VHF DSC options?

[wilcara]

Looking at putting VHF with DSC in the boat for offshore times, and considering the brands. I have Lowrance electronics and GME 27 meg, but there is a lot cheaper than GME in the VHF shelves. As "oils ain't necessarily olis" what would you recommend to buy, or not to buy? Thanks.

[finga]

Any brand other then GME would suit this little black duck.
After sales service from GME was absolutely non-existent to me when I had a problem with one of their radios.
ICOM are good :)

As a side note...have you got your radio license as if you have not got it the DSC feature is useless.

[wilcara]

Is that right? I didn't know that....

[reddybayfisher]

Yes - Finga is correct you - I have a Marine Operators VHF Certificate of Proficiency (MROVCP): did a day course. When you register your DCS with AMSA they will require a copy of this to register you with an MMSI no.....similar to an eprib HEX ID....

[reddybayfisher]

On another note - I have the Cobra MR F80 B - this is on the cheaper side of VHFs but I haven't had a problem with this unit yet & was quite easy to hook up to my GPS unit....

[bluefin59]

I also recomend the i-com , i have the 304 its a great unit with d.s.c .....matt

[lippa]

cobra's the cheapest, and probably the best value for money,
icom are regarded as the best, and a tad dearer.
gme have droped there bundle lately with marine electronics, i'd stear clear.

[Fatenhappy]

Had a similar problem by the sounds of it to Finga about 18 months ago. Even finished up changing the factory fitted GME unit at that time from our 660 and went with Navman.

Its all horses for courses ... i've never had a problem with either the refitted VHF or the additional 27Meg unit that we also fitted at the time. Both units are fairly reasonably priced and did the job well in the past.

The current refit for Fatenhappy is going to be carried out with similar units.

For me, if I can find something that i'm happy with and it works and at a good price, go for it.

Cheers

[tenzing]

Icom for me too.Removed the GME unit aftera few issues.Have been totally satisfied with the ICOM.
As said earlier , the DSC is useless without the licence, Need to plug the MMSI no. provided by AMSA upon providing copy of your MROVCP or MROCP into the unit to enable the DSC function. Did we use all the letters in the alphabet yet?
I,d recommend spending the extra few dollars. Think about the circumstances in which you may want to use it, May only get one chance.
Brendan

[Fish_Two]

whats DSC?

[wilcara]

Digital Selective Calling - kind of like a panic button linked to your gps and gives your position. Didn't know until now though that you needed the vhf icence number to use it.

Anybody know where to buy an Icom 304?

There was a store on Oz ebay that had them for $218, but don't seem to have them now. Tha'ts about all I want to pay. Most seem to be in the $396 range now, or about half from US.

[QF3 MROCP]

whats DSC?


The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) has meant the introduction of a variety of automated radiocommunications technologies.
One of these is known as digital selective calling or DSC.


A simple way of explaining is by compereing the process of communicating by SMS message on a mobile phone. You send a heap of digital data and your mate sees a written message on the screen of his mobile phone - you ask him in the message to be ready to receive a verbal phone call from you about a problem you want to talk about.

So, DSC lets you send a digital Mayday message for example to your mate with your Identification, nature of the problem and location all transmited in milli seconds, then your mate is waiting to hear your verbal radio call on VHF channel 16. But wait! - you loose battery power in the boat and there is no time to make the verbal radio Mayday call - not a problem, because in milli seconds your DSC message got out at least with the same info you were going to talk to him about.

This technique has been used for several years by large trading vessels.
It is expected that its use will gradually become commonplace by small vessels and eventually may replace radiotelephony techniques for initial distress, urgency and safety calls on the MF/HF marine and VHF bands. With time, traditional labour-intensive aural watchkeeping by ship and limited coast stations may change to automated DSC electronic watchkeeping as the maritime communication stations have done.

Although maritime communication stations provide a service in the HF marine band, the use of MF/HF DSC by small vessels in Australia is still in its infancy. Many limited coast stations do not support this form of communications for small
vessels.

DSC on VHF is becoming more popular. However, normal radiotelephony procedures are likely to be the primary means of initiating priority calls to and from small vessels for some years.

[White Pointer]

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) has meant the introduction of a variety of automated radiocommunications technologies.
One of these is known as digital selective calling or DSC.


A simple way of explaining is by compereing the process of communicating by SMS message on a mobile phone. You send a heap of digital data and your mate sees a written message on the screen of his mobile phone - you ask him in the message to be ready to receive a verbal phone call from you about a problem you want to talk about.



