Basic Radio Guidelines; Fcc Information; Lead Warning; Antenna Selection And Installation - West Marine VHF580 Owner's Manual

gov/marine/) or contact the FCC Call Center at 1-888-CALLFCC. For individuals requiring a
license, such as commercial users, you should obtain a license application from your nearest
FCC field office (for US users) or Industry Canada (for Canadian users).
You should familiarize yourself with the rules on marine radios and be aware of which rules

Basic radio guidelines

apply to your boat. Complete guidelines for all ship and marine radio types can be found
at the US Coast Guard website under the topic Radio Info for Boaters (the direct link is
affect nearly all boaters.
http://www.navcen.uscg.
• If you have a VHF radio on your boat, you must maintain a watch on channel 16 (156.800
MHz) whenever the radio is not being used to communicate. Effective from 2004, if a radio
is carried, it must be turned on and set to channel 16 whenever your vessel is underway.
• If you hear a distress call, wait a few minutes to let a shore station or Coast Guard ves-
sel respond. If no other station has responded after 5 minutes, you must respond to the
distress call.
• Do not make false mayday or distress calls as a prank or to test your radio. (This is essen-
tially like making a false 9-1-1 call; you may be subject to fines.)
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the condition that

FCC information

this device does not cause harmful interference.
Unauthorized changes or modifications to this equipment may void compliance with the FCC
Rules. Any change or modify cation must be approved in writing by West Marine.
Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compli-
ance could void the user's authority to operate this device.
To maintain compliance with FCC RF exposure requirements, the radio must be used with
a maximum duty cycle not exceeding 50% in typical push-to-talk radio use time. DO NOT
transmit for more than 50% of total radio use time.
The cords on this product and/or accessories contain lead, a chemical known to the State of

lead warning

California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.
West Marine works to reduce lead content in our PVC coated cords in our products and ac-
cessories.
Your VHF580 has been designed to accommodate all of the popular marine VHF antennas.

antenna selection and installation

However, the selection and the installation of the antenna is the responsibility of the user or
installer.
The FCC has determined that excessive radiation poses a health risk to people near radio
transmitting antennas. Therefore, the antenna used with this radio should be installed using
the following guidelines to ensure a suitable distance between the antenna and persons close
by.
gov/marcomms/boater.htm). Here are a few guidelines that
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