Features

Overview: The Cobra Marine HH500 Floating VHF Radio is a battery-powered, portable two-way transceiver. It allows you to communicate from vessel-to-vessel, or from vessel-to-shore stations for safety, navigation, and operational purposes. It can also access NOAA weather channels to alert you of weather emergencies. The HH500 has MicroBlue Bluetooth wireless technology, so you can make and receive phone calls through your cell phone. The handheld portable radio weighs about 8 ounces, and comes with a rechargeable battery and charging base, belt clip, and a wrist strap.

Radio Usage: This Marine VHF Radio primarily lets you call for help, get information from other boaters, talk to lock or bridge tenders, and make radiotelephone calls to anywhere in the world through a marine operator. In addition, you can tune weather stations from NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, to alert you with a tone when weather emergencies arise.

Selectable Output Power: The HH500 lets you set the output power at 1 (Lo), 3 (Med), or 6 watts (Hi). Most of the time, you should maintain the low power setting for short-range communications, conserving battery power, and avoiding overpowering nearby stations. The high-power setting is for long-range communications, or when you do not receive a response to a signal sent at 1 watt. Power settings are selected by pressing the H-M-L button repeatedly and toggling through each setting.

Backlit LCD Screen: The radio has a 1.75" illuminated LCD display, featuring large 7-segment numerals indicating the channel number and a 5-bar signal level meter. A matrix display at the bottom displays text indicating the current radio mode, function, or operation. Multiple icons indicate Power setting, battery level, Bluetooth, and Weather Alerts.

Noise-canceling Microphone: The radio features a noise-canceling microphone that blocks background noise for clearer conversations.

Roger Beep Tone: The radio offers a confirmation tone that indicates the end of the user's transmission. When the Roger Beep mode is activated, the listener will hear an audible tone when the talk button is released, indicating the transmission is over and it is OK to speak.

Channel Selection: The HH500 will receive and transmit VHF signals on the channels you select. You can scan all channels, or only those channels saved as favorites. The Tri-Watch mode gives you access to scan 3 channels of most importance to you--channel 16 and two others of your choice. The dedicated "16/9" button provides instant access to priority channel 16 and calling channel 9. Squelch Control filters out weak signals and RF noise to let you hear the signals you want more clearly.

Bluetooth Mode: The radio can be wirelessly linked to your mobile phone via Bluetooth, allowing the radio to act as a speaker and microphone of your mobile phone while it is stowed away in a safe, dry location. The radio utilizes MicroBlue, a unique noise-canceling wireless design, and is compatible with most any mobile phone with Bluetooth. You can select from ten Call Tones to alert you to incoming calls. The VOX function converts the radio's microphone from PTT (Push-to-Talk) to being activated by your voice, enabling hands-free conversations. Other Bluetooth features include voice dialing and last number redial. Bluetooth mode is not compatible with Bluetooth headsets.

Rewind-Say-Again: The Rewind-Say-Again feature lets you record and play back the last 20 seconds of an incoming audio transmission. When a message is received that you can't understand due to excessive engine noise, conversation, or music, you can replay the message up to 20 seconds in length. Also, when receiving a distress message, the Rewind-Say-Again feature lets you record call details, which may include coordinates, call signs, or registration numbers that can be passed along to authorities.

Waterproof/Floating: The Cobra Marine HH500 radio is waterproof to JIS7 standards, which means it is submersible to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The radio has a floating design and bright orange highlights that make it easy to retrieve if dropped overboard. The included battery, which is integrated into the rear cover, must be used to maintain its floating design.

BURP: In case the radio is dropped in the water, or subjected to extreme rain or weather,  water can become trapped in the speaker grille and muffle the audio. The Cobra-exclusive BURP feature expels water from the speaker grill by emitting a loud tone for 8 seconds.

Power Options: The HH500 comes with a sealed Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery, plus a battery tray that holds 5 "AA" alkaline batteries. Both have attached back panels for the radio and screws that hold them into place. A tab on the end of the supplied belt clip acts as a screwdriver for the battery packs. The included charging cradle lets you charge the Lithium-Ion battery while it's installed in the radio, or, using the spacer, without being installed. The charging cradle comes with an 120VAC adapter for home use, and a 12VDC cigarette lighter adapter for mobile use. A fully discharged battery charges in 5 to 6 hours. Typical battery life (5% transmitting, 5% receiving, 90% standby) is 8 hours at 6 watts (Hi Power) and 14 watts at 1 watt (Lo Power).

Specifications:

• Number of Channels: All U.S., Canadian, International, and NOAA Weather channels
• Channel Spacing: 25 kHz
• Modulation: 5 kHz max
• Temperature Range: -4°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C)
• Frequency Range:
  • Receiver: 156.050 to 163.275 MHz
  • Transmitter: 156.025 to 157.425 MHz
• Sensitivity (12dB Sinad): -121 dBm
• Adjacent Channel Selectivity: -55dB
• Intermodulation and Rejection: -70dB
• Spurious and Image Rejection: -60dB
• AF Output: 250mW @ 8 Ohms
• Receiver Type: Double Conversion Super-Heterodyne
• Microphone Type: Condenser
• RF Output: 1, 3, or 6 Watts Max (5 Watts Rated)
• FM Hum and Noise: 40 dB
• Bluetooth: Version 2.0, Range 10 meters
• Dimensions: Width=2.658" Height=5.358" (10.06" w/antenna), Depth=2.114"
• Weight: 8 ounces w/o batteries