Standard Horizon Hx500s manual

HX500S HX500S VHF/FM Marine Handheld T ransceiver Owner's Manual[...]

HX500S T ABLE OF CONTENTS RF EXPOSURE SAFETY ST A TEMENT ... ................................................................................... 2 FCC AND CANADA RADIO LICENSE INFORMA TION .............................................................. 3 FCC NOTICE .....................................................................................[...]

HX500S Page 1 Congratulations on your purchase of the HX500S ! Whether this is your first portable marine VHF transceiver , or if you have other ST ANDARD HORIZON equipment, the ST ANDARD HORIZON organization is committed to ensur- ing your enjoyment of this high performance transceiver , which should pro- vide you with many years of satisfying com[...]

HX500S Page 2 RF EXPOSURE SAFETY ST A TEMENT SAFETY INFORMA TION Y our wireless handheld portable transceiver cont ains a low power trans- mitter . When the Push-to-T alk (PTT) button is pushed, the transceiver sends out radio frequency (RF) signals. In August 1996, the Federal Communications Commission adopted RF exposure guidelines with safety le[...]

HX500S Page 3 FCC AND CANADA RADIO LICENSE INFORMA TION S tandard Horizon radios comply with the Federal Communication Commis- sion (FCC) and Industry-Canada requirements that regulate the Maritime Radio Service. MARITIME ST A TION LICENSE An FCC ship station license is no longer required for any vessel traveling in U.S. waters which uses a VHF mar[...]

HX500S Page 4 FCC NOTICE Unauthorized changes or modifications to this equipment may void compli- ance with FCC Rules. Any change or modification must be approved in writ- ing by ST ANDARD HORIZON, a Marine Division of VERTEX ST ANDARD. NOTICE This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant [...]

HX500S Page 5 1. GENERAL INFORMA TION 1.1 INTRODUCTION The HX500S is a SUBMERSIBLE 5-W att portable two-way marine trans- ceiver with a high capacity Lithium-Ion battery . The transceiver has all allo- cated USA, International, or Canadian channels. It has emergency channel 16 which can be immediately selected from any channel by pressing the [ 16/[...]

HX500S Page 6 2. ACCESSORIES 2.1 P ACKING LIST When the package containing the transceiver is first opened, please check it for the following contents: • HX500S T ransceiver • CA T460 Antenna • FNB-V98LI 7.4 V , 1700 mAh Li-Ion Battery Pack • CD-35 Charger Cradle for HX500S • NC-90B 120 V AC Overnight Charger for CD-35 • E-DC-19A DC Cab[...]

HX500S Page 7 3. ABOUT THIS RADIO 3.1 ABOUT THE VHF MARINE BAND W ARNING: The radio frequencies used in the VHF marine band lie between 156 and 158 MHz with NOAA Weather stations available between 161 and 163 MHz. The marine VHF band provides communications over dis- tances that are essentially “line of sight” Actual transmission range depends [...]

HX500S Page 8 4. GETTING ST ARTED Lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries pack high energy density in a tiny package. Other than higher power and lower weight, li-ion batteries are user friendly as well. Unlike its predecessor , the nickel-cadmium, lithium-ion batteries do not suffer from the “memory effect.” That is, the battery does not have to be ful[...]

HX500S Page 9 DO NOT INCINERA TE : Do not dispose of any battery in a fire or incinerator . The heat of fire may cause battery cells to explode and/or release danger- ous gases. Battery Maintenance For safe and proper battery use, please observe the following: • Battery packs should be charged only in non-hazardous environment s; • Use only ST [...]

HX500S Page 10 4.1.2 BA TTER Y CHARGING If the radio has never been used, or its charge is depleted, it may be charged by connecting the CD-35 Charger Cradle with the NC-90 battery charger, as shown in the illustration. When the battery pack is inserted correctly , the LED indicator on the CD-35 Charger Cradle will glow red. When charging is comple[...]

HX500S Page 11 4.1.4 USING THE CD-35 CHARGER CRADLE 1. T urn the transceiver off. 2. Insert the DC plug from the NC-90 into the DC jack on the CD-35 side panel, then plug the NC-90 into the AC line outlet. 3. Insert the HX500S (with the battery pack) into the CD-35 ; the antenna should be at the left side when viewing the charger from the front. 4.[...]

HX500S Page 12 5. CONTROLS AND SWITCHES NOTE This section defines each control of the transceiver . For detailed operat- ing instructions, refer to section 6 “ BASIC OPERA TION .” Refer to illus- trations for the location of the following controls, switches, and connec- tions. VOLUME CONTROL T urn this control clockwise to increase the volume. [...]

HX500S Page 13 ANTENNA CONNECT OR The supplied CA T460 flexible antenna is attached here. PUSH-TO-T ALK ( PTT ) SWITCH When pushed activates the transmitter . SQUELCH ( SQL ) SWITCH Sets the point at which random noise on the channel will not activate the audio circuits but a received signal does. This point is called the Squelch threshold. Further[...]

