Help chosing a DSC radio

[jusw]

The VHF radio I acquired when I bought my boat is absolutely U/S - I'm looking to fit a DSC unit -

Can anyone suggest a decent economical unit?

Also, would I be able to connect it to my existing aerial? I don't really want to either drop the mast or climb to the top!

Any help much appreciated

Julian

 

[Dougie_the_Mate]

We fitted a Silva DSC unit last season - it came with a free Navtex aerial included - and it has worked fine since we got the radio aerial fixed. This was because the real problem lay with the aerial in the first place, but if yours is O.K. then there should be no bother.

 

[Richard10002]

What's U/S about it - poor transmission/reception, broken set, or do you just not like how it works?

if it's the aerial and cable, connecting a new set would have the same problem.

 

[jusw]

Poor transmission and reception is not too good either! Also its very old (18 years!) and not DSC - is there any way I can check the aerial? However, even if the aerial is a problem, I think I'd like to change the unit anyway!

Julian

 

[Anonymous]

I've just had the same problem - Simrad failed and nobody would repair it - only five years old, as well /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Beware, folks

I fitted a Standard Horizon GX1500E supplied by a poster here, Malthouse, who gave me a great service. I would add that I came to hate DSC in the Balearics where Palma and Ibiza Radio transmit a Ch 70 DSC alert every few hours for the weather. It is much quieter here at Almerimar and the only alert I have had was for a Pan Pan (200 miles to the west, through the Straits, but a Pan, nevertheless).

Anyway, I have fitted the remote mic to the unit so I can silence the alerts from anywhere on the vessel.

Conclusion....perfectly happy with it. The main complaint is that the squelch and volume knobs are both black and I can't remember which is which so I have painted on of them with Snopake. Can't remember which one, though, so will have to write that on!!

 

[kaysveistrup]

In my last boat I fitted a COBRA (£85) with good whip arial. Liked the COBRA, had good strong signal, excellent clarity and can have cockpit speaker easily added if you wanted it. If you have SAT NAV onboard this can be coupled to it and when the DSC button is activated it sends your exact position. Especially good if other people on board don't know how to operate radio and give position etc if you are the person in distress.

 

[Victorious]

Probably US cos the previous owner beat it wiv a winch handle when it would not stop "ALARM" every few mins.

 

[gandy]

We chose an Icom 421, and are perfectly happy with that. Interface to the existing aerial and to Garmin GPS was all straight-forward.

The price seems to have dropped a little since we bought ours.

http://shop.malthouse-marine.com/index.php?p=product&id=109&parent=33

Or you could get an Icom 401 if you don't want DSC

 

[wotayottie]

[ QUOTE ]
Poor transmission and reception is not too good either! Also its very old (18 years!) and not DSC - is there any way I can check the aerial? However, even if the aerial is a problem, I think I'd like to change the unit anyway!

Julian

[/ QUOTE ]

Almost invariably, radios either work or dont - they rarely just work badly. Your aerial is most probably faulty which could be anything from a corroded contact at the back of the set to water in the coax from the masthead. Check the contacts and clean them.

If you can lay hands on one, you can test an aerial with an SWR meter. Failing that, its a good idea to have an emergency aerial which will mount on the tafrail anyway, and using that will quickly show whether the main aerial is duff or not. Whether or not you decide on a new set, you need first to make sure you have a good aerial.

I use Icom 421 (I think thats the number) to teach the SRC licence. Cant say that I like their menu structure though I've no doubt the electronics are good. I did like the RD68 Simrad on my last boat.

 

[gjgm]

the basic icom (421?) and raymarine (54e?) are thought to be top notch kit for engineering and ease of use.
Cobra/Silva ok if money is tight, but a bit more fiddly. Standard Horizon seems also to have a good reputation or its radios.
The dimensions also vary a bit, so if flush mounting, you might want to check which might swap over easily.
Otherwise, its down to what gizzmos you want.. lit number pad on mike, additional speaker, additional mike,quite what you want on the display
I assume you have a GPS/plotter, otherwise the dsc aspect is redundant.

 

[gandy]

[ QUOTE ]
I use Icom 421 (I think thats the number) to teach the SRC licence. Cant say that I like their menu structure though I've no doubt the electronics are good.

[/ QUOTE ]
Interesting .. I can't remember ever using the menu except to set the MMSI and some other preferences when the set was first installed. What do you use the menus for? I guess as an instructor you probably get to see more different sets than most .

 

[Roger_D]

I too have a Standard Horizon GX1500E radio connected to a Standard Horizon CP180i chartplotter. The instructions tell me that DSCalling from other stations will show up on the cart plotter provided they are connected to a GPS..very handy if you are near a mayday. However, cruising off the west coast of scotland, I have yet to receive a DSC alert...lucky me so have not seen this working.

 

[johnalison]

Since they all work, you may find the most important thing is the operating software. Some require you to confirm all button entries which is one more button-press you don't need and can lead to errors (as the channel selection will revert to its previous channel). Some of the menus are very different to what you may have learnt on a radio course.
There were very few available when I got mine in 2000 so I ended up with a Skanti which works well but was expensive and the models have since changed. It is easy to operate, though, e.g. you only have to pick up the handset to initiate the response to a DSC call and the acknowledgement and channel-change occur automatically.
Your best approach is to operate radios on other boats and see whether you can read the screen/ work the system/ handle the mike and keyboard.

 

[ditchcrawler]

I originally fitted a Silva S15 but did not like the screen etc so I returned it & got an Icom 421.Very pleased with it & it was easy to install & hook up to Garmin GPS.
I don't think you can go far wrong with Icom or Raymarine.
Pesonally I prefer to use the better(in my opinion) makes when it comes down to safety etc.Whats a few pounds compared to your life.I do like to get the best price though.

 

[jusw]

Quote:


Failing that, its a good idea to have an emergency aerial which will mount on the tafrail anyway, and using that will quickly show whether the main aerial is duff or not.





Do you use a standard mast head aerial (mounted on the taffrail) as an emergency setup or is it different?

Julian

 

[Guest]

I will not name the set ... but just say that it is a VERY well known make and we did have a poster who workd for them on these forums ...

We had the set rigged for the Regatta recently - in a purpose designed portable box + SLA battery etc. Excellent package - except the radio !! Compact ... buttons labelled etc. - the main body of the radio - well designed and looked good. The real pain and item that destroyed totally the credibility of the set .... the mic with the button pad ... Holding it normally and IMHO a way that average yottie would in a boat on the water moving about - meant that the buttons were always been accidently touched / knocked ! There was no way to lock the buttons out so that ch. would stay as set ...

We had a false start in the regatta due to the mic buttons changing the ch. during the countdown to start ... when you have 30 ocean racers all flying to get to the start and you hoist / call of the start due to a bl***y VHF radio fault ... you start to hate life !

So now after using that radio - IMHO - I will never ever intentionally choose a radio that has a mic with a button pad on ... PTT yes ... but other buttons - never. ONLY if its easy to lock it out so that moving about on a working boat is no problem ...

The other item that drove me nuts were the radios that had mic clips that reverted sets to 16 ... some ships had these ... when you put mic back into clip - it flipped radio back to 16 ... UGH !! Loads of ships I was on - we cut the "trip-wire" to stop it ...