Cobra Electronics MRHH350FLT Maintain Your Watch, Power, Calling Coast Stations, Change Channels

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

VHP Marine Radio Procedures

Operating Your Radio

Maintenance

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Very little maintenance is required to keep your CobraMarine VHF radio

VHF Marine Radio Protocols

VHF Marine Radio Procedures

Maintain Your Watch

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in good operating condition:

■Keep the radio and charger clean by wiping with a soft cloth and mild detergent. Do not use solvents or harsh or abrasive cleaners, which could damage the case or scratch the LCD screen.

■If the radio is exposed to salt water, wipe with a soft, moist cloth at least once a day to prevent buildup of salt deposits, which could interfere with button operation.

■If the radio will be stored for a long period, such as over the winter, remove the batteries from the battery tray and store them in a separate package. This is especially important if you are using alkaline batteries.

Troubleshooting		•
Problem	Possible Cause(s)	Solution(s)
No display on LCD when	Batteries are exhausted	Recharge or
radio is turned On		replace batteries
	Batteries not installed	Remove batteries and
	properly	reinstall according to
		polarity markings
Batteries run	Batteries are at the	Replace with new
down quickly	end of their life	batteries
Will transmit at	Batteries are low	Recharge or
one (1) or three (3) watts,		replace batteries
but not at six (6) watts	Selected channel is imited	Switch to
	to one (1) watt	another channel
Will not transmit	Selected channel is	Switch to
	limited to receive only	another channel
No sound from speaker	Volume level is too low or	Re-adjust volume
	squelch level is too deep	and squelch
No response to	Button lock is On	Press Backlight/
button press		Key Lock button
No answer to calls	Out of range of	Switch to three (3) or six
	other station	(6) watts or move closer
	Signal is blocked	Move until you have a “line-
	by terrain	of-sight” to the other station

Whenever your boat is underway, the radio must be turned On and be tuned to Channel 16 except when being used for messages.

Power

Try 1 watt first, if the station being called is within a few miles. If there is no answer, switch to 3 watts and call again. You have the ability to go up to 6 watts of output power to increase your calling distance. Remember, the lower wattage outputs will conserve your battery and minimize interference to other users.

Calling Coast Stations

Call a coast station on its assigned channel. You may use Channel 16 when you do not know the assigned channel.

Calling Other Vessels

Call other vessels on Channel 16 or on Channel 9. (Channel 9 is preferred for recreational vessel use.) You may also call on ship-to-ship channels when you know that the vessel is listening on a ship-to-ship channel.

Initial Calling on Channel 16 or 9

The use of Channel 16 is permitted for making initial contact (hailing) another vessel. The limits on calling must be followed. Be reminded, Channel 16’s most important function is for Emergency Messages. If for some reason, Channel 16 is congested, the use of Channel 9, especially in U.S. waters, may be used as the initial contact (hailing) channel for non-emergency communication.

Limits on Calling

You must not call the same station for more than 30 seconds at a time.

If you do not get a reply, wait at least two (2) minutes before calling again. After three (3) calling periods, wait at least 15 minutes before calling again.

Change Channels

After contacting another station on a calling channel, change immediately to a channel which is available for the type of message you want to send.

Station Identification

Identify, in English, your station by your FCC call sign (if available), vessel name and the state registration number, at both the beginning and at the end of the message.

34 English Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra® 35