HX500S Page 14 [ H/L ] KEY On the Marine Band, changes the transmitter output power between High (5 W at ts), Medium (2.5 W atts), and Low (1 W att). Does not operate on “Low power only” and transmission-inhibit channels. When operating on Canadian channel 13, or USA channels 13 or 67, pressing this key moment arily toggles the power level from[...]

HX500S Page 15 6. BASIC OPERA TION 6.1 INITIAL SETUP 1. Install the battery pack on the transceiver (see section “ 4.1.3 BA TTERY INST ALLA TION/REMOV AL ”). 2. Install the antenna onto the transceiver . NOTE: W ater resistance of the transceiver is assured only when the bat- tery pack and antenna are att ached to the transceiver and MIC/SP rub[...]

HX500S Page 16 Hold down the [ H/L ] key for about one second to unlock the keys. The “ ” symbol will disappear from the display . 6.3 TRANSMISSION 1. Perform steps 1 through 5 of the RECEPTION discussion above. 2. Before transmitting, monitor the channel and make sure it is clear . THIS IS AN FCC REQUIREMENT! 3. For communications over short d[...]

HX500S Page 17 6.4 NOAA WEA THER CHANNELS 1. T o receive a NOAA weather broadcast, press the [ WX ] key . The transceiver changes to the weather channel mode. This mode consist s of a special preset memory bank containing the NOAA weather channels. 2. The transceiver will be set to the last used NOAA weather channel. Press the [ S ] or [ T ] key to[...]

HX500S Page 18 6.5 PRESET CHANNELS ( 0 ~ 9 ) : INST ANT ACCESS T en user-assigned channels can be programmed for instant access. Programming 1. Hold down the [ PRESET ] key , and press the [ S ] or [ T ] key (repeatedly , if necessary) until the desired channel number is displayed. 2. With the desired number displayed, release the [ PRESET ] key . [...]

HX500S Page 19 7. ADV ANCED OPERA TION ON THE MARINE BAND 7.1 USA, CANADIAN, AND INTERNA TIONAL CHANNELS 1. T o change from US to Canadian or International Marine Channels, hold down the [ 16/9 ] key and press the [ WX ] key . The band will change from USA, to International, and to Canadian with each press. 2. “ USA ” appears on the LCD for the[...]

HX500S Page 20 7.3 PROGRAMMABLE PRIORITY SCAN The priority scanning feature allows the radio to scan while also keeping watch on a particularly import ant “priority channel.” The following channels can be set as the priority channel: 16, 09, and MARINE Preset Channel. 1. T o set the priority channel, hold down the [ 16/9 ] key and press the [ M[...]

HX500S Page 21 7.4 DUAL W A TCH The Dual W atch feature allows the radio to watch for a transmission on the priority channel and another selected Marine channel until a signal is re- ceived. The priority channel is determined in section “ 7.3 PROGRAMMABLE PRIORITY SCAN ”. 1. T o start the Dual W atch feature, select a channel to be dual watched[...]

HX500S Page 22 7.7 CHANNEL 9 Channel 9 is used as a hailing channel for initial, non-emergency contact s with other vessels. Hold down the [ 16/9 ] key for 1 second to select channel 9. Y ou should change to a working channel, after contact is established (so as to keep the hailing channel clear for other users). 7.8 OPERA TING ON USA OR CANADIAN 1[...]

HX500S Page 23 8. OPERA TING PRACTICES 8.1 EMERGENCY ( CHANNEL 16 USE ) Channel 16 is known as the Hail and Distress Channel. An emergency may be defined as a threat to life or property . In such instances, be sure the transceiver is on and set to CHANNEL 16. Then use the following procedure: 1. Press the microphone push-to-talk switch and say “ [...]

HX500S Page 24 this manual, and select an appropriate channel for communications after initial contact. For example, Channels 68 and 69 of the U.S. VHF Chart s are some of the channels available to non-commercial (recreational) boaters. Monitor your desired channel in advance to make sure you will not be inter- rupting other traffic, and then go ba[...]

HX500S Page 25 8.4 NOAA WEA THER ALERT TESTING In the event of a major storm or other appreciable weather condition requir- ing vessels at sea (or other bodies of water) to be notified, the NOAA (Na- tional Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) broadcasts a 1050 Hz tone that some VHF radios, including your HX500S , can detect for “Weather[...]

HX500S Page 26 9. MENU ( “SET” ) MODE The Menu Mode allows a number of the HX500S operating parameters to be customized. 1. T urn the transceiver off. 2. Hold down the SQL switch, then turn on the transceiver while still holding down the SQL switch. 3. “ SEt SEt SEt SEt SEt ” will appear on the display , indicating that the Setup Mode has b[...]

HX500S Page 27 to 12 characters). 9. After completing your adjustment, press the SQL switch to save the new setting. 10. Press the PTT key to exit to normal operation. dUL dUL dUL dUL dUL ( DW DISPLA Y ) Function : Selects the Dual W atch scanning display mode. A vailable V alues : Normal / S pecial Default : S pecial When “S pecial” is selecte[...]

