Embarrassing lesson in reading manuals.

NUTMEG

NUTMEG

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Essex
www.theblindsailor.co.uk
A coupe of months ago I purchased a shiny new SH 2100x, the one with built in AIS, DSC and lots of other really useful but unfathomable features.

I already have a SH180i chart plotter and I wired the two together and BINGO I can see all the (AIS transmitting) commercial vessels on the plotter screen. Usual SH product, it worked perfectly first time.

So impressed was I, and fancying treating the boat to a pressie, I sent off for a loud hailer horn, also by SH. Wired it up and.... Nothing. No fog signals, no loudhailer function, nothing. Puzzled I phoned SH and got the usual courteous response, was put through to the service dept and the chap spent a long time going through the wireing etc with me. Couldn't have been more helpful but in the end I agreed to return the VHF as he was stumped. The following day I get a phone call asking me if I had turned the volume up. Of course I had, I replied. The nice chap assured me it was working fine, he even let me listen to the fog signals over the phone. Anyway he sent it back for me to test again on the boat. When I opened the box (the following day) there was a hand written note 'reminding' me that in Fog mode the Channel select knob becomes the volume. The on/off/volume knob controls the volume for the 'listen back' function.

I checked the manual and he is of course right.

Moral = If something does not work RTFM before sending it back.

Thank you Standard Horizon.

No connection etc.
 
And read the manual through before you do the job.....

Years ago I stripped a gearbox (Austin A40, it was that long ago). The instruction in my Haynes manual said "Place shaft vertically and press down on cogs to release from the shaft". This I dutifully did, only to hear a loud "ping" as ball bearings and springs shot to all corners of the garage. The next instruction read "Before doing this place a cloth over the shaft to retain ball bearings....."
 
Rigger Mortice said:
And read the manual through before you do the job.....

Years ago I stripped a gearbox (Austin A40, it was that long ago). The instruction in my Haynes manual said "Place shaft vertically and press down on cogs to release from the shaft". This I dutifully did, only to hear a loud "ping" as ball bearings and springs shot to all corners of the garage. The next instruction read "Before doing this place a cloth over the shaft to retain ball bearings....."
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Classic! Feel better now:-)
 
One day a Flight Test Observer I knew was being briefed on the admittedly complicated radio on Harriers; after all the talk about emergency frequencies, Identification Friend or Foe etc he said " Yes I get all that but what's this O.F.F mode ? "
 
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nigelmercier said:
Never seen one of these advertised, must take a look.
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Nothing special about the speaker, it's a bog standard 20watt (from memory) plastic horn. The higher-end SH radios have a speaker output, which can either act as a loudhailer (you speak into the radio mic) or a foghorn (you select the sound pattern you want, or can make single beeps using the pressel). Since my radio has the facility, I thought I might as well fit the horn. I would certainly use the fixed patterns in fog, but I can't see much use for the other modes. The manual beep requires too much menu fiddling to be much use as a horn, and I'd feel a bit of a berk using the hailer :).

Pete
 
Seajet said:
Indeed, and why would anyone need a hailer when we have handheld radio's, mobile phones and almanacs giving VHF calling channels and phone numbers for harbours.
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For shouting at twats driving Mobos as if they owned the sea to reduce speed or keep clear or simply to Foxtrot Oscar. Likewise for shouting at Raggies who fail to follow Colregs because they are "racing" or are simply dick heads.
 
Seajet said:
I find simple silent International signals do, I don't need to sound like the Ark Royal coming in to dock.
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Ahhh, yes, the old "two finger salute" or

jg7igy.gif

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I had the same situation as the OP and was relying on my own intuition to sort it out. I happened to watch a u-tube video first which talked you through the Horn set up but they made no mention of Volume on the Channel knob. When I re-read the instructions later they refer to setting the 'RF output level' when the screen shows VOL and a blank area beside it which produces a bar as soon as you turn the correct channel knob. If they have to ship the radio with the default Volume at zero (midway would be the obvious preference) then the instructions should say 'WARNING be sure to increase Volume to produce noise'. Reference to RF output even though it is technically more accurate is best left in the Service Manual.
 
"Moral = If something does not work RTFM before sending it back."
I think the reason this happens is that most manuals are either a) too long and tediously written and/or b) bordering on the incomprehensible.
Not boaty, but I've just bought some cordless phones(German manufacture) and the instructions are appaling - they tick boxes a and b above.
Fortunately, the work just by plugging in ;)
 
Loudhailer is brilliant for calling kids back off the beach.

Also get's the foredeck crews attention, especially if you shout into the mic! :)

Also good for telling the Italian ******** who is about to lay his anchor right over your chain to pis$$ orf elsewhere. Hardly anyone in Greece has a radio on and shouting and waving ones arms about is understood well, regardless of language!
 
Playing with the new toy today I must say the automated fog signals are very good and VERY loud! The loudhailer I have turns out to be the larger 40w version. The loudhailer proved its worth asking a neighbour if he wanted a cuppa, alright, the rest of the yard heard it to but made I chuckle (just the once). As mentioned above the horn and siren functions are fiddly but assigning a soft key to the 'fog' function speeds things up.

All in all a good bit of kit and nice add on to the VHF.
 
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