USER MANUAL

SAILOR SP3520 VHF GMDSS

Mayday procedure
• Remove the top-seal of the yellow emergency battery package.

• Insert the battery package into the handheld transceiver.

• Turn the knob at the top of the radio clockwise. The display lights up
showing the last used channel and the battery level.

• To select channel 16 (Distress or Safety), press the 16/C key.

• Press the PTT and say:

— “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY”,
— “this is”.....
— the 9-digit identity and the call sign or other identification of the
ship,
— The ship’s position in latitude and longitude or other reference to
a known geographical location,
— the nature of distress and assistance wanted,
— any other information which might facilitate the rescue.
— “OVER”
• Release PTT and listen for answer.
SP3520 VHF GMDSS
Document number: TT 98-124294-A
Release date: January, 2007
Copyright: © 2007 Thrane & Thrane A/S. All rights reserved.

Trademark Acknowledgements
• SAILOR is a registered trademark of Thrane & Thrane A/S.
• Other product and company names mentioned in this manual may be
trademarks or trade names of their respective owners.

Warranty limitation
IMPORTANT - The radio is a sealed waterproof unit. To create and maintain its
waterproof integrity it was assembled in a controlled environment using special
equipment. The radio is not a user maintainable unit, and under no circumstances
should the unit be opened except by authorized personnel. Unauthorized opening
of the unit will invalidate the warranty.

Disclaimer
Any responsibility or liability for loss or damage in connection with the use of this
product and the accompanying documentation is disclaimed by Thrane & Thrane.
The information in this manual is provided for information purposes only, is
subject to change without notice, may contain errors or inaccuracies, and
represents no commitment whatsoever by Thrane & Thrane. This agreement is
governed by the laws of Denmark.
Manuals issued by Thrane & Thrane are periodically revised and updated. Anyone
relying on this information should satisfy himself/herself as to the most current
version. Providers with access to Thrane & Thrane's Extranet may obtain current
copies of manuals at: [Link]
Thrane & Thrane is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any translations
or reproductions, in whole or in part, of this manual from any other source.

0703 i
 Safety summary
Only use original Thrane & Thrane battery packs. Make
sure they are clean and dry before attaching the
transceiver. Be careful not to damage any gaskets.
Only use the original Thrane & Thrane charger for the
rechargeable battery.
Be very careful when handling the Lithium batteries.
With correct use they are safe but any misuse might
cause dangerous situations.
Never short circuit the battery terminals, never expose
the transceiver and the batteries to extreme temperature
or fire and never use any kind of violence.
Avoid close contact between the antenna and parts of
the human body. The top of the antenna must never be
closer than 5 cm to the body when transmitting.
Do not submerge the transceiver more than 1 m for 30
minutes.
Keep the transceiver at least 0.5 m away from the
magnetic compass.

ii 0643
Training information
SAILOR SP3520 VHF GMDSS is designed for "occupational use only". It must be
operated by licensed personnel only.
The SP3520 complies with the FCC RF exposure limits for "Occupational Use Only".
• FCC OET Bulletin 65 Supplement C, evaluating compliance with FCC guidelines
for human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields.
• American National Standards Institute (C95.1) IEEE standard for safety levels
with respect to human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields,
3 kHz to 300 GHz.
• American National Standards Institute (C95.3) IEEE recommended practice for
the measurement of potentially hazardous electromagnetic fields - RF and
microwaves.

Warning! Your Thrane & Thrane VHF radio generates

electromagnetic RF (radio frequency) energy when
transmitting. To ensure that you are not exposed to excessive
amounts of energy and thus to avoid health hazards from
excessive exposure to RF energy, all persons must be at least 5
cm away from the antenna when the radio is transmitting.

Correct use
For best performance, hold the radio vertically and 10 cm away from the head when
talking into the microphone.

