16.
Normal Scan — with two or more channels or frequencies

stored in memory, the radio either checks those channels in

rapid succession or lets you use the frequencies as Station

Presets. This also applies to Dual or TripleWatch mode.
Transmitter Power Level Select — lets you select an

output power settings of 1, 2.5, and 5 watts except for certain
restricted channels.

Channel Select Keys — let you easily navigate up and
down the channel list to the desired channel. They also let

you quickly choose all desired Radio Menu options.
Submersible — The radio is JIS7 compliant. This means it

remains watertight if submerged in 1 meter of water for 30
minutes.

Battery Power Level Display and Tone — clearly indicates

ve levels of battery power. Sounds an alert tone when

battery power reaches a level before shutting down.

Battery Save — during specic transmit operations, the

radio powers down to extend battery life.

16

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

MHS55 0

1

1

9

5

6
7
8

10
11

12

19

2

2

4

3

4

13

13

14

15 16

17

17

17

18

3

MHS55 0

1

1

9

5

6
7
8

10
11

12

19

2

2

4

3

4

13

13

14

15 16

17

17

17

18

3

MHS550 ControlsMHS550 Controls

17Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

1. Antenna —Flexible for convenience. Heavy duty covering
to ensure long-term endurance.

2. Watertight Ext. Speaker/Mic Jack — Unscrew the

cap and insert an approved mic/speaker for convenient

operation.

3. Volume-Power ON/OFF Control - Rotate to turn on
power and set volume to a comfortable listening level.

4. Squelch Control — Rotate clockwise to hear strong
signals without noise or static and weak signals with a

minimum level of noise..

5. Wrist Strap Anchor — Thread and loop the supplied wrist
strap to conveniently carry the radio.

6. WX/ALERT — Press briey to change the mode to
Weather Channel reception. Press and hold to activate the

Weather Alert feature.

7. SCAN/MEM — Press to set Normal Channel Scan on or
off. Press and hold to store or remove the current channel

into and out of memory.

8. BAND/1/2.5/5W — Press briey to change bands.
Press and hold to select the output power unless xed by

regulations.

9. 16/9/TRI — Press briey to switch to the Coast Guard/
Distress/Hailing Channel 16 or the secondary Calling Hailing

Channel 9. Press and hold to enable TripleWatch or Dual

Watch monitoring.

10. MENU — Press to display the user-settable menu
options.

11. ENTER — Press to select or store a chosen menu

option.

12. ▲ and ▼ — Press to select channels above or below your
currently selected channel. Press and hold to change channels
rapidly. Press to scroll through a band’s menu selections.

13. Belt Clip —Squeeze and attach to your belt
for convenient carrying.

18

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

14. PTT — Press to transmit.

15. Key Lock ON/OFF — lets you lock the keypad to

prevent accidental changes while powered on. The feature

becomes unlocked when powered off and on again. You
can also quickly disable the feature by pressing and holding
down this key.

16. Backlight — Press briey to activate the Backlight.

17. Battery Connection Area and Battery Recharging
Contacts— Install the supplied Lithium Ion Rechargeable

Battery being sure to position the pack as shown in the

section Batteries. To recharge the installed Lithium Ion
battery, place the MHS550 into the Charger Cradle. The
contacts at the bottom edge of the radio receive the required
voltage and current from the cradle to completely recharge
the battery in about 4 hours.

18. Battery Latch — Lift the latch to remove and replace the

Lithium-Ion battery or to install the Alkaline Battery case.

19. MIC — Speak clearly into the microphone aperture when
transmitting for best results. Position the microphone at least

4 inches from your mouth.

19Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Radio Charger Cradle

21

22

20

21

22

20

20. Front Charging Indicator — Lights during battery

charging and goes off when the battery is fully charged. If a

fully charged battery is placed in the cradle, the LED does

not light and no charging takes place. While you can monitor

incoming calls while the radio is in the charger, do not
attempt to transmit while it is in the cradle.

21. DC Input Jack — Connect the AC adapter then plug the

adapter into a standard 120/240V AC outlet. The DC adapter

connects to a vessel’s 12V socket and this jack.

22. Charging Latch — Holds the radio in place when you in­sert it into the cradle.

20

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

LCD Displays

Memory

Alert

1

2

3

5

4

7

1

A

Memory

Alert

1

2

3

5

4

7

1

A

Locked
Memory

Dual Watch Scan

1

8

9

4

7 6

1

A

11

Locked
Memory

Dual Watch Scan

1

8

9

4

7 6

1

A

11

Locked
Memory Scan

64

1

8

9

10

1

A

Locked
Memory Scan

64

1

8

9

10

1

A

The LCD screen for each band displays the information spe-

cic for that band. Some indications are common to all six
bands. Some screens are condition specic such as a Low

Battery situation.

VHF Marine Band

Family Radio Service (FRS) Band

AM Band

21Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

FM Band

1

A

Locked
Memory Scan

Mute on

1

10

12

9

8

4

6

1

A

Locked
Memory Scan

Mute on

1

10

12

9

8

4

6

1

A

Locked
Memory Scan

1

8

4

6 9

1

A

Locked
Memory Scan

1

8

4

6 9

1

A

Aircraft Band

Indicator Meanings

Band Indication1 — shows which of the 6 bands is

currently selected (VHF, Weather (WX/ALERT), FRS, FM,
AM, and Aircraft)

CHANNEL or Frequency

selected channel number. See the USA, Canadian, and

International channel charts in the back of this manual or for

AM, FM, and Air, the frequency selected.

1 Watt or 2.5 Watts or 5 Watts2 — indicates present

transmit power. Not displayed when receiving weather
frequencies. Not displayed for those channels on which
transmitting is prohibited. The initial setting is 5W.

USA or INT or CAN (UIC)3 — indicates the frequency
band in use for marine operation.

22

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

— shows the currently

Memory4 — displayed when the radio displays a channel

stored in memory.

Alert5— displays when weather alert is enabled.
Scan6— displays when you enable scanning.
TRIWATCH or DUALWATCH7 — displayed in the VHF

Message Line when either mode is active. Displayed
independently in the FRS band.

Locked8 — displayed when the keypad is locked.
Battery Level Icon9 — displays one of ve different

indicators to show the battery power level.

Frequency Step Indication (USA/Europe)10 — shows

the selection of the value of the frequency step between
channels in AM or FM mode.

Message Line7 — depending on the current band or the

selected radio mode, this line can show you the Channel
Name (for the marine band), the MENU options (Setup

Options), or other data specic to the chosen band.

CTCSS Option 11 — Displays OFF when not enabled.
Displays a code number when enabled for the associated
channel.

Muting On12 — appears when you select Muting from the

FM Band option menu. Disappears when you disengage
muting from the menu.

Owner’s Manual Conventions

To indicate a key, button, knob or other physical control, we

print the label in BOLD UPPER CASE. To indicate an LCD
(display) label, option, or selection, we use UPPER or Lower
Case italic labels such as MENU, 5 Seconds, Channel 06.

Occasionally we indicate an option as (default). This means
that the option is set in the manner indicated at the factory

and is the setting when you rst apply power. If you choose

not to alter it, the default is the setting used by the radio.

23Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Indicator Sounds

The radio sounds several tones designed to convey
important information. Become familiar with them to use the
radio more effectively.

Power On — a rapidly rising tone sounds to conrm that

power is applied.

Keypad Touch Single Tone — sounds to conrm you have
pressed a single key

Keypad Touch Double Tone — sounds to conrm you
pressed and held down a key for 2 seconds.

Error Tone — sounds to indicate an invalid key press or op-
eration.

PTT Error Tone — sounds to indicate an invalid press of the
PTT switch.

WX ALERT Tone — a rising and falling tone sounds when a

weather alert is received and decoded.

SAME Tone — sounds a conrmation tone when entering a
FIPS code.

PTT Time Out Tone (PTT Error Tone) — sounds when
your continuous transmitting time exceeds 5 minutes. Also

sounds if you attempt to transmit with low power battery. If
the battery icon continues to blink once you stop pressing the
PTT key, you must recharge/replace the currently installed

battery(s)

Batteries

Your Uniden MHS550 comes equipped with a Lithium Ion
battery which snaps into the back of the radio and secures

with a latch. The battery has a minimal charge when shipped.
Before use, place the radio in the Charging Cradle and

charge the battery for four hours. Note that unlike some other
types of rechargeable batteries, a Lithium Ion battery can be

“topped-off” as needed with no degradation of performance.

24

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Installing the Lithium Ion Battery Pack

Insert Battery Close and Lock LatchInsert Battery Close and Lock Latch

To install the Lithium Ion Battery Pack, insert the

1.
upper contacts on the lower edge of the battery area

on the radio back as shown in the rst illustration.

Lower the pack until it is at in the chamber

2.

Bring the locking latch up and lock it into place to

3.

secure the pack.

Using the Alkaline Battery Pack

The radio is supplied with a battery pack that can hold four
AAA type alkaline batteries (not supplied). For longest useful

life we suggest using an extra strength battery such as
Duracell Ultra ® batteries.

Note: When powering the radio by alkaline batteries,

transmit power is limited to a maximum of 2.5 watts.

