With Handheld VHF with DSC any need for fixed unit?

[simonpickard]

Hi there,

Been reading up a little bit on DSC which seems a very good system. I was thinking, now that this is built into high end handheld VHF radios (with GPS as well) what's the point of an expensive fixed unit at the nav station?
You'd get more range I'm guessing, but is that the only real difference? What kind of range differences would you be looking at?

Also... Can a handheld vhf with dsc and gps (wow that's a mouthful) be used for Man Overboard?

If a person is carrying one of these unit's and falls off could they send a MOB distress call to another handheld on board? Along with GPS position, etc?
You could then throw that into the chart plotter and get back to them pretty darn easy I would have thought?

Regards,
Simon