WARNING Cobra Marine MR F55 EU Radio

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zambant

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Just a quick heads up for anyone who owns the above radio....

Last week I tried to use the above radio in DSC mode to call in a Mayday (not my boat - an MOB from another boat)

As per the manual - lifted the red door on the radio, pressed the button - HORROR - the menu was not as per the manual !!!

Now this may seem like a small thing but I can assure you it threw a spanner in the works - so much so we called it in on 16 by voice.

BUT here is the rub..... my crew have been told.....press the red button then press again for count of 5 - and here is the picture from the manual...

Wrestling with some 10 stone lady in the Solent trying to get her out of the water and then to have one of the crew shout - " ****! the radio is ******* different - its not doing what you said it ******* well would" - is distracting to say the least! :confused:

If you own one of these radio's I would be interested to see if yours is the same as the manual or like mine.....lift the flap and press the distress button ONCE ONLY and see if you get the screen shown in the manual or something else.

NOTE - if you press the button only once you will not transmit ( so says the manual )

FYI mine was purchased new in the UK in Dec 2010 and my manual is the same as the one on the Cobra web site.

Cobra and the UK distributor have been told.

In all other aspects its a great radio.....

Any one else?

John

-
 
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David - I did put the instructions next to the radio......trouble is reality DOES NOT match the manual.......
John
 
zambant said:
BUT here is the rub..... my crew have been told.....press the red button then press again for count of 5 - and here is the picture from the manual...
Click to expand...

According to this manual (Page 51) you have to press once to activate, a press second time to select Send, then press again (third time) and hold for 3 seconds.
 
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With mine, if the **** really hits the fan then simply press and keeping holding. It beeps, counts down from 3 and then transmits.

If you have more time, press once, select the distress message from the menu e.g.

1. Fridge Empty
2. Bought the wrong anchor
3. Saw a speeding Mobo and spilled my sweet sherry.

and then press again to send the actual message.
 
ProDave said:
I have this radio.
But I believed all DSC radios were press and hold to send a distress.
Click to expand...

Me too but, on reflection, I'm not sure where I got this belief from. It was either the RYA VHF course or the Cobra manual.

I've been telling everyone who comes aboard to press and hold the "big red button" then read off the laminated card. The menu system is a nonsense on such a small screen. Better to just send a generic distress with GPS co-ordinates and a voice follow-up, time permitting.
 
Reply from Cobra

Speedy Reply just received from Cobra via UK importer

"We had made a change to the software to satisfy certain country
requirements. The manual is being revised but an updated manual is not
available at this time.

To send an unspecified distress call:

1. Press and release the DISTRESS button.
2. The first choice should say "UNDESIGNATED". Press and release the
DISTRESS button again.
4. Now press and hold the DISTRESS button to send the call.

-regards


Cobra Electronics"


So it looks like you have to press the distress button 3 times...... :eek:

Guess I need to get a dummy load and try it....

Will let you all know how I get on.....unless someone else can tell me the answer???

John
 
zambant said:
Speedy Reply just received from Cobra via UK importer

"We had made a change to the software to satisfy certain country
requirements. The manual is being revised but an updated manual is not
available at this time.

To send an unspecified distress call:

1. Press and release the DISTRESS button.
2. The first choice should say "UNDESIGNATED". Press and release the
DISTRESS button again.
4. Now press and hold the DISTRESS button to send the call.

-regards


Cobra Electronics"


So it looks like you have to press the distress button 3 times...... :eek:

Guess I need to get a dummy load and try it....

Will let you all know how I get on.....unless someone else can tell me the answer???

John
Click to expand...

I'll try mine with a dummy load on Monday when I next expect to be out on the boat.

But mine's probably an older model so has the older software and probably will still work with one press. It looks like this is a recent change.

Thankfully marine radio's don't get over the air software updates.
 
Had a great sail today, and tried my radio today (with a 15W dummy load, that little 5W one is no good)

First press of the button indeed does not send a message, no matter how long you hold it.

Second press and hold for a few seconds sends a DSC distress.