To install the four AAA batteries in the alkaline battery pack,

refer to the following steps and illustrations.

Hold the lower part of the pack and with the other

1.

25Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

hand, lift the cover to reveal the contacts in the

Full
Power

Recharge/
Replace

Full
Power

Recharge/
Replace

chamber. Note the polarity markings.

Position the alkaline batteries according to the and

2.

terminals and snap each into place.

Close the cover as shown.

3.

Using alkaline batteries let you continue to use the radio

until you have an opportunity to fully recharge your primary

Lithium Ion Battery pack. Be sure to dispose of the alkaline
batteries properly according to their package information.

Warning - although the design of the case prevents

accidental charging of installed alkaline batteries, for safety,
never attempt to recharge alkaline batteries by defeating the

case design or recharging outside of the case.

Battery Life and Indication

The operational power level of the Lithium-Ion battery pack
or the alkaline battery pack is common to use by each
band. It is important to recognize when the Lithium-Ion pack
needs recharging or when you must replace all the alkaline

batteries.
On each band LCD screen you see one of the following

battery power level icons displayed.

If a level 0 condition occurs, the battery icon ashes, a

‘battery low’ tone sounds repeatedly each second, and
BATTERY LOW appears on the message line.

To cancel this warning, press any key. The ashing icon

continues until you turn off the radio. The message and tone,
however, disappear.

26

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Note: During the time you press PTT to transmit, you may
notice the power level indicator drop to a lower level and
then return to a higher level once you stop transmitting.
This is normal and merely indicates that additional power is
required to transmit compared to that used during reception.

Alkaline Batteries and Radio Performance

If you use alkaline batteries for emergency purposes, note
that the transmitting power output may suffer as the alkaline
batteries become weak and near the end of their useful life.
In such cases, you might not be able to transmit with a full

2.5 watts of power. Replace the batteries with known fresh
batteries to be sure, or switch to a fully charged Lithium Ion
battery pack.

When the appears (Low Battery), or you hear the

Low Battery alert tone sound, be sure to replace all alkaline

batteries in use. Doing so removes any chance of degraded
radio performance and operation that can occur toward the
end of the batteries’ useful life.

Mounting the Charging Cradle

Your MHS550 Li-Ion battery may not be fully charged when
you rst turn on the radio. To facilitate convenient charging

we suggest mounting the charger cradle to either a counter
top or wall. Use the AC Adapter at home and the DC Adapter
on your boat or car.

To Mount the Cradle on a Counter Top

Locate the three holes provided in the ange surrounding
the cradle. Using the holes as a template, mark the surface.

Center punch and drill three holes to accommodate the
provided screws and washers.

Mounting on a Wall

Using the keyholes in the rear of the cradle as a template,
conrm that the area on the wall has solid backing such as

a wooden beam. Then drill holes and use the screws and

27Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

washers provided. Otherwise, select mounting hardware (not

VOL

SQ

VOL

SQ

VOL

SQ

VOL

SQ

Attach

Remove

Step One

Step One

Step Two

Step Two

VOL

SQ

VOL

SQ

VOL

SQ

VOL

SQ

Attach

Remove

Step One

Step One

Step Two

Step Two

supplied) that is appropriate for the mounting material.

On Counter Top Attach to Wall Lock Down

Attaching the Belt Clip

To conveniently carry the radio, attach the provided belt clip
as follows.

Align the clip mounting hole with the mounting post

•

as shown. Place the clip on the post and slide it in the
direction of the arrow until you hear a click.

To remove the clip, rotate the clip so the indentation

•
is toward the bottom of the radio. Move the clip in the
direction of the arrow and lift it off the post.

28

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Basic Operation, Controls, and Settup Options

Each band has settings that are specic to that band and
certain controls as well. To start using your MHS550, nd the

desired band and follow the steps in the section.

Operation - Marine and Weather Bands

Rotate VOLUME until

1.
the display lights and the

Power On tone sounds.

The Uniden splash
screen appears followed
by the normal channel
screen.

Set the volume to

2.
a comfortable listening level. The display shows
Channel 16 (default) in the US marine band, a 5-watt
level and DISTRESS appears on the message line
space at the bottom edge of the screen.

Press ▲ or ▼ to change channels. The marine

3.
channels begin at 01 and continue, in a closed loop,

through 88A. Using either key you can manually

select a channel to use. To cycle rapidly through the

channels, press and hold either ▲ or ▼ for about

one-half second.
Press WX/ALERT to switch to the weather channels.

4.
Ten channels are designated as weather channels. All
carry the same
information. One will
provide the best
reception for your
particular area.

Use ▲ or ▼ to cycle

5.
through the ten channels

29Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

until you locate the one with the best reception.
Press WX/ALERT to return to marine Channels 1 to

6.
88A.

Selecting a Channel

To receive marine transmissions and transmit signals,

1.

select a working channel. When you rst apply power,

the screen displays the default band (Marine USA),
the default power setting (5 Watts), and the battery
power level icon.

To change the channel, press ▲ or ▼. The default

2.
channel names appear next to the channel numbers
along the left border of the screen. To change
(personalize) the channel names, see Page 40.

Setting the Transmitting Power Level

You can select the transmitting power for all channels except

those designated as Receive Only or Low Power Channels

(see the Status column of the Frequency Charts for more
details).

Repeatedly press and hold BAND/1/2.5/5W for about 3

seconds. Each time you press the key, the power output

level changes and the corresponding icon appears on the

display. A rapid double beep sounds to conrm the change.

Note: for those channels designated as 1W maximum, even
though you have set the power level to either 2.5 or 5W,
1W is displayed and used. Channels 13,17,67, and 77 in
the US are an exception. Normally these channels are also
designated for normal operation as 1W channels. However,
in emergency, if you press and hold the PTT switch and at
the same time you momentarily press 1/2.5/5W, the power

level changes from 1 to 5W with the Li-Ion battery or 1 to

2.5W with alkaline batteries installed.

You cannot override the 1W power level setting for

30

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Channels 75 and 76.

Transmitting

To transmit, follow the steps below.

Press ▲ or ▼ to select a channel. The selected

1.
channel number appears on the display along with
the country label, and the selected power setting.

Press the PTT switch. TRANSMITTING appears at

2.
the bottom of the screen and remains displayed as
long as you hold down the PTT switch.

Notes:

You cannot transmit on the weather frequencies. They

•
are designated ‘receive’ only. An error tones sounds when
you press PTT and a weather channel is selected. The

displayed weather channel number ashes, and RELEASE
PTT KEY is displayed to remind you that you cannot

transmit on the selected channel.

You cannot transmit on Channel 70, and 15 in the USA.

•
Channel 70 is reserved for digital data only while channel

15 is reserved for receive only. If you attempt to transmit,

RELEASE PTT KEY appears in the LCD message line.

Do not hold down PTT while turning on the radio. An error

•
tone sounds and the same message appears.

Pressing PTT halts Scanning. For Scanning and the

•
settings for Dual and TripleWatch, see Page 51. If the

channel has no carrier, the rst press of PTT takes the
radio out of scan mode. Press PTT to activate transmitting.

Continuous transmitting is limited to 5 minutes by
regulations. After this time, an error tone sounds and
RELEASE PTT KEY displays. After you release PTT,
pressing PTT again restarts the 5-minute time interval.

31Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Operation - Family Radio Service Band

Fourteen FRS channels are available for transmitting and
receiving use. The transmission/reception range depends on
local terrain, the presence of steel and similar structures as
well as other variables.

Use either ▲ or ▼ to reach one of the 14 available

1.
channels.

Press PTT while holding the radio a few inches from

2.
your mouth. Release PTT to hear the reply.

Note: if you encounter communication interference from
other FRS users in your area, enable the CTCSS encoding.
See Setting CTCSS Codes on Page 41.

Operation - AM Band

The AM Band lets you listen
to standard AM broadcasts
between 500 and 1800 KHz
depending on the chosen
frequency step option. To select
that option, and others, refer to
Accessing the Menus on Page

35.

Press ▲ or ▼ to step to the desired AM station.

1.

Press and hold ▲ or ▼. The stations are selected

2.
rapidly and the radio stops on the next strong station.

32

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Note: AM broadcasts are subject to interference from many
outside sources, as well as weather disturbances. The signal
strength and atmospheric conditions can also play a part in
reception.

Operation - FM Band

Momentarily press

1.
BAND/1/2.5/5W to
switch to the FM band.

Press either ▲ or ▼ to

2.
select a local FM station.

The default (USA) step option
is 200MHz per press of either

the ▲ or ▼ key. To change to 100MHz steps, see Page 43.
If selected, Europe replaces USA in the upper right corner of

the LCD.
Note: Typical FM broadcasts rarely reach more than 30

miles from the transmitter and terrain may also be a factor.

Operation - Aircraft Band

Momentarily press

1.
BAND/1/2.5/5W to
change to the aircraft
band.

Press either ▲ or ▼

2.
to select a channel.

Hold down either key to

change frequencies rapidly.

The default aircraft step option is 25KHz steps per press of

•

either the ▲ or ▼ key.

