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West Marine VHF255 Owner's Manual

Floating dual band two-way marine radio
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VHF255
VHF255
Floating Dual Band
Two-Way Marine Radio
A
Radio maritime bidirectionnelle
à deux bandes
Owner's Manual
Guide d'utilisation
Model / Modèle 12019113

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Do you have a question about the VHF255 and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Chris Buzzelli
April 25, 2025

Have a West Marine VHF255 Multiband Floating handheld vhf and the antennia is dry rotting. VHf is still recieving and transmitting fine. Is the antennia removable? Tried to swist it off and it only will turn about a quarter way around. Don't want to ruin it more. How do you remove it and where can I purchase a new one?

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Summary of Contents for West Marine VHF255

  • Page 1 VHF255 VHF255 Floating Dual Band Two-Way Marine Radio Radio maritime bidirectionnelle à deux bandes Owner’s Manual Guide d’utilisation Model / Modèle 12019113...
  • Page 2 Making a Distress Call Speak slowly - clearly - calmly. For future reference, write your boat’s name & call sign here: 1. Make sure your radio is on. 2. On the radio, press the 16/9-Tri button to switch to Channel 16 (156.8 MHz).

  • Page 3: Faire Un Appel De Détresse Vocal

    Faire un appel de détresse Faire un appel de détresse vocal Parlez lentement – clairement – calmement. Pour toute référence ultérieure, transcrivez ci-dessous le nom et l’indicatif d’appel de votre bateau : 1. Vérifiez si votre radio est en marche. 2.

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Getting Started ......E-3 Dual Watch in scan mode ...E-15 What’s Included ......E-3 Weather mode ......E-15 Using the radio in Parts of the VHF255 ....E-4 weather mode .....E-16 Front view ........E-4 Weather mode with Back view ........E-4 Weather Alert Watch ...E-16 Charger ........E-6...
  • Page 5 Using the Alkaline Battery Case ........E-25 Mounting the Charger ..... E-27 Charging the Battery ....E-27 Important notes on charging the battery .... E-28 Attaching the Belt Clip .... E-28 Maintenance and Troubleshooting ....E-30 Common Questions ....E-30 Specifications ......E-32 Regulations and Safety Warnings......E-43 Three Year Limited...

  • Page 7: Introduction

    Š If your radio is exposed to salt water, clean it thoroughly with fresh water. Š The charging equipment is not waterproof. Memory scan mode Lets you save channels to memory and monitor them in quick succession. West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 8 Lets you use your radio to keep in touch with other members of your party on shore or on another craft close National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Channel watch Sounds a warning tone when a hazard alert is issued. West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 9: Getting Started

    DC Charging Alkaline Battery Tray Adapter (batteries not included) with Antenna 12012563 12303038 Wrist Strap Belt Clip 12012548 7830458 If any pieces are missing or damaged, contact West Marine (see back cover for contact information). West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 10: Parts Of The Vhf255

    (16/9-triple watch button ) SCAN - MEM (scan-memory) MENU button button Channel down ENTER-LOCK button button BAND - 1/2.5/5W Strobe button SOS light Microphone Back view Battery Battery charging Battery Belt clip latch contacts West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 11 Store the current working SCAN - Enter or exit SCAN mode. channel into memory. Switch the band between Change the transmit BAND - 1/2.5/5W VHF and FRS/GMRS. power (see page E-11). West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 12: Charger

    Charging latches Screw holes for mounting Using the Menus Here are some general hints on operating the VHF255 menu screens. Š The current item is highlighted in reversed out text. Channel up Š Use to move up a line in the menu.

  • Page 13: Setting The Squelch Level

    Changing the Channel Channel up Channel down Press briefly to scroll through the channels one channel at a time. Press and hold Channel up Channel down to quickly scroll through the channels. West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 14: Contrast

    3) If you select Timer, the radio prompts you to choose the amount of time you want the backlight to stay on. Choose from 5 seconds, 10 seconds (default), 30 Seconds, 1 Minute, or 5 Minutes. ENTER 4) Press to save the new setting. West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 15: Turning The Key Beep On And Off

    Insert the special gasketed plug and screw down the shell, which prevents water from entering the jack. For details, consult your West Marine dealer or contact West Marin directly (see back cover for contact information). West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 16: How It Works

    Press and hold SCAN - Dual Watch activity every 2 seconds. MEM for 2 seconds. Checks channels 16 and 9 Press and hold BAND - Triple Watch for activity every 2 seconds. 16/9-TRI for 2 seconds. E-10 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 17: Normal Mode Operation

    Press and hold the button to scroll quickly down the channels. BAND - 1/2.5/5W Š To change the transmit power, press The transmit power switches to the next transmit power each time you press this button. E-11 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 18: Normal Mode With Weather Alert Watch