So yes indeed, your instructions need to be lift flap, press and release, press and hold until the radio transmits and bleeps at you.

Don't all try this connected to a proper aerial!!! if you are going to try it, plug in a dummy load.
 
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Shearwater said:
For those not savvy......wot's a dummy load ?
Click to expand...

It's basically a large 50 ohm resistor built into a PL259 plug.

You unplug the aerial cable from the radio, and plug the dummy load into the aerial socket on the radio.

You can then transmit, but nobody will hear you because it's not going to an aerial, instead the few watts of transmitter power will gently warm up the dummy load a little.

You can't safely transmit on a VHF radio with no aerial plugged in, and you would not want to test something like the operation of a DSC distress call while connected to a real aerial would you.

So plugging in a dummy load allows you to test something like this so you can be sure how the radio works, but safe in the knowledge that noboy will hear your transmission, and you don't need to worry about a false distress call.
 
zambant said:
Speedy Reply just received from Cobra via UK importer

"We had made a change to the software to satisfy certain country
requirements. The manual is being revised but an updated manual is not
available at this time.

To send an unspecified distress call:

1. Press and release the DISTRESS button.
2. The first choice should say "UNDESIGNATED". Press and release the
DISTRESS button again.
4. Now press and hold the DISTRESS button to send the call.

-regards



Cobra Electronics"


So it looks like you have to press the distress button 3 times...... :eek:

Guess I need to get a dummy load and try it....

Will let you all know how I get on.....unless someone else can tell me the answer???

John
Click to expand...

When I had one of these 3, 4? years ago, they were subject to a recall - the software didn't quite match up to EU specs, or something similar. So I got a new radio free; they were very efficient about getting out the replacements. Perhaps the printed manual hadn't been updated? In any event, despite the budget price, the sound quality is supposed to be better than more costly radios.
 
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but am I right in saying that you should never press the distress button for a MOB on another boat. Technically that is a Mayday Relay and therefore DSC procedure should be a CALL - ALL STATIONS - URGENCY. followed by a voice mayday relay.
 
beany_bot said:
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but am I right in saying that you should never press the distress button for a MOB on another boat. Technically that is a Mayday Relay and therefore DSC procedure should be a CALL - ALL STATIONS - URGENCY. followed by a voice mayday relay.
Click to expand...

I think "you should never" is a bit strong - technically it might be correct, but getting help to the right place is more important than the technicalities (I'm assuming the boats are close to each other).

There is such a thing as a DSC Mayday Relay message, but I had thought it was only available on ship DSC sets (ie not "Class D" yacht ones). However, I've just checked the manual for my GX2100, and it does mention a form of Mayday Relay - but you have to choose the destination station to relay to so I'm not sure whether this is the proper Relay type message or not.

Pete
 
prv said:
I think "you should never" is a bit strong - technically it might be correct, but getting help to the right place is more important than the technicalities (I'm assuming the boats are close to each other).


Pete
Click to expand...

True that. But good also if everyone knows the correct procedure and is on the right page. A mayday relay is not classified as a DISTRESS, its an URGENCY. The DSC procedure is CALL - ALL STATIONS - URGENCY. Then all ships are waiting for either a PANPAN or a Mayday Relay. DISTRESS button should really only be used for you and your Mayday.

The reasoning behind this, isn't that a mayday relay isnt as serious as a mayday. It's because when you send a DSC DISTRESS, your position is sent, and boats rush to YOUR aid. When sending an urgency, your position isn't sent for this very reason.

It is a fact that lives have been lost in the UK due to rescue efforts attending the wrong vessel because of distress being hit in a mayday relay situation.
 
Storyline said:
I really want to test my red button now.
Is this suitable ? (Seems £10 cheaper than most of them on ebay)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ZETAGI-DL...ecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item2573f61fa1
Click to expand...

Perhaps there is a good reason why a CB dummy load is £10 cheaper :o;)

Dummy loads generate heat so are normally finned in order to enable efficient cooling. I would expect your dummy load to look like this.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Albrecht-...munication_Radio_Antennas&hash=item58a6e777e7
 
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