Connecting the radio | West Marine VHF580 guide

Black wire

(-)

Red wire

(+)

Connecting the radio

To operate correctly, your radio requires two electrical connections:


xx	providing it with power from the boat’s electrical system
xx	connecting a VHF-FM marine antenna to the antenna connector

Power Supply Requirements		VHF Antenna Requirements
Nominal 13.8 VDC power supply with a		Male PL-259 connector
negative ground (10.5 VDC to 16.0 VDC).		50 Ω impedance
Power leads should be kept as short as		Minimum 4 foot, 3 dB rated antenna for
possible. A direct connection to the power		sailboats or 8 foot, 6dB rated antenna for
supply is ideal.		powerboats
Minimum of #14 AWG copper wire for		Minimum RG-58 lead-in wire for antenna
extensions up to 20 feet, 12 AWG wire for		leads up to 20 feet, RG-8X for antenna
extensions from 20 to 35 feet, or 10 AWG		leads from 20 to 35 feet, or RG-8U for
wire for extensions from 35 to 60 feet.		antenna leads from 35 to 60 feet.

1.Connect the BLACK wire of the power cable to the NEGATIVE (-) side of your power source.

2.Connect the RED wire of the power cable to the POSITIVE (+) side of your power source.

##NOTE: To extend the life of the radio, use waterproof tape to seal electrical connections.

4.Install your antenna according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

13.8V DC

5.If necessary, consult the FCC guidelines for

antenna separation. See Antenna Selection

and Installation on page 51 for more details. (In summary, the FCC recommends that antennas up to 3 dB be installed a minimum of 3 feet from any occupied location; antennas over 3 dB should be installed at least 6 feet away.)

6.Connect the PL-259 connector from the antenna lead-in wires to the SO238 connector labeled ANTENNA on the back of your radio.

Radio connector,		Antenna lead-in
SO238 (female
PL-259)		connector,
		male PL-259

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Image 34

West Marine VHF580 manual Connecting the radio, Power Supply Requirements VHF Antenna Requirements

Contents

DSC Marine Radio Making a Distress Call Making a Voice Distress Call Faire un appel de détresse Faire un appel de détresse vocal Cómo hacer una llamada de apuro Cómo hacer una llamada de apuro por voz Contents Manual overview FeaturesIntroduction Conventions Getting Started What’s included Parts of the Radio Button Press to Press and hold to Parts of the Microphone Connector/Cable Connects to For details, seeButton Press to Press and hold How It Works Setting the UIC Channel Mode USA/CAN/INTMode What It Does Use It When To Turn it on./off Turning on the Radio Normal mode operation Watch Mode What It Does Use It When To Turn it on./off Normal mode with Triple and Dual Watch Using the radio in normal modeNormal mode with Weather Alert Watch Message Meaning Normal mode with both Weather Alert and Triple/Dual Watch Scan mode08 10 11 12 13 15 17 Scan mode with Triple and Dual Watch Using the radio in scan modeScan mode with Weather Alert Watch Scan mode with both Weather Alert and Triple/Dual Watch Using the radio in weather mode Weather modeWeather mode with Weather Alert Watch Using Your Radio Using Your Radio Making a voice Mayday call Setting the volumeSetting the squelch level Changing the channel Boosting the transmission power Choosing Triple Watch or Dual Watch Using Fips codes for weather alerts Changing display and sound options Setting the GPS position manuallyLamp adjust Contrast Advanced DSC features Using Digital Selective Calling DSC FeaturesWhat is DSC? What is an Mmsi number? Entering Mmsi numbers Individual or User Mmsi Number Using the Directory Group Mmsi number Making DSC Calls Call type What it does When to use itChannel Up Button Channel Down Button Calling a single station Individual Call Select Individual Calling a particular group of stations Group Call Making an automatic distress callCalling all stations All-Ships Call Receive log Canceling an automatic distress callReceiving a DSC call DSC Call Type Receive Log Information Returning a call Test CallsMaking Test Calls Test Enabling automatic test call reply Position Request and ReplyReceiving Test Calls Requesting another station’s position POS Request Enabling automatic position reply Receiving a position request Position ReplySending your own position Position Send Putting the radio into standby Disabling automatic channel switchingRenaming Channels ENT-1W/25W Installing the Hardware Mounting the radio Connecting the radio Power Supply Requirements VHF Antenna Requirements Connecting to a GPS receiver Ground Wire Color Configuring the GPS GPS Data External Connecting to a Chartplotter Connecting to an External Speaker Maintenance and Troubleshooting Problem Things to Try Engine Noise Suppression Radio Specifications SpecificationsTransmitter Receiver Reference TablesChannel descriptions and what they mean Channel name/description Used for US Marine Channels and Frequencies Ch No RX Freq TX Freq Status Name on display Canadian Marine Channels and Frequencies Ch No RX Freq TX Freq Status Name on display International Marine Channels and Frequencies Ch No RX Freq TX Freq Status Name on display Ch No RX Freq Name on display Weather Channels and Frequencies US, CAN, and INTEmergency Alert System Same Information Types of events FFW No Response Event Code WFW Nmea Output Nmea OperationNmea Input Basic radio guidelines Three Year Limited Warranty Page QUESTIONS?