Any real advantage to connecting DSC radio to Raymarine network via NMEA?

[Ric]

I have a Raymarine Lighthouse II network with two MFDs and and AIS 650 transceiver which all works perfectly.

I have just installed a Standard Horizon 1400GX DSC radio, which has an independent self-contained GPS receiver. It is receiving accurate GPS position via its own GPS receiver in its installed position.

Is there therefore any advantage in connecting the DSC radio to the Raymarine network? I already have the Raymarine NMEA/PC/Seatalk interface box so it is not really difficult to make the connection. But do I gain anything by doing this? I already have AIS targets and MMI numbers on my MFDs - so not sure what additional information bridging the two systems will give me - and potentially might I get some drawbacks?

 

[KompetentKrew]

I think with some plotters it enables you to initiate DSC calls from the plotter - you select the boat on the plotter, and "DSC call" is in the right-click menu.

 

[Ric]

This is what I was hoping might be possible. But I can't find anything in Raymarine Lighthouse II manual to suggest that this might be available.

 

[Martin_J]

The DSC vhf will receive DSC distress alerts and DSC position responses (to DSC positron requests) which the AIS transceiver will not receive.

With the vhf connected via NMEA, upon receipt of the DSC distress message at the radio, it's location would be shown on the chart plotter. Very useful for immediately seeing how close you are to the source of the distress, and fun seeing in the MFD where the answer came from for a DSC position request

 

[PaulRainbow]

This is what I was hoping might be possible. But I can't find anything in Raymarine Lighthouse II manual to suggest that this might be available.

...

 

[Commercial Dave]

Yes absolutely, as you'll get markers on your chart when you receive DSC distress calls etc. I'm not sure if it's a manufacturer specific thing or not (since we are all Garmin) but I can press an SOS button on the plotter, select type of emergency, and it will automatically put a marker on the chart, set the VHF up for a DSC distress call of the type you selected, and gives you a mayday script on the screen including the vessel name and MMSI etc.

 

[harvey38]

I have a Raymarine Lighthouse II network with two MFDs and and AIS 650 transceiver which all works perfectly.

I have just installed a Standard Horizon 1400GX DSC radio, which has an independent self-contained GPS receiver. It is receiving accurate GPS position via its own GPS receiver in its installed position.

Is there therefore any advantage in connecting the DSC radio to the Raymarine network? I already have the Raymarine NMEA/PC/Seatalk interface box so it is not really difficult to make the connection. But do I gain anything by doing this? I already have AIS targets and MMI numbers on my MFDs - so not sure what additional information bridging the two systems will give me - and potentially might I get some drawbacks?

I'd be interested in the cable you use to take the feed from the VHF to the Raymarine
Backbone as I need to do the same thing.

 

[Ric]

Yes absolutely, as you'll get markers on your chart when you receive DSC distress calls etc. I'm not sure if it's a manufacturer specific thing or not (since we are all Garmin) but I can press an SOS button on the plotter, select type of emergency, and it will automatically put a marker on the chart, set the VHF up for a DSC distress call of the type you selected, and gives you a mayday script on the screen including the vessel name and MMSI etc.

Unfortunately Raymarine is not as advanced as that (at least on the somewhat dated Lighthouse II firmware which I have). I have now connected it and tried it out. There is no way to initiate a call directly from the MFD - eg I cannot click on an AIS target and initiate a call directly from the plotter - I would have to write down the MMSI number and then input that into the VHF. However, if another station initiates a distress or securité call then that will show up on the plotter apparently.

For Harvey38, I already have in my system the Raynarine Seatalk/PC/NMEA0183 interface box. You would need the same (or similar) as the output from most DSC VHFs is NME0183. If you don't have an interface already it is probably cheaper to buy and install a Raymarine VHF as these plug directly to Seatalkng.

 

[Martin_J]

In all the scenarios I have come across, in order to initiate a call on the VHF using the MFD (DSC calling), both MFD and VHF need to be from the same manufacturer. They're proprietary sentences, usually in NMEA2000 that would control that functionality. There is nothing in NMEA1083 that I know of to make this work.

