Standard Horizon GX1500S VHF Radio and Weather Alerts

[SEMIJim]

Anybody out there have a Standard Horizon Quest-X GX1500S VHF and can confirm something for me? The User's Manual appears to indicate that the only time the weather alert function works is if you're scanning and a weather channel is tagged for scanning. Is that true? I like this radio in all other respects, but this "feature," if true, could be a show-stopper.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Bill Roosa]

This is the standard setup for a lot of radios, Raymarine calls it tri-watch, three channels, 16, a secondary channel of your choice and a third channel of your choice. If you choose a weather channel as the 2nd or 3rd is will stop on that channel when the warning tone is heard. I use the feature all the time and it works great.

 

[SEMIJim]

This is the standard setup for a lot of radios, ...

That may be true, but I regard it as less-than-optimal. The ICOM M402 that I'd been considering (for so long it's now out-of-production) didn't work that way, nor, near as I can tell, do the other ICOMs. The user's manual for the Standard Horizon Explorer GX 1600 says that radio doesn't work that way, either. Each of those, when you've got weather alert enabled, always watches the weather channel. Somebody on another sailing forum has an older SH radio, and his doesn't require that it be scanning for the weather alert to work, either. So I'm really hoping the GX1500S user's manual is wrong.

The problem with having it work the way the user's manual for the GX1500S suggests, and the way you say your Raymarine works, is that if you're stopped on a channel, perhaps holding a conversation, and there's a weather alert, you'll miss it.

Thanks for the follow-up, Bill.

Jim

 

[shemandr]

By coincidence I've just been reading my IC-M402's manuel. This is what it has to say about Weather Alert:

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Weather alert​

An NOAA broadcast station
transmits a weather
alert tone before important
weather information. When
the weather alert function is turned ON, the transceiver detects
the alert, then​

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flashes the “WX ALT” indicator until the transceiver
is operated. The previously selected (used) weather
channel is checked any time during standby or while scanning.​

• “ALT” appears with “WX” indication when the function is set ON

So, I think the feature does monitor a weather channel even while not scanning. The weather alert function is activated in the set up menu and the weather channel doesn't need to be tagged - as far as I understand it.
Now, can anyone tell me what "...until the transceiver is operated." means?

 

[SEMIJim]

Update: I've been emailing and talking with the Product Manager over at Standard Horizon, and SH's Executive V.P. actually responded to a post I made in another forum. Great customer support from SH so far!

Yes, the GX1500S weather alert only works if weather alert is enabled, the channel is tagged for scanning, and you're scanning. The GX1600, the GX2xxx (Matrix series), and perhaps others, will wx alert, if it's enabled, regardless of whether you're scanning or just camped out on some channel.

Jim

 

[Samaral]

i believe the Raymarine works as the Icom. You don't have to keep scanning the wether canal to receive an alert, as long as the wether alert function it is enabled.
sergio