DSC Radio Regs - small commercial vessels

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alant

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Can someone pls remind me of the regs concerning DSC Radios.

Must they be fitted, with connection to a GPS (giving position information in extremis) as a mandatory requirement?
 
alant said:
Can someone pls remind me of the regs concerning DSC Radios.

Must they be fitted, with connection to a GPS (giving position information in extremis) as a mandatory requirement?
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Nop.. but you have to keep the position and time of position up to date and some DSC radios start to give warnings when the position time is not too old!!! I think the regs say 4 hours??? I suspect if over 300tons things might be different however you can always check with your local MCA rep.

Wih GPS being so cheap there really is no excuse for not having a linked GPS.
 
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Wih GPS being so cheap there really is no excuse for not having a linked GPS.[/QUOTE]

Have GPS, but there is a problem with NMEA due to AIS sending 38400 to Raymarine Plotter, which will not then send 4800 to VHF's. Needs Seatalk solution which has not been fitted.
 
Commercial vessels over 300grt and small commercial (coded) vessels need to have DSC fitted - unless they have a pre-existing radio from before the date the regs came into force (I think that was Feb 05).

No requirement for leisure users to even have a radio, let alone DSC - and if your radio is DSC, it does not have to have a GPS link.

However, as others have said - why not??
 
Why no GPS?

Because AIS was fitted as a necessary extra - guardboat duty.

However, the AIS to Raymarine Chartplotter is NMEA 38400 & the VHF's require 4800.

We can of course, change to 4800, but then lose the AIS which we need.
Trying to get the owners to get GPS to both DSC's & looking for persuasive ammo!
 
alant said:
Trying to get the owners to get GPS to both DSC's & looking for persuasive ammo!
Click to expand...

Not the greatest ammo, but MGN 280 says (16.1.2 )

For vessels where a fixed VHF is required, it is strongly recommended that vessels are
equipped with VHF DSC with its significant benefits in distress situations.
Other than vessels operating in Category 6, all new vessels and all those replacing VHF
radios, must have installed VHF DSC by February 2005. Where GMDSS equipment is
installed, it should be provided with automatic position updating information from the
onboard navigational receiver, or procedures put in place to ensure positional information is
manually updated at intervals not exceeding 4 hours.
 
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