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 ofce (for US users) or Industry Canada
(for Canadian users).
FCC/Industry Canada Information
Certication 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 modications to this equipment
may void compliance with the FCC Rules. Any change
or modication must be approved in writing by Uniden.
Changes or modications not approved by Uniden could void
the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
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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
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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
Specications ........................................................................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
Briey 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. Briey 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
Briey 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
Briey 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, modications, 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
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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 specied 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 specic 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 briey 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 briey to change bands.
Press and hold to select the output power unless xed by
regulations.
9. 16/9/TRI — Press briey 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 briey 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-
cic for that band. Some indications are common to all six
bands. Some screens are condition specic such as a Low
Battery situation.
VHF Marine Band
Family Radio Service (FRS) Band
AM Band
21Uniden MHS550 Radio Owner’s Manual
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