VHF Course

[Jon Brooks]

Ramsgate: Ch14 yes permission to enter.

As the old saying goes, you pays your money etc!!
Or you get what you oay for.

Whilst there are some good sets out there how many companies have their staff on internet forums helping their customers

See you in Ramsgate

Regards

[DGR]

Originally Posted by Jon Brooks

Whilst there are some good sets out there how many companies have their staff on internet forums helping their customers

That has GOT to be the best self-justification for surfing the net EVER!!

D...

[Mike Martin]

Originally Posted by Solent Ranger

They stated that the software currently in use does not allow for instant identification of a vessel simply via the MMSI number.

"How do you relate the MMSI number to a vessel?" I asked them, "We go to the ITU database firstly!" I was told. I said given that the ITU database can take time to be updated and in fact only identifies the owner/registered name of the vessell, what happens then? I was told that they had their own internal database where they may sometimes find the infomation. I asked if this had anything to do with CG66 and was told no!

So, to repeat myself, instant identification of a vessel via the MMSI number is not yet available. So, when a DSC distress alert is received by a coastal station, they effecticvely "see" exactly the same infomation as any other DSC enabled set - i.e MMSI number, position and the nature of the distress if the sender has used the facility.

SR,

Well I sit corrected. All the times that I was assured in high level meetings that the info was beng used hmmmm. Well I'm afraid that the blame (if that's the right word) lies at the feet of MCA as we supplied the info all they had to do was use it.

Mik

[Solent Ranger]

Originally Posted by Mike Martin

SR,

Well I sit corrected. All the times that I was assured in high level meetings that the info was beng used hmmmm. Well I'm afraid that the blame (if that's the right word) lies at the feet of MCA as we supplied the info all they had to do was use it.

Mik

Just goes to show, perception and reality are not always the same!

[wavelength]

To my mind the big advantage of dsc distress alerting on my patch is demonstrated by our little private angling boats that never listen to ch16 and mayday/pan calls have been missed by them in the past although they were near enough to have been of great assistance . Many of the the local lads sit on ch8 and never see ch16 and have done so since radios became viable in little boats. Not might have been missed but calls have actually not been heard by a pack of boats in the area, resulting in lifeboat jobs that were avoidable. If they all have DSC, and that is the way it is going now, then a dsc alert will grab their radio via ch70 no matter what channel they are sitting on, sound an alarm, and switch it to ch16 ready for the voice call.
As far as quoting the mmsi is concerned it needs to be on a sticker that you can read if and when the "chips are down!" Its easy enough then to send then when you repeat your mayday and identity part of the call and no matter what one may think the system should do for you -I would rather give it every bit of help I can when my life depends on it! (and as I get older the b***** mmsi sticker needs to be bigger so I can read it )

[codprawn]

But from what others say they will STILL ignore alerts because they cry wolf too often - many people now turn the set off completely whereas before they DID listen to ch16 occasionally!!!

[Jimbo]

I had another teeny flash of light yesterday about why you broadcast your MMSI in your Mayday voice call, after a DSC distress alert.

Even if the coastguard have the ability to relate your MMSI to your boat name etc (the efficiency of which seems to be under discussion), other vessels do not. Therefore, if you're somewhere busy like the solent, and you're being conscientious and writing down the mayday voice call after the Digital Distress Alert so that you can plot positions and maybe offer assisstance to the CG etc, and you hear 2 voice calls in a row, you can use the MMSI to relate it back to the Distress Alert, which will be stored in your radio's log.

Might not be ideal having to remember 9 digits, but it's a system, and it's the one we're using! All the charter boats I've worked on have the MMSI clearly printed and laminated right next to the radio, for easy reference.

[David Hickman]

Kernow,
Firstly I think it a bit poor that you only used PC Simulators on your SRC Course. How did you practice the voice procedures, routine calls etc etc?
I presume that you were told the new Mayday Procedures must include the MMSI Number.
As regards to pressing the red button twice, on all the sets I know you actually have to press it once then pressit again but hold it in for 5 seconds to activate the Distress alert transmission.
Well done on passing the exam at the end. Why did it take 1 1/2 days? when s SRC Course is 1 day?

[Jon Brooks]

There was a meeting at the RYA this week.
It was to discuss "live"/ "real" DSC radio simulators.
It was hoped, by them, that the conclusion reached is that all schools will have to have at least one set of these for running SRC course.

They were hoping to phase this in over the next 12 months.

So watch this space as they say.

The simulators are selling very very well for us.
Better than we ever expected.

Regards

[Kernow Buoy]

Hi Dave,
Yes I thought it was poor as well, throughout the course no-one but our instructor spoke as if 'on air', we wrote down the wording of our transmissions and listened to our instructor 'broadcast' but no-one else spoke as if transmitting. Fortunately for me I used VHF almost daily for 15 years so whilst it wouldn't faze me to use VHF live I'm sure there were others on the course who really would have benefited from radio usage rather than keyboard usage!
Yes we were told to broadcast our MMSI number after a DSC alert, my point to Codders ( Can we really call you that Codders... er Codprawn?!) was that at least it was transmitted automatically initially.)
My comment about 2 presses of the button were me being lazy! Sure we did the 5 second count down, I was just meaning that having done those 2 things our MMSI, position (GPS dependant) and type of distress were winging themselves off to CG on a repeating basis, freeing us to do whatever was needed.
Technically the course was 1 day and 3 hours, having knocked it for lack of radios I'd have to praise it for being very thorough in all other matters, frankly our instructor didn't think he could teach all he wanted to in 1 day.
Regards,
Kernow

[DGR]

Originally Posted by codprawn

But from what others say they will STILL ignore alerts because they cry wolf too often - many people now turn the set off completely whereas before they DID listen to ch16 occasionally!!!

