Stork_III
Well-Known Member
Most marinas are not license to use channels other than 80.
Do you ever use any of the DSC functions on your VHF?
- Thread starter Babylon
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snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Given that the coastguards down our way regularly say in their safety broadcasts 'DSC is the preferred method for calling the coastguard' it is surprising that only 7% or fewer respondents are currently shown as complying.
I have all the CG MMSIs for my area programmed in and always use DSC individual calling to contact them. If nothing else it does the working channel selection automatically.
I have all the CG MMSIs for my area programmed in and always use DSC individual calling to contact them. If nothing else it does the working channel selection automatically.
Grumpybear
Well-Known Member
prhaps this reflects a reluctance to junk a functioning non DSC set?
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
It may also reflect that Solent Coastguard can be contacted directly on Ch 67 rather than having to make the initial call on 16 and then moving to a working channel.
A while ago the coastguard said they had abandonded a dedicated headset watch on Ch 16 and encouraged everybody to call via DSC, but little seems to have changed.
Grumpybear
Well-Known Member
I don't think either Snowleopard or I often call Solent CG!
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
Neither do I, although occasionaly I can hear thier broadcasts when the weather conditions oblige. However I suspect a many of the posters here keep thier boats in that neck of the woods.
Elessar
Well-Known Member
lat long on the display is the only thing I use so I voted no. The whole dsc thing is a comittee designed camel IMHO. If I ever have to press and hold the red button though I'd probably be glad of the camel.
Elessar
Well-Known Member
This is the right thing to do.
Unfortunately I have no idea how to program these things into my radio. Any bit of kit which is so counter intuitive that it needs a manual to use is more likely to get percussive treatment than tolerance from me. For this reason i dont find the low usage figure surprising.
I should get the book out and follow your good example though......
Searush
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I was thinking that might be a useful option once we only have one CG call centre for the UK as it indicates roughly where you are almost immediately. But it must mean you have to have several different call codes (possibly names?) to use depending on where you are. Fine for the skipper - but probably not much help to a panicking crew member.
So still not convinced it's much better than a vanilla VHF.
planteater
Well-Known Member
That's my view too. For the coastal cruiser who's always in VHF range of somebody the Big Red Button that's sends a location coded distress signal is a valuable safety tool. For £80 or so it's a bargain.
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
Did the course, bought the DSC set and never used the DSC functionality. The biggest single problem I find is the need to know someone's MMSI beforehand. For nearly every VHF call I make (mostly harbourmasters) I don't have the MMSI.
DSC alerts in the early days resulted in me turning off the VHF in the Solent.
A system with some major usability faults IMHO, which is why relatively few people use it.
DSC alerts in the early days resulted in me turning off the VHF in the Solent.
A system with some major usability faults IMHO, which is why relatively few people use it.
prv
Well-Known Member
Given that the DSC SRC course I did contained barely a few minutes on voice procedure, among irrelevant sales pitches for SARTs and EPIRBs, I think many of them could have done the course and understandably forgotten the VP.
My own is mostly borrowed from the military rather than the MCA.
I think it works quite well for its intended purpose (removing the need for a dedicated radio operator on ships); the thing is that we leisure users are a bit of an afterthought to the design.
Pete
stav
Well-Known Member
Must say I have used the DSC individual calling feature regularly to call the coastguard. It took a little reading to master it and a few failed attempts when I forgot to put in the working channel and will need a read of the manual before the first passage this year. But glad I have and hope I help to reduce the clutter on 16, 67 and CG working channels. Having said that I have had to follow up a DSC call with a voice call as I have not received an acknowledgement (sort of 1/2 hour later). Also though the CG have been nice when I have not done it right the first couple of times. I can also see it being useful if ever I fit an AIS receiver, although I can think of only two time it would have been useful when coming back from Ireland and I got too close to an oil rig at night and the support vessel just kept maneuvering in such a way as to "push" me away from the rig. It was moderately rough I was tired and to call him up and ask what was happening would have been useful and also when we encountered a large tow in the channel last year.
Bosun Higgs
N/A
I'm an SRC instructor but my impressions confirm the poll - most people dont use any of the DSC facilities themselves though they do use DSC in the sense that they receive DSC alarms.
It's not really a small boat system and apart from the pleasure of seeing a pal disappear down the companionway like a rabbit down its burrow when you call him on DSC
there are few everyday uses for it. The coastguard are adamant that you should not use DSC and AIS to call up big ships in collision avoidance situations since there is a greater chance of confusion by doing so than there is by simply following colregs - and they say there have been accidents to confirm that. And how many of us ever call a mayday for real?
Problem is, of course, that you only really need to run one or two SRC courses to realise how bad people are at radio operation in the classroom, never mind what they would be like under stress at sea. Mix this with a complicated menu driven DSC radio and there is great potential for problems
It's not really a small boat system and apart from the pleasure of seeing a pal disappear down the companionway like a rabbit down its burrow when you call him on DSC
there are few everyday uses for it. The coastguard are adamant that you should not use DSC and AIS to call up big ships in collision avoidance situations since there is a greater chance of confusion by doing so than there is by simply following colregs - and they say there have been accidents to confirm that. And how many of us ever call a mayday for real?Problem is, of course, that you only really need to run one or two SRC courses to realise how bad people are at radio operation in the classroom, never mind what they would be like under stress at sea. Mix this with a complicated menu driven DSC radio and there is great potential for problems
deep denial
Well-Known Member
It would be a lot more useful if it was easier to use. By the time you've worked through the menus, and twiddled the knob backwards and forwards looking at a dim display whilst rolling about it's taken a good couple of minutes at best. I have been on a course, and read the manual (several times) but if I ever wanted to use the radio I'd have to reach for the manual again. Why can't they have a simple keyboard like a mobile phone? That would make all the difference!
Bosun Higgs
N/A
They are similar to a mobile really. If you wish to get into address books or other functions on your mobile you will still have to mess with menus. The real difference is that you use your mobile every day and are familiar with it. How often do you use a DSC?
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Strangely though I did talk to Solent CG from just outside Cherbourg recently though not on DSC as mine doesn't have the range.