West Marine 18114496, Owner'S Manual

Page: 5 / 48

INTRODUCTION
Features
•
Waterproof Radio
Complies with IPX4 waterproof standards, which means the radio is resistant to damage from rain or splash-
ing water.
• Large, dot matrix display
• Advanced DSC Class D functions, including Test Calling
• Channel select buttons on the microphone
•
Memory scan mode
Lets you save channels to memory and monitor them in quick succession.
•
Transmitter Power Level Select
Lets you boost the transmitter power from 1 watt to 25 watts for added transmission distance.
•
Battery level display and tone
Sounds an alert tone if the battery voltage goes too high or too low.
•
Triple Watch Operation
Checks the Coast Guard Distress/Hailing channels 16 and 9 in the background.
• All marine VHF channels for the U.S., Canada, and international waters
•
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather channel watch
Sounds a warning tone when a hazard alert is
issued for your area.
Explanation of Terms
Term What it Means
DSC Digital Selective Calling. A VHF radio standard for communicating among boats and sending automated distress calls.
FIPS Federal Information Processing Standard. A set of location codes roughly equivalent to your county codes.
WX Weather Radio
GPS Global Positioning System
NMEA National Marine Electronics Association. The organization that governs standards for electronic equipment used on
boats. NMEA 0183 is the standard for serial data communication used by GPS.
MMSI
Maritime Mobile Service Identity number. A unique, nine-digit number that identifies you and your boat when making
DSC calls. It is also used by the Coast Guard if you send an automated distress call.
Station Any DSC radio, whether it’s operated on a boat, at a marina, or by a shore station.
GETTING STARTED
What’s Included
VHF490 Marine Radio
VHF490 RADIO 1-800-BOATING 1