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iv 0641
 Contents

Chapter Introduction
Your VHF GMDSS .................................................................1
Performance .......................................................................2
Channels ............................................................................2

Chapter Operation
Controls ..............................................................................3
Keys and buttons ................................................................3
The display .........................................................................5
Using the VHF GMDSS ........................................................6
Basic functions ...................................................................6
Other functions ...................................................................9
Configuring the VHF GMDSS ..............................................10
Entering and using configuration mode ............................10
Configuration settings ....................................................... 11

Chapter Batteries
Battery types .....................................................................13
The primary battery ...........................................................13
The secondary battery .......................................................14
Battery level indication ......................................................14
Removing and inserting the battery pack ...........................14
The battery charger ...........................................................15
Installing the charger ........................................................15
Recharging the secondary battery .....................................16

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Chapter Equipment and accessories
External equipment ........................................................... 17
List of equipment ............................................................... 17
Connecting external equipment .........................................17
Impact on radio operation .................................................18
Accessories .......................................................................19
List of accessories ..............................................................19
Attaching and removing the belt clip ................................ 20
Attaching the lanyard ....................................................... 20

Chapter Troubleshooting
Displaying errors ...............................................................21

App. Technical specifications

Technical data .................................................................. 23
General ............................................................................ 23
Transmitter ....................................................................... 24
Receiver ........................................................................... 24
Battery life guidelines ...................................................... 25
Primary battery (non-rechargeable) ................................. 25
Secondary battery (rechargeable) ..................................... 25
Dimensional drawing, transceiver .................................... 26
Dimensional drawing, charger ......................................... 27

vi 0643
 Chapter 1

Introduction
Your VHF GMDSS
SP3520, your new SAILOR portable VHF
transceiver, is approved to fulfil the GMDSS
requirements for portable VHF radios for Safety at
Sea and is waterproof to the IP67 standard.
As part of the required safety equipment, the
SAILOR SP3520 is to be used in an emergency
situation. However the best way to guarantee
functionality in an emergency situation, is to use
the radio in daily communication on board.
The SP3520 is designed for daily use and it
connects easily to external equipment like
headsets and fist mikes, making the SP3520
suitable for any noisy environment.
The unique battery concept makes the radio
suited for both daily use and emergency
situations. The primary emergency battery is to
be stored for emergency situations and a
secondary rechargeable battery can be used for
daily communication in your new portable VHF
transceiver.
The radio is designed with a unique man
machine interface, an excellent grip even with
gloves, and large tactile buttons.

0641 1
Introduction

The display has red adjustable backlight which makes the display visible
even at night.
The radio is equipped with a lanyard and a belt clip. A huge accessory
program comes with the SAILOR SP3500 series.
Please find the nearest SAILOR distributor on [Link].

Performance
For best performance of the transceiver keep the following in mind:
• Keep clear of metal environment.
• Hold the transceiver vertically and 10 cm from lips and push the PTT
when transmitting.
• In receive mode carry the transceiver vertically with belt clips.
• To preserve battery power, adjust squelch to close the loudspeaker
when there is no signal.
• If you are in a lifeboat keep the antenna as high as possible.

Channels
This radio operates with the following channels:

6 11 15 68 73 77 Notes:

8 12 16 69 74 87 • All channels are Simplex.

• Tx power is limited to 1 W on
9 13 17 71 75 88
channels 75 and 76.
10 14 67 72 76

2 0703
 Chapter 2

Operation
Controls
Keys and buttons
1
1. On/off/volume
2. Light/Lock
3. Push To Talk (PTT)
4. Up key 2

5. Down key
3
6. Hi/Lo output power
7. Squelch 4 7
8. Scan
5 8
9. Priority channel (16)/
Call channel

6 9

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Operation

Key presses
Pressing and holding certain keys gives access to additional functions,
shown in the table below.

Extra long
Short press Long press
Key press
(1 beep) (2 beeps)
(3 beeps)

Show next available Run through available Run through

item in the list (up or items, or available
down). select tagged channels items if an A
A (T) or B (S). or B channel
Default: Channel
is tagged
selection

Activate Squelch Monitor function. Open

control (Adjust with Squelch completely.
up/down arrows).

1 press: Activate/ Add/Delete channel

terminate Dual/Triple from memory scan.
watch.
2 presses: Activate
memory scan.

Toggle between high

and low transmitter
power.

Select channel 16. Select programmed Program Call

Call channel. channel.

4 0703
 Operation

The display
The display holds various fields of information, explained below.

4 5 6
3 7
2
8
1
9

10

1. Current working channel.

2. Current channel mode.
3. “Lo”: Reduced transmitter power.
Full transmitter power is not shown in display.
4. Dual watch activated.
5. Current working channel is marked for scanning.
6. Keypad is locked.
7. Battery level indicator.
8. Transmitting (Tx) /Receiving (Rx).
9. Accessory is connected.
10. Service line for various purposes. In this example the volume level.

