DX15 Handheld VHF Air Band Transceiver User Guide P/N 101219‐000, Revision B Copyright © 2011 by Dynon Avionics, Inc
Contact Information Dynon Avionics, Inc. 19825 141st Place NE Woodinville, WA 98072 Phone: (425) 402‐0433 ‐ 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM (PST, M‐F) Fax: (425) 984‐1751 Email: support@dynonavionics.com Dynon Avionics offers online sales, extensive support, and continually‐ updated information on its products via its Internet sites: www.dynonavionics.com: Dynon Avionics primary web site; including: docs.dynonavionics.com: Complete product documentation. downloads.dynonavionics.com: Software downloads. support.
Copyright 2011 Dynon Avionics, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, transmitted, disseminated or stored in any storage medium, for any purpose without the express written permission of Dynon Avionics.
Limited Warranty Dynon Avionics warrants this product to be free from defects in materials or workmanship for three (3) years from date of shipment. Dynon Avionics will, at its sole option, repair or replace any components that fail in normal use. Such repairs or replacement will be made at no charge to the customer for parts or labor. The customer is, however, responsible for any transportation cost.
Table of Contents Contact Information....................................................................... iii Copyright........................................................................................ iv Registering Your DX15.................................................................... iv Limited Warranty ............................................................................ v 1. Safety and Licensing Information 1‐1 Important Radio Frequency Energy Safety ..........................
Recalling Recently Used Frequencies...........................................4‐2 Using Memory Channels ..............................................................4‐3 Key Beep Volume Adjustment .....................................................4‐7 5. Advanced Settings 5‐1 Option: Assume Leading 1 During Frequency Entry ....................5‐1 Option: Side Buttons Used for Direct Squelch .............................5‐2 Option: Backlight Behavior .....................................................
1. SAFETY AND LICENSING INFORMATION Important Radio Frequency Energy Safety While transmitting, your DX15 Handheld VHF Air Band Transceiver emits Radio Frequency (RF) Electromagnetic Energy. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the properties of and the proper methods of using this device. Maintain at least a 3‐inch (5 cm) gap between this device and your body while transmitting. Do not transmit without an antenna attached. Transmitting without an antenna attached may cause damage to the DX15.
Safety and Licensing Information a list of recycling locations in your area (USA only), call 1‐800‐8‐BATTERY or see the Call 2 Recycle website at www.rbrc.org. This device is designed to operate safely only with Dynon‐supplied batteries and power supply accessories. Do not operate this device without the supplied Dynon battery pack installed. Do not operate Dynon power supply accessories at input voltages other than those recommended. This device is not waterproof.
aircraft manufacturers, or persons engaged in chase activities related to soaring and ballooning. Per the FCC (http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=licensing&id=aircraft_stations) ... you do not need a license to operate a two‐way VHF radio, radar, or emergency locator transmitter (ELT) aboard aircraft operating domestically. All other aircraft radio stations must be licensed by the FCC either individually or by fleet.
2. INTRODUCTION Congratulations on your purchase of the Dynon Avionics DX15 Handheld VHF Air Band Transceiver. Your DX15 is a compact, easy‐to‐use handheld transceiver for aviation use, and includes the following standard features: Compact, handheld size High Capacity Li‐Ion 1300 mAh Battery Pack Backlighting of both the display and keypad Dedicated Emergency button for quick tuning of 121.
Introduction Visual Tour FRONT VIEW 2‐2 DX15 User Guide
SCREEN DETAIL LEFT SIDE Note: Though they are not labeled on the radio, the Side Up/Down Buttons will be shown as ▲ and ▼ throughout this guide.
Introduction RIGHT SIDE Unpacking Your DX15 Inside your DX15 box, you should find the following: 101204‐000 DX15 Handheld VHF Air Band Transceiver 100993‐000 Flexible Antenna 100965‐000 7.
Assembling Your DX15 Screw the supplied antenna onto the antenna connector, clockwise, using light finger pressure (do not tighten excessively). Attach the supplied battery pack by mating the two tabs on the bottom of the battery with the associated slots at the bottom of the battery holder on the radio. Gently, click the upper part of the battery into place. The two spring‐loaded latches on the sides of the battery should now be in the up position. Attach the belt clip to the battery pack.
