Owner's Manual

6
English
VHF Marine Radio
Procedures
Radio Call Sign
Currently, the FCC does not require recreational boaters to have a license. The United States
Coast Guard recommends that the boat’s registration number and state of registry (e.g., IL 1234
AB) be used as a call sign and be clearly visible on the vessel.
Canadian Ship Station License
You need a Radio Operator’s Certificate if your vessel is operated in Canadian waters. Radio
Operator training and certification is available from the Canadian Power Squadron. Visit their
website (http://www.cps-ecp.ca/english/newradiocard.html), contact the nearest field office
or write: Industry of Canada, Radio Regulatory Branch, Attn: DOSP, 300 Slater Street, Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada K1A 0C8.
User Responsibility And Operating Locations
All users are responsible for observing domestic and foreign government regulations
and are subject to severe penalties for violations. The VHF frequencies on your radio are
reserved for marine use and require a special license to operate from land, including when
your boat is on its trailer.
NOTE
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two (2) conditions: (1) This device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
FCC Warnings: Replacement or substitution of transistors, regular diodes,
or other parts of a unique nature, with parts other than those recommended
by Cobra
®
may cause a violation of the technical regulations of part 80 of the
FCC Rules, or violation of type acceptance requirements of part 2 of the rules.
VHF Marine Radio Procedures
Maintain Your Watch
Whenever your boat is underway, the radio must be turned On and be tuned to Channel 16,
except when being used for messages.
Power
Try 1 watt first if the station being called is within a few miles. Try a second call after
waiting two (2) minutes. If there is no answer, switch to a higher power. This will conserve
your battery and minimize interference to other users by avoiding repeated calls.
Calling Coast Stations
Call a coast station on its assigned channel. You may use Channel 16 when you do not
know the assigned channel.
Calling Other Vessels
Call other vessels on Channel 16 or on Channel 9. (Channel 9 is preferred
for recreational vessel use.) You may also call on ship-to-ship channels
when you know that the vessel is listening on a ship-to-ship channel.
VHF Marine Radio Protocols