After holding ▲ for more than a second, if you release it,

•

the radio will scan all frequencies until it nds a signal, and

will stay on that frequency.

33Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Memory channels can be added and deleted as in VHF

•
mode. Press SCAN/MEM to scan those channels in
memory until a channel with signal is reached.

Using the Radio Menu Options

The MHS550 lets you select options that personalize your

use of the radio and makes using it more convenient. Each
band has menu options specic to that band.

To access the menu options for any band, press MENU. The
options for each band are:

Marine Band FRS Band

AM Band FM Band Aircraft Band

34

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Accessing the Menus

Marine

VHF/WX

FRS AM FM Aircraft

USA/CAN/INT CODE

Lamp

Adjust

Lamp

Adjust

Lamp Adjust

Lamp
Adjust

Lamp
Adjust

Contrast Contrast

Contrast Contrast Contrast

FM

Muting

Dual or Tri

Watch

Dual or

Tri

Watch

Tuning

Steps

Tuning

Steps

Key Beep

Key

Beep

Key

Beep

Key

Beep

Key

Beep

FIPS Codes Exit Exit Exit Exit

Channel

Name

Exit

Marine

VHF/WX

FRS AM FM Aircraft

USA/CAN/INT CODE

Lamp

Adjust

Lamp

Adjust

Lamp Adjust

Lamp
Adjust

Lamp
Adjust

Contrast Contrast

Contrast Contrast Contrast

FM

Muting

Dual or Tri

Watch

Dual or

Tri

Watch

Tuning

Steps

Tuning

Steps

Key Beep

Key

Beep

Key

Beep

Key

Beep

Key

Beep

FIPS Codes Exit Exit Exit Exit

Channel

Name

Exit

Int l Mode

USA Mode

Can a dian M ode

U I C CHA N NELS

Exi t

Int l Mode

USA Mode

Can a dian M ode

U I C CHA N NELS

Exi t

To access the menu selections for each band, change to that
band and press MENU. To exit a menu for any band, press
MENU again or use ▲ or ▼ to scroll to EXIT on that menu.
Then press ENTER to return to the previous screen.

Note: if during any of the following operations you fail to

press a key or make a selection in more than 30 seconds,

the radio returns to standard marine mode. Each band has
several menu options in common while other choices are

specic to that band. The option order for each band is:

USA/CAN/INT (U.I.C.)
[Marine Band Only]

The radio is set as a factory default
to the USA channel frequencies. To
change to either Canadian [CAN] or
International [INT] channels follow
these steps.

Press either ▲ or ▼ until you 1.

35Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

highlight USA/CAN/INT.

Al w ays On

Al w ays Off

Ti m er

L AMP ADJU ST

Ex i t

Al w ays On

Al w ays Off

Ti m er

L AMP ADJU ST

Ex i t

Press ENTER.

2.

Press either ▲ or ▼ until the country mode is high-

3.
lighted. Press ENTER to select it.

Scroll to EXIT to exit the menu then press ENTER to

4.
return to radio operation.

Note: the radio remembers the last selection setting you make

when powered down.

Lamp (Backlight) Adjust

[For All Bands]

The backlight that provides convenient illumination of the
keys and the LCD has three settings.

Press ▲ or ▼ to scroll to LAMP ADJUST.

1.

Press ENTER. LAMP ADJUST appears at the top of

2.
the screen. Highlight either Always Off, Always On, or
Timer.

Press ENTER to select your choice.

3.

To set the on-time duration of the backlight, select

4.

Timer then highlight either 5 seconds (default), 30
seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes then press ENTER. A

double beep sounds to conrm your selection.

Scroll to EXIT and press ENTER to return to the

5.
menu screen.

36

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Adjusting Display Contrast

Contrast

Adjust

05

Contrast

Adjust

05

Exit

16/9 TriWatch

16 DualWatch

Dual/Tri Watch

Exit

16/9 TriWatch

16 DualWatch

Dual/Tri Watch

[For All Bands]

You can adjust the contrast
setting of the LCD to
accommodate various viewing
conditions.

1. Press ▲ or ▼ from the

band’s menu screen
to highlight Contrast.

Press ENTER.

2. Press ▲ or ▼ to increase or decrease the level

which is indicated by the number displayed (01 to

10) and the thermometer bar. You see the screen
contrast change as you change the setting from 01
to 10.

3. Press

Setting Dual or TripleWatch (Tri Watch)

[For Marine and FRS Band Only]

There are two specialty
channels: 16, and 9. Channel
16 is the primary distress/
Coast Guard/Hailing channel
while Channel 9 is typically the

backup hailing/calling channel

for areas where there is higher

level of marine trafc. Depending on your location, you can

choose to monitor both distress Channel 16, the extra hailing
Channel 9 as well as the radio channel you are otherwise
using (TripleWatch), or you can choose to only monitor
Channel 16 and your regular channel (DualWatch) which lets

the radio check each channel more frequently.

ENTER to save your selection. The display

returns to the band’s menu screen.

37Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

1.

Exit

On

Off

KEY BEEP

Exit

On

Off

KEY BEEP

From the marine band’s menu screen, use ▲ or ▼ to

scroll to the Dual/TriWatch option. Press ENTER.

2.

Press either ▲ or ▼ to reach either 16/9 TriWatch
(default) or 16 DualWatch. Press ENTER to select it.
A double beep sounds and the radio returns to the
root menu option screen.

3.

Press MENU again to return to the marine mode.

Setting the Key Beep

[For All Bands]

Your MHS550 conrms a key

press by sounding a short
single or double beep (default).
You can disable this sound.

1.

From the band’s menu

screen, press ▲ or ▼ to

highlight the KEY BEEP
option. Press ENTER to
select it.

Press ▲ or ▼ to select On or Off or Exit . Press

2.
ENTER to save your selection. The display returns to
the band’s menu screen.

Adding FIPS Codes

[For Marine/Weather Band Only]

To effectively use the Specic Area Message Encoding

feature (S.A.M.E.) entering the code specic to your

geographic location is required.
These codes that provide your radio with certain geographic

data, are known as FIPS or Federal Information
Processing Standards codes (FIPS codes). They are a

standardized set of numeric codes issued by the National

Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to ensure

38

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

uniform identication of geographic entities through all

F IP S C O D E S

E xi t

A dd

0 19 0 0 0

F IP S C O D E S

E xi t

A dd

0 19 0 0 0

0 2_ _ _ _

P r e s s t h e U P o r D O W N
a r r o w k e y s t o s e l e c t
t h e c h a r a c t e r t h e n
P r e s s t h e e n t e r k e y

0 2_ _ _ _

P r e s s t h e U P o r D O W N
a r r o w k e y s t o s e l e c t
t h e c h a r a c t e r t h e n
P r e s s t h e e n t e r k e y

federal government agencies. The entities covered include:
states and statistically equivalent entities, counties and
statistically equivalent entities, named populated and related
location entities (such as, places and county subdivisions),

and American Indian and Alaska Native areas.

Press MENU. From the MARINE MENU screen,

1.

use ▲ or ▼ to select the FIPS option. The screen

displays FIPS Codes and lets you select Add or Exit.

Note: You can nd your area FIPS codes and other valuable

data from http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm. or by
telephone at 1-888-NWR-SAME [1-888-697-7263]

Once you locate the code for your county or area,

2.

use ▲ or ▼ until the correct number appears on the

screen then press ENTER to select it. Repeat this for
all six digits.

Enter all the codes you wish, then move to EXIT and

3.

ENTER to select it. The radio returns to the MARINE
MENU screen.

Press MENU again to return to the marine mode.

4.

Note: You can add up to 20 FIPS codes to your radio.

39Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Changing Channel Names

CO AST GU ARD ON LY

pr ess t he e nte r ke y

th e c ha ra ct er th en

ar row k ey s to se le ct

Pr ess t he U P o r DO WN

CO AST GU ARD ON LY

pr ess t he e nte r ke y

th e c ha ra ct er th en

ar row k ey s to se le ct

Pr ess t he U P o r DO WN

05 A V TS/ Com

01 A V TS/ Com

Cha nne l N ame

03 A C G O nly

05 A V TS/ Com

01 A V TS/ Com

Cha nne l N ame

03 A C G O nly

Exit

Channel Name

Default All

Exit

Channel Name

Default All

[For Marine Band Only]

Each channel has a default name which you can change.

When a channel is allocated to a specic service, changing
the name on your radio can help make identication faster

and easier. Or you can change the name to a member of
your boating family such as MOMS CHANNEL. You can use
up to 16 characters.

From the MARINE MENU, press ▲ or ▼ to highlight

1.
Channel Name.

Press ENTER. Use ▲ or ▼ to scroll to the desired

2.
channel you wish to rename. Press ENTER. Then
choose Rename , Default, or Exit. and select it.

If you choose Rename, press either ▲ or ▼ until the

3.

rst letter or number of the new name appears. Press

ENTER to select it and move to the next character.

When the name is complete, repeatedly press

4.
ENTER until the cursor reaches the right end of the
line. Then press ENTER again. A double beep sounds

conrming the change and the display returns to the
Channel Name menu. Use ▲ or ▼ to Exit and press

ENTER.

