Resistance to DSC VHF

[Kettlewell]

With DSC now required in the USA I wish the manufacturers would put keypads on their radios so it is less cumbersome to input all these numbers. However, at least where I am sailing people do not seem to be using DSC very much, except for private calls to each other I guess. No marinas, bridges, or harbormasters that I am aware of seem to be using it either. I can appreciate the emergency calling features, and I will probably upgrade my radio soon, but for general use almost everything is happening in the old-fashioned way, which is the answer to the OP.

[Juniper]

Originally Posted by SV Enough

May your God be with you and keep you and yours safe always. I also hope you and yours never loose sight of land. :-)

Your friend,
Mark

Or in other words if you don't set DSC, VHF,AIS, MMSI, EPRB, and what ever alphabet soup you will die!!!!!!

Some of us don't have all the fancy mizmos going,

Now when I need to replace my radio I'll get something like a Standard Horizon Matrix AIS, as I don't want to try to figure out how to hook this up to that, I want to go sailing not learn electronics. that beeing said I also don't want to trow away a working radio, I just got rid of the LORAN a few months ago. The radio ( guessing about 15-20 years old ) is on the short list to go.

[Kettlewell]

I agree, I suspect there will be more companies integrating these things in the near future, which may be a lot simpler than trying to hook them all together ourselves. I can see the advantages of a small chartplotter/depthsounder/GPS/VHF/AIS. Of course, if the thing fails you lose all of those instruments at once!

[Greg S]

Originally Posted by Juniper

Or in other words if you don't set DSC, VHF,AIS, MMSI, EPRB, and what ever alphabet soup you will die!!!!!!

Some of us don't have all the fancy mizmos going,

Now when I need to replace my radio I'll get something like a Standard Horizon Matrix AIS, as I don't want to try to figure out how to hook this up to that, I want to go sailing not learn electronics. that beeing said I also don't want to trow away a working radio, I just got rid of the LORAN a few months ago. The radio ( guessing about 15-20 years old ) is on the short list to go.

I have the Standard Horizon GX2100 with AIS. Guess what? You STILL have to enter a MMSI number and connect it to a GPS antenna to get it to work. And it's well worth it I might add, as it works wonderfully!

As far as "just going sailing" and not learning all about the electronic and other systems on board, good luck with that. At least it sure didn't work out that way for me!

Greg

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

No, there are constant false DSC alerts that the Coast Guard often can't track down, possibly because the radios aren't registered or hooked up to a GPS. .

I was under the impression that DSC radios won't send out a DSC call unless there is an MMSI number programmed into it... or is that specific to radio model? GPS is a different matter -- that's optional.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Juniper

Or in other words if you don't set DSC, VHF,AIS, MMSI, EPRB, and what ever alphabet soup you will die!!!!!!

Some of us don't have all the fancy mizmos going,

Now when I need to replace my radio I'll get something like a Standard Horizon Matrix AIS, as I don't want to try to figure out how to hook this up to that, I want to go sailing not learn electronics. that beeing said I also don't want to trow away a working radio, I just got rid of the LORAN a few months ago. The radio ( guessing about 15-20 years old ) is on the short list to go.

Actually, when taking the 6-Pack/100 ton course it is taught to have at least two mounted working radio's aboard.

[Juniper]

Greg
I was thinking GX2150 , I know I still need to enter the MMSI but I don't need to figure out how to get everthing to talk to the other, and not have wires running from this to that and around,

Delmarray
When I get a 100 ton boat I'll add the second mounted radio, I do have a hand held, with the adaptor to use the mast mount antena, and a emergence duckie for the fixed.

[SV Enough]

Originally Posted by Juniper

Or in other words if you don't set DSC, VHF,AIS, MMSI, EPRB, and what ever alphabet soup you will die!!!!!!

Some of us don't have all the fancy mizmos going,

Now when I need to replace my radio I'll get something like a Standard Horizon Matrix AIS, as I don't want to try to figure out how to hook this up to that, I want to go sailing not learn electronics. that beeing said I also don't want to trow away a working radio, I just got rid of the LORAN a few months ago. The radio ( guessing about 15-20 years old ) is on the short list to go.

Actually it is a heartfelt hope not a judgment one way or the other. In the end everyone is free to make choices in their own mind which do not have to be in line with mine.

Your choices are your own, try to make the best informed choices you can. I only hope is to inform and let others think it over and make their choice.

Your friend,
Mark

[SV Enough]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

I was under the impression that DSC radios won't send out a DSC call unless there is an MMSI number programmed into it... or is that specific to radio model? GPS is a different matter -- that's optional.

The radio doesn't know if the nine digits are an MMSI or junk, they are just digits to the machine. The CG has been less than pleased with the number DSC alerts they get from 111111111, 000000000 and 101010101. Any fool can twiddle any nine digits in and waha the the radio will activate DSC.

Your friend,
Mark

[SV Enough]

I am so pleased at the level of the dialog and thought leading to useful questions to me and now I am seeing great interaction between posters. I could not have hoped for more. BRAVO everyone!!!!! We have pulled back the vail of mystery of DSC just a bit.