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Operation

Using the VHF GMDSS

Basic functions

Note Before using the radio, mount the antenna at the top of the
radio. The antenna is delivered with the radio.

Switching the radio on and off

• To switch the radio on, turn the knob at the top
of the radio clockwise.
The display lights up showing the last used
channel and the battery level.
• To switch the radio off, Turn the knob back
counter-clockwise until it clicks.

Selecting the working channel

• To select channel 16 (Distress or Safety), press the 16/C key.
• To select the Call channel, use a long press on 16/C.
• To select among all available channels, press S or T on the keypad.
For fast selection, press and hold S or T.
The display shows the currently selected channel.

Note Long press on S or T can also be used to select preferred

channels. For information on how to program preferred
channels, see Configuring the VHF GMDSS on page 10.

6 0643
 Operation

Activating a call
To activate a call to the selected channel, press and
hold the PTT button on the side of the radio.
The radio transmits as long as the PTT button is
pressed. A small Tx sign next to the channel num-
ber indicates when the radio is in transmit mode.

Adjusting the volume

• To increase the volume, turn the on/off knob at the top of the radio
clockwise.
• To decrease the volume, turn the knob counter-clockwise.
The display shows the level of the volume, e.g. “VOL 5”, while it is
adjusted.

Using Squelch control

• To activate Squelch control, press the SQ key.
• To set the Squelch level, press S (closing) or T (opening). The
display shows the Squelch level while it is adjusted, e.g. “SQ 5”.

Adjusting the display backlight

• To turn on the backlight, press the
Light/Lock button on the side of the radio.
• To adjust the backlight level, press S or T
within 3 seconds after turning on the light.
The display shows the level while it is
adjusted, e.g. “DIM MED”.

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Operation

Using Dual watch

To activate Dual watch, press the SCN key.
The display shows “Dual” at the top and “16” at the bottom right.
The radio toggles between the selected channel and channel 16.
• To terminate Dual watch, press SCN again.

Scanning channels
• To activate channel memory scanning, press 2 times SCN within 2
seconds.
During scanning, the display shows “SC” in the channel field. The
radio toggles between channel 16 and each of the channels marked
for scanning.
• To terminate scanning, press SCN once.

Changing the transmitter power

To change the transmitter power, press the Hi/Lo key. The display shows
“Lo” when power is set to low. Otherwise maximum power is used.

Locking the keypad

• To lock the keypad, press and hold the Light/Lock button. The display
shows a key symbol when the keypad is locked.
• To unlock the keypad, press and hold the Light/Lock button again.

8 0703
 Operation

Other functions
Programming the Call channel
To program the Call channel, do as follows:

1. Press and hold 16/C until the current Call channel number is flashing.
2. Select the channel with S or T.
3. Press 16/C to confirm.

Programming the channel memory

To add a channel to the channel memory, select the channel and then
press and hold the SCN key until the display shows MEM at the top.
To remove a channel from the channel memory, select the channel and
then press and hold the SCN key until the MEM sign disappears from the
display.

0643 9
Operation

Configuring the VHF GMDSS

Entering and using configuration mode

Note The radio is not operational in configuration mode.

• To enter configuration mode, press and hold the Light/Lock button

while turning on the radio.
The bottom line of the display shows the current menu item/setting.
• To exit configuration mode, turn off the radio or press any key except
S, T and the Light/Lock button.
Using the PTT button or leaving the radio inactive for 10 seconds also
causes the radio to exit configuration mode.
• To change a setting, press S or T.
• To confirm the current setting and go to the next menu item, press the
Light/Lock button.

10 0643
 Operation

Configuration settings
Configuration mode is used to program preferred channels and volume of
key beep and battery alarm.
The following settings are available in configuration mode.

BEEP MAX Status click/beep sound on key press, long

press (settings/programming saved) and
battery alarm. Maximum level.

MIN Status click/beep sound on key press, long

press (settings/programming saved) and
battery alarm. Minimum level.

OFF All beeps off.

PREFA OFF Remove tag “A” for current working channel.

ON Tag current working channel with “A”. If

another channel was previously tagged “A”,
this is overruled.
• The working channel can now be selected
with a long press on T.