Restoring Default Names

[For Marine Band Only]

If you want to restore

1.
all the factory default

40

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

names, use ▲ or ▼ to highlight Default All located

Contrast

CODE

FRS MENU

Lamp Adjust

Contrast

CODE

FRS MENU

Lamp Adjust

Channel 11

Channel 09

FRS CODE

Channel 10

Channel 11

Channel 09

FRS CODE

Channel 10

Exit

On

CHANNEL 10-OFF

Off

Exit

On

CHANNEL 10-OFF

Off

between Channel 88A and Exit. Use ▲ or ▼ to
highlight Yes then press ENTER to restore all the

original names. A double beep sounds to conrm the

action.

To restore only one name to default, highlight the

2.

channel by using ▲ or ▼then press ENTER. Then
use ▲ or ▼ to next highlight Default.

Setting CTCSS Codes

[FRS Band Only]

If you encounter interference

from another FRS radio while
using the FRS band, enabling
one of the 142 CTCSS codes
may prevent that interference.

With the FRS band

1.
operational, momentarily
press MENU.

Use ▲ or ▼ to scroll to CODE.

2.
Press ENTER. The currently used FRS channel is highlight-

3.

ed. To select a different channel, press either ▲ or ▼

Press ENTER to choose it. You can select ON, OFF,

4.
or EXIT, next.

Use ▲ or ▼ to choose ON (to associate a CTCSS

5.

41Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

code), OFF (to remove a previously associated CTCSS

pr e ss the en ter ke y

th e c h ara cte r t h en

ar r ow key s t o s e le c t

Pr e ss the UP or DO W N

0

pr e ss the en ter ke y

th e c h ara cte r t h en

ar r ow key s t o s e le c t

Pr e ss the UP or DO W N

0

code), or EXIT (to leave this option without taking any
action).

To associate a code with the chosen channel,

6.
highlight ON then press ENTER. You next choose a
code number between 001 and 142.

Use ▲ or ▼ to change the rst blinking single digit on

7.
the screen to either 0 or 1. Press ENTER to move to
the middle digit.

Use ▲ or ▼ to increment or decrement the middle

8.

digit. If the rst digit is 0, then you can select a middle
number between 0 and 9. If the rst number is 1, then

only select a middle number value between 0 and 4
to avoid an error when your entry is complete as the

highest complete code is 142. Press ENTER. If you
decide you must change the rst digit, press MENU to
return to the rst digit.

Use ▲ or ▼ to change the third digit between 0 and

9.

9. Press ENTER when done. The screen changes
back to EXIT and displays the Channel at the top

along with the chosen code number. When the screen
reverts to the operational screen, the CODE OFF
message has been replaced by the code number.

Note: CTCSS codes range between 1 and 142. If you set a

code number outside this range (for example 190), when you
press ENTER to set that number, an error tone sounds to tell

42

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

you to make a proper selection within the correct range.

Setting Frequency Steps

[AM, FM Only]

In the United States there are 10 KHz steps between AM
stations. In other parts of the world such as Europe, the step

frequency is 9 KHz.
There are 200 MHz steps between stations in the United

States on the FM band while in Europe, the step is 100 MHz.
You can select which step you use.

AM Band

From the AM MENU, scroll using ▲ or ▼ to highlight

1.

Tuning Steps. Press ENTER.

Use ▲ or ▼ to choose either 9 KHz or 10 KHz Steps

2.
or Exit to make no change.

Press ENTER to set your choice. The screen returns

3.
to the AM MENU. Either scroll to Exit or wait until the
radio times out and returns to the previously selected
AM station.

FM Band

From the FM MENU, scroll using ▲ or ▼ to highlight

1.

Tuning Steps. Press ENTER.

Use ▲ or ▼ to choose either 100 MHz or 200 MHz

2.

Steps or Exit to make no change.

Press ENTER to set your choice. The screen returns

3.
to the FM MENU. Either scroll to Exit or wait until the
radio times out and returns to the previously selected
FM station.

Note: during the time you are taking these steps, your radio

continues to broadcast the station selected.

43Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Setting FM Muting

KEYPAD LOCKED

Loc ked

US A

5 W at t s

Ma r in e Ba nd

KEYPAD LOCKED

Loc ked

US A

5 W at t s

Ma r in e Ba nd

[FM Band Only]

You can turn FM Muting ON to silence your radio as you tune
frequencies where either no station exits or the station that

is using that frequency is weak. Muting eliminates the noise
unless the level of the signal is sufcient for comfortable

listening.

Select the FM band. Press MENU.

1.

Use ▲ or ▼ to FM Muting. Press ENTER to select it.

2.

Use ▲ or ▼ to choose either On to enable muting,

3.

Off to disable a previously set muting on condition or
Exit to take no action. Press ENTER.

With muting on, as you tune through the FM band, the usual

noise from weak or unassigned frequencies in your area will

be silenced.

Other Options

Setting the Key Lock

[For All Bands]

To prevent keys from being

accidentally operated, set the

Key Lock. Hold down LIGHT/
LOCK for 2 seconds. KEYPAD

LOCKED appears on the VHF
display bottom for 3 seconds
then the message line displays
what information had been
shown before you pressed LIGHT/LOCK.

Locked remains next to the channel number or frequency to

remind you that the locked option is enabled for all bands.

44

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

During Key Lock mode, you can adjust only the following

controls:

PTT switch

•

Light/Lock key

•

Volume

•

Squelch

•

1/2.5/5W (Only while pressing and holding

•

If any other control is used, an error tone sounds.
To disable the keypad lock, press and hold LIGHT/LOCK

for about 2 seconds or turn power off then on.

UNLOCKED appears briey on the VHF display only. The
LOCKED display disappears.

Note: if the radio receives either a weather alert or decodes

a severe weather S.A.M.E. code transmission, the keypad
automatically unlocks.

PTT.)

KEYPAD

Manually Selecting Coast Guard/Distress/Hailing
Channels

In addition to using Triple or

DualWatch to monitor the
Coast Guard/Distress/Hailing
channels, you can manually
select them at any time.

To select your Coast Guard/
Distress/Hailing channel,
repeatedly press 16/9/TRI. At

the rst press, the radio switches to Channel 16, the primary

Coast Guard/Distress/Hailing channel. 16 appears on the

screen. Press the key again to switch to Channel 9, the
backup calling channel. 9 appears and NON COMMERCIAL
appears at the bottom for USA channels. Press again to

return to the standard marine channels.

45Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

If you are listening to a weather (WX/ALERT) channel and

MemoryMemory

you press 16/9/TRI, the radio drops out of weather mode and
switches to Channel 16 and displays 16.

Storing a Channel or Frequency in Memory

[For All Bands]

Once you have stored channels in memory, you can set the
radio to scan those channels for activity. You can also store
and later use AM, FM, and Air frequencies as memorized

Station Presets. To select and store a channel or frequency

follow these steps.

Use ▲ or ▼ until you display a channel you want to

1.
store.

Press and hold SCAN/

2.
MEM to store the
channel in memory. A
double beep sounds

to conrm your action.

MEMORY appears near
the channel or frequency
displayed.

CHANNEL STORED appears at the bottom of the
display for the VHF band only.

If you take no further action, the screen returns to the

standard marine screen in 3-seconds.

To remove a channel from memory, with the stored

3.
channel displayed, press and hold SCAN/MEM.
MEMORY disappears.

46

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Selecting and Using the Weather Channel and Weather Alert (WX/ ALERT)

The radio receives ten National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration weather
channels. Although the radio
receives all ten, one channel
will be received best due to
your geographic location.

Briey press WX/ALERT to activate the weather

1.
band. The screen displays Weather Band at the
upper left and the channel number. The frequency
of that channel number appears at the bottom of the

screen. You can nd a complete listing of the weather

channels in the Reference pages.

Use ▲ or ▼ to change between WX/ALERT

2.
channels. Select the channel with the best reception.

Note: the radio’s memory retains the channel that
appears when you switch to WX/ALERT mode in
memory when you turn off the radio.

To switch to the Alert mode, press and hold down

3.

WX/ALERT for about 2 seconds. WEATHER ALERT
MODE ENABLED scrolls along the bottom of the

display.

If the radio receives a weather alert by means of either a
S.A.M.E by decoding the entered FIPS code or if the radio is

in the marine channel mode, detecting the 1050Hz tone, the
radio sounds an alarm and displays an alert message at the
bottom of the screen, such as HURRICANE WARNING.

Note: if the event code is longer than 16 characters, the
display label scrolls across the display bottom then changes
to the abbreviated format. Thus, HURRICANE WARNING

47Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

(17 spaces) becomes HURRICANE WARN... and remains.

2 sec immediate

immediate

TR IWA TC H

US A M emo ry

5 Wat ts

Ma rin e Ban d

A

TR IWA TC H

US A

5 Wat ts

Ma rin e Ban d

TR IWA TC H

US A

5 Wat ts

Ma rin e Ban d

2 sec immediate

immediate

TR IWA TC H

US A M emo ry

5 Wat ts

Ma rin e Ban d

A

TR IWA TC H

US A

5 Wat ts

Ma rin e Ban d

TR IWA TC H

US A

5 Wat ts

Ma rin e Ban d

To verify if the radio is in the ALERT mode, press

4.
and hold WX/ALERT for about 2 seconds. If ALERT
is active, WEATHER ALERT MODE ENABLE scrolls
along the screen bottom. This message appears for
about 6 seconds then returns to the marine standard
screen.

