Why you shouldn't buy a Lowrance LVR-250 DSC VHF

mainsail said:
...ALERTS: My radio often starts bleeping as if it wants to alert me to something. (Heaven only knows what)...
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if you look at the screen it will tell you why it is bleeping - it may be something as simple as letting you know it can't get a GPS fix because you haven't set it up correctly... The age old advice of RTFM still holds good :)
 
Thanks very much! It's working!!!

OSTELL - Thanks very much for your advice about connecting green NMEA lead from the VHF to ground (battery negative). I thought I'd tried every permutation under the sun - but evidently not that one.

Once I did that, it worked. Thanks so much! I owe you half a lager for that one!!

ostell said:
So you are having troubles with connecting the Garmin. I presume that you have RTFM at page 11 and are using the green and yellow wires for NMEA in. The green will probably have to be connected to battery negative 'cause the Garmin GPS usually uses the negative as the (NMEA -). Also need to set the Garmin GPS to communicate at 4800 baud (Page 45 in the radio book), find how to do it in the Garmin book.
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Glad it worked. Been there, sweated over that.

The alarm from the radio, as somebody has already mentioned, could well be the lack of GPS data. My last radio used to scream at me if the GPS data was not there after about 5 minutes or so from being switched on. Current radio doesn't (wish it did) so I'd forgotten about that one.

So you should now have a radio that behaves and doesn't scream at you.
 
Why no one might hear you...

Thanks again Ostell. If I'd relied on the manuals I'd still be struggling to sort out that connection.

Meanwhile I thought I'd just include a couple of shots of the Lowrance LVR250 microphone - following the debate earlier on in this thread. My thumb is on the transmit button. .....Spot the microphone hole.
 
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mainsail said:
Thanks again Ostell. If I'd relied on the manuals I'd still be struggling to sort out that connection.

Meanwhile I thought I'd just include a couple of shots of the Lowrance LVR250 microphone - following the debate earlier on in this thread. My thumb is on the transmit button. .....Spot the microphone hole.
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Looks like a right handed mike - see if they have got a left handed one ;)

Has it stopped bleeping at you now you've got a GPS signal?
 
mainsail said:
Meanwhile I thought I'd just include a couple of shots of the Lowrance LVR250 microphone - following the debate earlier on in this thread. My thumb is on the transmit button. .....Spot the microphone hole.
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Must admit not the best of designs. At least my own mic has the hole in the centre, away from fingers.
 
Amazing thread. iPads are for posers? Possibly 3 years ago but not now. I actually consider my iPad to be an almost essential bit of sailing kit. I mean why wouldn't you want a device on board that costs a couple of hundred quid that does all of the following?

Weather forecasts via the web or apps
Keeping in touch with friends via email
Tide apps showing you heights and streams in real time, anywhere
Going online to book a berth or consult a forum about the best pub/anchorage/marine engineer in the area
Download the days pictures from your camera to a viewable size, and share with friends and family via email
Real time AIS display
And of course a chartplotter that it can just pick up and put on deck to make sure you know where you are on a first time night approach, or take to the pub with the crew to work out tomorrow's destination

Of course I still carry paper charts and have a dedicated GPS etc but I've just comes back from a 2 week cruise and my iPad was just so very, very useful...
 
Iain C said:
Amazing thread. iPads are for posers? Possibly 3 years ago but not now. I actually consider my iPad to be an almost essential bit of sailing kit. I mean why wouldn't you want a device on board that costs a couple of hundred quid that does all of the following?

Weather forecasts via the web or apps
Keeping in touch with friends via email
Tide apps showing you heights and streams in real time, anywhere
Going online to book a berth or consult a forum about the best pub/anchorage/marine engineer in the area
Download the days pictures from your camera to a viewable size, and share with friends and family via email
Real time AIS display
And of course a chartplotter that it can just pick up and put on deck to make sure you know where you are on a first time night approach, or take to the pub with the crew to work out tomorrow's destination

Of course I still carry paper charts and have a dedicated GPS etc but I've just comes back from a 2 week cruise and my iPad was just so very, very useful...
Click to expand...

Just wish they were made by someone other than Apple!
 
KevinT1 said:
You can get all of that on an Android device - like Iain says I couldn't do without my Samsung Galaxy tab

Of course if Apple get their way Samsung will not be selling them for much longer
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Hmmm, just wish that Android came from someone other than Google!
 
Left Handed Mike

l'escargot said:
Looks like a right handed mike - see if they have got a left handed one ;)

Has it stopped bleeping at you now you've got a GPS signal?
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Hi L'escargot. Yes it has stopped bleeping at me now thanks.

Re the microphone - I suspect the microphone - like all VHF mics - is a left-handed one because (no matter what the make) they all seem to be connected to the left hand side of the sets :-) . ...However your post was an inspiration. I'm now going to try it in my right hand .....just as soon as I work out which one that is :)
 
Just to update every one, today my Lowrance LVR-250 DSC VHF failed in use. The screen went blank and I could neither transmit or receive . The screen's night light still works but nothing else does. What a heap of ****.
 
mainsail said:
Just to update every one, today my Lowrance LVR-250 DSC VHF failed in use. The screen went blank and I could neither transmit or receive . The screen's night light still works but nothing else does. What a heap of ****.
Click to expand...

Get a Standard Horizon to replace it.

They've finally taken the obvious step of including GPS in their new models, so that even numpties who can't join two wires together can join in.

Pete
 
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