Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product Mrf 80b Cobra Electronics
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A1 English Our Thanks to y ou and Customer Assistance Introduction VHF MARINE RADIO MR F80B Printed in China Part No. 480-345P Owner’ s Manual Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Thank you f or pur chasing a CobraMarine ® VHF radio. Properl y used, this Cobra ® product will give y ou many y ears of reliable service.
A3 English Pr oduct Features Introduction A2 English T ransceiver Contr ols, Indicators and Connections Introduction Squelch Knob P ower V olume Knob Local Mode Button Backlit LCD Screen HI/LO Pow er .
Waterproof Submersible to 3.28 ft (1 m) of water for 30 minutes — meets JIS7 Standards. Local Mode A dedicated button that allows user to lower unnecessary noise inter ference from random RF noise in highly populated areas.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® T able Of Contents 1 Introduction Our Thanks to Y ou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1 Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 English Impor tant Safety Inf ormation Introduction Important Safety Infor mation • Before installing and using your CobraMarine VHF radio, please read these general precautions and warnings. W arning and Notice Statements T o make the most of this radio, it must be installed and used properly .
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Impor tant Safety Inf ormation 3 The following WARNINGS and NOTICE information will make you aware of RF exposure hazards and how to assure you operate the radio within the FCC RF exposure limits established for the radio.
4 English Recommendations f or Marine Comm unication NOTICE A VOID using or storing the radio at temperatures below -4°F (-20°C) or above 140°F (60°C). NEVER connect the transceiver to DC power greater than 16 volts or to any DC source with reversed polarity .
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® FCC Licensing Inf ormation 5 FCC Licensing Information • CobraMarine VHF radios comply with the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) requirements that regulate the Maritime Radio Service. This CobraMarine radio incorporates a VHF FM transceiver designed for use in the frequency range of 156.
6 English VHF Marine Radio Pr ocedures User Responsibility and Operating Locations All users are responsible for observing domestic and foreign government regulations and are subject to severe penalties for violations.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® V oice Calling 7 Limits on Calling Y ou 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.
8 English Digital Selective Calling (DSC) The vessel Corsair calling the vessel Vagabond: Corsair: “Vagabond, this is Corsair (station license number call sign).” Vagabond: “Corsair , this is Vagabond. Over .” Corsair: “Vagabond go to working Channel 68.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) 9 VHF Marine Radio Protocols Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) • An MMSI is a nine (9) digit number used on a marine radio capable of using digital selective calling (DSC).
10 English Radiotelephone Calls Radiotelephone Calls • Boaters may make and receive radiotelephone calls to and from any number on the telephone network by using the services of public coast stations. Calls can be made — for a fee — between your radio and telephones on land, sea and in the air .
MA YD A Y PA N SECURITE Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Emergency Messa ges and Distress Pr ocedure 11 Emergency Messages and Distress Procedur e • The ability to summon assistance in an emergency is the primary reason to have a VHF marine radio.
12 English Emergency Messa ges and Distress Pr ocedure If Y ou Hear a Distress Call Y ou must give any message beginning with one (1 ) of these signals priority over any other messages. ALL stations MUST remain silent on Channel 16 for the duration of the emergency unless the message relates directly to the emergency .
For Example Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Emergency Messa ges and Distress Pr ocedure 13 “Mayday — Mayday — Mayday” “This is Corsair — Corsair — Corsair” [or “IL 1234 AB”], repeated three (3) times.
14 English VHF Marine Channel Assignments VHF Marine Channel Assignments • Three (3) sets of VHF channels have been established for marine use in the U.S.A., Canada and the rest of the world (International). Most of the channels are the same for all three (3) maps, but there are definite differences (see table on pages 16-23).
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® VHF Marine Channel Assignments 15 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) Channels 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 60, 61, 84, 84A, 85, 85A, 86, 86A, 87, 87A, 88* For calls to marine operators at public coast stations. Y ou can make and receive telephone calls through these stations.
16 English VHF Marine Channel Assignments VHF Marine Radio Protocols Channel Channel Map Frequency P ower Number USA Int’l Canada T ransmit Receive Limits 01 •• 156.050 160.650 01A • 156.050 156.050 02 •• 156.100 160.700 03 •• 156.150 160.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® VHF Marine Channel Assignments 17 VHF Marine Radio Protocols Channel Us e 01 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) 01A Port Operations and Commercial, VTS in select.
18 English VHF Marine Channel Assignments VHF Marine Radio Protocols Channel Channel Map Frequency P ower Number USA Int’l Canada T ransmit Receive Limits 18 • 156.900 161.500 18A •• 156.900 156.900 19 • 156.950 161.550 19A •• 156.950 156.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® VHF Marine Channel Assignments 19 Channel Us e 18 Port Operations, Ship Movement 18A Commercial 19 Port Operations, Ship Movement 19A Commercial 20 Canada (Coast Guard Only); International (Port Operations, Ship Movement) 20A Port Operations 21 Port Operations, Ship Movement 21A U.