If the radio is set to alert mode and you press and hold WX/
ALERT for about 2 seconds, the radio exits alert mode, and

the screen scrolls WEATHER ALERT MODE DISABLED.
For greater details regarding SAME Event Codes, refer to

the NOAA website mentioned on Page 39.

Using the TripleWatch or DualWatch Mode
[For Marine. Weather Channel, and FRS Band]

If during setup of your MHS550, you selected Triple or

DualWatch mode. The following shows you how to use this
valuable feature.

To activate TripleWatch, from the active marine or

1.
FRS radio screen, press and hold 16/9/TRI for about
2 seconds.

The screen displays TRIWATCH in the message line area
(marine) or adjacent to the channel number (FRS) and

the radio begins to check two additional channels in rapid

sequence every 2 seconds: the currently selected marine

channel, the backup calling Channel 9, then the Coast

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

48

Guard/Distress/Hailing Channel 16, before starting with the
current channel again.

To exit either mode, press and hold 16/9/TRI for about

2.
2 seconds.

Notes:

If you selected DualWatch during setup, when

•

activated, every two seconds, the radio checks the
current channel then it checks Channel 16 before

returning to your selected channel. DUALWATCH
appears on the display bottom during this cycle.

If you enable TripleWatch or DualWatch from a

•
Weather Channel, the same watch cycle occurs.

When the radio checks the selected weather channel,

the screen displays Weather Band in the upper left

corner. When the radio checks Channel 9, Channel
16, or both, the screen briey displays Marine Band at

the upper left.

If you momentarily press SCAN/MEM, the

•
TripleWatch or DualWatch functions as described
above. Channels stored in memory are also scanned.

If you want to change the channels being scanned,

momentarily press SCAN/MEM again, or press WX/

ALERT or PTT, to exit scanning (TripleWatch or
DualWatch continues). Then use ▲ or ▼ to manually

select another marine channel and press and hold

SCAN/MEM to store it. Momentarily press SCAN/
MEM to resume scanning.

In scan mode, the radio pauses on an active channel

•
and resumes scanning 2 seconds after the channel
activity ceases.

Scanning - The Basics and Beyond

Marine VHF radios use scanning to let you monitor several

channels at once. It’s common to want to listen most of

49Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

the time to a specic channel, yet also check for trafc on

selected other channels. To accomplish this, your MHS550
has several scanning modes which can be used based on
your needs.

DualWatch — allows you to monitor a primary channel, for
example Channel 68, yet check for trafc on Channel 16 ev­ery two seconds.

TripleWatch — lets you monitor a primary channel, for ex-

ample Channel 68, yet check for trafc on Channels 16 and

9 every two seconds.
Weather Alert (WX/ALERT) — lets you monitor one or more

channels, yet check for weather alerts on a selected weath­er channel every 7 seconds. First select the Weather Mode
(WX/ALERT) and choose the clearest weather channel using
▲ or ▼ before using Weather Alert.

Normal Scanning — lets you monitor two or more channels

in rapid succession. When the radio detects trafc on any

of the channels in memory, it pauses scanning until the

trafc stops, then continues scanning after an additional two

seconds.
DualWatch Scanning — lets you monitor two or more

channels in succession, but also monitors Channel 16 every
two seconds.

TripleWatch Scanning — as above, but also monitors
Channel 9.

Notes:

Most of these scanning modes require that two or more

•

channels are rst entered into memory. This is done by
selecting the desired channel using ▲ or ▼, then pressing

and holding SCAN/MEM for two seconds. CHANNEL
STORED appears in the display. Press and hold SCAN/

MEM a second time to remove the channel from memory.

These various scanning modes can be turned on and off
using three keys — 16/9/TRI, WX/ALERT, and SCAN/MEM.

50

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

The scanning modes can be used in conjunction with one
another, or used separately.

Pressing and holding 16/9/TRI, for example, starts

•
and stops TripleWatch mode. TRIWATCH is shown in

the display when it is selected. There are insufcinet

characters available on the LCD panel to display
“TripleWatch.”

Pressing and holding WX/ALERT starts and stops

•
Weather Alert mode.

Pressing SCAN/MEM quickly starts and stops Normal

•
Scan mode.

You can choose either Dual or TripleWatch (whether or not

Channel 9 is scanned as well as Channel 16) by making a
menu selection. Press MENU, then use ▲ or ▼ to reach

Dual/Tri Watch. Next select 16/9 TriWatch or 16 DualWatch.

Press MENU again to return to radio operation.

AM, FM, and AIR Bands: You can store up to 25

•
frequencies in memory for the AM. FM, or Air band, press
and hold SCAN/MEM for about 2 seconds until you hear a

double beep conrmation. Memory appears on the display.

If you want to remove a frequency already stored, with

•
that frequency displayed, press and hold SCAN/MEM for
another 2 seconds until you hear the double beep sound.
Memory disappears.

Once you have stored two or more frequencies in the AM,

•

FM, or AIR band, you can move from station to station
within that band [Station Preset] by pressing SCAN/MEM
briey then using ▲ to jump from station to station.

Normal Scanning

To activate Normal Scanning, momentarily press SCAN/
MEM. The radio scans all the channels you stored in memory

from lowest to highest. The VHF marine band display shows

51Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

CHANNEL SCAN at the bottom. The FRS band displays

CHANNEL SCAN

US A Mem ory

5 W at t s

Ma r in e Ba nd

A

Al e rt

CHANNEL SCAN

US A Mem ory

5 W at t s

Ma r in e Ba nd

A

Al e rt

SCAN.

TripleWatch and DualWatch Scanning [VHF - FRS]

For the marine, weather, and FRS bands only, to initialize the
TripleWatch scanning mode,
press and hold 16/9/TRI. Now
TRIWATCH SCAN appears on
the LCD’s message line area.

The scan check sequence
becomes — the working
channel is checked then the
radio checks Channel 9 and

then Channel 16, in that order, every 2 seconds.

If you have set DualWatch as your default mode, by selecting
that option from the menu, Channel 9 is not checked and

DUALWATCH SCAN appears on the display.
To disable Triple or DualWatch and revert to Normal

Scanning of stored channels, press and hold 16/9/TRI for

2 seconds. Channel 16 and 9 are no longer checked. The

radio continues to scan only channels stored in memory.
CHANNEL SCAN appears on the bottom and each channel
number is displayed in rapid sequence.

52

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Both Watches and Weather Channel [VHF-FRS]

CH 21A CH 22A CH 64A CH 80ACH 79ACH 07A CH 08A CH 10

1609

WX

ALERT

TONE

1609

2 seconds

~7 seconds

=

Channel Check

Scan Sequence of Stored Channels,
TripleWatch, and TripleWatch with WX

CH 21A CH 22A CH 64A CH 80ACH 79ACH 07A CH 08A CH 10

1609

WX

ALERT

TONE

1609

2 seconds

~7 seconds

=

Channel Check

Scan Sequence of Stored Channels,
TripleWatch, and TripleWatch with WX

If both the Weather Alert and the TripleWatch features are

enabled when you press SCAN/MEM, the radio starts

checking the memory channels in ascending order. Then it
checks Channel 9 and 16 every 2 seconds and nally, it
checks the active weather channel approximately every 7
seconds, looking for the alert tone (1050Hz). The radio then
repeats the cycle. If the radio detects a weather alert tone
during the check cycle, it remains on the weather channel

until you disable the weather mode.

Notes:

If during scanning, the radio detects a signal, it stops

•
scanning and remains on the detected channel for 2
seconds after the activity ends before resumption of
scanning.

During scanning, you can press SCAN/MEM, 16/9/TRI, or

•

WX/ALERT to halt scanning. Depending upon which key

you used, the screen shows one of the scanned channels,
your local weather channel, or the distress channel.

All channels, except CH70, and the weather channels,

•
can be stored in memory. When you turn off the radio, all

53Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

memory stored channels are retained so that upon turning
the radio on again, they are immediately available.

Scanning (Memory Preset Station Tuning) in the
AM, FM, and Aircraft Bands

As you can store up to 25 frequencies in each of the other
bands, you can also move from one stored frequency
(station) to the next in each band. You cannot set presets
that cross from one band to another.

To tune to memorized Station Presets that you have

1.

stored, that are valid station frequencies, briey press
SCAN/MEM. Memory and Scan appear in the display.

If you inadvertantly store three FM frequencies for

which there are no stations in your area, no presets
will be available.

Repeatedly press ▲ to move from the rst stored

2.
frequency to the second and so on.

If you press ▼, an error tone sounds. If you want to

3.
remove a frequency from memory, when you press

▲ and that frequency is displayed, press and hold

SCAN/MEM until the double beep sounds. Memory
disappears from the display and the frequency is

removed from memory. It is no longer available for

that session.
Note: if no frequencies have been stored and you

press SCAN/MEM, an error tone sounds.

