VHF issues

TonyWalker

We have the Standard Horizon GX-2150 as our main VHF radio,  If left turned on long enough in the receive but squelched mode it will eventually emit a continuous ear pearcing tone thru the loud speaker.  The only way I have found that fixes the problem is to turn the radio OFF and then back ON.  Anyone had a similar issue??

Tony
Salt Shaker 342

Michael T

I had the same situation with my Standard Horizon unit.  I called the company they told me if the unit was FULLY squelched the operator might not receive any transmissions,  leave their boat with the unit still on and deplete the batteries.  So,  it was a safety warning.  I said -  you're sh*tting me,  right? The reply was no sir. So,  Tony you'll have to decide if the answer was cr*p -  I'm still not sure! 

Stodge

I called Standard Horizon for my radio (with AIS and accepting GPS) about the alarm.  IF there is no GPS signal for some number of minutes it will start squaking.  I asked them how to disable this feature and was told it can't be turned off.  They went on to say my options were to leave my GPS on (which I don't do when the engine is off) or invest in one of the GPS spedo pucks (Seen them for about $125) that sends out a NMEA GPS signal to make the radio happy.  

Michael T

Geez! 

TonyWalker

Yes, geez.  lol  

Thank you MT and Stodge.  Got a game plan to work with now.

jme097

What the **** does the squelch do? I have always wondered that

TonyWalker

It shuts the audio portion of the radio down when there is no signal and all that would be there to hear would be the noise.  So you get a quiet radio unless you receive a signal from another station that is strong enough to cancel the quieting of the squelch and come thru.

MarkB

It is basically called the "flood gate" to control the signals received.  Basically you can increase the sensitivity of the radio, allowing more faint signals to come in.  At some point, it becomes so sensitive that it picks up major background interference and you hear static noise. You should change your squelch until you hear the static noise and then back off one notch until it's quiet.  This is the maximum sensitivity you can use on the radio.

Michael T

Correct. 

LaRea

Tony, does this alarm happen only when the squelch is all the way down? 

The right way to adjust squelch is 1) turn volume on, 2) turn squelch up until you hear static, 3) turn squelch back slightly until static stops.  If you do that, do you still get an alarm?  

TonyWalker

Yup.  Squelch is set just on the edge.  And then after a period of time I get the alarm.  I will verify that next time I have the VHF on just to be sure.

jme097

Love this forum. So informative lol

Stodge

There is also the DSC alarm but that shuts off.