using VHF - boat's name or radio call sign?

macd said:
Just as an aside and purposely going off subject, who invented the term "Google" and why?
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From Wikipedia:
Google began in January 1996 as a research project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin when they were both PhD students at Stanford University in California ... Eventually, they changed the name to Google, originating from a misspelling of the word "googol", the number one followed by one hundred zeros, which was picked to signify that the search engine wants to provide large quantities of information for people.
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Curiously, the direct.gov.uk web site gives a different procedure:

“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”
“This is (name of vessel)” [spoken three times]
“Mayday”
Your vessel's name, call sign and MMSI number [spoken once]
Your position
The nature of distress [for example, “the boat is sinking”]
Immediate assistance required
How many people are on board
Any other information
“Over”
 
Much of the VHF radio procedure I hear is rather jumbled, abbreviated or too lengthy. But the meaning is conveyed. So I very much doubt a Mayday speech call omitting the call sign and the MMSI number will be much less effective than a perfectly composed transmission.

'Over and out' still makes me chuckle.
 
Aeolus said:
Curiously, the direct.gov.uk web site gives a different procedure:

“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”
“This is (name of vessel)” [spoken three times]
“Mayday”
Your vessel's name, call sign and MMSI number [spoken once]
Your position
The nature of distress [for example, “the boat is sinking”]
Immediate assistance required
How many people are on board
Any other information
“Over”
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There's nothing "curious" about finding wrong, misleading, or out of date information on a government website! ;)

In fact, if you look around, you'll findseveral different versions of various vintages on other government websites. The MCA, for instance, give an even more out of date version than the one you quoted from direct.gov -- but at least they avoid the mistake of confusing the call and message (something that would get you perilously close to achieving the rare feat of failing the SRC exam if you used the direct.gov. format! :D)

But the current international standard format is given in the internataional Radio Regulations, 2008, updated following the World Radio Conference in 2007:-
32.13C § 9B 1) The distress call sent on the frequency 156.8 MHz (VHF channel 16)
shall be given in the following form:
– the distress signal MAYDAY, spoken three times;
– the words THIS IS;
– the name of the vessel in distress, spoken three times;
– the call sign or other identification;
– the MMSI (if the initial alert has been sent by DSC). (WRC-07)
32.13D 2) The distress message which follows the distress call should be given in
the following form:
– the distress signal MAYDAY;
– the name of the vessel in distress;
– the call sign or other identification;
– the MMSI (if the initial alert has been sent by DSC);
– the position, given as the latitude and longitude, or if the latitude and
longitude are not known or if time is insufficient, in relation to a known
geographical location;
– the nature of the distress;
– the kind of assistance required;
– any other useful information. (WRC-07)
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But no, I doubt whether anyone would refuse to rescue you just because you don't get the latest format exactly right!
 
John100156 said:
Having looked at the new procedure it seems that you still give your boat name 4 times but your MMSI and Call Sign only twice, so it seems boat name is still very important:

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
THIS IS: Coral Rae, Coral Rae, Coral Rae
MMSI: XXXXXX Call Sign: XXXXX
MAYDAY Coral Rae
MMSI: XXXXXX Call Sign: XXXXX

So, if in the old system you give your Boat Name (x4) and MMSI (x2), can someone tell me what additional information the Call Sign provides the CG? Is it faster for them when tracking down boat info?
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Great theory. And perhaps Ok for a Pan Pan with plenty of time to spare.

But frankly in a real Mayday with the risk of transmision being curtailed, i might give the boat name a couple of times, but then I will be getting onto position and problem PDQ. Once the CG have got that we can worry about the fine details later. Will be time to sort out details from the database whilst any rescue craft is en route, provided still got access to communications.
You can sue me later for inappropriate radio usage
 
dunedin said:
Great theory. And perhaps Ok for a Pan Pan with plenty of time to spare.

But frankly in a real Mayday with the risk of transmision being curtailed, i might give the boat name a couple of times, but then I will be getting onto position and problem PDQ. Once the CG have got that we can worry about the fine details later. Will be time to sort out details from the database whilst any rescue craft is en route, provided still got access to communications.
You can sue me later for inappropriate radio usage
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At the risk of attracting universal opprobrium I think any sane individual would want the authorities to know his position before his callsign and MMSI numbers. What do they say about camels and committees?
 
dunedin said:
Great theory. And perhaps Ok for a Pan Pan with plenty of time to spare.