20 English VHF Marine Channel Assignments VHF Marine Radio Protocols Channel Channel Map Frequency P ower Number USA Int’l Canada T ransmit Receive Limits 63 • 156.175 160.775 63A • 156.175 156.175 64 •• 156.225 160.825 64A •• 156.225 156.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® VHF Marine Channel Assignments 21 Channel Us e 63 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator), Port Operations, Ship Movement 63A Port Operations and Commercial, VTS in selected areas 64 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator), Port Operations, Ship Movement 64A U.
Channel Channel Map Frequency P ower Number USA Int’l Canada T ransmit Receive Limits 78 • 156.925 161.525 78A •• 156.925 156.925 79 • 156.975 161.575 79A •• 156.975 156.975 80 • 157.025 161.625 80A •• 157.025 157.025 81 • 157.075 161.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® VHF Marine Channel Assignments 23 Channel Us e 78 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) 78A Non-Commercial (Recreational) 79 Port Operations, Ship Movement 79A Comm.
NOAA Weather Channels and Alert • Monitoring the weather will probably be a frequent use of your radio. NOAA provides continuous, around-the-clock broadcasts of the latest weather information. T aped weather messages run every four (4) to six (6) minutes and are revised ever y two (2) or three (3) hours, or as needed.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® W orld City Time Zones 25 World City Time Zones • In order to set correct local time as compared to different World City T ime Zones, enter the hour “offset” as listed below . The correct local time appears on the VHF for Cities all over the world.
26 English Inc luded in this P ac kage Included in this Package • Y ou should find all of the following items in the packa ge with your CobraMarine VHF radio: NOTE Cobra Accessory Harness CM 140-001 is an optional wire harness that is used to interface the MR F80 radio with the Cobra MC 600C Series chartplotters.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Mounting and P o wering the Radio 27 Installation and Start-Up Mounting and Powering the Radio • Before using your CobraMarine VHF radio, it must be installed on your vessel.
Microphone Brac ket Mounting Kit T o Install The Microphone Bracket Mounting Kit: Install the microphone bracket mounting kit on a vertical surface near the transceiver using the supplied stainless steel screws. Flush Mount A Flush Mount kit is included with your CobraMarine VHF radio to allow its installation in almost any flat surface.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Mounting and P o wering the Radio 29 W arning Sticker FCC regulations require that the Warning Sticker supplied with this radio be applied to a spot where it is easily seen by the radio operator . Be sure the location is clean and dry before applying the sticker .
30 English Mounting and P o wering the Radio Installation and Start-Up NOTE All wiring is best kept as short as possible. If the power leads must be extended, use a high-quality , marine-grade cable sized for up to 10 amps of current. T o minimize voltage drop, choose a wire gauge as follows: Length Wire Gauge Up to 1.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Antenna Requirements and Attachment 31 Installation and Start-Up Antenna Requirements and Attachment • Antenna Requirements Y our CobraMarine VHF radio requires an external marine antenna to send signals into the air and to receive them.
32 English Antenna Requirements and Attachment WARNING Do not transmit when anyone is within the MPE radius of the antenna unless that person or persons are shielded from the antenna by a grounded metallic barrier .
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® External Devices and Connections 33 External Devices and Connections • Y our CobraMarine VHF radio is set up to connect auxiliary devices for navigation, convenience and added versatility .
34 English External Devices and Connections Public Address Speaker (Not Inc luded) At times, it may be handy to address other boats or give instructions to line handlers on the dock. Y our CobraMarine VHF radio can be switched to operate in the Public Address mode through an attached P A speaker .
Nothing comes close to a Cobra ® External Devices and Connections NOTE Satellite acquisition time is dependent on the GPS device. CobraMarine Chartplotter MC 600C Series Y our CobraMarine VHF radio is set up to connect directly to your chartplotter with a custom accessory cable that eases the installation.
36 English Getting Star ted Getting Started • Refer to the foldout at the front of this manual to identify the various controls and indicators on your radio. Throughout this manual you will be instructed to press, or to press and hold buttons on the transceiver or on the microphone/speaker .
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Getting Star ted 37 DSC Position Request Alarm Medium-loud, continuous, low-pitched series of closely spaced, four (4) beeps [three (3) short – one (1) long] groups — sounds when a POSITION REQUEST call is received.