PREFB OFF Remove tag “B” for current working channel.

ON Tag current working channel with “B”. If

another channel was previously tagged “B”,
this is overruled.
• The working channel can now be selected
with a long press on S.

VER [Link] Software version. Read-only.

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Operation

12 0643
 Chapter 3

Batteries
Battery types
• The yellow primary battery pack contains a non-rechargeable
Lithium battery. This battery pack is only to be used in case of
emergency.
• The black secondary battery pack contains a rechargeable battery.
This battery pack is for daily use.

The primary battery

Important The yellow primary battery pack is only for emergency use,
and is not rechargeable.
Before using the primary battery, remove the seal on the battery pack.
Then do as follows:

1. Attach the battery pack to the radio as

shown.
2. Lock the battery with the safety lock at the
bottom.
The primary battery is capable of providing
sufficient power for 8 hours of operation.
When the primary pack is not in use it must
always be placed in the dedicated rear position
in the charger cradle, see The battery charger on
1
page 15.
2

0643 13
Batteries

The secondary battery

Battery level indication
The black secondary battery pack is for daily use of the radio. When the
battery level is low, you should recharge the battery.

The radio display shows the battery

status. When the battery symbol is empty
and flashing, the battery should be
recharged as soon as possible.

Removing and inserting the battery pack

To remove the battery pack, do as follows:

1. Open the safety lock as shown.

2. Remove the battery.

To insert the battery pack, attach the battery

and close the safety lock as shown on the
previous page.

14 0643
 Batteries

The battery charger

The charger has two compartments.
• A rear compartment for storing a
spare battery. It does not have a
charger function.
• A front compartment for
recharging the battery alone or
while attached to the radio.

Installing the charger

Mounting the charger
There are several options for
mounting one or more chargers on a
table or a wall.
For information on dimensions and
screw positions, refer to Dimensional
drawing, charger on page 27.
When mounting the charger, make
sure it is placed in a dry place and
away from direct sunlight. The
charger is not waterproof.

0643 15
Batteries

Connecting to power
The charger can be supplied with DC or AC.
DC: Connect the 12-24VDC Connection Cable between the DC supply and
the connector on the underside of the charger.
AC: Connect the AC/DC adapter to the connector on the underside of the
charger. Then connect the AC/DC adapter to the AC outlet.

Recharging the secondary battery

Important Do not attempt to recharge the yellow primary battery!

To recharge the secondary battery, do place the radio1 with battery or the
battery alone in the front position of the charger cradle.
The light indicators on the charger cradle show the status as follows:
• Green light: Power is connected to the charger.
• Slow red flash: Charging in progress.
• Rapid red flash: Charging error, e.g. battery defect or temperature
out of range.
• Steady red light: Charging completed. Trickle charge mode.

If the radio is on during the charging

process, the battery indicator in the upper
right corner of the display is “filled” from
right to left to show that the battery is
charging.

1. You can leave the radio on or switch it off during the recharge process.

16 0643
 Chapter 4

Equipment and accessories

External equipment
List of equipment
The following equipment can be connected to the radio:
• SAVOX 400E Push-To Talk unit
• SAVOX C500 Fist Mike
• SAVOX NC/400 Noise-com
• SAVOX HC-E Helmet-com
• SAVOX K53004 Helmet unit
• Peltor MT7H79 Headset
We recommend to remove all accessories during emergency use.

Connecting external equipment

Connect the dedicated interface cable
between the external equipment and
the top connector on the radio.

Interface cable Order number

For SAVOX 400E 403500-940

For SAVOX C500 403500-950

For Peltor FL5214 403500-951

0703 17
Equipment and accessories

When external equipment is connected

to the radio, the right side of the display
will show a headset.

Impact on radio operation

The external equipment can have a built-in PTT, speaker and
microphone. Thus connecting it to the radio will have the following
impact on the radio operation:
• If a microphone is built into the detected external equipment, the
external equipment microphone is used, and the internal radio
microphone is disabled.
• If a speaker or earpiece is built into the detected external equipment,
the external equipment sound device is used, and the internal radio
speaker is disabled.
• If a PTT or VOX is built into the detected external equipment, the
external equipment PTT control is used, and the radio PTT button is
disabled.