54

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Examples of Mode Applications

While there are many scenarios for making a mode choice

or setting the MHS550 in a certain manner that applies to
your own special requirements, we hope the following three
examples might help you get started.

You’re a safety boat at the scene of a yacht race. You

1.

have to monitor the Intership safety channel, 06, yet
you want to monitor Channel 16 for emergency trafc.

Select DualWatch, with Channel 06 as the normal

working channel.

You’re shing, and there are four channels being used

2.

by local anglers: Channels 68, 69, 71, and 09. Put all

four channels into memory, and use Normal Scanning
to listen to them in succession.

You’re cruising with your family on Lake Erie, and you

3.
are concerned about a summer thunderstorm in your
area. First select the weather channel with the best

reception, then return to the marine band. Press and

hold WX/ALERT so that your radio monitors the local
weather channel for Weather Alert broadcasts.

Accessory Options — Using the External
Speaker/Mic Jack

You can connect an optional external speaker-mic to this
watertight jack. Unscrew the cap, which is held by the rubber
cap-keeper to prevent loss. Insert the special gasketed

plug and screw down the shell, which assures prevention

of water entering the jack. Two available units are HHSPM
Speaker Mic [Uniden SKU 7830425] and VOX100 Headset
Mic. [Uniden SKU 7830409] For details, consult your Uniden

dealer or call 1-800-554-3988.

55Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Care and Maintenance

Your MHS550 is a precision electronic product and you
should treat it accordingly. Due to the rugged design, very
little maintenance is required. However a few precautions
should be observed:

• If the antenna has been damaged, do not transmit except

in an emergency situation. Transmitting with a defective
antenna may cause further radio damage.

• You are responsible for continued FCC technical
compliance of your radio.

Troubleshooting

If you missing parts or accesoories, call Parts & Service at

1-800-554-3988.

In the event that the radio fails to perform, try the following
remedies. If you have still problems, visit our customer sup-

port website at: www.uniden.com or call our customer care
specialists at 1-800-586-0409.

Refer to the following table to possibly assist you to remedy

simple difculties.

56

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Troubleshooting

SYMPTOM CAUSE REMEDY

Won’t power ON.

Low or Discharged battery

pack.

Recharge Lithium Ion battery.

Replace battery.

Use alkaline batteries

temporarily.

When the PTT is pressed -

TX icon appears and
another radio can hear a

‘click’ but no audio is

heard.

Bad microphone element Send in for repair.

When scanning, radio
stops on a particular
channel all the time.

A source of noise is
nearby.

Turn Squelch clockwise to

reduce noise so that scan

function skips channel or

remove channel from scan.

There is noise on the
receiver that the squelch
will not eliminate.

An external noise is being
generated by some device.

Turn off the offending device or
contact the device
manufacturer regarding FCC

Part 15 “unintentional radiator.”

You made arrangements
to communicate with
another VHF radio on a
specific channel, and you
cannot hear them.

You and the other user are
using different country

modes (USA/CAN/INT)

Be sure both are using the
same country mode. Some
modes use the same numeric
selections. Channel 16, the
Distress, Safety, and Calling
channel is the same on all three
modes.

You cannot change the
transmit power setting.

You selected a channel
that is limited to a 1watt
transmit power such as
channel 13, or you selected
a ‘receive only’ channel
such as Weather band.

Change to an unrestricted
Transmit/receive channel.

The SCAN/MEM key does

not start scanning.

Cause 1: No channels
have been stored in
memory.

Cause 2: Squelch is not
adjusted correctly.

Remedy 1: Use the

SCAN/MEM

key to store

several selected channel in
memory.

Remedy 2: Adjust the Squelch
setting to a point just below that

when the background noise

disappears.

You can hear
transmissions, but the
other radio cannot hear
you.

The transmit power is set
to 1W watt.

Use

BAND/1/2.5/5W

to change

to a higher transmit power level.

57Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Transmitter
Items Unit Nominal

Frequency Tolerance @ 25° C to 50° C PPM ±0.5
Frequency Stability -20° C to 50° C PPM

(MRN, 5W) W 5
(MRN 2.5W) W 2.5
(MRN 1W) W 1

Carrier Power

(FRS/MRN 0.5W) W 0.5
(MRN 5W) dBc 53Spurious Emission
(MRN 2.5W/1W) dBc 58
500Hz dB -6Modulation Frequency Response
2000Hz dB +6
(MRN for ± 3kHz Deviation) mV 6Microphone Sensitivity
(FRS for ± 1.5kHz Deviation) mV 6
(MRN) ±kHz 4.5Maximum Deviation@100mV Input

(FRS with Subaudio) ±kHz 2.3
Modulation Distortion 750 ȝS
De-emphas 0.3 to 3kHz BPF

% 0.6

(MRN) dB 38Hum and Noise 750 ȝS
De-emphas 0.3 to 3kHz PF

(FRS) dB 35

(MRN) mA 1500Current Drain @ High Power 5W

(FRS) mA 650

General
Item Description

Channels All USA, Canadian, and International

Marine-Weather: 156.05 ~ 163.275MHz, 25kHz Step
Family Radio Service: 462.5625 ~ 467.7125MHz, 12.5kHz Step
AM Broadcast: 500.00 ~ 1800kHz, 10 or 9kHz Step
FM Broadcast: 87.5 ~108.0MHz, 100 or 200MHz Step

Frequency
Range/Step

Aircraft: 108.00 ~ 137.00MHz, 25kHz Step
Antenna Fixed Mount type
Connectors External MIC/SPEAKER, 2.5mm Diam. 3-contact Stereo type
Controls and
Switches

Volume, Squelch with Power On/Off, Up, Down Keys,Ch16/TRI, Menu, Enter, WX Alert, Scan/Mem,

Band/1,2.5/5W, Push to Talk, Light/Lock
Display LCD 128 x 64 Full Dot Matrix
Backlight LCD Front Key -yellow-green color
Cabinet Size 4.21H x 2.55W x 1.38D inches (107 x 65 x 35mm)
Weight 9.5 oz (270 g.)
Speaker Built-in 32mm diam. Dynamic type (8ȍ, 0.7W)
Microphone Built-in Electret type
Supplied
Accessories

Li-Ion Battery Pack (7.4VDC, 1400mA/hr min) AC Adapter, Drop-In Charger, CLA DC Cord, Alkaline

Battery Tray (4xAAA), Belt Clip, Hand Strap
Operating
Temperature

-30° C to 50° C. (Battery charge: 0° C to 45° C.)

Storage
Temperature

-30° C to 60° C

AC Adapter Input: 100VAC ~ 240VAC, 50/60Hz Output: 12VDC, 1A
Regulation FCC, IC
Battery Life
(Li-Ion)

10 Hours, Min.

Waterproof Grade Compliant to JIS7/IPX7 Immersion Protection Standards. Submersible in one meter of water for 30

minutes without damage.

Reference Section

Specications

58

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Specications (cont.)

Receiver
Items Unit Nominal Limit

(MRN) ȝV 0.3 0.4 max
(FRS) ȝV 0.35 0.5 max.
(FM Broadcast) ȝV 1.0 3.0 max.
(Air) ȝV 1.0 30 max.

Sensitivity for 12dB SINAD

(AM Broadcast) ȝV 1.0 2.0 max.

Squelch Sensitivity Threshold ȝV 0.1 0.25 max.

Tight ȝV 0.7 2.0 max.
CTCSS/DCS Opening SINAD (FRS) dB 8 12 max.
Audio Freq. Response 1kHz Ref.
(MRN) @ 500Hz

dB 6 3 to 7

(MRN) @ 2000Hz dB -6 -9 to -5
(FRS) @ 500Hz dB 6 3 to 7
(FRS) @ 2000Hz dB -6 -9 to -5

(MRN ±25kHz) dB 72 60 min. Adjacent Channel Selectivity

(FRS ±12.5kHz) dB 40 30 min.
IM Rejection(MRN) dB 63 55 min.
Image and Spurious Rejection (MRN) dB 75 50 min.
Conducted Spurious Emission
at the antenna terminal

dBm -65 -57 max.

(MRN) dB 50 35 min.

(FRS) dB 37 32 min

(AM Broadcast) dB 42 32 min.

(FM Broadcast) dB 53 32 min.

Hum and Noise Ratio

(Air) dB 42 32 min.
THD @ Standard Output Power (MRN) % 1.2 10 max.
Audio Output Power @ 10% THD (MRN) W 0.45 0.3 min.
Oscillator Dropout Voltage (MRN) V 2.9 3.8 max.
Current Drain @ No Signal (MRN) mA 72 85 max.
Current Drain @ Maximum Output (MRN) mA 220 250 max.

59Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Ch
No.

