BMEA

Standard Horizon is proud to announce the launch of the first DSC-GPS portable VHF to the European market, the HX851E.  This remarkably compact floating radio offers all the outstanding features of other members of the handheld family from Standard Horizon, like 6W transmitter output power, face up floating, fully waterproof and ease of use.  It also includes a built-in 12 channel GPS receiver and Class D encoder and decoder for sending and receiving DSC distress calls and other calls, such as Position Poll and Request Calls.  The built-in GPS receiver, in conjunction with the 200 waypoint storage capacity, enables special functions like ‘navigate to a waypoint’ or ‘navigate to a position request or distress position’ to be easily implemented in a handheld device.

Designed as a rugged and essential communications device for the professional, or leisure sailor, the HX851E is also ideal for adventure sport enthusiasts like sea kayakers, jetskiers and other maritime users where safety is essential. The HX851E has a tough die-cast chassis, which is protected by an ergonomically-shaped rubber armour surround with a luminescent glow-in-the-dark gasket.  Should the radio accidentally fall in the water, it not only floats, but a flashing strobe light on the front panel will activate upon contact with the water.  The HX851E is waterproofed to IPX-7 standards (submersible to 1 metre for 30 minutes.); in fact, Standard Horizon is so confident of the build quality that the set is offered with a three-year waterproof guarantee. 

The HX851E keypad has large, easy-to-use keys, with a clear, backlit LCD dot matrix (132×24 dot) display.  This not only shows VHF radio information like channel numbers, transmitter power level, volume, squelch and battery level, but also displays the current GPS position, course and speed over the ground (COG/SOG), waypoint navigation, a compass graphic, and GPS status indicator showing which satellite channels are in use.

Powered by a long-life, 1150mAh lithium-ion battery, the HX851E has four transmit power levels, of 1, 2, 5 and 6 Watts. Using low power transmissions for normal voice calls allows extended usage from a single battery charge.  DSC emergency communications automatically use the highest TX power for maximum range.  Where no charging facilities exist, a dry cell option battery holder, FBA-38, can be used, allowing the radio to be powered by 6 AA dry cells.

The DSC functions include distress calls with designation and position and all ship urgency and safety alerts. It can also transmit individual calls, group calls, position reporting and position requesting. An address book with up to 100 MMSI numbers and alpha tags provides a quick and easy way to select and call common MMSI numbers.

Channel names can be customised to be more easily understood, and the programmable scan, priority scan and dual watch functions mean you are unlikely to miss an important call. A preset key allows the quick selection of the 10 most used channels.

When used below decks or where there is no direct GPS signal, the HX851E can be connected to an external NMEA 0183 GPS source to update the position, conversely it may also be used to provide NMEA 1083 positional information to an external chart plotter or other GPS device.  (The connection for sending and receiving NMEA data is made from the HX851E via its CD-38 charging cradle).

ATIS (Automatic Transmitter Identification System) functionality is supported and can be fully programmed and switched on and off via the front panel.  ATIS is a vessel identification system used on inland waterways in many areas of mainland Europe.

Waterproof, versatile and now with DSC and GPS, the HX851E packs the features you would expect to find on a fixed set into one affordable, and highly portable, package.