- Fig. 1. GX1850 VHF Marine Band DSC radio
- GX1850.png (178.38 KiB) Viewed 16974 times
Models with NMEA-2000 and integral GPS receivers are available, and special models with ATIS features for use in Europe are also available. There are six model variations in this series:
- GX1800 is the base model and omits the NMEA-2000 interface and the GPS receiver
- GX1800GPS includes an integral GPS receiver but omits NMEA-2000.
- GX180GPS/E includes an integral GPS receiver, omits NMEA-2000, and is a European-only model with ATIS features.
- GX1850 includes the NMEA-2000 interface but omits the GPS receiver
- GX1850GPS includes the NMEA-2000 and the GPS receiver
- GX1850GPS/E includes the NMEA-2000 interface and the GPS receiver, and is a European-only model with ATIS features.
Note that all VHF Marine Band radios to be sold in Europe are now required to have an integral GPS or GNSS receiver. The /E versions of the radios thus are all models with an integral GPS or GNSS receiver. Models with the 50 suffix have NMEA-2000. Models with GPS suffix have an integral GPS receiver. Standard-Horizon also uses the name "EXPLORER" to refer to this series, and appends NMEA2000 and GPS to further identify the model family.
We look more closely at the GX1850 model or EXPLORER NMEA2000, that is, a USA radio with NMEA-2000 but without integral GPS receiver:
The most significant features of the GX1850 are:
- NMEA-2000 interface
- NMEA-0183 interface
- compact size; only 3.7-inch depth
- three front panel soft keys for user interface
- supports optional second station with intercom
- three-year warranty
- permits reset of MMSI in the field by the user with appropriate code supplied by manufacturer
The GX1850 and variant model radios were granted approval for sale in the USA on December 2, 2018, and given FCC ID K6630643X3D.
A discount retailer lists the GX1850 at $220.
NMEA 2000
The NMEA 2000 interface supports the follow parameter groups:
- RECEIVE
059392 ISO Acknowledgement
059904 ISO Request
060928 ISO Address Claim
065240 ISO Commanded Address
126464 Receive/Transmit PGN's group function
128993 Heartbeat
126996 Product Information
127237 Heading/Tracking Control
127250 Vessel Heading
127258 Magnetic Variation
128259 Speed
129025 Position, Rapid Update
129026 COG and SOG, Rapid Update
129029 GNSS Position Data
129033 Local Time Offset
129540 GNSS Sats in View
TRANSMIT
059392 ISO Acknowledgement
059904 ISO Request
060928 ISO Address Claim
126464 Receive/Transmit PGN's group function
128993 Heartbeat
126996 Product Information
129029 GNSS Position Data
129799 Radio Frequency/Mode/Power
129808 DSC Call Information
129540 GNSS Sats in View
NMEA-0183
The NMEA-0183 interface is supplied with the following signals:
- TALKER A = WHITE
TALKER B = BROWN
LISTENER A = YELLOW
LISTENER B = GREEN
The NMEA-0183 sentences supported are:
- LISTENER = GLL, GGA, RMC, GNS, GSA, GSV
TALKER = DSC, DSE; GSA, GSV, GLL, and RMC can also be sent from the GX1850GPS model
DIMENSIONS
The compact radio is 5.9 x 3.4 x 3.7-inches (W x H x D). If flush-mounted the radio extends only 2.2-inches behind the front panel.
MICROPHONE
A push-to-talk (PTT) microphone with a captivated coiled cord is attached to the front panel. The microphone element is a noise-cancelling design. In addition to the PTT button, there are four other buttons on the microphone housing. A pair of up-arrow and down-arrow buttons controls channel selection. An H/L button toggles transmitter power level. A red 16/S button switches the radio to channel 16 (the PRIORITY channel) or if held to the SUB channel. The default SUB channel setting is Channel 9, but the radio permits the user to change the configuration of both the PRIORITY and SUB channels, if desired.
- Fig. 2 GX1800/GX1850 with white housing; front panel controls shown.
- GX1800WhiteFrontPanel.png (54.93 KiB) Viewed 16939 times
USER INTERFACE
The GX1850 radio has extensive operator controls on the front panel. The on-off power is controlled by a dedicated red ON-OFF button, not part of any other control function. Volume and Squelch are provided on separate rotary knobs rather than concentric knobs. The volume knob is at the upper right corner of the enclosure, where it is easily reached. The squelch knob is at the lower right corner, and is unlikely to be confused with volume.
To give the operator further awareness of a channel in use condition, an annunciator lamp in the upper left illuminates when the receiver squelch has opened. Curiously the lamp indicator is green, which usually indicates a safe condition. This seems inappropriate.
Channel selection is accomplished with two pushbuttons, arranged vertically with up-arrow and down-arrow indicators.
A large 2.6 x 1.4-inch 222 x 122-pixel dot-matrix display has five pushbuttons associated with it arranged in a row below the display; the outer pair are for scrolling horizontally on the display or changing the soft key functions. The inner three are for selecting one of the soft key choices shown on the display. A further enhancement permits the user to custom program three soft key functions to his own liking.
A second row of buttons below the display provides a H/L button for toggling transmit power; a MENU/SET button for accessing the menus or when held to move to the setup menu; a CLEAR button to cancel selections; and a red 16/S button for switching the radio to Channel 16 or when held to the SUB channel.
As required for all DSC radios, a red DISTRESS ALERT button is provided under a hinged access cover.
REAR PANEL
The rear panel contains five connectors and one integrated cable assembly. A terminal post allows connection to GROUND. An SO-239 receptacle allows connection of the ANTENNA with a mating PL-259 plug. A DeviceNET Micro C male connector allows a NMEA-2000 drop cable to connect. An SMA connector permits the external SCU-38 GPS ANTENNA to be connected. A specialized multi-pin connector permits an extension cable for a RAM-4 remote microphone to be connected.
The cable assembly contains the 12-volt DC power cables, the NMEA-0183 TALKER and LISTENER pairs, and an audio amplifier output for connection to an external speaker.
MMSI RESET
The owner's manual mentions that the MMSI of the DSC radio can be reset by the user after contacting the factory to obtain a reset code. Standard-Horizon has already used this method on the HX870 hand held radio. This is a significant improvement over the usual situation where the radio was required to be shipped to the factory or an authorized service center for any change of the maritime mobile service identity.
USER INTERFACE CONFIGURATION and OPTIONS
The GX1850 radio provides the user with extensive configuration and option choices. Much of the 125-page user manual is dedicated to explaining the many configurable options available in the radio. The user manual is available from the manufacturer's website.