Back to the OPs setup. The plotting of a received DSC distress or position report should however work between different brands because the NMEA 0183 $CDDSC and $CDDSE sentences are standard.

It would be tricky testing out the distress side but if you have a Standard Horizon DSC handheld, you could try out a "position request" from the fixed set and see if the position that comes back from the handheld is indicated on the MFD.

Maybe only a useful function (DSC position tracking) if you want to track the Handheld in your tender that hasn't got AIS but at least if that works then you know that upon receipt of a DSC distress, it's position should appear on the Raymarine MFD screen which is the very useful part of all this.

Additional thought. If you initiate a DSC call to your VHF from another vessel then it's position might appear on your MFD. I never tested that though since having a handheld and walking to the other end of the pontoon to test was easier.

 

[Martin_J]

Extra thought.. Testing is easier if the handheld has been set to automatically reply to position requests.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I'd be interested in the cable you use to take the feed from the VHF to the Raymarine
Backbone as I need to do the same thing.

Which VHF ?

 

[PaulRainbow]

In all the scenarios I have come across, in order to initiate a call on the VHF using the MFD (DSC calling), both MFD and VHF need to be from the same manufacturer. They're proprietary sentences, usually in NMEA2000 that would control that functionality. There is nothing in NMEA1083 that I know of to make this work.

I only know of two manufacturers that support initiating a VHF call to an AIS target (from the MFD) and that is Garmin and some B&G models.

Back to the OPs setup. The plotting of a received DSC distress or position report should however work between different brands because the NMEA 0183 $CDDSC and $CDDSE sentences are standard.

That's correct Martin, has worked since the introduction of DSC.

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

.

 

[harvey38]

Which VHF ?

Paul, it's a GX1850GPS/E.

Many thanks

 

[PaulRainbow]

Paul, it's a GX1850GPS/E.

Many thanks

That's got N2K, so if you have a STNG network you'll just need a STNG to Devicenet cable.

 

[Martin_J]

So Harvey38... If you do have that STNG backbone, then, as Paul Rainbow says, connect them up and PGN129808 should be received by the MFD (plotter) and it will display DSC position and distress locations.

If it's a Raymarine plotter you have and a Standard Horizon VHF, then initiating a DSC call won't be possible... At least seeing the location of a distress alert will be a handy thing to have though so worth making the connection.

It wasn't clear though if you have an existing STNG backbone into which you wanted to connect. If you were referring to the older Seatalk backbone then this connectivity will not work.

 

[harvey38]

That's got N2K, so if you have a STNG network you'll just need a STNG to Devicenet cable.

Thank you

 

[harvey38]

So Harvey38... If you do have that STNG backbone, then, as Paul Rainbow says, connect them up and PGN129808 should be received by the MFD (plotter) and it will display DSC position and distress locations.

If it's a Raymarine plotter you have and a Standard Horizon VHF, then initiating a DSC call won't be possible... At least seeing the location of a distress alert will be a handy thing to have though so worth making the connection.

It wasn't clear though if you have an existing STNG backbone into which you wanted to connect. If you were referring to the older Seatalk backbone then this connectivity will not work.

Hi,

Yes I have an existing backbone and 9" & 16" Hybrid Touch MFDs, I'm only interested in the vessel in distress appearing of the screen in the event that I could assess if I were in a position to assist.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Just to add that with B&G you can initiate a call from a Triton2 display. You don't need a plotter. Not relevant to the OP but perhaps useful for others.

 

[Commercial Dave]

I only know of two manufacturers that support initiating a VHF call to an AIS target (from the MFD) and that is Garmin and some B&G models.



That's correct Martin, has worked since the introduction of DSC.

Yes we have Garmin GPSmap 7407xsv and Garmin 115i VHF and we can initiate DSC individual calls by selecting AIS targets on the plotter, quite a nice feature but requires the person on the other end to understand what the hell is going on when their radio receives an individual call