I've been out on the boat for over 200 hours this summer - with the radio on - and not had any false alerts on my DSC. Who 'cries wolf' too often? And I can't believe that people actually turn their radios off incase an emergency call interupts their boating...

D...

[stan_deezy]

Originally Posted by DGR

And I can't believe that people actually turn their radios off incase an emergency call interupts their boating...

D...

Yeah, them Coasties can be right sods

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by DGR

I've been out on the boat for over 200 hours this summer - with the radio on - and not had any false alerts on my DSC. Who 'cries wolf' too often? And I can't believe that people actually turn their radios off incase an emergency call interupts their boating...

D...

I suppose a lot depends on the area you are operating in - I should imagine areas like the Solent etc get pretty busy!!!

[The Jackeens]

Originally Posted by codprawn

areas like the Solent etc get pretty busy!!!

It does at times.

One day this summer our radio picked up a yottie lady calling Solent CG and reported a 'powerboat' in trouble...i.e. not able to proceed into Pompey Harbour. Sounded like an engine problem. The CG asked if she & her colleagues could provide assistance and she replied : 'Eeeoow, I don't know about that. It's a bit scruffy!'

Last year another call came in about a lady lost overboard mere feet from Yarmouth (well Black Rock area then ) CG out in full regalia only to hear 'it's OK, she's been found (aboard)'. An argument ensued as the poor CG insisted that things had to be checked out etc. and that they would be met in Lymington. No way said the Cruisers. Yes way said the CG (or words to that effect). Lord knows what was going on But all had to be followed up, dodgy or no.

You have to feel sorry for the emergency sevices for sure.

Us

[hard1]

Originally Posted by The Jackeens

It does at times.



Last year another call came in about a lady lost overboard mere feet from Yarmouth (well Black Rock area then ) CG out in full regalia only to hear 'it's OK, she's been found (aboard)'.

You have to feel sorry for the emergency sevices for sure.

Us

Hardly surprising this happened off Yarmouth. Surprising anyone within a few cables was even sobre enough to use the VHF!

It used to be fun to hang around a certain South Coast marina on Sundays watching the Birmingham Navy return from their Sunday Lunch excursion in Salty's, attempting to moor up. Fortunately, this year has been relatively peaceful. Apologies to anyone from Birmingham on this forum, it could easily have been the Scunthorpe Marine Auxiliary Reserve.

[The Jackeens]

Us

[stan_deezy]

Originally Posted by hard1

Apologies to anyone from Birmingham on this forum, it could easily have been the Scunthorpe Marine Auxiliary Reserve.

Aaah such sweet memories, the glistening shores of Scunthorpe, the regatta's they held there while the band of the lifeguards played on and the waves splashed gently onto the sandy beach
T'was indeed another time and another place, perhaps its was Staines?

[Jon Brooks]

I am aware that on other types of boats, yes they do exist!, some people are turning of the DSC radio due to a high call rate.
These calls normally come from over the sea, France.
The reports seem to say that some French Coastguards are using the wrong type of DSC call for routine traffic.

I think that in the world of Ribs and sports boats we don't get this problem.

After all our antenna is not 50-60 feet up in the air.

It is a well known fact that a DSC call will travel much further than a voice call.
The digital burst of data goes much further.
In some case 80-90 miles.

I have also spent a huge amout of time on the water this year and think we have heard one maybe two DSC Distress calls.

Most of my boating is in the Thames, Kent area.
I also spend a fair amount of time on the Solent too.

I also feel the some people are stating that there are a huge amount of false calls this simply is not true.

Regards

[wavelength]

and not had any false alerts on my DSC

are people confusing false mayday alerts with DSC all ships safety calls before a routine broadcast. I dont get the problem here and I probably spend more time afloat than most but I have had the situation off Poole where we have had several DSC all ships alerts in a very short space of time and all before routine broadcasts that I didnt want to listen to- and yes I did turn the fixed radio off cos it was getting to be b****y annoying, but I did leave a handheld radio on. Our Coastguard MRSC doesnt use DSC before his routine 4 hourly weather/nav broadcasts. What is the situation on your patch?

[Jon Brooks]

It's interesting that no UK coastguard station, that I know of, is using DSC to alert for routine calls.
Certainly the main to I work with don't, Thames and Dover.
Yet in Fance it seems to happen a fair bit.

I do think that there is a huge lack of understanding of DSC.
Particulaly in the Rag and Stick area but in all area's of lesiure boating.
Also some of the so called experts in the boating press write some real twoddle!
So that don't help either.

These were some of the reason we here set about offering DSC talks to clubs.
There has been a good take up but by no means huge.

Regards