38 English Squelch Squelch control is controlled by turning the inner (back) rotary concentric knob located directly behind the On/Off – Volume knob. With the power On, turn the knob counterclockwise till you hear a hissing sound, then turn the knob clockwise till the hissing stops.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® 39 Local Mode Button The radio features a Local Mode button that decreases radio sensitivity when operating inside populated areas. When the Local Mode button is On, the power of an inbound receive (Rx) signal is reduced without distorting the waveform.
40 English Getting Star ted Introduction Standby and Receive Standby mode is the usual mode for the radio whenever it is turned On. From Standby Mode, Y ou Can: Change your radio’ s settings using setup routines. Receive messages on the current channel as well as DSC messages.
Introduction Nothing comes close to a Cobra ® Setup Mode Pr ogramming 41 Setup Mode Programming • Setup Menu Use the Setup menu in the CobraMarine VHF radio to turn On and Off many features, to adjust feature preferences and enter a user MMSI number .
42 English Setup Mode Programming LCD Display Lamp Adjust The LCD display has a backlight lamp to make it visible in the dark. The lamp can be adjusted for brightness or turned off. Make all lamp adjustments in the LAMP ADJ menu. The lamp will operate at the HIGH level until adjusted to HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW , NIGHT or OFF .
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Setup Mode Pr ogramming 43 Key T one The confirmation key tone sounds when the CobraMarine VHF radio is turned On and confirms all button presses except for the Ta l k button. The confirmation key tone is easily turned On or Off.
44 English Setup Mode Pr ogramming NOTE When the time offset is at zero (0), the LCD shows the time as UTC. When a time zone hour offset is entered, the LCD shows the local time. All DSC messages are based on UTC. The radio will also show the local time as the adjustment is being made.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Special Features 45 Special Features • Rewind-Sa y-Again™ Feature The MR F80 radio has a Cobra exclusive playback feature, Rewind-Say-Again™ . This feature allows you to replay the last 20 seconds of an incoming audio transmission.
46 English Special Features Make Y our Own Recording The recording feature may also be used to store other important information like fuel consumption, water conditions, fishing notes (such as thermal cline depths, type of bait, etc.) and other “On Water” observations.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 47 V oice T ransmission Operating Y our Radio V oice T ransmission • Use the T ransmit (TX) mode to communicate with safety services, other vessels and shore stations. When using this capability , follow appropriate procedures and observe the expected courtesies.
48 English V oice T ransmission T ransmit P ower Output The radio transmits selectively at 1 or 25 watts of power . Cobra suggests maintaining the low power setting for short- range communications to avoid overpowering nearby stations with the signal.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 49 V oice T ransmission NOTE If the Ta l k button is held down for five (5) minutes, the radio automatically ceases transmitting to prevent unwanted signal generation and a three (3)-beep error tone sounds.
50 English NO AA All Hazards/W eather Radio and Aler t, w/SAME NOAA All Hazards/W eather Radio and Alert, w/SAME • NOAA broadcasts weather information as described in the NOAA Weather Channels section on page 25 of this manual. Listen to one of these receive-only channels at any time.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® NO AA All Hazards/W eather Radio and Aler t, w/SAME 51 NOTE The symbol will appear on the top of the display when the weather alert is turned On.
52 English Pr oduct Features Introduction NO AA All Hazards/W eather Radio and Aler t, w/SAME 3. T urn the Channel knob to select alert ON. 4. Depress the Enter button and select YES to set the same alert. NOTE The Weather channels may be turned Off, while the SAME area code alerts are On or any combination of On or Off.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 53 Adv anced Operation Advanced Operation • There are several features in the CobraMarine MR F80 VHF radio that provide quick access to the voice calling channels and allow monitoring more than one (1) channel at a time.
54 English Pr oduct Features Introduction Ad vanced Operation T ri-W atch Use T ri-Watch one-button access to scan the three (3) channels of most importance. Channel 16 is always included as scanned locations. The remaining locations can be set using the following procedure.
Operating Y our Radio Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Adv anced Operation 55 Memory Channels Program or select an unlimited number of channels for the Memory Scan mode. T o Program Memor y Channels: 1. From Standby mode, select a channel to record using the Channel Up/Down buttons.
56 English Pr oduct Features Introduction Ad vanced Operation Scanning of Memory Channels During Memor y Scan mode, the radio rapidly switches from one recorded channel to another . When any activity is detected, the radio stops the scan for 10 seconds for brief listening on that channel.
Operation from the Micr ophone Use the microphone to select operation modes and accomplish approximately 90% of all radio functions. Microphone features include: Instant Channel 16/9 button is used to access emergency channels. Channel Up/Down button is used to change channels.
58 English Pr oduct Features Introduction Digital Select Calling (DSC) Setup Digital Select Calling (DSC) Setup • Digital Selective Calling (DSC) uses digital signals to increase messaging range. This provides the most reliable message delivery per watt of output power .