3. BASIC FUNCTIONS Charging the Battery Your DX15 is equipped with a rechargeable Li‐Ion battery pack. To charge your DX15’s battery: Connect the AC‐to‐DC Adapter to the DX15's DC input jack as illustrated. Plug the AC‐to‐DC Adapter into an 110V AC outlet. When your DX15 is connected to external power, it will charge the battery whether your DX15 is turned on or off. During charging the Battery Charge Icon will flash to indicate that it is charging.
Basic Functions As with all rechargeable batteries, the usable capacity of your DX15's battery will decrease with time and usage. Replacement batteries can be obtained from Dynon Avionics and authorized dealers. Power On / Off POWER ON Rotate the PWR/VOL knob clockwise until it clicks. The TX/RX indicator, backlighting, and all display elements will illuminate for a moment to indicate that they are working. POWER OFF Rotate the PWR/VOL knob counter‐ clockwise until it clicks.
Transmitting To transmit on the tuned frequency, press and hold the Push‐to‐Talk button on the left side of your DX15 while speaking into the microphone on the front of the transceiver. Note: If the “Stop Transmitting on Stuck Mic” option is turned on, transmitting will cease after a continuous 30 second hold of Push‐to‐Talk (either the radio‐mounted button or any externally connected Push‐to‐ Talk button).
Basic Functions adjusted to keep the speaker muted except when a signal is being received on the frequency that is being monitored. Note: The functionality of the side ▲ and ▼ buttons can optionally be set to adjust Squelch all the time. See the Advanced Settings section for details. These instructions reflect the factory default behavior of the side ▲ and ▼ buttons. To Set Squelch: Push the SQL button.
Emergency Frequency (121.500 MHz) Push and hold the orange Emergency button. The digits 1 2 1 . 5 0 0 appear sequentially on the display as if they are being quickly typed. When the last digit has appeared, 121.500 is tuned, and your DX15 is now ready to receive and transmit on 121.500 MHz. Note: If the Emergency button is released before all digits of 121.500 are displayed, 121.500 will not be tuned.
Basic Functions Note: The "Assume leading 1 / 100 MHz" setting will change this behavior ‐ see the Advanced Settings section for details. The instructions above reflect the factory default behavior of the "Assume leading 1 / 100 MHz" function. Keypad Lock Keypad Lock is used to protect against accidental button pushes, such as when your DX15 is worn on a belt and you want to monitor only a single frequency. To activate Keypad Lock: Press and hold the LOCK button.
4. FEATURES IN DEPTH Band Scanning Band scanning rapidly checks every frequency within your DX15's operating range of 118.000 MHz through 136.975 MHz sequentially. In Band Scanning mode, the DX15 will pause on frequencies that have a strong enough signal to break squelch so that they can be heard. To enter Band Scanning mode: Exit any other mode by pushing the CLR button on the keypad. Adjust Squelch (see section Setting Squelch for details) so that the speaker is quiet.
Features In Depth The direction of scanning can be changed by pressing ◄ or ►. Band Scanning can be stopped by: Pushing the CLR button. Pushing PTT. Pushing the Emergency button. Recalling Recently Used Frequencies Your DX15 automatically stores the ten (10) most Recently Used Frequencies. These can be quickly recalled using the ▲ and ▼ buttons on the side of the DX15. Think of them like an extended version of the flip‐flop feature found on most digital panel‐mounted aircraft radios.
A frequency is manually entered from the keypad. A frequency is received for more than two (2) seconds. A frequency is transmitted on for more than two (2) seconds. When Recently Used Frequencies mode is entered, the current frequency is stored as the most recently used Note: To use Recently Used Frequencies, the “Side Buttons Used for Direct Squelch“ option must be set to OFF (factory default). See the Advanced Settings section of this manual for details.
Features In Depth To store the frequency, push the MEM button again. MEM‐XX will flash momentarily. Your DX15 is now in Memory Channel mode on the just‐stored Memory Channel. Push the CLR button to exit Memory Channel mode at any time. Note: If all 100 Memory Channels have frequencies stored, Memory Channel 99 will be selected, and if a new frequency is stored, the frequency already stored in Memory Channel 99 will be overwritten.
