Has DSC proved to be a bit pointless?

asteven221 said:
Does anyone ever use the features of DSC e.g calling others using the mmsi number etc? Or used the red button for help?

When it came out I thought it was a great idea, especially the red button and linking it to gps. The idea of a quick press of a button to get help was great. However over time I suspect there are thousands of radios with an mmsi number linked to previous owner of the radio, or installed in a different boat. At best that seems to me to make the whole DSC concept a bit pointless, whilst potentially dangerous in an emergency situation.

Both my current radios have an mmsi number linked to previous owners. My last three boats were the same. I suspect all my old radios will still have mmsi numbers linked to me. What was the idea behind not allowing users to change the details whenever the needed to change them? I suspect very few people go to the hassle of uninstalling their radio to then send it back to the manufacturer for an update.

I don't think I have ever called anyone using their mmsi number. I just phone them. Even going back to when DSC arrived on the scene when I bought into the idea, I quickly found that I couldn't be bothered with the faff finding their mmsi number and just called them on Chan 16.

Sorry if I am out of touch here, but I think I am right to say that you can't just call up ofcom and get them to update their records to match the radio's mmsi number? It would make more sense for the number embedded in the radio to stay put forever, but allow the records to be changed to match the radio - not the other way around.
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I recently discovered that my DSC radio had not been connected to the GPS antenna thus rendering the most useful function redundant. I have now connected it.

When my boat has just exploded or is about to bubble under the water, if I am still alive I fear that I might fluff the position part of MIPDANIO. I am confident, however, that my newly connected DSC radio will not.

What other reason do you need for having one?
 
Quiddle said:
I bought my first DSC C.2005 and sent my first call to Holyhead Coastguard. Their response: Station calling HH Coastguard with mmsi xxxxxxxx give your vessel's name, over.
Never bothered since.
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Funnily enough, Holyhead CG was my first test call when I installed DSC. I asked if DSC should be used as normal method of contact and the guy replied "that is the official view" but said in such a way as to continue with ch16. I never make DSC calls and these days, the VHF is turned off whenever we're in range of Tarifa Radio because the alarm is sounding it seems every few minutes.
 
Its quite useful for finding out where your mates are if you have their number in your address book and they have set their radio to accept polling requests automatically. If thats all in place their position just pops up on your plotter and at much greater range than AIS will give you. However if they haven't set their radio up to accept requests the alarms just annoy the hell out of them. It does help calling ships using the MMSI from AIS data as their DSC call alarm rings on the bridge and its much harder to ignore than a call to ship at position ?????. Probably the most important function though is one I hope none of us ever has to use is that a Mayday call using the red button will have a significantly greater range than a conventional call.
 
DSC achieved its purpose long ago along with GMDSS.
Ships Radio Officers are an extinct species. :)

The Red Button comes in handy on occasions. When someone requires help.

More often than not the Alarm is the CG sending out the same damn warning again.

I do the occasional call to test it when required. Usually takes me a while to figure out how. (I like to call a buddy when I know its inconvenient) every now and again a buddy returns the favour. Figuring out what the damn alarm is. Really annoying. :cool:

I have been DSC called by RCC and tasked. Usually a direct call on VTS works better. Sometimes VTS is to busy. I usually don't respond to RCC on 16, I go direct to designated channel. If required I respond to distressed vessel on 16 until directed to designated channel.

I will not under any circumstance agree to passing arrangements via DSC. Why not. VTS channels are monitored and recorded by VTS and other vessels. DSC working channels are not. Call on VTS.

Over all I find DSC irritating, I don't particularly like it, A DSC alarm is usually just a nuisance.
My personal likes and dislike are irrelevant.

Sometimes its not just a nuisance.

My opinion when used appropriately. DSC can save lives. I am sure, It has proved its value on many occasions.

I sail in a well monitored VTS area. Covered by pilotage. I don't have one on my boat. DSC and GMDSS are not required on a non commercial boat. I have the licence, Even so I cant be bothered with the paper work.

If I was sailing further afield?
 
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LadyInBed said:
I've never bothered to fit a DSC set, AIS and PLB cover the options also, as I understand it, shouldn't a DSC call be followed up with a voice call?
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Depends on type of call. Red Button? Or routine?

The purpose of the Red Button. Is to send out an auto message with vessels critical info. JIK a voice call is not possible.
Vessel identity, Type, Position, and No of persons on board if updated.

In an ideal situation a voice transmition, giving more details and able to answer questions is normal. Even if nothing else gets through. The responders know who to look for, where to look and how many.

Routine call just alarms and goes direct to working channel when picked up. No voice. No point.
 