Your friend,
Mrk

[SV Enough]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

With DSC now required in the USA I wish the manufacturers would put keypads on their radios so it is less cumbersome to input all these numbers. However, at least where I am sailing people do not seem to be using DSC very much, except for private calls to each other I guess. No marinas, bridges, or harbormasters that I am aware of seem to be using it either. I can appreciate the emergency calling features, and I will probably upgrade my radio soon, but for general use almost everything is happening in the old-fashioned way, which is the answer to the OP.

You are right an all counts. As I have stated elsewhere one of my motives is to shed a little light into these under lit places and getting other folks thinking and maybe even speaking out in these under lit places.

Your friend,
Mark

[btrayfors]

Mark,

I applaud your efforts to educate re: VHF DSC. Some folks are gonna take to it like ducks to water while others are going to resist...to the bitter end.

One note on MMSI's which hasn't been mentioned. While it's true that the Boat U.S. and other U.S. organization-issued MMSI numbers are different from...and less useful...than the MMSI numbers issued by the FCC, you can't just assume that the latter will automatically be entered into the ITU database.

I've had my MMSI number issued by the FCC for quite a few years now, and in a recent search of the ITU database found that it was NOT entered into my record. There was no entry at all. I sent them an email with the correct information, they thanked me for the email, and a couple of weeks later I find that they have in fact entered the correct MMSI number.

So, I now have the MMSI number entered into my fixed VHF on the boat, and into a newly acquired handheld VHF (the Standard Horizon HX-851) as well.

Will I ever actually USE DSC? Maybe. Maybe not. Even in an emergency. Whether or not DSC makes the most sense depends very much on the circumstances: boat location, type of emergency, training, skill level, and experience of crew, etc., etc.

There are times when DSC might make good sense. There are times when it wouldn't, in my opinion. And, hey, I'm a radio guy. Extra Class ham, lifetime sailor, very active on-the-air on both ham and marine bands, Net Controller on maritime nets, etc.

It's a good tool to have available but, like in most all matters, the choice of the proper tool for the situation-at-hand can be vitally important.

Bill
WA6CCA

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

Mark,

I applaud your efforts to educate re: VHF DSC. Some folks are gonna take to it like ducks to water while others are going to resist...to the bitter end.

One note on MMSI's which hasn't been mentioned. While it's true that the Boat U.S. and other U.S. organization-issued MMSI numbers are different from...and less useful...than the MMSI numbers issued by the FCC, you can't just assume that the latter will automatically be entered into the ITU database.

I've had my MMSI number issued by the FCC for quite a few years now, and in a recent search of the ITU database found that it was NOT entered into my record. There was no entry at all. I sent them an email with the correct information, they thanked me for the email, and a couple of weeks later I find that they have in fact entered the correct MMSI number.

So, I now have the MMSI number entered into my fixed VHF on the boat, and into a newly acquired handheld VHF (the Standard Horizon HX-851) as well.

Will I ever actually USE DSC? Maybe. Maybe not. Even in an emergency. Whether or not DSC makes the most sense depends very much on the circumstances: boat location, type of emergency, training, skill level, and experience of crew, etc., etc.

There are times when DSC might make good sense. There are times when it wouldn't, in my opinion. And, hey, I'm a radio guy. Extra Class ham, lifetime sailor, very active on-the-air on both ham and marine bands, Net Controller on maritime nets, etc.

It's a good tool to have available but, like in most all matters, the choice of the proper tool for the situation-at-hand can be vitally important.

Bill
WA6CCA

Fire and flooding...both things a captain needs to attend to usually and should not be wasting time on the radio...pushing a red button for around 5 seconds that transmits a mayday and a postition seems to be the ticket...can't imagine a situation where I'd rather be at the radio than the emergency aboard my vessel unless I had a military/MM trained crew on board to deal with it...and even they wouldn't know my vessel as well below the deck hatches.

All the USCG wants is the mayday and a location to get assets moving...yes giving nature of distress is great so they might pack along some "extras" but reality is get them moving in your direction quick..especially when the water is in the 50's or less.

[bewitched]

Love my DSC.

One nice little feature is the ability to ping other boats for position reports.

We don't have the SPOT in this part of the world yet - how does it match up to EPIRB? - or is that a separate thread?

[Greg S]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

Mark,

One note on MMSI's which hasn't been mentioned. While it's true that the Boat U.S. and other U.S. organization-issued MMSI numbers are different from...and less useful...than the MMSI numbers issued by the FCC, you can't just assume that the latter will automatically be entered into the ITU database.

I've had my MMSI number issued by the FCC for quite a few years now, and in a recent search of the ITU database found that it was NOT entered into my record. There was no entry at all. I sent them an email with the correct information, they thanked me for the email, and a couple of weeks later I find that they have in fact entered the correct MMSI number.

So, I now have the MMSI number entered into my fixed VHF on the boat, and into a newly acquired handheld VHF (the Standard Horizon HX-851) as well.

Bill
WA6CCA

Bill,

OK, logging into the FFC license manager I DO see my MMSI listed there. Is there some place else I should be looking to check that? Got a link to that ITU database?

Greg