What Justifies a "MAYDAY"?

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

I think you are imagining a costal sailing situation where the distress call is answered by coast guard station.

In an offshore situation where the closest form of assistance and the only station in radio range (if only VHF equipped) may be other shipping. There are different legal and practical responses to "MAYDAY" and "PAN PAN". Some of these were outlined in post #77

I was not referencing either actually. I agree with post 77 completely. And the fact that there are different practical implications between the both was my point.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Wotname

FWIW (WIBA), I sez you done right!

Indeed, but then boatie is a professional

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Wotname

AFAIK, you are correct these days.
Back in the day when the OTC operated maritime coastal radio stations, they provided a "radio medical assistance" along with Radio Telephone calls and so on. IRC, they had an arrangement with the RFDS (Royal flying Doctor Service) whose doctors were always on call to provide medical advice via their HF network.

These days, the RFDS still provide an medical emergency advice for remote sites and while their preferred method of contact is Satphone, several bases still operate on HF. i believe technically one should apply to ACMA for a outpost licence before operating on their frequencies but I'm not really sure of the details anymore. I pretty sure they don't distinguish between a land mobile station and a maritime mobile station - especially for a medical emergency.

There is more information on their website.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that.

[Hoofsmit]

Originally Posted by shufti

That would be a 'securitay' down here.

Looks like we have the ' good old Atlantic divide again ' .

When in Rome !!




Sent from my iPad.......i apologise for the auto corrects !!!

[nigel1]

Wotty

Far as I know, PAN PAN call is addressed to all stations.

One point, not really pertinent to the argument is that in the case of VHF traffic, all Distress traffic is conducted on Ch 16, until the distress situation is concluded.
In the case of a PAN PAN, a coast station may direct the transmission of the urgency MESSAGE to a working channel.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by nigel1

Wotty

Far as I know, PAN PAN call is addressed to all stations.

One point, not really pertinent to the argument is that in the case of VHF traffic, all Distress traffic is conducted on Ch 16, until the distress situation is concluded.
In the case of a PAN PAN, a coast station may direct the transmission of the urgency MESSAGE to a working channel.

In my second example it was CH 10...

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by nigel1

Wotty

Far as I know, PAN PAN call is addressed to all stations.

One point, not really pertinent to the argument is that in the case of VHF traffic, all Distress traffic is conducted on Ch 16, until the distress situation is concluded.
In the case of a PAN PAN, a coast station may direct the transmission of the urgency MESSAGE to a working channel.

I'm not quite sure what your referring to with 'addressed to all stations'. You don't 'address' the call at all, either a Pan Pan or a Mayday, you just put it out to whoever is listening. Those that pick it up are then asked to pass it on. And given ch16 is the listening channel, that's usually, though not always the best channel to put it out on.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

I'm not quite sure what your referring to with 'addressed to all stations'. You don't 'address' the call at all, either a Pan Pan or a Mayday, you just put it out to whoever is listening.

Not according to what I was taught. See for instance para403 of ACP315
http://jcs.dtic.mil/j6/cceb/acps/acp135/ACP135F.pdf

Or Maritime Safety Queensland:
Marine radios (Maritime Safety Queensland)
Call procedure:

• ‘pan pan, pan pan, pan pan’
• ‘hello all stations, hello all stations, hello all stations’

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

I'm not quite sure what your referring to with 'addressed to all stations'. You don't 'address' the call at all, either a Pan Pan or a Mayday, you just put it out to whoever is listening. Those that pick it up are then asked to pass it on. And given ch16 is the listening channel, that's usually, though not always the best channel to put it out on.

As far as I understand 16 is a listening and hailing channel. The CG here will generally tell someone to go to I believe 21A. Since I can probably throw a stone as far as VHS goes I believe forwarding is the correct thing to do until you here a response from the CG to the original message. I believe that is the reason saying to put a delay between either type emergency message. So it can be forwarded as a relay.

I wish the people thinking 16 is for talking would go to the correct channels for ship to ship or better yet get a CB. Probably find a SSB CB would give better range to tell Bubba about their catch.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by StuM

Call procedure:

• ‘pan pan, pan pan, pan pan’
• ‘hello all stations, hello all stations, hello all stations’

Wot???

The correct procedure is:

Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan pan,
This is Sea Life, Sea Life Sea Life
Position....
I say again Position...
[Nature of emergency/Priority call]

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by StuM

Not according to what I was taught. See for instance para403 of ACP315
http://jcs.dtic.mil/j6/cceb/acps/acp135/ACP135F.pdf

Or Maritime Safety Queensland:
Marine radios (Maritime Safety Queensland)
Call procedure:

• ‘pan pan, pan pan, pan pan’
• ‘hello all stations, hello all stations, hello all stations’

Thanks. I note the MSQ link. But I think what happens is that each 'training' authority add's their own bit or interpretation on how to send it out. I've just gone over my stuff, and the AMC hand book and the 'coast station' may send out 'to all stations', but if your in a boat, you generally don't. And frankly, I can't see the point of sending out an urgency message and spending the times addressing it to 'all stations'..

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Wot???

The correct procedure is:

Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan pan,
This is Sea Life, Sea Life Sea Life
Position....
I say again Position...
[Nature of emergency/Priority call]

I'd agree with you MarkJ, but I'm not confident to say it's the 'correct' procedure. Unless there is some international recommendation on what to say it seems to me the 'all stations' bit is a discretionary add on.

But I'd do it as you have put. Just makes no sense to be calling 'all stations'. If it's urgent, it doesn't matter who it's addressed to and the very heading of 'mayday' or 'pan pan' should get people listening.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Wot???

The correct procedure is:

Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan pan,
This is Sea Life, Sea Life Sea Life
Position....
I say again Position...
[Nature of emergency/Priority call]

Damn no wry humor?

[nigel1]

Sorry Wot

PAN PAN call can be addressed to a named station.

The stuff below comes from the ITU Regs, ITU being the International Telecommunication Union, (not NATIONAL), this is the organisation which assigns all the radio communication stuff such as frequencies, and how to use radio communication.

This is what they say

1) The urgency call should consist of:
– the urgency signal PAN PAN, spoken three times;
– the name of the called station or “all stations”, spoken three times;
– the words THIS IS;
– the name of the station transmitting the urgency message, spoken three times;
– the call sign or any other identification;
– the MMSI (if the initial announcement has been sent by DSC),


These ain't my rules, these are the Regulations I am meant to adhere to cos it's part of my job. You have the choice, do it right, or do it wrong, makes no difference to me. Given the choice I would prefer to get it right.

Mayday call is a different matter, only mayday call which is addressed to all stations is a Mayday Relay.

If anyone wants to check, here is a link
http://life.itu.int/radioclub/rr/chapt-7.pdf

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Since I can probably throw a stone as far as VHS goes I believe forwarding is the correct thing to do until you here a response from the CG to the original message.

I've not had the experience you or many others have, but the little experience I've had, which includes off shore, I've found my VHF to be very reliable. I can reach the Tamar River from the West side of Flinders Island. On the East side I have to go through a repeater, but then I can reach Hobart Radio.

In December last year I crossed to Melbourne and Tamar Sea Rescue followed me across to close to 80 miles and Vic Radio picked me up at 60 miles out and they followed me all the way down the Vic Coast until I turned around Wilson's Prom.

When I first purchased the boat my radio was crap, but as I later found out some goose had used common tv coaxial to wire it up the mast and in several spots it was rusting away. It basically didn't have an ariel connected at all. But once I fixed that and I'm out to see I get great reception.