Has DSC radio made EPIRB redundant?

Thats a bit harsh Paul,
I havent decided yet. The Viking is still very much under consideration.
You can never have too many radios or other communications devices on board, as you know I have three fixed (2 DSC) VHF radios on board, soon to be joined by a multi band HF/VHF/UHF rig primarily for Amateur Radio but will also serve as a backup and emergency marine radio. I also have three handhelds one of which is an all band VHF marine/amateur/PMR.
I also have made sure that one of my fixed radios operates from a separate power supply source, therefore negating 12V Power failure as a saftety issue.

Oh and during half term I gave the boat it's own mobile phone for emergencies.


I dont think I'll be going for an EPIRB like you on your new boat, simply because I dont think we'll be doing anything too adventurous next season at least until I slowly re-build SWMBO's confidence. Padstow will be the limit..if that.

Steve.
 
I should know Monday evening (afternoon in the US). I have a forensic scientist preparing a report, sounds OTT but SWMBO wants to know exactly what risk we were at. The marine engineer has done his stuff, the USA have everything they need, so waiting to hear from them.
 
"Thats a bit harsh Paul"
I was pulling your keg Steve.

"You can never have too many radios "

On my first boat I ended up with my fixed set down and my Simrad HD52 down - I had to buy a third radio whilst the others were being repaired - hence I have had threee radios since. Even then, on occasion I have been down to one .... so you are right - you can never have too many radios.

On another point you raised - cost of radios V what you get for the money. Again, I thinkl you are right. I am beginning to think that radios are simply made to price points.

For example, I had a Simrad DSC HD52 handheld which was a real pain in the neck despite it £300 price tag. I do not think you can simply say that a more expensive radio is a better radio and I think the reverse can be true. Yet again, as you point out, the magazines do not explain the difference - no real explanation is given as to why one is twice the price of the other.

Now can you please say something I disagree with so we can have a debate?
 
[ QUOTE ]
" so you are right - you can never have too many radios.


Paul in 1977 a ship carrying 230 tons of CB radios destined for Southampton from Taiwan, sunk in the Biscay bay, the inquest concluded that the contributory cause of this vessel sinking was found to be ! due to excess cargo weight, and what was the cargo? Radios so the moral of the story is you can have too many radios
 
I dunno...Isuppose I could fire you up on PC Plotters against stand alone units...but we've already trodden that path many times and I doubt there's much mileage in it. Fairly entrenched positions and all that.

No I'm just sitting here drinking Baileys and chillin' out, not feeling confrontational.

One of the angles that I want to get the mags to do on radio testing is to take the lids off and compare different makes.
I think that people might be suprised with the amount of Badge Engineering that goes on. I want to find out exactly what makes a £300 radio better than a £100 one, apart from the name on it.
Technical testing will show which ones perform best, taking the lids off will show how many of them probably come out of the same factories.

Although I dont know for certain I have a hunch that some reputable manufacturers may be embarrased.

Steve
 
Well, best of luck I hope it all comes out satisfactorily, without resort to litigation.
One thing I would say is that you should always remember that your contract was with the UK dealer, not the American manufacturer, and you should deal with them through the dealer. Dont give the dealer any grounds for reducing his responsibility. If it does get litageous it will have to be fought here either under the SofG act or under HSE regulations.
One thing to look at is the qualifications of the dealer and his staff, especially those of the pillock who sent you poking at switches in the bilges knowing there was petrol vapour about. You should ask to see relevant certificates of competence, now whilst it's all still reasonably freindly...for instance have his engineers been on the required training courses to the states for that make of boat??


Steve.
 
"Isuppose I could fire you up on PC Plotters against stand alone units"

We have actually never trodden that path properly concerning centralised units V dsitributed units.

I have gone for a system of multiple points with mutiple functionality - you have gone for the centralised system. For example if your radar screen went on the blink you have no radar - in my approach I have a choice at which screen to bring that out on and so still have radar. The same for the plotter GPS. So as regards redundancy there is more built into my approach than yours ... agreed?

As regards bad weather situations using a standard laptop in my recent journey would have, at times, had the screen leave the laptop - nor is a standard laptop using a standard disc drive built to take any sort of shocks. This compares to solid state no moving parts in the dedicated plotters etc. Laptops normally turn themselves off when you close the screen but if you leave them on in any rough conditions and hence an open screen - the shocks to the screen hinge would be considerable.

Nor would a wireless mouse on a flybridge getting soaked with spray and using a non-waterproof screen that requires a look down tube to see the screen, a practical approach to electronics in boats. Fine for around the bay in calm conditions, where you do not really need the plotter anyway but not for any passage making.

Even using the mouse from the lower helm would in most bad eather situations be very difficult indeed.

Yes we have trodden the path of PC against dedicated units.... but is the above enough to entice you out of cover :-)
 
I have actualy taken on water on one occasion (nearly 200 gallons) and due to the way I have wired my boat, had no problems with the installation (wrote off my portable generator though). should that have been worse, I could easily jury rig power to my radio. Boat design means that it is pretty unlikely to sink.
 
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How many radios do you have on board? If only one then you should not totally rely on that.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont rely on my VHF radio - it is only a final resort, like flares or any other call for help item. You should be going to sea worrying about how you get yourself out of a problem, rather than how you get somebody else there to rescue you.
 
Unfortunately some manufacturers do not think the way you do, I know there are a lot of power boats with electric stuff in the bilge so that would cut the power. Perhaps we should make it clear that this possibility does not really relate to YOUR well wired boat but could to the majority of others /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif It is just that some people reading this may think Oh! Talbot survives so i don't need one, where in truth if they took on the water you mention they would be sunk without a doubt AND have no means of getting help.
 
And what about fire? A collision? What about at least a dozen more happenings that 'might happen'

There may be no time to jury rog power to the radio - it makes sense to go to sea prepared to help yourself and hva eht means to summon help.
 
"You should be going to sea worrying about how you get yourself out of a problem, rather than how you get somebody else there to rescue you.
"

Disagree - you should be going to see ready and prepared to do all you can to help yourself out of a problem AND be ready to summon help in a variety of ways to cope with all possible scenarios. These two are not mutually exclusive they compliment each other.
 
I agree, theory is great but in a real IMMEDIATE life threatening emergency, I would rather grab and set off the EPIRB than try and wire up batteries, try to get a signal as well as look after possible casualties, and that is in the DAYLIGHT, what if it was DARK /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Do some people realise how little time you could have to get off the boat if you hit a large partly submerged object? and I guess the immediate thing after a couple of minutes of the full horror facing them and coming to light would be for those people to first find their lifejackets (if they had them), adjust them, get them on, and decide which way to swim because they would not have a life raft either. So mucking about with no power or radio signal could be the last thing on their mind /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

So go out and get an EPIRB right now, you know it makes sense, and have a PLAN for what to do if the worst happens /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Got a bit bored reading this thread, so my thoughts, which may overlap others here. Sorry if I repeat what's been said elsewhere on thread.

DSC is no replacement for Epirb, if you do more than toddle around within a few miles of base. If you are off cruising anywhere along the coast away (lets say Lyme Bay) and have a major incident. Electrics off or sinking rapidly. THe radio might be out of action, you have a handheld waterproof with you, and flares. Out there, which is not exactly as isolated as areas of UK boating are, you will be lucky to contact anyone at sometimes of year.

Epirb on the other hand does not rely on other boats being nearby and being able to pick up handheld transmissions or see flares.

I don't have one, but having thought about it a bit, would probably be a higher priority than a life raft in a 21' high speed boat.
 
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