Raymarine Ray54 manual Antenna Connections, Antenna Mounting Suggestions

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8	Ray54 VHF Radio

2.7 Antenna Connections

The coaxial VHF antenna cable connects to the Ray54 antenna jack on the rear panel using a PL259 VHF type connector. The antenna cable length can be critical to performance. If you are uncertain, contact a professional installer or call Raymarine Product Support. If a longer cable length is required, RG-8x (50 ohm) marine coaxial cable or equivalent cable can be used for runs up to a maximum of 50 feet. If the distance required is even greater, Raymarine recommends using low loss RG-213 or equivalent cable for the entire run to avoid excessive losses in power output.

If the antenna RF connector is likely to be exposed to the marine environment, a protective coating of grease (Dow Corning DC-4 or similar) can be applied to the connector before connecting it to the radio. Any other extensions or adapters in the cable run should also be protected by silicon grease and then wrapped with a waterproofing tape.

Antenna Mounting Suggestions

Mounting the VHF antenna properly is very important because it will directly affect the performance of your VHF radio. Use a VHF antenna designed for marine vessels.

Since VHF transmission is essentially line-of-sight, mount the antenna at a location on the vessel that is free of obstruction to obtain maximum range.

If you must extend the length of the coaxial cable between the antenna and the radio, use a coaxial cable designed for the least amount of power loss over the entire cable length.

Antenna Mounting and EME Exposure

For optimal radio performance and minimal human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic energy, make sure the antenna is:

•connected to the radio before transmitting

•properly mounted

•located where it will be away from people

•located at least 1.5 meters (5 feet) from the radio

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Contents Ray54 Page Introduction WarrantyAbout this Handbook Conventions UsedStation License Important InformationFCC Notice Operator LicenseMaritime Mobile Service Identity Mmsi Industry CanadaAntenna Mounting and EME Exposure Safe Compass DistanceEMC Conformance Contents CLEAR/WX Distress Digital Selective Calling DSC How to Contact Raymarine Features IntroductionRay54 Fixed Station VHF Radio Digital Selective Calling DSC Installation Unpacking and InspectionEquipment Supplied Planning the Installation Typical Mounting MethodsFlush Mounting Typical Mounting Methods Power Connections Wiring ConnectionsExternal Speaker Connections GroundingGPS/NMEA Data Antenna Connections Antenna Mounting SuggestionsAntenna Mounting and EME Exposure Getting Started Keypad and Rotary KnobsMicrophone Keys Main Unit Rotary KeysMain Unit Push Keys PTT MicrophoneMain Unit 16/9CALL/MENU HILO/USER LCD Display 12 /9Battery Low HI/LO TX PowerLocal Local/Distant Mode User Favorite Channel ModeI C Channel Set WX Weather ChannelAlert Weather Alert Simplex ChannelSetting the Squelch Turning the Power on and OFFSetting the Volume Setting the Power OutputOverriding the Low Output Power Restriction On the microphone Setting the ChannelSelecting a Weather Channel On the main unitSelecting the Priority Channel Weather Alert OperationSelecting the Secondary Priority Channel Reprograming the Secondary Priority Channel Using the Scan Modes TransmittingAll Scan Saved Memory ScanPriority All Scan Adding Channels to Memory Priority Saved ScanGeneral Operations Using the Monitor Modes Dual WatchTri Watch User Channel Mode Menu Mode OperationDSC Call Operation Digital Selective Calling DSC Group DSC Call FunctionIndividual ALL ShipsPosition RequestRX Call LOG Individual Calls Making DSC Calls to Coast StationsTransmitting an Individual Call If using Manual Mmsi ID entry Ray54 VHF Radio To cancel the mode without sending ACK Receiving Individual CallsGroup Calls Transmitting a Group CallDigital Selective Calling DSC Receiving Group Calls To ignore the Group Call All Ships Calls Transmitting an All Ships CallReceiving an All Ships Call To decline the All Ships Call Distress Calls Sending a Distress CallUndesignated Quick Distress Call Designated Distress CallTo cancel the automatic Distress resend press CLEAR/WX Cancelling a Distress Call Made in Error Receiving a Distress CallReceiving a Distress ACK Sent from a Coast Station Receiving a Distress Relay Sent by Another StationPosition Request Specifying the Target VesselIf using Manual Mmsi ID entry When no reply is received within 3 minutes Retrieving the Last Received Position DataCall Log Receiving a Position Request From Another StationMaking a Call from a Call Log Entry Saving an Mmsi ID Number from a Call Log Entry Press and hold the SCAN/SAVE keyDSC Distress Log Menu Settings Menu FunctionUsing the Microphone Keys to Make Selections DSC Phonebook Adding an EntryUse same procedure to enter the Mmsi characters Editing an Existing Entry Deleting an Existing Entry Backlight Adjustment Contrast AdjustmentLocal / Distant GPS/Time Setup When GPS Information Not AvailableRotate the CH knob to scroll through the selections Settings Menu Settings Time Offset Latitude/Longitude DisplayTime Display Time FormatRadio Setup BandRing Volume Channel CH NameKey Beep DSC Setup My Mmsi ID Group Mmsi Setup Group Name Menu Settings Editing an Existing Entry Position Reply Automatic Channel Changing for Incoming Calls Procedure When Enabled Procedure When DisabledResetting Factory Defaults Product Repair and Service Customer ServiceHow to Contact Raymarine On the InternetAccessories and Parts Technical SupportAppendix a Specifications GeneralPLL Receiver TransmitterAppendix B Channel List Marine VHF Channels and FrequenciesXmit RCV 86Ray54 VHF Radio Freq Use 82A AC, GL Canadian Marine VHF Channels and FrequenciesWC, EC PC, AC, GL156.750 All areas AC, GL, PC90Ray54 VHF Radio EC, PC 156.875Area of Operation AC, GL, NLInternational Marine VHF Channels & Frequencies 94Ray54 VHF Radio 161.925 WX Channels North America only Appendix C Glossary VOL VHFIndex NumericsMmsi 101 102