RX Freq
TX Freq

Status Full Name 16 Char Name

1A 156.0500

156.0500

Simplex VESSEL TRAFFIC

SYSTEM/

COMMERCIAL

VTS/

COMMERCIAL

3 A 156.1500

156.1500

Simplex COAST GUARD,GOVT

ONLY

COAST GUARD
ONLY

5 A 156.2500

156.2500

Simplex VESSEL TRAFFIC

SYSTEM/COMMER

CIAL

VTS/

COMMERCIAL

6 156.3000

156.3000

Simplex INTER-SHIP SAFETY SAFETY

7 A 156.3500

156.3500

Simplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

8 156.4000

156.4000

Simplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

9 156.4500

156.4500

Simplex NON COMMERCIAL NON

COMMERCIAL

10 156.5000

156.5000

Simplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

11 156.5500

156.5500

Simplex VESSEL TRAFFIC

SYSTEM

VESSEL TRAFFIC

12 156.6000

156.6000

Simplex VESSEL TRAFFIC

SYSTEM

VESSEL TRAFFIC

13 156.6500

156.6500

Simplex,
1W

BRIDGE TO BRIDGE BRIDGE TO

BRIDGE

14 156.7000

156.7000

Simplex VESSEL TRAFFIC

SYSTEM

VESSEL TRAFFIC

15 156.7500

Inhibit

Receive
Only

ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL

16 156.8000

156.8000

Simplex DISTRESS, SAFETY,

CALLING

DISTRESS

17 156.8500

156.8500

Simplex,
1W

GOVT MARITIME

CONTROL

GOVERNMENT

18 A 156.9000

156.9000

Simplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

19 A 156.9500

156.9500

Simplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

20 161.6000

157.0000

Duplex PORT OPERATION PORT

OPERATION

20 A 157.0000

157.0000

Simplex PORT OPERATION PORT

OPERATION

21 A 157.0500

157.0500

Simplex COAST GUARD ONLY COAST GUARD

ONLY

22 A 157.1000

157.1000

Simplex COAST GUARD COAST GUARD

23 A 157.1500

157.1500

Simplex COAST GUARD ONLY COAST GUARD

ONLY

24 161.8000

157.2000

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

25 161.8500

157.2500

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

26 161.9000

157.3000

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

27 161.9500

157.3500

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

28 162.0000

157.4000

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

61 A 156.0750

156.0750

Simplex COAST GUARD COAST GUARD

63 A 156.1750

156.1750

Simplex VESSEL TRAFFIC

SYSTEM

VESSEL TRAFFIC

64 A 156.2250

156.2250

Simplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

65 A 156.2750

156.2750

Simplex PORT OPERATION PORT

OPERATION

66 A 156.3250

156.3250

Simplex PORT OPERATION PORT

OPERATION

60

USA Channel Frequencies

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

USA Channel Frequencies

28

162.0000

157.4000

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

61 A

156.0750

156.0750

Simplex COAST GUARD COAST GUARD

63 A

156.1750

156.1750

Simplex VESSEL TRAFFIC

SYSTEM

VESSEL TRAFFIC

64 A

156.2250

156.2250

Simplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

65 A

156.2750

156.2750

Simplex PORT OPERATION PORT

OPERATION

66 A

156.3250

156.3250

Simplex PORT OPERATION PORT

OPERATION

67

156.3750

156.3750

Simplex,
1W

BRIDGE TO BRIDGE BRI DGE TO

BRIDGE

68

156.4250

156.4250

Simplex NON COMMERCIAL NON

COMMERCIAL

69

156.4750

156.4750

Simplex NON COMMERCIAL NON

COMMERCIAL

70

156.5250

Inhibit

Receive
Only

DIGITAL SELECTIVE
CALLING

DSC RECEIVE

ONLY

71

156.5750

156.5750

Simplex NON COMMERCIAL NON

COMMERCIAL

72

156.6250

156.6250

Simplex NON COMMERCIAL

(SHIP-SHIP)

NON

COMMERCIAL

73

156.6750

156.6750

Simplex PORT OPERATION PORT

OPERATION

74

156.7250

156.7250

Simplex PORT OPERATION PORT

OPERATION

75

156.7750

156.7750

Simplex,
1W

PORT OPERATION PORT

OPERATION

76

156.8250

156.8250

Simplex,
1W

PORT OPERATION PORT

OPERATION

77

156.8750

156.8750

Simplex,
1W

PORT OPERATION
(SHIP-SHIP)

PORT
OPERATION

78 A

156.9250

156.9250

Simplex NON COMMERCIAL NON

COMMERCIAL

79 A

156.9750

156.9750

Simplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

80 A

157.0250

157.0250

Simplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

81 A

157.0750

157.0750

Simplex COAST GUARD COAST GUARD

82 A

157.1250

157.1250

Simplex COAST GUARD COAST GUARD

83 A

157.1750

157.1750

Simplex GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT

84

161.8250

157.2250

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

85

161.8750

157.2750

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

86

161.9250

157.3250

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

87

161.9750

157.3750

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

88

162.0250

157.4250

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE

OPERATOR

88 A

157.4250

157.4250

Simplex COMMERCIAL (SHIP-

SHIP)

COMMERCIAL

61Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Ch No.

