VHF: DSC / MMSI

[Barnacle Bill]

Seeing the other recent VHF thread, and having just voted, I'm prompted to ask this: how many of you use MMSI to call other stations?

A few years ago I bought a DSC radio, and being conscientious at the time (it was a coded boat), I set it up to call the CG with the relevant MMSI. It didn't work. It turned out that it was a design fault with the radio, and the manufacturer replaced it with another model, which made me wonder: why hasn't this been discovered before? Is it because nobody uses it?

Having just bought a new DSC radio for another boat, I have no intention of bothering with MMSI (yes I did have to program my own in, on initial setup). I'm happy to stand by on Ch 16 and use it the old fashioned way.

My (fairly uninformed) opinion is that DSC is extremely clunky solution to a problem (too many vessels calling each other) that completely disappeared with the advent of mobile phones. I'm interested to hear other people's views.

 

[Jamie Dundee]

I have never used DSC to call another boat (yet) but check the function a couple of times a year by calling my DSC handheld and vice versa. Practise does me good as well.

 

[RupertW]

We haven’t set up our MMSI

 

[lustyd]

If you don’t set it up then a large part of AIS doesn’t work. If you don’t have AIS and won’t use it then all you’re losing is functionality you won’t use.

 

[Roberto]

I mainly use it to call specific ships when there are many around and there may be confusion, it helps my ais receiver is integrated into the vhf so there is no need to input the ship mmsi digits one by one.
Other rarer occurrences: asking a position report to the portable vhf dsc in the dinghy to see where the hell the teenagers have gone, or ask position reports for friends' boats to see if they are around.
In most other cases I use simple voice: calls to MRCC/Cross (this summer they had problems with weather bulletins broadcasts), or to coastal stations for example to ask them to repeat nav warnings they read too quickly.

 

[Sandy]

Use it to call other boats, am a member of several groups, even pinged friends to see where they are and work out if I need to wait until they arrive before opening the beer.

 

[ylop]

I use it fairly routinely for calling the CG (on a very small boat I like to tell them where I am going - mostly in case some well-meaning concerned citizen calls to say they saw someone heading off in a little boat and not come back). I've received group calls, and responded to position requests (rarely - I think I only know one person who knows how to use that feature!). I think I've only ever called one friend by DSC and we were together for several days so it was worth the pain of programming the number in.

On a charter boat I did have the lovely experience of calling a ship simply by touching it on the plotter and AIS, plotter and VHF doing all the work for me - that was a genuinely useful experience.

We haven’t set up our MMSI

If you don’t set it up then a large part of AIS doesn’t work. If you don’t have AIS and won’t use it then all you’re losing is functionality you won’t use.

I'm pretty sure that without inputting your MMSI you have no DSC Distress Calling function. Whilst there is a lot wrong with the usability of DSC the one feature which is definitely good is you can lift a flap and press and hold a button to make a distress call. Anyone on board can do it. I can do it whilst doing something else like marking MOB in plotter or pulling pin out of f/exting etc. This one really useful feature will not work at all if you do not have an MMSI programmed.

 

[RupertW]

I use it fairly routinely for calling the CG (on a very small boat I like to tell them where I am going - mostly in case some well-meaning concerned citizen calls to say they saw someone heading off in a little boat and not come back). I've received group calls, and responded to position requests (rarely - I think I only know one person who knows how to use that feature!). I think I've only ever called one friend by DSC and we were together for several days so it was worth the pain of programming the number in.

On a charter boat I did have the lovely experience of calling a ship simply by touching it on the plotter and AIS, plotter and VHF doing all the work for me - that was a genuinely useful experience.


I'm pretty sure that without inputting your MMSI you have no DSC Distress Calling function. Whilst there is a lot wrong with the usability of DSC the one feature which is definitely good is you can lift a flap and press and hold a button to make a distress call. Anyone on board can do it. I can do it whilst doing something else like marking MOB in plotter or pulling pin out of f/exting etc. This one really useful feature will not work at all if you do not have an MMSI programmed.

That’s useful to know - I don’t really deserve an DSC Distress Calling function (whatever that is) if I don’t have the set switched on except for harbour approaches.

 

[ylop]

That’s useful to know - I don’t really deserve an DSC Distress Calling function (whatever that is) if I don’t have the set switched on except for harbour approaches.

Everyone deserves to be rescued, and nobody can be 100% sure they will never find themselves in a pickle where they need it and want a quick red button call. I’m guessing you do know what the DSC Distress Call function is and you’ve at the very least flicked through the manual, read a magazine article or done a vhf course in the last 20 yrs. If not it might save your life. More importantly if it lets you get a quicker/better/clearer distress call out it might make the difference between you stepping onto a lifeboat and a lifeboat crew spending hours searching for your remains.

I’m not sure why you haven’t programmed the MMSI in - it’s a 2 minute job, with zero downside.

 

[PhillM]

We use it in club cruse in company trips.

 

[RupertW]

Everyone deserves to be rescued, and nobody can be 100% sure they will never find themselves in a pickle where they need it and want a quick red button call. I’m guessing you do know what the DSC Distress Call function is and you’ve at the very least flicked through the manual, read a magazine article or done a vhf course in the last 20 yrs. If not it might save your life. More importantly if it lets you get a quicker/better/clearer distress call out it might make the difference between you stepping onto a lifeboat and a lifeboat crew spending hours searching for your remains.

I’m not sure why you haven’t programmed the MMSI in - it’s a 2 minute job, with zero downside.

In most of the countries I sail there isn’t a lifeboat service - I have an EPIRP though.

 

[Sandy]

In most of the countries I sail there isn’t a lifeboat service - I have an EPIRP though.

If there is no lifeboat service what use is an EPIRB?

 

[lustyd]

If there is no lifeboat service what use is an EPIRB?

The MRCC can still coordinate a rescue without lifeboats. There's still Navy, commercial, and recreational shipping and boating plus helicopters etc. available.

 

[Roberto]

The MRCC can still coordinate a rescue without lifeboats. There's still Navy, commercial, and recreational shipping and boating plus helicopters etc. available.

The open ocean comes to mind.

 

[PetiteFleur]

We have it but never used it in an emergency or calling up other boats - just used the usual call on 16 and go to a working channel or call on your phone.

 

[ylop]

In most of the countries I sail there isn’t a lifeboat service - I have an EPIRP though.

So if a vessel is known to have sunk who goes looking for survivors? Absolving yourself of causing any unnecessary time/cost/risk to a lifeboat seems odd unless you are certain that if you sink or have a fire nobody at all will bother to try and help you. In which case why carry an EPIRB? The difference in response time for whatever vessel might be in earshot between your vhf call and eventually getting a mayday relay via the mrcc from your EPIRB.

just programme the number in, you seem like you are being obstinate for the sake of it.

 

[MADRIGAL]

I use it fairly routinely for calling the CG (on a very small boat I like to tell them where I am going - mostly in case some well-meaning concerned citizen calls to say they saw someone heading off in a little boat and not come back)...

I've never thought of doing that, but I think I will start. I have had other vessels call me up to ask if I need assistance because they don't expect to see a small sailing boat so far off the coast. Thanks to Ylop's post, I've just discovered that each CG radio station/MCTS has a unique MMSI. Live and learn. Now to re-learn how to enter one into my DSC memory.