Push the CLR button to stop Memory Channel band scanning mode at any time. Note: Only Memory Channels that have a frequency stored in them will be scanned. During Memory Channel scanning (or any of the other scan operations), the decimal point between the digits flashes at a 1/2 second interval to indicate that a scanning mode is active. When a signal is received that exceeds the Squelch setting, Memory Channel Scanning will pause for as long as the signal is being received.
Features In Depth Repeat the above procedure to allow a skipped memory channel to be scanned again. The flashing lock icon will cease flashing. DELETING MEMORY CHANNELS Recall a Memory Channel as described above. Push and hold the CLR button for one to two (1‐2) seconds MEM‐XX will flash twice. The selected Memory Channel is now empty. Other Memory Channels are not affected when an individual Memory Channel is deleted.
This mode effectively divides up your Memory Channels into 10 scannable banks of up to 10 Memory Channels each. Key Beep Volume Adjustment To adjust key beep volume: Push and hold the SQL button until it says “BEEP XX”. XX represents the current key beep volume level. (You will need to keep holding the SQL button as the radio first passes through Side Tone Adjustment, which is displayed as "Side XX".) Adjust key beep volume level by using the ◄ and ► buttons.
5. ADVANCED SETTINGS Option: Assume Leading 1 During Frequency Entry When this option is turned ON, the first "1" that you would normally enter when typing frequencies is automatically typed for you. This is possible because all frequencies that can be tuned by the DX15 begin with "1". To set: Turn power OFF. Push and hold the 1 button. Turn power ON. If message "1 ‐ off" is displayed, this behavior is OFF. If message "1 ‐ on" is displayed, this behavior is ON.
Advanced Settings To set a frequency of 128.775, type the following: 2 8 7 7 The display should then read: 128.775 Option: Side Buttons Used for Direct Squelch Lets the side ▲ and ▼ be used exclusively to set Squelch. To set: Turn power OFF. Push and hold the SQL button. Turn power ON. If message "SQL off" is displayed, this behavior is OFF.
Option: Backlight Behavior Sets the behavior of the backlight when keys are pressed. To set: Turn power OFF. Push and hold the LIGHT button. Turn power ON. If message "L‐On" is displayed, pushing LIGHT button causes backlighting to be on continuously until LIGHT button is pushed again. If message "L‐5SEc" is displayed, pushing the LIGHT button still causes backlighting to be on continuously until LIGHT button is pushed again.
Advanced Settings If message "BANK‐Y" is displayed, this behavior is ON. Memory Channels are scanned in banks of 10 Memory Channels each. The message will clear after two seconds, followed by a beep. You can then use your DX15 normally. To change between modes, repeat the procedure (repeated cycles toggle between the two modes). Option: Disable Transmit Toggles whether or not the DX15 can transmit when Push‐to‐Talk is pressed.
Turn power OFF. Push and hold the ► button. Turn power ON. If message "Stuc‐Y" is displayed, transmitting ceases when a stuck Mic button is detected. The Mic is considered stuck open after 30 seconds of continuous transmitting. At this time, the DX15 will beep, and the display will show the transmit icon and the text "StucK". Transmitting will be re‐enabled once the Push‐to‐Talk button is released.
6. APPENDICES Appendix A: DX15 Specifications All specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation. PHYSICAL Dimensions (exclusive of projections ‐ knobs, etc.) 2.25 inches (57.1mm) W 4.00 inches (101.6mm) H 1.43 inches (36.3mm) D Weight 8.2 oz (232g) (includes Battery With Belt Clip, Antenna) Temperature Range Operating: –20˚C to +55˚C (‐4°F to +131°F) Storage : –30˚C to +80˚C (‐22°F to +176°F) Connectors Antenna Connector: SMA (50 Ohm) External Speaker Connector: 2.
Appendices Power Consumption (@ 7.4V DC): Transmit: 1.0 A Receive (squelch open): 250 mA Standby (squelch closed): 65 mA TRANSCEIVER Frequency Range 118.000 to 136.975 MHz inclusive Channel Spacing 25 KHz Mode A3E 6K00 Transmit Power 1.