    9 while you are actively transmitting; it waits until your transmission is finished and then checks the channels. Monitoring Channel 25 09 16 09 16 09 16 Every 2 seconds, the radio checks channels 9 & 16. Triple Watch on E-12 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 19: Normal Mode With Quad Watch

    When it detects a signal, the radio stays on the channel until you press the Resume Channel up button or the signal stops. scan The radio scans about 5 channels in 0.5 seconds. E-13 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 20: Using The Radio In Scan Mode

    Memory Channel Scan Every 7 seconds, the radio checks the last-used weather channel, then scans the next channel. WX Alert Watch on E-14 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 21: Scan Mode With Triple Watch Or Dual Watch

    WX Alert Watch on Watch on Weather mode The NOAA weather channels now cooperate with the FCC to alert you of other hazards besides weather (child abduction alerts, nuclear, biological, etc.). In weather E-15 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 22: Using The Radio In Weather Mode

    Dual 09 16 09 16 09 16 Watch turned on, Every 2 seconds, the radio checks the radio only channel 9, then channel 16 with Triple Watch on checks channel 16. E-16 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 23: Using The Marine Vhf Band

    2) Wait for the display to show the marine band screen, MENU then press the button. 3) Refer to the table below for the available options and settings available in the marine band. E-17 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 24 42 for default channel displayed for a channel or Channel names. reset channel names back Name See page 27 for instructions to their default settings on changing channel names. Close the menu Exit E-18 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 25: Making A Transmission

    The transmit power remains at the new setting until you change it again. Don’t forget to change the transmission setting back to 1 Watt when you move close to other stations. E-19 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 26: Setting The Uic Channel Mode

    ENTER - LOCK press 2. Scroll up or down to select Always On, Strobe, or Off. ENTER - LOCK Press . The Marine Main menu displays. MENU 3. Press to return to the main screen. E-20 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 27: Using The Frs/Gmrs Band

    Using the FRS/GMRS Band GMRS License The VHF255 can operate on the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) frequencies. You must have a GMRS license issued by the Federal Communications Commission to legally use GMRS channels. For licensing information and application forms, visit the FCC online at: www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls or call the FCC Hotline at 1-800-...

  • Page 28: Reading The Frs/Gmrs Band Screen

    142 privacy codes for any channel. Only radios that have the matching privacy code will be able to decipher your transmission. E-22 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 29 Channel down buttons to arrow keys to select change the first digit; the the character then Channel up button increases press the enter key Channel down the number; the button decreases the number. E-23 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 30 Edit The screen displays the channel along with the chosen code number. If you Exit want to change the code, select Edit. 6) Select Exit to save the settings and exit the menu. E-24 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 31: Setting Up The Hardware

    AAA-type alkaline batteries (not included). You can use alkaline batteries as a backup for the Li-Ion battery so you can still use your radio while your Li-Ion battery is recharging. For best performance, West Marine E-25 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 32 (SKU# 12303038; see the back cover page for contact information). 5) Install the alkaline battery case in your radio just as you do the Li-Ion battery (see page E-15). E-26 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 33: Mounting The Charger

    Make sure to turn the radio OFF before placing it in the charging cradle Cautions: Š Use only the battery and charger supplied with this radio. Using a different charger or battery can damage the radio and create a risk of fire or shock. E-27 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 34: Important Notes On Charging The Battery

    To attach the belt clip: 1) Rotate the belt clip so that the finger indentation is towards the top of the radio. 2) Align the center of the clip with the anchor post. E-28 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 35 To remove the belt clip: 1) Rotate the clip so that the finger indentation is towards the bottom of the radio. 2) Slide the clip up until it comes free of the anchor post. E-29 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 36: Maintenance And Troubleshooting

    E-34). transmit. Check the battery power level; if it’s low, charge the battery before trying to transmit. Make sure the duration of each transmission is less than 5 minutes. E-30 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 37 Try turning off scanning, Weather Alert Watch, Triple Watch, or Dual Watch (see page E-10). Where can I find my The serial number is on a plate inside the radio’s serial number? battery compartment. E-31 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 38: Specifications