18 0703
 Equipment and accessories

Accessories
List of accessories
The following accessories are delivered with your radio:

Accessory Part number

Primary battery (yellow, non-rechargeable), B3501 403501A

Secondary battery (black, rechargeable), B3502 403502A

Charger, CH3507 403507A

AC/DC converter, (100-240V~ /12VDC out), length 150cm 88-124371

12-24VDC Connection cable, length 150cm 37-124381

Belt clip 62-124320

Antenna 88-124370

Lanyard 41-124375

SP3520 User Manual (this manual) 98-124294

Batteries, charger, AC/DC Converter and 12VDC Connection are described

in Batteries on page 13.
To mount the antenna, simply screw it into the threaded bush at the top
of the radio.

0703 19
Equipment and accessories

Attaching and removing the belt clip

To attach the belt clip, slide the belt clip upwards

into the rails at the back of the radio until it locks.

To remove the belt clip, press the projection at

the top of the belt clip to release the lock and
slide the belt clip downwards out of the rails.

Release lock

Attaching the lanyard

Do as follows:
Top view
1. Take the lanyard through the
eye at the top of the radio.
2. Put one end of the lanyard
through the loop at the other
end of the lanyard and pull to
tighten.
20 0643
 Chapter 5

Troubleshooting
Displaying errors
Some errors result in an error message in the display. These error
messages are listed below.

Display text Problem Type Actions

The battery voltage is Severe. Change/recharge

Err below a critical level, Radio is non- the battery.
EMPTY BAT where further operation functional.
would damage the battery.

Hardware error. Severe. Service required.

Err Radio is non-
HW ERR functional.

Context fails operation. Fail Consider operation

This text will appear on operation in a different
ILLEGAL the following occasions: context.
• Multiple watch is
selected on channel 16,
or in channel regions
where it is not allowed.
• High power is selected
on a channel where it is
prohibited.
• Transmission on
blocked channels

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Troubleshooting

22 0703
 Appendix A

Technical specifications
Technical data
General

Item Specification

RX frequency range 155.000 - 163.425 MHz

TX frequency range 155.000 - 161.450 MHz

Modulation 16K0G3E

Power 7.2 VDC special Li battery

Current drain at 2 W TX 1.4 A

Current drain at 1 W TX 0.8 A

Current drain RX max audio 0.25 A

Primary Battery Lithium Iron Disulfide, 3000 mAh

Secondary Battery Lithium-Ion, 1800 mAh rechargeable

Operating temperature -20°C to +55° C

Water ingress protection IP67

Frequency stability < ±0.7 kHz

Weight with emergency battery 340 g

0703 23
Technical specifications

Transmitter

Item Specification

RF output power 2 W /1 W

Max deviation ±5 kHz

Spurious emission < 0.25 uW

Adjacent channel power > 70 dB

Receiver

Item Specification

Sensitivity (20 dB SINAD) -117 dBM typical

Intermodulation 70 dB typical

Spurious response > 70 dB

Adjacent channel selectivity > 70 dB

Audio output, internal 0.5 W at 10% dist.

Audio output, external 0.5 W/8 Ohm

24 0643
 Technical specifications

Battery life guidelines

Primary battery (non-rechargeable)
The primary non-rechargeable battery pack is capable of providing
sufficient power for the specified 8 hours according to regulations.
The battery is marked with an expiry date. Replace the battery at or
before this date.
To ensure a long lifetime keep the battery in the store position in the
charger and avoid high temperature and direct sunlight.

Secondary battery (rechargeable)

Note New batteries should be fully charged and fully discharged

several times to achieve full capacity.
During daily use, always keep the battery fully charged and away from
hot areas.
Keep the battery terminals dry and clean.
Never overcharge or discharge beyond the specifications of the battery.
Battery life depends on usage. Generally, the more the radio is
transmitting, the faster it will drain the battery. Also, the “Hi” power
setting will drain the battery faster than the “Lo” setting.
Approximate values are:
• Stored at 25°C and up to 25% charge: 4 to 6 months.
• Normal use at 25°C and fully charged: 5 to 9 hours.

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Technical specifications

Dimensional drawing, transceiver

26 0643
 Technical specifications

Dimensional drawing, charger

Mounting Possibillities
Desktop mounting, top view Wall mounting, rear view

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Technical specifications

28 0643
TT-98-124294-A Issue: A/0703

Thrane & Thrane A/S • info@[Link] • [Link]