DSE radio check

Never mind, a bit of initiative will help. Call a mate on channel 70 something. Call a marina and enquire about an overnight berth. Call bridge to bridge and ask that ship to mind your 'moring'. Anything rather than make everyone else listen to this 'radio check' tosh.

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Its testing the DSE part of voluntary sets not VHF tests I was enquiring about. But as one who listens to the large amount of wrong use of VHF (chat on Ch 16, taking about the visit to the pub etc) the use of a radio test call to the coastguard is not "tosh" but good practice where other forms of testing of the VHF are not available. But as said before this thread is about how to conduct a DSE test, how frequently is it needed etc

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Gents all,

I am firing this off without checking all replies to the original as I've got sheds of work to do before going clambering over a tall ship parked next to my building later.

Class D DSC doesn't have a self test button (the MCA man who supplied that text is quite red faced at present). The self test button is on Class A which of course a Merchant Mariner would be used to.

The way to test DSC on a Class D set, is to use it.

Now before anyone goes away and fires off a DISTRESS alert in order to test the DSC. You should notice that the DSC circuitry and software is exactly the same no matter which type of DSC call you make. This means that to test your DSC you would make a routine call to another boat or HMCG.

Of course as we all know, only the idiots repeatedly call up HMCG to get "Radio Checks", whereas good sailors do tend to call them up to make "Passage Reports" (or TRs as CG call em) this seems (to me) to be the perfect opportunity for testing if you don't have any DSC enabled boats available nearby.

Mike

<hr width=100% size=1>Manager,
Aeronautical & Maritime Services Section,
Radiocommunications Agency
 
Thanks for clearing this up. Could the RA issue amended information from that in Air Waves Issue 5 (Digital Selective Calling (DSC) testing with GMDSS) which is in the section on DSC is directed at commercial DSC equipment rather than those of us who have voluntarily fitted sets. As the start of the article appears to be dealing with leisure craft it is confusing if not misleading.

It says, “NO test transmissions should be made”(to the Coastguard). But the article also starts off saying “It is important for the safety of everyone on board that your equipment is regularly tested to ensure it is in good working order.” As voluntary sets do not have a self test for many of us the only way for a test is using Coastguard.

I would hope also publications such as PBO will publicise this as clearly, from some of the comments made here a many of us have been under mis-apprehensions over voluntarily fitted DSC radios. Also that the RYA will ensure testing for such sets is included in the VHF course, as it appears not to be at present.


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You should buy the excellent Admiralty publication NP289 for coast station and MRSC MMSI numbers and every other bit of information you should have at hand to do with radio communication and broadcasts, including Navtex etc. A new addition has just gone into print. This volume can be updated from the weekly NM's published on the HMSO web site.

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Hi John,

It's already in hand. It is likely to come out August/September.

The RYA point is a completely separate "can of worms" the original Short Range Course (2 days) did include all this kind of stuff and loads more GMDSS related information. Unfortunately, the course was shortened, WHY? I hear you cry. Due to pressure from the pleasure boating community. A big row flared up about the cost of the course and it ended up being trimmed down to a 1 day, really basic course.

Mike


<hr width=100% size=1>Manager,
Aeronautical & Maritime Services Section,
Radiocommunications Agency
 
Mike
I did a test over the weekend. The coastguard were very helpful as usual but clearly unused to having a DSC test call. I will see if I can get together a list of members at our club and the marina that have DSC sets so tests could be done. But asking at the weekend it didn't look very promising, as I couldn’t find one! Thus I fear the coastguard will be getting more test calls, two or three over the year will I hope ensure its working. It would be useful, if it were possible, in the follow up article to have some guidance as to frequency voluntary set owners need to conduct a test.

John

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John

I did a DSC test call to Solent CG over the weekend. Set the unit to Ch67 and put in the Solent CG MMSI (it's now stored in memory for future reference). Did a DSC call and this was acklnowledged and the set went to Ch67. I then did a voice call to CG including my MMSI.

They came back with 'received DSC call strength 2'. This is on a scale from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong). Since I was in the Solent I'd expect to be near the top of the scale. I will now take a VSWR meter down to the boat and make sure the installation is ok - there's a suspect in-line connector which I'll replace.

Once it all looks ok I'll do another DSC call to CG and then probably won't bother them again until next season unless I have further cause for concern.

Regards
Tom

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