    462~467 MHz Frequency Stability ±10 PPM ±2.5 PPM Power Output 5 W & 2.5W & 1W 0.4W Spurious Emissions 70 dBm -30 dBm Current Drain 1500 mA (5W) 700 mA Receiver Marine FRS/GMRS E-32 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 39 14 156.700 156.700 Simplex Vessel traffic system 15 156.750 Inhibit Receive only Environmental 16 156.800 156.800 Simplex Distress, safety, and calling 17 156.850 156.850 Simplex, 1W Govt maritime control 18A 156.900 156.900 Simplex Commercial E-33 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 40 78A 156.925 156.925 Simplex Non Commercial 79A 156.975 156.975 Simplex Commercial 80A 157.025 157.025 Simplex Commercial 81A 157.075 157.075 Simplex Coast Guard 82A 157.125 157.125 Simplex Coast Guard 83A 157.175 157.175 Simplex Government E-34 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 41 16 156.800 156.800 Simplex Distress, safety, calling 17 156.850 156.850 Simplex, 1W State Control 18A 156.900 156.900 Simplex Commercial 19A 156.950 156.950 Simplex Canadian Coast Guard 20 161.600 157.000 Duplex, 1W Port Operation E-35 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 42 75 156.775 156.775 Simplex, 1W Port Operation 76 156.825 156.825 Simplex, 1W Port Operation 77 156.875 156.875 Simplex, 1W Port Operation 78A 156.925 156.925 Simplex Inter Ship 79A 156.975 156.975 Simplex Inter Ship 80A 157.025 157.025 Simplex Inter Ship E-36 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 43 12 156.600 156.600 Simplex Vessel traffic system 13 156.650 156.650 Simplex Bridge to bridge 14 156.700 156.700 Simplex Vessel traffic system 15 156.750 156.750 Simplex, 1W Environmental 16 156.800 156.800 Simplex Distress, safety, calling E-37 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 44 74 156.725 156.725 Simplex Port operation 75 156.775 156.775 Simplex, 1W Port operation 76 156.825 156.825 Simplex, 1W Port operation 77 156.875 156.875 Simplex Port operation (ship-ship) 78 161.525 156.925 Duplex Port operation E-38 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 45 88 157.425 157.425 Simplex Marine operator Weather channel frequencies and names Channel Channel WX01 162.5500 WX06 162.5000 WX02 162.4000 WX07 162.5250 WX03 162.4750 WX08 161.6500 WX04 162.4250 WX09 161.7750 WX05 162.4500 WX10 163.2750 E-39 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 46 462.6875 462.7125 462.7125 467.5625 467.5625 467.5875 467.5875 467.6125 467.6125 467.6375 467.6375 467.6625 467.6625 467.6875 467.6875 467.7125 467.7125 462.5500 462.5500 462.5750 462.5750 462.6000 462.6000 462.6250 462.6250 462.6500 462.6500 462.6750 462.6750 462.7000 462.7000 462.7250 462.7250 E-40 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 47 85.4 131.8 210.7 88.5 136.5 218.1 91.5 141.3 225.7 94.8 146.2 233.6 97.4 151.4 241.8 100.0 156.7 250.3 DCS Code List Code DCS Code Code DCS Code Code DCS Code (Octal) (Octal) (Octal) E-41 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 48 Code DCS Code Code DCS Code Code DCS Code (Octal) (Octal) (Octal) E-42 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 49: Regulations And Safety Warnings

    • If you hear a distress call, wait a few minutes to let a shore station or Coast Guard vessel respond. If no other station has responded after 5 minutes, you must respond to the distress call. E-43 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 50: Fcc Rf Exposure Information

    Unauthorized changes or modifications to this equipment may void compliance with the FCC Rules. Any change or modification must be approved in writing by West Marine. Changes or modifications not approved by West Marine could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. FCC RF Exposure Information...
  • Page 51 -4°F (-20°C) or above +140°F (+60°C). Exposing the chemical contained within the battery pack to temperatures above +140°F (+60°C) may cause the battery to rupture, fail, or reduce performance. E-45 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

  • Page 52: Three Year Limited Warranty Statement

    Canada. What Does This Limited Warranty Cover? West Marine warrants to the original retail purchaser of the West Marine product, where the purchase is made in the United States or Canada, that for thirty-six (36) months from date of original retail purchase said product will be free from defects in materials and craftsmanship with only the limitations or exclusions set out below.
  • Page 53 LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. WE DO NOT ACCEPT LIABILITY BEYOND THE REMEDIES PROVIDED FOR IN THIS LIMITED WARRANTY OR FOR E-47 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 54 What Do I Do If I Need Warranty Service? Š Before the warranty expires, please call us at 1-800-BOATING (1-800- 262-8464). Please also have your West Marine serial number or order number available. Š When you contact us, we will issue a Return Material Authorization Number for you to include with your return.
  • Page 55 (as explained here), then we will: Š At West Marine’s option, we will repair the product or, if we are unable to repair it, we will replace it with a comparable product that is new or refurbished;...
  • Page 56 Contract. Please refer to that contract for details on how to obtain service. How State Law Relates to the Warranty. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. E-50 West Marine VHF255 Radio Owner’s Manual...

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