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VX-8R, RT-Sys, how to get marine & SW visible?

ka4aaa

ka4aaa

Member
Apr 25, 2010
36
0
16
Athens, GA USA EM83gw
I've been through the manual, and *MOST* (not ALL) of the RT-Systems PDF manual. So, this could easily be my own stupidity.

When I load up the RT-Systems software for the VX-8R, there are the slew of Marine channels (with splits, etc...) and another slew of pre-defined shortwave stations. All of these are grayed out with no apparent way of 'enabling' them to show up.

I've already got the marine stuff programmed in manually -- but, any way to get them to "un-gray" themselves and assign them to a bank?

Certainly nothing imperative, but with all the memory space available -- why not?

Thanks a ton, folks!
73,
--Alex / KF4YOR
 

You can't edit that. It's just showing you that the Marine bank is there - it's not editable via the radio or software. To get to it on the radio, hit FN then SP BNK while you're on VFO A. Then hit the BAND button to switch between the special banks until the Marine band is selected, which is the one that says INTVHF when selected.
 
Can you edit the Marine Bank after the extended TX Mod has been done? I will be doing the mod later this week. Thanks

73 Darryl VA7DTP
 
moleculo said:
You can't edit that. It's just showing you that the Marine bank is there - it's not editable via the radio or software. To get to it on the radio, hit FN then SP BNK while you're on VFO A. Then hit the BAND button to switch between the special banks until the Marine band is selected, which is the one that says INTVHF when selected.
Click to expand...

Bingo! That did the trick! I just wasn't hitting the BAND button after going to SP BNK. I read that in the manual and everywhere else -- but wasn't getting anything other than WX.

Talk about a raging case of the stupids...

Moleculo, thank you once again!

73,
--Alex / KF4YOR
 
depark said:
Can you edit the Marine Bank after the extended TX Mod has been done? I will be doing the mod later this week. Thanks

73 Darryl VA7DTP
Click to expand...

Not sure if you can edit the Marine Bank, but you could do what I originally did -- just manually enter in the information. On the "RT-Systems File" thread, someone posted Marine/MURS/(something else) file there. That's what I was using.

If you don't have the software, it would be a bit time consuming (and probably resulting in sore thumbs) -- you could just enter everything in by hand. I haven't done the mod (and probably won't. I really have no need for it -- I'm strictly a hobbyist ham and nothing more) but I don't see why you couldn't do it that way.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it just makes sense doing it this way. To be able to TX/RX/Adjust-as-needed the Marine frequencies.

Good luck!
--Alex
 
So I'm a bit of a newbie here, but if one has a VX-8(D)R and one does the extended TX mod, can one then talk on marine frequencies with the radio? Obviously to be legal you'd have to be on the water, but for a HAM that does some boating this could make life a lot easier.

I've been avoiding the mod since I fear opening up frequencies to transmit that I don't *know* I shouldn't be on, but since I generally stick to stuff I *do* know I should be on anyway, well, I guess it's not that big of a deal.


--Donnie
 
djb_rh said:
So I'm a bit of a newbie here, but if one has a VX-8(D)R and one does the extended TX mod, can one then talk on marine frequencies with the radio? Obviously to be legal you'd have to be on the water, but for a HAM that does some boating this could make life a lot easier.
I've been avoiding the mod since I fear opening up frequencies to transmit that I don't *know* I shouldn't be on, but since I generally stick to stuff I *do* know I should be on anyway, well, I guess it's not that big of a deal.


--Donnie
Click to expand...


yes you can TX on those freqs. as well but it's not legal whether you are on the water or not. An amateur radio may NOT legally be used on any other radio service. Lots of people do anyway but that just makes it popular not legal.The ONLY exception is for safety of life when there are NO other means of communications available and even then you had better have a damned good reason for doing it. Using it on the marine freqs. may not raise an eyebrow but using one on public service freq. sure will.
 
An amateur radio may NOT legally be used on any other radio service.
Click to expand...

In Canada you have to be licensed to use marine VHF frequencies. Having that license could you use a modified VX-8DR to transmit on? You may or may not know, I just thought I would ask.

73 Darryl VA7DTP
 
I think that the reason they are not legal to transmit is because they are not approved to do so by the FCC. They supposedly have some smart guys that test each device where the manufacturer specifies the freqs it will be used for. So no, probably not legal even if you are licensed to transmit on marine.

jm
 
TX on Marine Freq

Hello dear all,
As you know the VX-8 has a special memory channel operation for VHF Marine (F + 9 Sp bank).
That i don't understand is the fact I cannot transmit on it.
Several tries and I have been successful by being in dual watch mode (enclosing the DW disturb of course).
Of course i know I can transmit using VFO or manually making marine channels in memory but I do not use it only in exeptional cases, that is just to know why it doesn't work in the special memory excepted with DW and to learn about the mods maybe, because that's not right!

Thanks in advance to all of you for your help and for sharing this matter.

Kind regards and 73s
 
It doesn't transmit there because it's an amateur radio, not a marine radio and is intended for listening only. The radio is not certified for use on VHF Marine frequencies.
 
moleculo said:
You can't edit that. It's just showing you that the Marine bank is there - it's not editable via the radio or software. To get to it on the radio, hit FN then SP BNK while you're on VFO A. Then hit the BAND button to switch between the special banks until the Marine band is selected, which is the one that says INTVHF when selected.
Click to expand...
Hello Moleculo, I am a newbie so thanks to forgive if the same sort of request is already on this website.
When you are on the INTVHF mode, can you TX?
My VX-8 is modified for extended TX so I can TX on Marine nevetheless not thru the INTVHF excepted by being in DW at the same time?
Tks in advance for your help. Rgds.
 
F0DBL said:
Hello Moleculo, I am a newbie so thanks to forgive if the same sort of request is already on this website.
When you are on the INTVHF mode, can you TX?
My VX-8 is modified for extended TX so I can TX on Marine nevetheless not thru the INTVHF excepted by being in DW at the same time?
Tks in advance for your help. Rgds.
Click to expand...

Hello F0DBL,

When I started this thread -- my intention was not to TX at all, but to simply monitor the frequencies. Even though where I live, marine frequencies really aren't used.

The problem I had was that the VX-8 simply was not 'activating' those 'special frequencies' to be scanned, searched, or anything. Everything was grayed out. This is why I originally programmed them all into a bank. (note: the same also applied to shortwave frequencies as well). In my case, the WX frequencies were the only accessible frequencies available to me.

From my understanding, if you DO want to TX on those frequencies (which would be illegal in the United States, not sure about your corner of the world) -- if you select INTVHF, then you're not going to TX. Modded radio or not. If you MANUALLY program those frequencies in, then you should be able to.

Hope that helps!
 

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