RX Freq TX Freq

Status

Full Name

16 Char Name

160.6500

156.0500

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

160.7000

156.1000

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

160.7500

156.1500

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

156.2000

156.2000

Simplex

CANADIAN COAST
GUARD

COAST GUARD

156.2500

156.2500

Simplex

VESSEL TRAFFIC
SYSTEM

VESSEL TRAFFIC

156.3000

156.3000

Simplex

INTER-SHIP SAFETY

SAFETY

156.3500

156.3500

Simplex

COMMERCIAL

COMMERCIAL

156.4000

156.4000

Simplex

COMMERCIAL

COMMERCIAL

156.4500

156.4500

Simplex

BOATER CALLING
CHANNEL

CALLING

156.5000

156.5000

Simplex

COMMERCIAL

COMMERCIAL

156.5500

156.5500

Simplex

VESSEL TRAFFIC
SYSTEM

VESSEL TRAFFIC

156.6000

156.6000

Simplex

VESSEL TRAFFIC
SYSTEM

VESSEL TRAFFIC

156.6500

156.6500

Simplex, 1W

BRIDGE TO BRIDGE

BRIDGE TO BRIDGE

156.7000

156.7000

Simplex

VESSEL TRAFFIC
SYSTEM

VESSEL TRAFFIC

156.7500

156.7500

Simplex

ENVIRONMENTAL

ENVIRONMENTAL

156.8000

156.8000

Simplex

DISTRESS, SAFETY,
CALLING

DISTRESS

156.8500

156.8500

Simplex, 1W

STATE CONTROL

STATE CONTROL

156.9000

156.9000

Simplex

COMMERCIAL

COMMERCIAL

156.9500

156.9500

Simplex

CANADIAN COAST
GUARD

COAST GUARD

161.6000

157.0000

Duplex, 1W

PORT OPERATION

PORT OPERATION

157.0500

157.0500

Simplex

CANADIAN COAST
GUARD

COAST GUARD

157.1000

157.1000

Simplex

CANADIAN COAST
GUARD

COAST GUARD

161.7500

157.1500

Duplex

CANADIAN COAST
GUARD

COAST GUARD

161.8000

157.2000

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

161.8500

157.2500

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

161.9000

157.3000

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

161.9500

157.3500

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

162.0000

157.4000

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

160.6250

156.0250

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

156.0750

156.0750

Simplex

CANADIAN COAST
GUARD

COAST GUARD

156.1250

156.1250

Simplex

CANADIAN COAST
GUARD

COAST GUARD

160.8250

156.2250

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

1

3

4 A

5 A

7 A

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18 A

19 A

20

21 A

22 A

23

26

27

28

60

61 A

62 A

64

2

6

24

25

62

Canadian Channel Frequencies

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

Canadian Channel Frequencies

Ch No. RX Freq TX Freq Status Full Name 16 Char Name
64 A 156.2250

156.2250

Simplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

65 A 156.2750

156.2750

Simplex SEARCH AND RESCUE SEARCH & RESCUE

66 A 156.3250

156.3250

Simplex, 1W PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

67 156.3750

156.3750

Simplex BRIDGE TO BRIDGE BRIDGE TO BRIDGE

68 156.4250

156.4250

Simplex NON COMMERCIAL NON COMMERCIAL

69 156.4750

156.4750

Simplex NON COMMERCIAL NON COMMERCIAL

70 156.5250

Inhiber

Receive Only DIGITAL SELECTIVE

CALLING

DSC RECEIVE ONLY

71 156.5750

156.5750

Simplex NON COMMERCIAL NON COMMERCIAL

72 156.6250

156.6250

Simplex NON COMMERCIAL NON COMMERCIAL

73 156.6750

156.6750

Simplex PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

74 156.7250

156.7250

Simplex PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

75 156.7750

156.7750

Simplex, 1W PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

76 156.8250

156.8250

Simplex, 1W PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

77 156.8750

156.8750

Simplex, 1W PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

78 A 156.9250

156.9250

Simplex INTER SHIP INTER SHIP

79 A 156.9750

156.9750

Simplex INTER SHIP INTER SHIP

80 A 157.0250

157.0250

Simplex INTER SHIP INTER SHIP

81 A 157.0750

157.0750

Simplex CANADIAN COAST

GUARD

COAST GUARD

82 A 157.1250

157.1250

Simplex CANADIAN COAST

GUARD

COAST GUARD

83 161.7750

157.1750

Duplex CANADIAN COST GUARD COAST GUARD

83 A 157.1750

157.1750

Simplex CANADIAN COAST

GUARD

COAST GUARD

84 161.8250

157.2250

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

85 161.8750

157.2750

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

86 161.9250

157.3250

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

87 161.9750

157.3750

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

88 162.0250

157.4250

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

63Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

International Channel Frequencies

Ch No. RX Freq TX Freq Status Full Name 16 Char Name

1 160.6500

156.0500

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

2 160.7000

156.1000

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

3 160.7500

156.1500

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

4 160.8000

156.2000

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

5 160.8500

156.2500

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

6 156.3000

156.3000

Simplex INTER-SHIP SAFETY S AFETY

7 160.9500

156.3500

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

8 156.4000

156.4000

Simplex COMMERCIAL (SHIP-SHIP) COMMERCIAL

9 156.4500

156.4500

Simplex BOATER CALLING CHANNEL CALLING

10 156.5000

156.5000

Simplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

11 156.5500

156.5500

Simplex VESSEL TRAFFIC SYSTEM VESSEL TRAF FIC

12 156.6000

156.6000

Simplex VESSEL TRAFFIC SYSTEM VESSEL TRAF FIC

13 156.6500

156.6500

Simplex BRIDGE TO BRIDGE BRIDGE TO BRI DGE

14 156.7000

156.7000

Simplex VESSEL TRAFFIC SYSTEM VESSEL TRAF FIC

15 156.7500

156.7500

Simplex, 1WENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL

16 156.8000

156.8000

Simplex DISTRESS, SAFETY, CALLING DISTRESS

17 156.8500

156.8500

Simplex, 1WGOVT MARINE CONTROL GOVERNMENT

18 161.5000

156.9000

Duplex PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

19 161.5500

156.9500

Duplex COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL

20 161.6000

157.0000

Duplex PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

21 161.6500

157.0500

Duplex PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

22 161.7000

157.1000

Duplex PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

23 161.7500

157.1500

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

24 161.8000

157.2000

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

25 161.8500

157.2500

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

26 161.9000

157.3000

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

27 161.9500

157.3500

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

28 162.0000

157.4000

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

60 160.6250

156.0250

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

61 160.6750

156.0750

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

62 160.7250

156.1250

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

63 160.7750

156.1750

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

64 160.8250

156.2250

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

64

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

International Channel Frequencies

67

156.3750

156.3750

Simplex

BRIDGE TO BRIDGE

BRIDGE TO BRIDGE

68

156.4250

156.4250

Simplex

NON COMMERCIAL

NON COMMERCIAL

69

156.4750

156.4750

Simplex

NON COMMERCIAL

NON COMMERCIAL

70

156.5250

Inhibit

Receive
Only

DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALLING

DSC RECEIVE ONLY

71

156.5750

156.5750

Simplex

NON COMMERCIAL

NON COMMERCIAL

72

156.6250

156.6250

Simplex

NON COMMERCIAL

NON COMMERCIAL

73

156.6750

156.6750

Simplex

PORT OPERATION

PORT OPERATION

74

75

76

156.7250

156.7250

Simplex

PORT OPERATION

PORT OPERATION

77

156.8750

156.8750

Simplex

PORT OPERATION (SHIP-SHIP)

PORT OPERATION

78

161.5750

156.9250

Duplex

PORT OPERATION

PORT OPERATION

79

161.5750

156.9750

Duplex

PORT OPERATION

PORT OPERATION

80

161.6250

157.0250

Duplex

PORT OPERATION

PORT OPERATION

81

161.6750

157.0750

Duplex

PORT OPERATION

PORT OPERATION

82

161.7250

157.1250

Duplex

PORT OPERATION

PORT OPERATION

83

161.7750

157.1750

Duplex

PORT OPERATION

PORT OPERATION

84

161.8250

157.2250

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

85

86

161.8750

157.2750

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

161.9250

157.3250

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

87

161.9750

157.3750

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

88

162.0250

157.4250

Duplex

MARINE OPERATOR

MARINE OPERATOR

156.775

156.775

156.825

156.825

Simplex

1W

PORT OPERATION PORT OPERATION

Simplex

1W

PORT OPERATION

PORT OPERATION

CH No. RX Freq TX Freq Status Full Name 16 Char Name

65

160.8750

156.2750

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

66

160.9250

156.3250

Duplex MARINE OPERATOR MARINE OPERATOR

65Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

WX01 162.5500

WX02 162.4000

WX03 162.4750

WX04 162.4250

WX05 162.4500

WX06 162.5000

WX07 162.5250

WX08 161.6500

WX09 161.7750

WX10 163.2750

Channel Frequency

(MHz)
1 462.5625
2 462.5875
3 462.6125
4 462.6375
5 462.6625
6 462.6875
7 462.7125
8 467.5625
9 467.5875

10 467.6125
11 467.6375
12 467.6625
13 467.6875
14 467.7125

Code Frequency (Hz) Code Frequency (Hz)

1 67.0 21 136.5
2 71.9 22 141.3
3 74.4 23 146.2
4 77.0 24 151.4
5 79.7 25 156.7
6 82.5 26 162.2
7 85.4 27 167.9
8 88.5 28 173.8
9 91.5 29 179.9
10 94.8 30 186.2
11 97.4 31 192.8
12 100.0 32 203.5
13 103.5 33 210.7
14 107.2 34 218.1
15 110.9 35 225.7
16 114.8 36 233.6
17 118.8 37 241.8
18 123.0 38 250.3
19 127.3
20 131.8

NOAA Channels

Tone
Number

Octal
Code

Tone
Number

Octal
Code

Tone
Number

Octal
Code

39 023 74 251 109 631
40 025 75 261 111 654
41 026 76 263 112 662
42 031 77 265 113 664
43 032 78 271 114 703
44 043 79 306 115 712
45 047 80 311 116 723
46 051 81 315 117 731
47 054 82 331 118 732
48 065 83 343 119 734
49 071 84 346 120 743
50 072 85 351 121 754
51 073 86 364 122 036
52 074 87 365 123 053
53 114 88 371 124 122
54 115 89 411 125 145
55 116 90 412 126 212
56 125 91 413 127 225
57 131 92 423 128 246
58 132 93 431 129 252
59 134 94 432 130 255
60 143 95 445 131 266
61 152 96 464 132 274
62 155 97 465 133 325
63 156 98 466 134 332
64 162 99 503 135 356
65 165 100 506 136 446
66 172 101 516 137 452
67 174 102 532 138 454
68 205 103 546 139 455
69 223 104 565 140 462
70 226 105 606 141 523
71 243 106 612 142 526
72 244 107 624
73 245 108 627

and Frequencies

CTCSS Channels

and Frequencies

66

Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual

FRS Channels

and Frequencies

DCS Codes

Three Year Limited Warranty

WARRANTOR: UNIDEN AMERICA CORPORATION (“Uniden”)
ELEMENTS OF WARRANTY: Uniden warrants, for three years, to the original

retail owner, this Uniden Product to be free from defects in materials and

craftsmanship with only the limitations or exclusions set out below.
WARRANTY DURATION: This warranty to the original user shall terminate

and be of no further effect 36 months after the date of original retail sale.

The warranty is invalid if the Product is (A) damaged or not maintained
as reasonable or necessary, (B) modied, altered, or used as part of any
conversion kits, subassemblies, or any congurations not sold by Uniden,

(C) improperly installed, (D) serviced or repaired by someone other than an
authorized Uniden service center for a defect or malfunction covered by this
warranty, (E) used in any conjunction with equipment or parts or as part of
any system not manufactured by Uniden, or (F) installed or programmed by
anyone other than as detailed by the Operating Guide for this product.

STATEMENT OF REMEDY: In the event that the product does not conform to

this warranty at any time while this warranty is in effect, warrantor will either,
at its option, repair or replace the defective unit and return it to you without
charge for parts, service, or any other cost (except shipping and handling)
incurred by warrantor or its representatives in connection with the per­formance of this warranty. Warrantor, at its option, may replace the unit with

a new or refur-bished unit. THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE
IS THE SOLE AND ENTIRE WARRANTY PERTAINING TO THE PRODUCT
AND IS IN LIEU OF AND EXCLUDES ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY
NATURE WHATSOEVER, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR ARISING BY
OPERATION OF LAW, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER OR PROVIDE FOR THE
REIMBURSEMENT OR PAYMENT OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL

DAMAGES. Some states do not allow this exclusion or limitation of incidental
or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply
to you.

LEGAL REMEDIES: This warranty gives you specic legal rights, and you

may also have other rights which vary from state to state. This warranty is void
outside the United States of America.

PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING PERFORMANCE OF WARRANTY: If,

after following the instructions in this Operating Guide you are certain that

the Product is defective, pack the Product carefully (preferably in its original
packaging). Include evidence of original purchase and a note describing the
defect that has caused you to return it. The Product should be shipped freight

prepaid, by traceable means, or delivered, to warrantor at:

Uniden America Corporation

Parts and Service Division

4700 Amon Carter Boulevard

[phone], 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Central,

Fort Worth, TX 76155

Monday through Friday

67Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual