West Marine VHF 250 Owner's 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 fi eld offi ce (for US users) or Industry Canada
(for Canadian users).

FCC/Industry Canada Information

Certifi cation FCC Part 80 or RSS-182/188
Output Power 5W
Emission 16K0F3E, 16K0F2D
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 modifi cations to this equipment
may void compliance with the FCC Rules. Any change or
modifi cation must be approved in writing by West Marine.
Changes or modifi cations not approved by West Marine
could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

2

West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

Table of Contents

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

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

A Quick Start Guide for the VHF250 ............................................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

VHF250 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

3West Marine VHF250 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 ................................................................30

Setting the Transmitting Power Level ......................................30

Transmitting.............................................................................31

Operation - Family Radio Service Band ....................................31

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.) .............................................................35

Lamp (Backlight) Adjust ..........................................................36

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

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

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

Adding FIPS Codes .................................................................38

Changing Channel Names ......................................................40

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

Setting CTCSS Codes ............................................................41

Setting Frequency Steps .........................................................43

AM Band.............................................................................. 43

FM Band ..............................................................................43

Setting FM Muting ...................................................................44

4

West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

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

Setting the Key Lock ...............................................................44

Manually Selecting

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

Storing a Channel or Frequency in Memory ...........................46

Selecting and Using the

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

Using the TripleWatch or DualWatch Mode ............................48

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

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

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

Both Watches and Weather Channel ......................................53

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

Specifi 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 Statement....................................67

5West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

A Quick Start Guide for the VHF250

[

[

R

R

[

[

[

R

R

[

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 01
USA, and continue in a closed loop, through 88
the USA and 88 in Canada.

5CHGV

5CHGV
#865%QO

#865%QO
#%)1PN

#%)1PN

#865%QO

#865%QO

#%QOOGTE

#%QOOGTE
/CT1

/CT1
/CT1

/CT1

T

T
T

T

A in the

A in

/GOQT

/GOQT

#

#

6

West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

3.

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

BAND2BAND

2

To change bands, follow these steps.

FRS Band

Briefl 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.

7West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

4.

To transmit, press PTT. TRANSMITTING appears in
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

1.

Press WX to 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 again to return to the band in use prior to

3.
switching to the weather channels.

AM Band

1. Briefl 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

West Marine VHF250 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

1.

Briefl y press BAND/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.

2.

Press either ▲ or ▼ to change frequency by 200KHz
(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

1.

Briefl y press BAND/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.

9West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

Scanning Introduction

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.

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

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

Channel Scan of 8 Channels Stored in Memory

Channel Scan of 8 Channels Stored in Memory

When you scan those channels, each channel is checked in
order and the scan sequence repeats until you interrupt it.

10

West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

TripleWatch

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

2 sec

2 sec

09

25

25

TripleWatch of Marine Ch. 25,

TripleWatch of Marine Ch. 25,

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.

09

immediateimmediate

immediateimmediate

16

16

11West Marine VHF250 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, modifi 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

West Marine VHF250 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 fi 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 specifi 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.

13West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

What’s Included

What’s Included

RSC250

RSC250

7830441

7830441

VHF250 Radio

VHF250 Radio

CLIP250

CLIP250

7830458

7830458

Belt Clip

Belt Clip

Accessory ID

Accessory ID
numbers such as

numbers such as
are provided to help you

are provided to help you
order replacements

order replacements
should that be neccessary.

should that be neccessary.

CLIP250

CLIP250

7830458

7830458

Charging Cradle

Charging Cradle

DC250

DC250

7830417

7830417

DC Adapter

DC Adapter

Alkaline Battery Case

Alkaline Battery Case

(batteries not included)

(batteries not included)

Wrist Strap

Wrist Strap

BT250

BT250

7830466

7830466

AC250

AC250

7830474

7830474

AC Adapter

AC Adapter

Lithium Ion

Lithium Ion

Battery Pack

Battery Pack

Mounting

Mounting

Hardware

Hardware

Owner’s

Owner’s

Manual

Manual

BP250LI

BP250LI

7850233

7850233

OWNER’S

OWNER’S
MANUAL

MANUAL

If any of these items are missing from the box, contact
West Marine or call 1-800-BOATING.

14

West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

Introduction

Your West Marine VHF250 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 VHF250 brings the following key features to make
marine radio useful and easy:

Complete Marine VHF channels (USA-1
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 plus Privacy Codes
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.

A to 88A) for

15West Marine VHF250 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 2­seconds 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
fi ve levels of battery power. Sounds an alert tone when
battery power reaches a level before shutting down.

Battery Save — during specifi c transmit operations, the
radio powers down to extend battery life.

16

West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

VHF 250 ControlsVHF 250 Controls

3

12

12

2

2

3

2

2

4

4

3

3

10

10

11

11

1

1

9

9

19

19

1

1

13

13

14

14

15 16

15 16

5

5

6

6
7

7
8

8

13

13

4

4

17

17

17

17

18

18

17

17

17West Marine VHF250 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 briefl 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 briefl y to change bands.
Press and hold to select the output power unless fi xed by
regulations.

9. 16/9/TRI — Press briefl 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

West Marine VHF250 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 briefl 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 VHF250 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.

19West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

Radio Charger Cradle

22

22

21

21

20

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

West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual

LCD Displays

The LCD screen for each band displays the information spe­cifi c for that band. Some indications are common to all six
bands. Some screens are condition specifi c such as a Low
Battery situation.

VHF Marine Band

4

/GOQT[

/GOQT[

4

A

A

1

1

7

7

A

A

1

1

11

11

9

9

6

6

A

A

1

1

10

10

1

1

2

2

3

3

#NGTV

#NGTV

5

5

Family Radio Service (FRS) Band

1

1

.QEMGF

.QEMGF

8

8

/GOQT[

/GOQT[

4

4

&WCN9CVEJ 5ECP

&WCN9CVEJ 5ECP

7

7

AM Band

1

1

.QEMGF

.QEMGF

8

8

/GOQT[ 5ECP

/GOQT[ 5ECP

9

9

64

64

21West Marine VHF250 Radio Owner’s Manual