Coastguard and DSC

ylop

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Yes it could well be that my set doesn’t distinguish, in which case this is a problem with the spec as I’ve never seen a consumer device do that.
I had a quick look at my manual and an ICOM manual to see if there was any explanation - and it doesn't explicitly say if "Distress Cancelled" triggers an alarm if only distress messages are set to alarm.
No, there definitely wasn’t a DSC from the boat in distress, he didn’t even call a mayday he just asked for assistance from nearby vessels.
I wonder if the "correct" procedure though when they upgrade a call or get a 999 call they declare as a distress is for the CG to issue a DSC Mayday Relay? It seems that's what it should be, and then if they did that the responsibility is then on them to cancel it.
We had three “mayday” calls on just that day alone. I don’t think any of them actually initiated a mayday from the boat end. Meanwhile we were battling the conditions and trying to sail our own boat while also silencing non urgent alarms. Eventually I turned off the VHF 😩
I am intending to upgrade my radio (whenever other stuff stops costing me unexpectedly!) to one which supports a remote mike so that I don't need to go below to switch channel, cancel DSC etc. Whilst we get far fewer incidents - the probability that I'm the closest boat is much higher than in the solent.
 

lustyd

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The very first DSC during the first incident was the information closing the mayday so regardless of what they were doing the DSC wasn’t necessary.

We do have a remote mic. It’s still annoying and unnecessary and makes the system less effective.
 

Mark-1

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The very first DSC during the first incident was the information closing the mayday so regardless of what they were doing the DSC wasn’t necessary.

We do have a remote mic. It’s still annoying and unnecessary and makes the system less effective.

It sounds like someone just didn't realize there was no Mayday to cancel. Just a mistake.
 
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Mister E

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Up here in the arse end of nowhere other boats could and oftern are nearer to help than the recognised agencies.
So some people actually do go out of their way to try and assist.
So for someone who has diverted ans is on the way to the scene then getting a message being stood down is helpful.
 

boomerangben

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It strikes me that there a few possibilities as to the root cause of the issue:
1) the protocols the CG follow are not fit for purpose
2) the protocols are not being followed correctly
3) the protocols are correct, are being followed but assume that the watch officer is in an ergonomically designed bridge where the radio is conveniently located and not down at the bottom of a companionway in a small, pitching and heaving vessel.

I don’t know the layout of the OPs vessel, but I wonder if this would be an issue if the radio was located in arms reach of the helm?

Radios seem to be always placed at the chart table. This has its advantages but if you look at motor powered vessels, they seem to be always at the helm.
 

lustyd

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Up here in the arse end of nowhere other boats could and oftern are nearer to help than the recognised agencies.
So some people actually do go out of their way to try and assist.
So for someone who has diverted ans is on the way to the scene then getting a message being stood down is helpful.
I don’t disagree with any of that, but it’s not a distress message at that point, it’s an information message.
 

lustyd

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Sitting on passage for 10 hours this week gave me time to think. I do listen for mayday calls anyway so the alert is actually kind of unnecessary. When I thought it through I realised I set my VHF up backwards with no alert for a direct call and an alert for emergency. This means that I end up hitting cancel on emergencies and the coastguard cannot directly call me if I could assist.
If I switch this around the only alerts I’d get would be direct calls, probably from the CG since nobody else seems to know how. That would mean I might hear a local mayday voice call but would definitely hear a direct request for help.
Hopefully that makes sense, I think I’m slightly less annoyed now.
 

ylop

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Sitting on passage for 10 hours this week gave me time to think. I do listen for mayday calls anyway so the alert is actually kind of unnecessary. When I thought it through I realised I set my VHF up backwards with no alert for a direct call and an alert for emergency. This means that I end up hitting cancel on emergencies and the coastguard cannot directly call me if I could assist.
If I switch this around the only alerts I’d get would be direct calls, probably from the CG since nobody else seems to know how. That would mean I might hear a local mayday voice call but would definitely hear a direct request for help.
Hopefully that makes sense, I think I’m slightly less annoyed now.
Does your radio let you do that? Mine doesn't have the option to mute a Distress call or any individual call addressed to "me" - only to filter out the various non-distress all ships calls.
 

lustyd

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Does your radio let you do that? Mine doesn't have the option to mute a Distress call or any individual call addressed to "me" - only to filter out the various non-distress all ships calls.
Yes I can set volume of alerts based on type. It’s a B&G V60B but I really don’t recommend it other than it looking nice next to other B&G systems. I miss my Standard Horizon VHF and actually most of the time use a SH handheld rather than the B&G.
 
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