Never used it myself. Poorly designed interface is main reason, but also because i dont have AIS and therefore never know anyone elses MMSI.
 
Let's look at the common use cases for yachties.

Transmit on my radio is almost exclusively used for calling marinas, locks, harbour masters and water taxis. None of these (usually) support DSC calling.

I've maybe twice called the coast guard with routine traffic and both times using DSC in the early hours of the morning (when my plans have changed from what I've told my shore contact and I can't get a phone signal). Whilst I see the point of allowing the coastguard to schedule acknowledgements during busy periods, I frankly struggle to see why at 5am I'd do an individual DSC call, have them switch me to their working channel, then do the voice call I'd otherwise do over the working channel without DSC.

Calling a buddy you save using channel 16 and switching to a working channel. I don't think I can remember ever calling a mate on the VHF. Many of the older generation's buddies may be luddites anyway...

Position request/response? See above. I've only ever used it to test that it works.

Calling a ship for collision avoidance you also save the initial call on 16 or 13 but at what cost? If you have AIS integrated with your radio it's easy. If not...I have buttons on my ICOM 601 at the chart table (most people don't have that luxury), but the AIS display is at the helm. Can I make a DSC individual call from the remote mic at the helm? I'm not sure I can. I thought I could but I've just checked the manual and there's no mention of making a DSC call but even if I could, by the time I'd dialed it in I might as well have called the vessel by voice using its callsign

Distress? Hopefully most of us will never get to use this for transmit. Presumably a decent plotter could plot the source of a DSC distress call. My raymarine C90W doesn't appear to do this (just flashes up a distress with the co-ordinates from which I then have to manually figure out range and bearing) and Raymarine have not been replying to "ask raymarine" the last couple of times I've asked a question.

Much as I'm welcoming of new technology I think VHFs needs good integration with AIS and plotters to make DSC more than marginally useful to the average yachtie
 
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rwoofer said:
Never used it myself. Poorly designed interface is main reason, but also because i dont have AIS and therefore never know anyone elses MMSI.
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I'd be interested to know why you think the interface is poor.

Do you not have MMSI swapping parties at your club?
 
Before the advent of Mobile phones when you couldn't get a word in edgeways on CH16 on a Sunny weekend on the Solent calling mates on VHF with DSC would have been very handy. Now everyone has a mobile phone CH16 is pretty quiet so I guess the problem DSC calling solves has gone away.

Red button is probably still useful, although depending on the situation, I might reverse the procedure and have voice contact first and then hit the button to quickly pass on position etc. (So the receiver knew it was a call and I had the reassurance that someone was aware of the problem.)

Am I right in thinking that hitting 'acknowledge' cancels someone else's DSC mayday? Pretty sure I am.
 
JBJag27 said:
No, it'll stop the alarm on your boat but won't affect their set.
I think ship and SAR services sets can cancel distress calls though.
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'They' seem pretty keen that nobody acknowledges the call except as a last resort:

"Ships receiving a DSC distress alert from another ship should normally not acknowledge the alert by DSC since acknowledgement of a DSC distress alert by use of DSC is normally made by coast stations only.

Only if no other station seems to have received the DSC distress alert, and the transmission of the DSC distress alert continues, the ship should acknowledge the DSC distress alert by use of DSC to terminate the call. The ship should then, in addition, inform a coast station or a coast earth station by any practicable means.

Ships receiving a DSC distress alert from another ship should also defer the acknowledgement of the distress alert by radiotelephony for a short interval, if the ship is within an area covered by one or more coast stations, in order to give the coast station time to acknowledge the DSC distress alert first."

http://www.maricom.de/dscbetri.htm#Distress
 
Sandy said:
I understood that only the CG can "acknowledge" a distress call.
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I'm pretty sure some/all radios give you an acknowledge button, but thanks to JBJag27 & laika it looks like on Class D sets hitting 'acknowledge' just means 'cancel' - as in cancel on your own set.

It appears that Class A sets *can* acknowledge, so maybe only the CG can have class A sets.

Hopefully someone will google and give us chapter and verse on that.
 
Mark-1 said:
I'm pretty sure some/all radios give you an acknowledge button, but thanks to JBJag27 & laika it looks like on Class D sets hitting 'acknowledge' just means 'cancel' - as in cancel on your own set.

It appears that Class A sets *can* acknowledge, so maybe only the CG can have class A sets.

Hopefully someone will google and give us chapter and verse on that.
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My early Skanti (=Sailor) set from 2000 doesn't have an 'acknowledge' button. Having been designed by people with a bit of sense, acknowledgment occurs automatically when the handset is lifted, I presume and hope not for distress calls.
 
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