HX500S Page 28 dr dr dr dr dr ( DIMMER ) Function : Setting of the Display brightness level. Available V alues : 00 / 01 / 02 / 03 Default : 02 PC PC PC PC PC ( AUDIO PITCH CONTROL ) Function : This control changes the speaker audio to have a high or lower sounding pitch to assist listening in quiet or noisy environments. Available V alues : ON / O[...]

HX500S Page 29 1 1. MAINTENANCE 1 1.1 GENERAL The inherent quality of the solid-state component s in ST ANDARD HORIZON radios will provide many years of continuous use. T ake the following precau- tions to prevent damage to the radio. • Keep the microphone connected or the jack covered at all times to pre- vent corrosion of electrical contacts; ?[...]

HX500S Page 30 1 1.3 TROUBLESHOOTING CHART TROUBLESHOOTING CHART SYMPTOM The [ SCAN ] key does not start the scan. The USA/INTL/CAN modes do not function. Press and holding the SQL switch does not eliminate background noise. Cannot change any function. Key Lock does not function. Indicator does not light when charging a battery . PROBABLE CAUSE No [...]

HX500S Page 31 12. VHF MARINE CHANNEL ASSIGNMENTS T ables on the following pages list the VHF Marine Channel assignments for U.S.A. and International use. Below are listed some data about the chart s. 1. VTS. Where indicated, these channels are part of the U.S. Coast Guard’s V essel T raf fic S ystem. 2. Alpha channel numbers, that is, channel nu[...]

HX500S Page 32 the term “non-commercial” in the Channel Use column of the chart. Some of these are shared with other users and some are used only in certain geographic regions. 6. Marine vessels equipped with VHF radios are required to monitor Channel 16 . VHF Marine Channel VHF MARINE CHANNEL CHART CH U C I S/ D TX RX CHANNEL USE 01 X X D 156.[...]

HX500S Page 33 VHF MARINE CHANNEL CHART CH U C I S/D TX RX CHANNEL USE 23 X X D 157.150 161.750 Public Correspondence ( Marine Operator ) 23 A X S 157.150 U.S. Government Only 24 X X X D 157.200 161.800 Public Correspondence ( Marine Operator ) 25 X X X D 157.250 161.850 Public Correspondence ( Marine Operator ) 26 X X X D 157.300 161.900 Public Co[...]

HX500S Page 34 VHF MARINE CHANNEL CHART CH U C I S/ D TX RX CHANNEL USE 79 X D 156.975 161.575 Port operation and Ship movement 79A X X S 156.975 Commercial 80 X D 157.025 161.625 Port operation, ship movement 80A X X S 157.025 Commercial 81 X D 157.075 161.675 Port operation, ship movement 81 A X X S 157.075 U.S. Government Only - Environmental pr[...]

HX500S Page 35 1: 156.050 MHz and 156.175 MHz are available for port operations and commercial communications purposes when used only within the U.S. Coast Guard designated V essel T raffic Services (VTS) area of New Orleans, on the lower Mississippi River from the various pass entrances in the Gulf of Mexico to Devil’s Swamp Light at River Mile [...]

HX500S Page 36 4: Use of 156.875 MHz is limited to communications with pilots regarding the movement and docking of ships. Normal output power must not exceed 1 watt. 5: 156.375 MHz and 156.650 MHz are available primarily for intership navigational communications. These frequencies are available between coast and ship on a secondary basis when used[...]

HX500S Page 37 13. W ARRANTY Marine Products Limited W arranty PLEASE NOTE The following “Limited W arranty” is for valid for products that have been purchased in the United St ates and Canada. For limited W arranty details out side the United States, cont act the dealer in your country . ST ANDARD HORIZON (a division of VERTEX ST ANDARD) warra[...]

HX500S Page 38 therein which, upon examination by ST ANDARD HORIZON, appear to be defec- tive or not up to factory specifications. ST ANDARD HORIZON may , at its option, repair or replace parts or subassemblies with new or reconditioned p arts and subassemblies. Parts thus repaired or replaced are warranted for the balance of the original applicabl[...]

HX500S Page 39 Some states do not allow the exclusion or limit ation of incidental or consequen- tial damages, or limitation on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply . This warranty gives specific legal rights, and there may be other rights which may vary from state to state. ONL Y PRODUCTS SOLD ON[...]

HX500S Page 40 14. SPECIFICA TIONS Performance specifications are nominal, unless otherwise indicated, and are subject to change without notice. 15.1 GENERAL Frequency Ranges (MHz): 156 MHz - 163.275 MHz (Marine Band + WX Band) Channel S teps: 25 kHz Frequency St ability : ±10 ppm (–4 ° F to +140 °F [–20 °C to +60 °C]) Emission T ype : 16K[...]

HX500S This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the condition that this device does not cause harmful interference. Part 15.21: Changes or modifications to this device not expressly ap- proved by V ertex S tandard could void the User’s authorization to oper- ate this device.[...]

HX500S Copyright 2007 VERTEX ST ANDARD CO., L TD. All rights reserved. No portion of this manual may be reproduced without the permission of VERTEX ST ANDARD CO., L TD. Printed in Japan Marine Division of VERTEX STANDARD US Headquarters 10900 Walker Street, Cypress, CA 90630, U.S.A. EM018N110[...]