Which VHF DSC works best?

[Guest]

The front cover of this month's PBO promises to give a definitive answer to which VHF DSC set works best. Unfortunately, like most articles of its kind, it gives no real indication as to a clear winner or loser? I will soon be in the market for a new VHF unit for a new boat. I am not sure if I am really going to need the DSC capability. I would like to have a switchable repeater speaker in the cockpit (My previous Icom M59 Euro, which was an excellent unit in all other respects, didn't allow this). I have noticed that the new Icom 503 has an option of a remote mike/speaker. Has anyone got any views on this model or any other that might fit the bill?

 

[alex_rogers]

I have an ICOM 501 with the seperate DSC unit. I like the fact that the main VHF is very simple to use so friends don't get confused with all the extra DSC buttons.

Because it's a commercial set though, it needs two antenna - one for all the transmissions and another to monitor channel 70. I put the second one on the pushpit. It isn't too much hassle to have two and it is a spare if the masthead one fails. I guess this is the same for the 503.

 

[ceeagr]

I have a simrad RD68 and I'm very disapointed with the performance.

So I wouldn't go with this one.

 

[Guest]

A friend of mine has a Simrad RT64 (without the DSC controller) and I thought the performance of that was quite poor but had thought that possibly he had a problem with his ariel.

 

[Rob_Webb]

Can you be more specific about what was poor about the performance?

I will also be in the market for a new VHF/DSC shortly.

Thanks
Rob

 

[Guest]

I too have RD68 and I'm very impressed with its range and clarity.
I find the less common functions difficult to use and have to refer to the destruction manual which is not brilliant.
The intergration with GPS is good .
The volumn when a message is recieved is VERY loud and cannot be turned down but it does automatically tune to the relevant channel to recieve further info.

 

[ceeagr]

i've been getting better performance from the handheld on reception / transmissin quality. SO last weekend did and SWR test on the arial which I though must be faulty. SWR was 1.5 and with a dummy load set was giving out 25 watts. So conclusion is that either the radio is crap or has a fault.

 

[Guest]

Havn't had cause to have set tested but on usual cross irish sea jaunts i have been able to contact hhcg from eire when previous set lost contact at about 25 miles offshore (aerial about 2m higher).
not scientific i know but far better than expected.thought at first it was anomoly mentioned in previous posts but results have been consistant.

 

[Twister_Ken]

I inherited a Navico RT1400 (identical to the Simrad RT64) when I bought my boat. It is a standalone VHF with the possibility of adding DSC functions through a second unit, the DSC 1400.

I've now added this and the rig works well, except for the umbilical trailing from one box to the next, and the high volume of the DSC alarm when it goes off.

I'd recommend it if you want to go DSC in two stages, but otherwise go for a one box solution.

 

[JeremyF]

Ive just bought a NASA DSC at £260. Seems to be fine. Good speech quality, and a simple UI. Why pay more?

Jeremy Flynn

 

[Robin]

The extension speaker requirement I have found to be a problem with all new VHF sets, plugging in the extension cuts out the internal speaker. I have spoken to NASA and our local electronics expert and both say the only solution is to connect two extension speakers in parallel, mounting one by the VHF and the other in the cockpit. This seems stupid to me but for us it is the only way to hear the radio in the cockpit and still hear it down below to use it! The Icom 503 apparently has a remote mike/speaker/control option (£150 extra) and the DSC controller is separate and also extra cost. Since our Nav station is cluttered enough we will probably go with a combined VHF/DSC and two extension speakers. By the way we bought a very compact waterproof extension in France for £10, a 2nd one of these is not too painful. Of course if you could reach the back of the set to simply unplug the cockpit speaker when down below it's no real problem, unfortunately on ours we can't.

 

[vyv_cox]

That's how mine is set up, on an old non-DSC set. if you really were bothered you could take the lead from the set to a rotary switch that could let you have either speaker or both, but I didn't bother. I have connected both sets of leads to a mini-jack plug. Another way to deal with it is that the mini-jack socket has an internal on-off switch that disconnects the internal speaker when the extension is plugged in. On some types this can be disabled by bending the contact, but mine would not allow itself to do this.

 

[Twister_Ken]

My Navico 1400 (same as Simrad RD64) doesn't do this. Both internal and extension work simultaneously.

 

[Robin]

Thanks, at least one designer had some sense. Unfortunately we need a single box set for space reasons, plus a 2nd speaker add-on to a NASA or similar is still a cheaper option.

 

[Robin]

Thanks, yes our local Greenham marine man said the same, but that it was easier to go the 2 speaker option. No one I have spoken to seems to have any idea of the logic behind the cut off feature, certainly on our boat it makes the VHF useless until we can set up the extensions. on our previous boat we had an old Husun with telephone handset, although the set speaker cut off with the extension, you could still hear from down below via the handset earpiece, even from 3 or 4 feet away.

 

[ParaHandy]

Re: Why pay more?

Agree entirely..is the gps interface OK and did the radio (as happened with one poster a while back) interfere with the gps?

 

[homa]

Why do you want a VHF DSC?
Cos they're the latest thing?
I cross the north sea every day for work & we have VHF DSC & MF DSC
Have had it for the last 7-8 years.
I have NEVER used it.
We use VHF for almost all ship-ship, ship-shore comms, re. Navigation & VTS (vessel traffic services).
The only time that DSC is used, is for testing the damn thing (daily!)
Even when I had to call the Dutch rescue services a couple of years ago for an injured crew man it was all done quickly & efficiently with VHF.
We keep a continuous listening watch on Ch 16 and I believe always will whilst there are ships/small boats manned by people.

If you can wait, I'd spend the money on something that I was going to use, get a DSC set when you really need it. By then the sets will be simple to operate & cheap.

homa