1. Enter the Setup menu and scroll to USERMMSI menu. 2. Press the Enter button. A blinking cursor displays at the first digit under USERMMSI ID ENTRY . 3. Rotate the Channel knob to scroll through the number list to the digit of the MMSI number being entered.
DSC Scanning T urn DSC Scanning Off to stop the radio from scanning Channel 70. DSC message transmissions continue but no DSC alarms sound. No DSC messages are received unless a distress message is transmitted. Distress message acknowledgements are received with DSC scanning On or Off.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 61 Digital Select Calling (DSC) Setup T o Enter a Group MMSI Number: 1. Enter the Setup menu and scroll to GRP MMSI menu. 2. Press the Enter button. A blinking cursor displays at the first digit under GRP MMSI ID ENTRY .
62 English Pr oduct Features Introduction Digital Select Calling (DSC) Setup Individual Directory DSC can be used to call another vessel or station directly . This allows the user to make a call to a specific vessel that could be monitoring any channel.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 63 Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation • The Send menu displays when the Distress button is pressed. NOTE This radio follows Class-D DSC protocol with a dedicated Channel 70 receiver .
64 English Pr oduct Features Introduction Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation There are three (3) choices: Send a distress call automatically , with your position, if you are connected to a GPS. Or send the call, without your position, if not connected to a GPS.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 65 Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation The Distress alarm sounds to confirm that the message is transmitted. At the end of the transmission, the radio maintains a watch on Channel 16 and Channel 70 for an acknowledgement.
66 English Pr oduct Features Introduction Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation receiving a DSC Distress call and the alarm will sound for approximately two (2) minutes. Press any button to clear the Distress alarm instantly . Regarding Distress Rela y Calls This radio cannot send Distress Relay calls.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 67 Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation 5. Depending on the type of message selected, the radio automatically switches to a voice channel. a. After Urgency and Safety calls, the radio switches to Channel 16.
68 English Pr oduct Features Introduction Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation Sending a Geographical Call This radio does not send Geographical calls.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 69 Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation Sending an Individual Call Use the DSC Individual call feature to request communication with one (1) exclusive station. The DSC Individual call does not alert all other stations within range.
70 English Pr oduct Features Introduction Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation Receiving an Individual Call When another station makes an Individual call to the radio: The Individual alarm sounds. The caller is identified on the LCD. The radio switches to the channel selected by the caller .
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 71 Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation Receiving a Group Call When another station makes a Group call to the radio, the Individual a.
72 English Pr oduct Features Introduction Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation If Y ou Receive a Position: The requested position with the station name and MMSI will show on your screen. Press the Enter button to return to Standby mode after you have noted the station’ s position.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 73 Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation Receiving a P osition Request When you went through the DSC Setup process, you set a position request reply type. (See page 63 to change your setting.
74 English Pr oduct Features Introduction Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation Operating Y our Radio Sending a P osition Send Position Send uses your connected GPS in similar fashion to the Position Request function, except that you initiate the activity to let another station know where you are.
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 75 Digital Select Calling (DSC) Operation Call Log and Distress Log Call Waiting functions similarly to the Caller ID function on your telephone. It will capture the caller’ s MMSI identification number and any other data included in a DSC message.
76 English Maintenance and T r oubleshooting Operating Y our Radio No display on LCD when radio is turned On Improper power connection Ensure power connections are proper and secure Will transmit at 1.
Operating Y our Radio Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Specifications 77 Specifications • General Number of Channels All U.S.A., Canadian, and International NOAA Weather Channels Channel Spacing 25 kHz Modulation 5 kHz Max.
78 English Pr oduct Features Introduction W arranty and T rademark Operating Y our Radio Limited 3-Y ear W arranty • For Products Pur chased in the U .
Introduction Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra ® Pr oduct Features 79 Operating Y our Radio Product Service Product Service • If you ha ve any questions about operation or installing y our new CobraMarine VHF product, or if you are missing parts… Please call Cobra first! DO NOT RETURN THIS PRODUCT TO THE STORE! See customer assistance on page A1.
80 English Flush Mount T emplate / Plantilla para montaje empotrado Customer Service Use the supplied template to mark and cut an opening in the flat surface. NOTICE Before cutting, be sure the area behind the flat surface is clear of any instruments or wires that might be damaged in the process.
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If you have not bought Cobra Electronics Mrf 80b yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Cobra Electronics Mrf 80b - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Cobra Electronics Mrf 80b you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Cobra Electronics Mrf 80b will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Cobra Electronics Mrf 80b, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Cobra Electronics Mrf 80b.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Cobra Electronics Mrf 80b. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Cobra Electronics Mrf 80b along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
