DSC Radio Alarm

[Yorkshire Exile]

Occasionally, like today, the radio emits an ear splitting alarm which gradually increases in volume. Invariably it happens when I am single handed and in the middle of a tricky manouvere. I press various buttons then turn it off to retain my sanity. What is it, or somebody, telling me and what action should I take?

 

[Goldie]

Occasionally, like today, the radio emits an ear splitting alarm which gradually increases in volume. Invariably it happens when I am single handed and in the middle of a tricky manouvere. I press various buttons then turn it off to retain my sanity. What is it, or somebody, telling me and what action should I take?

Doesn’t your radio give you options such as Alarm Off, Ignore or Accept?

 

[Momac]

Perhaps knowing the make and model of the vhf would help?

I get an alarm after a while with no GPS signal , which in my case requires the plotter to be on.

Surprised the screen on the vhf does not provide a clue .

 

[Rafiki]

Yes I have the same problem, maybe happens once every 3 or 4 days. My screen usually refers to something like an an "All ships alert". Maybe I will research if there is an option to turn off such alerts.

 

[Yorkshire Exile]

Yes I have the same problem, maybe happens once every 3 or 4 days. My screen usually refers to something like an an "All ships alert". Maybe I will research if there is an option to turn off such alerts.

Yes, that's it. So what's it all about and what's the mechanism for receiving it. Does it relate to DSC I wonder?

 

[capnsensible]

In some areas, the continual barrage of dsc alerts from Coastguard Radio Stations can drive you bonkers......sometimes hourly. ?

 

[jwfrary]

I would reccomend going on a vhf course or at least picking up the rya vhf book by Tim Bartlett.

There are 3 types of alert for class d radios

Individual alerts. Here someone is calling you specifically via your mmsi.

All ships. Here this switches you to check 16, and preludes pan pan or securitie information

Distress alerts. Preludes mayday calls

The beep will be different for each type of call.

Hope that helps

 

[Daydream believer]

Yes, that's it. So what's it all about and what's the mechanism for receiving it. Does it relate to DSC I wonder?

Reading posts like this makes me wonder if the person making the post actually has a license to use a VHF.
I am sorry to say this, but this is not really a simple " how do you do something" post. Normally the forum would give advice on how to go about something.
However, I feel a more robust comment is called for & the first response I would make has already been made-- Go on a VHF course & learn how to use a radio.

 

[Daydream believer]

Doesn’t your radio give you options such as Alarm Off, Ignore or Accept?

My Simrad does not have the facility to permanently turn off the alarm & one would have thought that turning the alarm off ( annoying as it is) defeats the object of DSC somewhat. I have to manually respond to every alert.
As originally mentioned it is extremely annoying for a single hander. I often find getting below to attend to the radio impossible. I keep the main radio on 16 & max volume. if I hear a call I turn on my hand held on deck, to react as required. Unfortunately the DSC changes the channel, so even if I just wait for the alarm to stop I do have to get below to switch back to 16.

I do not want an extension mike and there is nowhere to fit one, if I could have one anyway.

 

[lustyd]

My radio occasionally emits a noise too. People speaking and saying unusual things like "Mayday" and "panpan". I don't know what they're on about, there's a lot of repetition and I get bored and switch it off.

Learn how to use your damned radio and take notice of safety alerts. You're literally obliged to do this under the Colregs. If you can't understand the radio then link it to a plotter at the helm which will show you the alert and location.

 

[Momac]

Reading posts like this makes me wonder if the person making the post actually has a license to use a VHF.
I am sorry to say this, but this is not really a simple " how do you do something" post. Normally the forum would give advice on how to go about something.
However, I feel a more robust comment is called for & the first response I would make has already been made-- Go on a VHF course & learn how to use a radio.

My radio occasionally emits a noise too. People speaking and saying unusual things like "Mayday" and "panpan". I don't know what they're on about, there's a lot of repetition and I get bored and switch it off.

Learn how to use your damned radio and take notice of safety alerts. You're literally obliged to do this under the Colregs. If you can't understand the radio then link it to a plotter at the helm which will show you the alert and location.

Are you both having a bad day ?
If every question raised on this forum resulted in abusive responses , a challenge of the competence of the poster and suggested training the forum would not not last long.

 

[Daydream believer]

If you can't understand the radio then link it to a plotter at the helm which will show you the alert and location.

Mine is linked to Garmin 152 & a Yeoman plotter at the chart table

 

[Mister E]

My VHF does not have disc so I need to go on another course to find out about any alarms on a replacement?
Or is there not some sort of instruction thing to explain how to use a new one?

 

[Daydream believer]

Are you both having a bad day ?
If every question raised on this forum resulted in abusive responses , a challenge of the competence of the poster and suggested training the forum would not not last long.

So it is OK for people to use radios without any idea what they are doing is it? Have you heard some of the people using VHF radios & wondered what on earth they are on? - That being said, some who have had training leave a bit to be desired sometimes
Basic VHF training is surely obvious and anyone using VHF on a boat must surely understand that it is a basic requirement. After all the first few pages of most VHF instruction manuals point this out quite clearly. Beginners do need to learn but there is no excuse for total lack of understanding. especially when a person has gone as far as to suggest that they do actually sail SH sometimes so not totally "beginner"

 

[lustyd]

Are you both having a bad day ?
If every question raised on this forum resulted in abusive responses , a challenge of the competence of the poster and suggested training the forum would not not last long.

You're suggesting that it's ok to ignore mayday calls rather than learn to use the thing you need a licence to own and operate? Usually I'd agree with you, but ignoring a mayday or panpan because it's inconvenient to learn how to use your VHF is not a good place to be.

 

[Daydream believer]

My VHF does not have disc so I need to go on another course to find out about any alarms on a replacement?
Or is there not some sort of instruction thing to explain how to use a new one?

From memory, one needs to take simple exam & update ones license. I did an update organised with a large group from our sailing club at a sailing school.

 

[Daydream believer]

You're suggesting that it's ok to ignore mayday calls rather than learn to use the thing you need a licence to own and operate? Usually I'd agree with you, but ignoring a mayday or panpan because it's inconvenient to learn how to use your VHF is not a good place to be.

I would add - Being able to make a Mayday or Pan Pan call using DSC as well

 

[lustyd]

I would add - Being able to make a Mayday or Pan Pan call using DSC as well

I've always been of the opinion that people are free to choose their own destiny so have no problem with people crafting their own demise through lack of knowledge. Describing someone else potentially dying as an annoying beep though? Yes I have a bit of a problem with that.

 

[Refueler]

Blimey !! Some really get the knickers twisted !!

1. Boat needs a Ship Station Licence DSC or not ....
2. To operate the VHF - needs to have a Licenced person supervising an unlicenced person in use - or the licenced person to use. Licence usually includes DSC as well - but you can ask for non DSC - rare and really not advised today.
3. Emergency cases - no licence required - it is an exception clause.
4. I do not know of any DSC VHF radio that can switch off Alarm alerts .... if anyone can quote one - then I'm corrected. The whole point is to have a system that automates the alarm system as much as possible.

Sorry to many here .. but seems that odd one or two need reminding ....

 

[lustyd]

DSC VHF radio that can switch off Alarm alerts

My B&G can set the alarm behaviour for each category of alert, so I can remove the unnecessary ones while leaving anything that is an actual emergency. As an example, CG have taken to sending alerts for weather broadcasts which is silent as an all stations, while mayday will beep very loudly. Both are recorded as messages though which can be read easily on either the main set or the wireless handset. I don't think you can silence distress alerts, but I can't imagine why I'd even try that!