DSC Basics

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Surprised to hear this. I have to monitor ch16 twice a week at a marina on the ICW, and I'd guess half the hails are between buddy boaters just chatting each other up ... aka ... wasting time while the rest of us are working. I was thinking DSC could solve this ******** problem.

I was referring to SSB DSC, not VHF. DSC on VHF can be handy.

[Blue Crab]

Opps. I missed the ssb. On my point, when are all rthese "mariners" gonna use the DSC to stay off hailing channels? And while I'm bitching, what's with all the radio checks on 16? They can't all be noobs on Hunters. Or can lthey?

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

On my point, when are all rthese "mariners" gonna use the DSC to stay off hailing channels?

I'd guess when it's easier, faster, and more effective to use DSC... So far, it's none of those, for us.

And maybe when you can use DSC to hail "that boat right over there" (usually with an unknown MMSI) to confirm maneuvering details. Which in turn also requires "that boat over there" to a) have a radio on, and b) be able to hear it from his cockpit. A and B are already difficult enough, around here.

-Chris

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

On my point, when are all rthese "mariners" gonna use the DSC to stay off hailing channels?

Originally Posted by ranger42c

I'd guess when it's easier, faster, and more effective to use DSC... So far, it's none of those, for us.

After re-reading myself...

Didn't mean for that to sound like DSC isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread... for those who feel the need to hail and talk with their friends often. Pre-entered MMSIs so the "speed dial" feature works, everybody knows what channel to respond on and their radios auto tune to that channel... easy to identify who's calling... no strain on channel 16... what's not to like?

Just doesn't happen to suit our own lifestyle... since we almost never call anybody except ship (or mostly tug) traffic on channel 13...

But all day long we listen to people who call each other over and over (and over) -- and over -- again, and those folks would be well-served by all the DSC selective calling features... and everyone else would be well-served by reduction in incessant hailing on channel 16...

-Chris

[Blue Crab]

Radio check, radio check, radio check ... can anyone hear me?

Damn Cap, that's a purty boat.

Hey! (expletive deleted) this is a no wake zone!


....


Amateur hour 24/7/365.

[El Pinguino]

Apart from giving 1 hours notice of arrival in some ports about the only time my VHF gets a run is when we are called by ships under pilotage going the other way. They are obliged to get details from passing yachts to send on to the Armada . Strange that while there is a 'twice a day' position reporting requirement in Patagonia for yachts and everybody else there is no requirement for yachts to have HF, only VHF is compulsory.

So... they call you up and ask you the name of your yacht.

But now they can get my MMSI by simply looking at their AIS and then can call me using DSC VHF and ask me the name of my yacht!

Hang on a mo..... if they have me on AIS they already have the yacht's name.

So they just have to report me to the Armada... no VHF call required.

In fact they don't even have to do that as the Armada will know all about me via SAT-AIS.

Damn.. just when I thought I had found a practical use for my new toy.....

That said... banging in a random ( i.e. just obtained from AIS display ) MMSI on my new VHF is extremely quick and easy.

[Rustic Charm]

On my Standard Horizon with inbuilt AIS, I just select one of the ships coming up on the AIS and then I can hail them using 'DSC CALL' and it's meant to be as simple as that.

But, to date, I've never got anyone to answer me

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

On my Standard Horizon with inbuilt AIS, I just select one of the ships coming up on the AIS and then I can hail them using 'DSC CALL' and it's meant to be as simple as that.

But, to date, I've never got anyone to answer me

If the ship you call has a Kongsberg ( previously known as Norcontrol or more commonly 'Nocontrol' ) bridge fitout the watch keeper will just get yet another anonymous cheep/burp or belch from somewhere in the dark and he will just think 'I can't smell smoke so it can't be important'.

Anybody here know what noise their DSC makes when a 'call' comes in?

[Rustic Charm]

[QUOTE=El Pinguino;2163486]If the ship you call has a Kongsberg ( previously known as Norcontrol or more commonly 'Nocontrol' ) bridge fitout the watch keeper will just get yet another anonymous cheep/burp or belch from somewhere in the dark and he will just think 'I can't smell smoke so it can't be important'.

Anybody here know what noise their DSC makes when a 'call' comes in?[/QUOTE]

That's a good question. This summer I'm going to try to find someone with one that I can test it with. Calling 'out' just sounds like it's ringing like a phone.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

....

Anybody here know what noise their DSC makes when a 'call' comes in?

On my it is a stupidly loud shrill. No way to adjust the volume, even for a nonemergency call.

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

If the ship you call has a Kongsberg ( previously known as Norcontrol or more commonly 'Nocontrol' ) bridge fitout the watch keeper will just get yet another anonymous cheep/burp or belch from somewhere in the dark and he will just think 'I can't smell smoke so it can't be important'.



Anybody here know what noise their DSC makes when a 'call' comes in?

I find Kongsberg makes a very robust Vessel Management System. I am also a fan of the UNIX /HP-UX Operating system.

I have never been on a ships bridge where ship distress alarms were anything but a loud unmistakable klaxon.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Paul L

On my it is a stupidly loud shrill. No way to adjust the volume, even for a nonemergency call.

Ditto. And after I improved my antenna, I receive them from practically the whole English Channel, including the French side, sometimes from over 100 miles away.

I'm really glad I got my second station working at the helm -- #1 use of the second station is cancelling DSC alerts Seriously

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

I find Kongsberg makes a very robust Vessel Management System. I am also a fan of the UNIX /HP-UX Operating system.

I have never been on a ships bridge where ship distress alarms were anything but a loud unmistakable klaxon.

The one I sailed with ( 1999 built) worked OK and, yes, the HF DSC alarm was loud enough.
It would normally choose to go off for an undesignated distress from 000000000 somewhere in the North Pacific when one was rather pre-occupied in getting her alongside in the dark with a F8 on the beam

There were plenty of things on that bridge which would 'alarm' in the chart table/radio room area that was far enough removed from the 'seat of command' to be a bloody pest.. every now and again we would get one we had never heard before and would never hear again... if the lights didn't go out and the engines kept running you would do your best to ignore them...

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Ditto. And after I improved my antenna, I receive them from practically the whole English Channel, including the French side, sometimes from over 100 miles away.

I'm really glad I got my second station working at the helm -- #1 use of the second station is cancelling DSC alerts Seriously

So... does it make the same racket when receiving a routine non urgent call ..ie from another yacht?

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

The one I sailed with ( 1999 built) worked OK and, yes, the HF DSC alarm was loud enough.
It would normally choose to go off for an undesignated distress from 000000000 somewhere in the North Pacific when one was rather pre-occupied in getting her alongside in the dark with a F8 on the beam

There were plenty of things on that bridge which would 'alarm' in the chart table/radio room area that was far enough removed from the 'seat of command' to be a bloody pest.. every now and again we would get one we had never heard before and would never hear again... if the lights didn't go out and the engines kept running you would do your best to ignore them...

Sounds like how my wife drives a car. Ignoring lights in the dash.