But frankly in a real Mayday with the risk of transmision being curtailed, i might give the boat name a couple of times, but then I will be getting onto position and problem PDQ. Once the CG have got that we can worry about the fine details later. Will be time to sort out details from the database whilst any rescue craft is en route, provided still got access to communications.
You can sue me later for inappropriate radio usage
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Your position and nature of distress should be included in the DSC transmission that precedes the voice distress call. The reason for including the MMSI and callsign are to help tie the DSC alert to the voice call.

My understanding is that the request that MMSI and callsign should be included came from various SAR authorities around the world. It's just a thought, but it occurrs to me that supplying potential rescuers witht he information that they have asked for and in the format that they have asked for might help them to help you rather more effectively than making up your own version.
 
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timbartlett said:
Your position and nature of distress should be included in the DSC transmission that precedes the voice distress call. The reason for including the MMSI and callsign are to help tie the DSC alert to the voice call

Don't you think supplying the SAR authorities with the information that they asked the WRC to include in the standard message might actually be helping them to help you rather more effectively than making up your own version?

I'm sure they won't refuse to help you if you get it wrong -- but they can probably help you better if you help them.
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And if you don't have DSC?
I'm quite sure if you asked HMCG if they wanted your position or your MMSI number, I know what the answer would be.
 
alahol2 said:
And if you don't have DSC?.....
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If you don't have DSC then you won't have sent the initial alert by DSC so you won't be giving your MMSI, will you?
32.13C § 9B 1) The distress call sent on the frequency 156.8 MHz (VHF channel 16)
shall be given in the following form:
– the distress signal MAYDAY, spoken three times;
– the words THIS IS;
– the name of the vessel in distress, spoken three times;
– the call sign or other identification;
– the MMSI (if the initial alert has been sent by DSC). (WRC-07)
32.13D 2) The distress message which follows the distress call should be given in
the following form:
– the distress signal MAYDAY;
– the name of the vessel in distress;
– the call sign or other identification;
– the MMSI (if the initial alert has been sent by DSC);<etc><etc>
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What was advised on the DSC course was to write out a 'distress script', print it out, laminate it and stick it up next to the radio. That way, all the information you need, apart from your position and the nature of the emergency, can just be read from the sheet by whoever is operating the radio. This also makes it much easier to brief crew members on distress procedures. Giving your callsign and MMSI make it much easier for the CG or any rescuing craft to contact you directly, and also to identify you on the CG66 database. (not much use if you haven't sent in a CG66 form, of course...)
 
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greenalien said:
What was advised on the DSC course was to write out a 'distress script', print it out, laminate it and stick it up next to the radio. That way, all the information you need, apart from your position and the nature of the emergency, can just be read from the sheet by whoever is operating the radio. This also makes it much easier to brief crew members on distress procedures. Giving your callsign and MMSI make it much easier for the CG or any rescuing craft to contact you directly, and also to identify you on the CG66 database. (not much use if you haven't sent in a CG66 form, of course...)
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Is this CG66 database accessed worldwide by all SAR centres? Would the Spanish send me a form if I asked for one? I am being serious!
 
Shearwater said:
Is this CG66 database accessed worldwide by all SAR centres? Would the Spanish send me a form if I asked for one? I am being serious!
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No. But the ITU database is -- and you are automatically entered on it when you licence your radio. Some countries are quicker/more thorough about it than others.
http://www.itu.int/online/mms/mars/ship_search.sh
(BTW There are 76 Shearwaters listed with UK radio licences, but they all have unique MMSIs and callsigns!)
 
Twister_Ken said:
From the French "en panne" = "broken down" and synonyms.
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Wrong, the origin is Pain, french for bread, it originally was a call to indicate that the crew were starving and wanted sumfink to eat before they chopped up the cabin boy, that's why its also used for a medical emergency cos sometimes they actually started slicing up the aforesaid unfortunate.
 
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