DSC radio with incorrect MMSI

[sailingharry]

So I just acquired a little 16' bow rider for playing around on our creek, and maybe short jaunts out to slightly bigger water. It has no electronics (beyond an AM/FM radio LOL). I don't intend to add GPS, but I would like to add a VHF for ... well, no good reason really. Maybe listen to chatter. Maybe help out with our local club race committee once or twice a year. But really, no good reason. I could use my handheld from my sailboat on those rare instances.


But, I have a spare VHF with DSC that I acquired when a friend upgraded. It works, I think. I could get a cheap antenna and install it.


Problem is, you can't change the MMSI for much less than the cost of a new radio. And the MMSI exists for the sole purpose of supporting the DSC and associated distress call, which requires GPS input, which I won't have.


Is there any strong reason to not install the fixed mount VHF and just use my handheld? The way I see it, the MMSI solely supports features I'll never use. The unit will never broadcast the MMSI. No one will ever know my radio is illegal.


What am I missing? Just stop stressing about irrelevant stuff, be happy?

[Brian.D]

I believe, but could be wrong, that if the MMSI was issued by BoatUS, the original owner can report that he no longer has the radio and therefore, unregister the MMSI. Then, I believe you can register the radio for yourself with the same MMSI. If the MMSI was issued by the FCC, I believe it is a boat anchor now.

But, since you do not have a GPS for the radio then it is still a boat anchor. You can manually enter the GPS but the radio will look for updates. If it does not see updates an alarm will sound. Again, I believe this to be accurate, but could very well be wrong.

JMHO

[requiem]

I'm inclined to what Brian said. You may be able to reclaim the existing MMSI in some fashion. It may also be possible to simply transfer the registration details, e.g. you take over the BoatUS or FCC entry. (edit: I suspect FCC entry would be tied to your identity in a way that makes this more difficult, but it seems I just recently read of someone doing the "deregister and request the same number" dance.)

In terms of using the radio, I seem to remember the spec calling for an alarm every 4 hours if you don't have GPS feeding position data, but you can silence that each time (simpler) or manually enter a position (slower).

Finally, depending on the radio you may find information about how to update the MMSI. I believe in the past some models allowed you to change it once more, or you might be able to get a one-time code from the manufacturer for similar effect. For some radios there may be information floating about the net describing how to perform such a reset.

[shimari]

If the MMSI is registered with BoatUSA, the previous owner can transfer it to you for free with just your email.

I did this for the new owner of my previous boat.

[sailingharry]

Transferring ownership of an MMSI to a new owner is fairly straightforward. The problem is that the MMSI is normally associated with a boat, and the associated person is simply the owner of the boat. In this case, the radio was replaced, and the new radio programmed with the same MMSI. So there are two radios with the same MMSI.

Now that you mention it, I am painfully aware of the alarm. When I anchor, I almost always turn off the GPS, but sometimes I forget to turn off the VHF (and frankly, there are times when I would like to have the VHF on). The alarm usually goes off after we are ashore. It is most embarrassing when people ask if that's our boat making that noise!

With regards to the alarming, I wonder what standard procedure is in a case like mine? I'm sure that there are many small open boats with VHF radios, but not all have a GPS. And in fact, as we see in so many threads on this forum, installed GPS systems are fading in popularity as more and more people use their cell phone. Since all fixed VHF radios come standard with DSC today, that presents challenges!

[smac999]

a radio with an MMSi entered and no GPS data will alarm all the time for no gps error. and be annoying.

[clownfishsydney]

Originally Posted by smac999

a radio with an MMSi entered and no GPS data will alarm all the time for no gps error. and be annoying.

You should be able to acknowledge the lack of GPS on the radio and it will no longer alarm. This is how mine works. Easiest thing is to leave the GPS on too.

[dougweibel]

When we purchased our current boat we were able to reprogram the MMSI on the VHF but not on the AIS. At the time that required shipping the AIS to the manufacturer or getting an authorized rep onboard. We figured we'd get to it later.

After the third time we were boarded by authorities we figured out that we were getting stopped because our MMSI was Canadian but we were flying a US flag - LOL - . Getting the MMSI changed on the AIS became a top priority.

For the OP - install the VHF and don't worry about it. As you say you will not be transmitting the MMSI.