Change of use for CH16

[MarkV]

A recent thread <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ybw.com/cgi-bin/forums/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=pbo&Number=540403&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=93&part=> Handheld DSC VHF </A> went off at a tangent when one poster said that ch16 would become the Distress Working Channel and that calling bridge-to-bridge was to move to another channel (I haven't had a chance to look it up yet) where there was a "risk of collision". Having recently done my SRC I compleetly missed this point, am I on my own in this, if so I'll shut up. What do other forumites think.

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[snowleopard]

an odd comment. bridge-to-bridge is ch13 and ch16 is for distress working. not heard of any changes except perhaps that in the solent ch16 is now the sunsail chatline ;-)

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[MarkV]

Sorry to be thick but I'm not sure now what the process should be,

a) monitor 16, call on 16 and change to a working channel
or
b) monitor 16 and 13, call on 13 and change to a working channel

I often sail in the company of cruising dingies and we do a periodic call up to make sure everyone is all right or to say if we are putting in somewhere else, following (a) above.
Given that these are dingies, full routine DSC messaging is not really an option. however ch13does not seem to be apropriate as we are not talking risk of collision.


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[Moose]

Does the group of dinghies not monitor say Ch77 with Dual Watch so that you can call them direct on 77 without using 16? That would seem to be the best way IMHO.

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Why not decide a working channel before setting off, such as 77. Then at any time during the day you can call up any other boats in your flotilla on 77 as they will all be listening, that way you wont have to disturb channel 16 unnecessarily.

Just a thought

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

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[Moose]

Ah, beat you!

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[MarkV]

I would agree that this makes sense, getting everyone else to agree is another matter. My original question remains, if there is to be a calling channel is it 13 or 16, should I monitor both, what if I wish to call a vessel where I do not know their MMSI (given a DSC radio), should this be done on 16 or 13, and is this going to change at some point?

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[Moose]

It should be done on 16. 13 is primarily for big ships arguing over who is going to give way.

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[MarkV]

OK, back to the begining of the debate, not if 16 is to become a "Distress Working Frequency" and therefore not for calling, from the original thread the source of this comment would apear to know what they are talking about.

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[Moose]

" Channel 16 is being used less and less as more Pleasure Craft are moving to DSC and it will eventually assume its correct use a "DISTRESS working frequency"

I think this means that because more people have DSC calling on 16 will reduce in proportion to the number of pleasure boaters who have dsc, I don't think this means that you are not going to be allowed to call on 16. This would result in people not monitoring 16,,surely?
13 is bridge to bridge but I don't think this should be used for normal calling because it is for use when a risk of collision exists (the big ships don't seem to use it like that though)

I think we should get Mike Martin in.

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[snowleopard]

see what you\'re driving at...

when DSC is fully established the requirement to monitor 16 goes so it can no longer be relied on as a calling channel. the correct procedure is therefore to make contact with an individual or all ships call on ch70 (DSC).

for pre-arranged calling within a group of boats you can agree on a channel in advance and call directly on that channel. officially that should be 6, 8, 72 or 77. you may also set dual watch so you pick up any traffic on ch16.

forget 13, that's for the big boys to play on but they don't usually monitor it.

M2 would probably be ok for a mother hen with a group of dinghies as it's designated for yacht clubs etc. M2 is labelled P4 on american sets

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[MarkV]

So how will people who do not know each other communicate?

I quite agree, so with no requirement to monitor 16, what happens if you want to call a vessel when you do not know their MMSI, or is there going to be a new requirement to monitor 13.

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[Moose]

Re: So how will people who do not know each other communicate?

Am I missing something? (probably) But where does it say that there is no requirement to monitor 16? As far as I can see Ch16 is always going to be the distress channel which you should monitor.

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[snowleopard]

Re: So how will people who do not know each other communicate?

to call an unknown vessel, make an 'all ships' call

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[MarkV]

Re: So how will people who do not know each other communicate?

Ahhh, hadn't thought of that, I don't have a DSC VHF yet (if you hadn't guessed) and the use of routine DSC seemed a bit light on the SRC. So continuing along the same line, if sailing in an area like the solent where there are potentially a large number of vessels and therefore the potential for a series of 'All Ships' routine messages, I can see myself do a lot of running back and forth to the radio to see if the message is for me.

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[steve28]

Im not sure this is relevant to the topic but i found this on the link below..

16.5 The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) was implemented on 1 February 1999. The implementation of the GMDSS has involved the adoption of Digital Selective Calling (DSC) for distress alerting in maritime radio frequency bands – e.g. VHF. While the United Kingdom Coastguard will continue coverage of VHF Channel 16 for the foreseeable future, from 1 February 2005, the Coastguard watch on Channel 16 will be downgraded from a dedicated headset watch to a loudspeaker watch. Also, from this date, ships that are currently obliged to keep a listening watch on Channel 16 where practicable, will no longer be obliged to do so. Where it is considered that VHF should be fitted, with reference to Section 16.2, it is strongly recommended that vessels are equipped with VHF DSC with its significant benefits in distress situations by February 2005.

http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-r...lations-inland/dqs_iw_code/dqs_comms_code.htm




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[BrendanS]

The source of the comment is Mike Martin, so you can safely assume he knows what he's talking about!

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[cjc]

Can I just say that on the ships I work on we monitor VHF Ch 13 , 16 and D.S.C. 70, 24 hours a day and will relay any urgency / distress and have to log it by law.

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[Mike_Martin]

Re: So how will people who do not know each other communicate?

OK (takes a deep breath) I couldn't work out where to put this response so here will have to do. I will try to clarify.

On 01/02/1999 Channel 70 became the International Distress, Safety and Calling Channel! This channel uses the internationally accepted Digital Selective Calling (DSC) protocol.

At this time Channel 16 ceased to be the International Distress, Safety and Calling Channel and became a Working Channel for Distress and Safety.

Channel 13 is a bridge to bridge calling channel only to be used where "a danger of collision exists".

There is no longer an internationally accepted "voice" calling channel. However, due to the large numbers of pleasure craft that were unable (for whatever reason) to move to DSC in 1999 most Administrations agreed to keep monitoring C16 and the IMO asked Merchant vessels to do the same. The UK set a rough deadline of 01/02/05 for the cessation of such watches which was very highly publicised at the time.

Most of the other issues have been answered by other Forumites.

Does this help?

Mike

<hr width=100% size=1>Team Executive,
Maritime & Aeronautical Team, Ofcom

 

[bedouin]

Re: So how will people who do not know each other

I notice from my "International Capable" Handheld that Channel 09 is considered a calling channel in US, but I have never heard of it being used at all in UK/EU.

Does anyone know what 09 is used for over here?

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