handheld vhf not recieving

[steve yates]

my handheld will transmit ok apparently, the marina can hear me fine, but I get nothing back. Also, the squelch seems to be not a problem at all, turning the knob makes no difference.
Is it something fixable or is it just for the bin?

 

[jac]

You don't mention make and model but given that a new one is £100 or so then I suspect bin is realistic. Opening it up will ruin any watertightness it is supposed to have unless done professionally and the cost of having a pro look at it will be more than it costs to replace.

Definitely worth checking it against receiving by leaving it tuned to a local busy channel - e.g. 16 or local port operations channel and by turning volume up and squelch down but better to start looking for new one IMHO

 

[pvb]

my handheld will transmit ok apparently, the marina can hear me fine, but I get nothing back.

Check that you haven't accidentally set it to USA or Canadian channel 80A - this would let the marina hear you, but you wouldn't hear their response.

 

[colind3782]

If it's an Icom, it's a known fault and they'll fix it FOC.

 

[steve yates]

ahh, its a jmc, rtp 1000, and I tried it on different channels. Guess it's just goosed.

 

[rbmatthews]

Check that other things are not causing interference - a recent thread talked about solar panel controllers, 12v/5v USB sockets and the like blocking out VHF signals on some frequencies.

 

[jbweston]

I had the same symptoms with my Raymarine fixed VHF - seemed to transmit OK but wouldn't receive on any channel unless the signal was very strong. I thought it might be the aerial or cable and had them checked over but no joy. In the end I bought a VHF test box that showed me in two shakes of almab's tail that the receiver wasn't working.

It was expensive (£100) to buy but it saved the cost of a VHF engineer removing and testing the set. It's on the boat in Sweden or I'd offer to lend it to you.

What I bought was this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shakespeare...&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=shakespeare+vhf+tester

It works well and is easy to use. If you could borrow one I supect it would tell you that your VHF is bosted (as we say in South Derbyshire). As it won't receive and you haven't got an external antenna, I suspect any amount of testing will just prove it doesn't work.

I replaced my old VHF with a new one and it worked at once.

 

[ShinyShoe]

Manual squelch knob? Failed? Is there a MONI button - what happens with it depressed? Can you hear anything then?

 

[steve yates]

Manual squelch knob, absolute silence from that. Don't know what a moni button is I'm afraid. I have a fixed VHF unit I bought from here, I guess it's time to bite the bullet and get it out the box and start to learn about marine electronics and try and connect it up
New thread coming soon I suspect.

 

[ShinyShoe]

MONI button is on most (but maybe not all) VHF radios just above or below the Push to Talk and it opens the squelch. However if its a broken squelch knob while it may be fixable the fix will involve an AWFUL lot more work than installing a fixed VHF. Fixed VHF wins on almost all counts other than getting on the life raft...

 

[pvb]

MONI button is on most (but maybe not all) VHF radios just above or below the Push to Talk and it opens the squelch.

In 40 years, I've never encountered a MONI button on a marine VHF.

 

[ShinyShoe]

In 40 years, I've never encountered a MONI button on a marine VHF.

On a handheld its very common feature. Have to say I'm not so sure about a fixed unit. I've certainly never noticed it!

So I currently have an M1-Euro-V which has a rotary squelch knob and its just below the PTT. Small black button thats hard to notice. On the M31 I had before that SQL was set 'digitally' and MONI was on one of those buttons. I don't own a Standard Horizon but I have used them and pretty sure at least the ones with rotary squelch had MONI next to PTT. I have some non-marine VHF radios and UHF ones and they ALL have MONI next to PTT even if digitally set SQL.

 

[dk]

Never seen one myself either and I've had a bunch of them. No moni on the SH HX290 I have in my hand either!

Sorry to answer before the quote but don't seem to be able to scroll to the bottom now on my iPad. Has something happened in the site redesign?

On a handheld its very common feature. Have to say I'm not so sure about a fixed unit. I've certainly never noticed it!

So I currently have an M1-Euro-V which has a rotary squelch knob and its just below the PTT. Small black button thats hard to notice. On the M31 I had before that SQL was set 'digitally' and MONI was on one of those buttons. I don't own a Standard Horizon but I have used them and pretty sure at least the ones with rotary squelch had MONI next to PTT. I have some non-marine VHF radios and UHF ones and they ALL have MONI next to PTT even if digitally set SQL.

 

[ShinyShoe]

On the HX290 you hold down the SQL key for 3 seconds to activate the function. Release to revert to normal squelch.

 

[John the kiwi]

I have a uniden VHF panel mount . Suddenly no reception - but transmit was ok.
I lashed up a connection from the aux speaker outputs to a stereo system speaker and it worked perfectly.
Checked continuity in the internal speaker and there was none. Total open circuit. Dead ducked! The local electronics shack couldn't help as the speaker was specific size and high current rating and also rated waterproof.
I thought i was up for a new VHF but i rang Uniden and the nice, helpful young woman sent me a new speaker for equivelent of 12 quids?? (2 pints or thereabouts anyway.)
Didnt charge for P&P either.
I am strictly amateur with electronics so count this as a Practical Boat Owner win..
Good luck