Memory 100, in a single bank or divided into 10 scannable banks of 10 Audio Internal Speaker Output Power: > than 500mW @ 10% distortion External Speaker Output Power: > More than 500mW, 4 Ohm load Appendix B: Troubleshooting Problem Description Possible Cause Solution When turned on, nothing shows on the display Battery is completely discharged Charge the battery Battery life is too short Backlight is on continuously Use backlight only intermittently DX15 is constantly receiving audio Adjust S
Appendices Battery display does not indicate charge when plugged in No power at wall outlet Check that wall outlet is supplying power Battery will not charge with Vehicle Power Adapter Fuse blown Check the fuse in the body of the vehicle charger plug No power coming from vehicle Check that vehicle is supplying power Nothing happens when front panel buttons are pushed Keypad is locked Unlock Keypad by pressing and holding the LOCK button Noise bursts are heard often Squelch is set too low Adjust
Before contacting Dynon Technical Support, please do the following: Please have your DX15 at hand; if possible have the AC‐to‐DC Wall Adapter (charger) also at hand to provide power if there is a battery issue. If possible, please perform the three procedures below to display your DX15's electronic (internal) software version, hardware version, and serial number: Displaying your DX15's electronic software version: o Turn power OFF. o Push and hold the LOCK button.
Appendices o Push and hold the LOCK button. o Turn power ON while continuing to hold the LOCK button. o After an “r” is displayed, release the LOCK button. o Push the 3 button. o The number displayed is your DX15's electronic serial number. Please write down this number for the Dynon Avionics Technician. DYNON AVIONICS TECHNICAL SUPPORT CONTACT INFORMATION Phone: (425) 402‐0433 7:00 AM ‐ 4:00 PM (Pacific), Monday ‐ Friday Email: support@dynonavionics.com Web: www.dynonavionics.
Transmit: ON Assume Leading 1 During Frequency Entry: N Side Buttons Used for Direct Squelch: N Backlight Behavior: CONTINUOUS Memory Bank Scanning: N Disable Transmit: N Stop Transmitting on Stuck Mic: N FACTORY RESET PROCEDURE Turn power OFF. Push and hold the LOCK button . Turn power ON while continuing to hold the LOCK button. After an “r” is displayed, release the LOCK button. Push and hold the CLR button for at least one (1) second.
Appendices Accessory availability and specifications are subject to change without notice. Appendix F: Using the (optional) Desktop Rapid Charger Note: The Desktop Rapid Charger consists of: 100997‐000 Desktop Rapid Charger Cradle 100997‐001 Desktop Rapid Charger Wall Power Adapter The Desktop Rapid Charger is a quicker and more convenient way to recharge your DX15. It can also charge spare batteries without the DX15.
Appendix G: Using the (optional) Vehicle Power Adapter In situations where a cigarette lighter power outlet is available, the Vehicle Power Adapter can be used to power and simultaneously charge your DX15. Connecting your Vehicle Power Adapter to voltage outside its labeled range will damage your DX15, requiring repair or replacement not covered by warranty.
Appendices CHANGING THE FUSE IN THE VEHICLE POWER ADAPTER The 100845‐000 Vehicle Power Adapter includes a fuse to protect against excessive current draw. The fuse can be replaced with a fuse meeting the following specifications: Glass tube / barrel type 0.25 inches (6.3mm) x 1.25 inches (32mm) 2A, 250V Fast‐acting To reassemble the Vehicle Power Adapter, insert the four (4) pieces into the cavity at the tip of the Adapter, in the following order: Spring. Fuse.
SIDE TONE ADJUSTMENT Side Tone is audio fed from the microphone back to the headset. Side Tone helps you hear yourself speak when wearing a headset in a noisy environment like an airplane. To set Side Tone: Push and hold the SQL button for 1‐2 seconds until “SidE‐X” appears (XX will be a number between 0 and 8). Adjust Side Tone level by using the ◄ and ► buttons. The display will show 0 through 8; 0 is no side tone, 8 is very loud side tone.
Appendices The 101300‐000 BNC Adapter can be used to connect your DX15 to a 50‐ ohm external antenna using coaxial cable that terminates in a female BNC connector.
Notes DX15 User Guide 6‐13