So, DSC lets you send a digital Mayday message for example to your mate with your Identification, nature of the problem and location all transmited in milli seconds, then your mate is waiting to hear your verbal radio call on VHF channel 16. But wait! - you loose battery power in the boat and there is no time to make the verbal radio Mayday call - not a problem, because in milli seconds your DSC message got out at least with the same info you were going to talk to him about.
This technique has been used for several years by large trading vessels.
It is expected that its use will gradually become commonplace by small vessels and eventually may replace radiotelephony techniques for initial distress, urgency and safety calls on the MF/HF marine and VHF bands. With time, traditional labour-intensive aural watchkeeping by ship and limited coast stations may change to automated DSC electronic watchkeeping as the maritime communication stations have done.

Although maritime communication stations provide a service in the HF marine band, the use of MF/HF DSC by small vessels in Australia is still in its infancy. Many limited coast stations do not support this form of communications for small
vessels.

DSC on VHF is becoming more popular. However, normal radiotelephony procedures are likely to be the primary means of initiating priority calls to and from small vessels for some years.

G'day,

A wealth of new learning about VHF and DSC in this thread.

The ICOM 304 is a premium VHF radio and not cheap and it's not the bottom of their range. There are other good brands in the market including Navman and GME but often quality is associated with specific models and with price.

Recommendations:

1. Get a VHF radio license. It makes you competent to use it and informs you about what to look for in a radio to suit your needs (e.g. in the bay or outside)

2. Don't just buy on price. The radio is cheap compared to your life. Ask AUSFISHers for recommendations after describing where you want to go. The VMRs are a good source of information as well.

3. Promote discussion on this thread. The more of us licensed on VHF with DSC the faster the response - because we are obliged to respond. It saves lives.

White Pointer

[lippa]

Anybody know where to buy an Icom 304?

.


i got mine from northside marine.

[megafish71]

Standard Horizon also make a good unit, a bit cheaper than the Icom, comes with a 3 year warranty. Might be worth a look.

Ron

[wilcara]

Great stuff - keep the good ideas coming! ;D

[Grand_Marlin]

I supply and fit the Icom as first choice for people.
The 304 is around $370

They are a lot better radio than most others.

If price is the issue, the Lowrance (rebadged Navman) VHF with DSC is around $250.
I have fitted a few of these and all reports are good so far.

Cheers

Pete

[Richo1]

It has been awhile since I did my radio course so please correct me if I'm wrong, but the DSC panic button will still work if interphased with the GPS? A automatic distress message will be transmitted with the Lat and Long of the distressed vessel however no identification of the vessel will be sent!

Still think you should do a course however.

Cheers Richo

[Essence]

Have a navman on two boats, only hassle with the navmans is, the installer, may not permanently wire the GPS unit to power.
Easy test, the @#$$@$@ thing, rings every time you turn the sounder/gps off!
Took ages, to work out why as I relied on a dealer to do install (never again, use a proper electronics person)
Other than that, they've been really good, especially boat to boat buddy.

[Hamish73]

Another vote for ICOM, I buy them because of ease of use and reliability.
I had a 422 on a previous boat and a 504 on the current boat, both imported when the $$ was good.

[jigsnreels]

I was buying a new vhf about a year ago and was looking at this dsc thing. I wasn't convinced by the sales pitch of the local guy, so I phone Coast Radio Hobart, our local coastguard guys, and a pretty good bunch They said it wasn't something they were on to and didn't expect to be for a while.

So I phoned AMSA in Camnberra, the national search and rescue coordinators to ask them about it. The guy there asked me to explain what dsc is. He asked round the office, blank stares all round:o

Back to the local guy with this info and he was a bit sheepish, saying "Mmm, well, yeah, it hasn't really been widely adopted in Australia yet..."

As I said, this waas 12 months ago, so before thinking it's the bees knees, it might be worth checking not so much how it works, but who's actually listening.

Cheers,
Jigs

[Hamish73]

jig, you are takin' the piss... right??? :-/

[jigsnreels]

Errr, no, unfortunately.

[wilcara]

That was Tassie though. They were all sitting around boxes of pigeons.

Sorry mate, can't help meself. The point you raise though is a very valid one and it would certainly pay for people to check with their local coast guard or whatever. I would guess that Q would be far better monitored than "other areas."

[jigsnreels]

Hohoho, you'll have to do better than that wilcara.


But yeh, worth checking, could have been a big uptake in the last 12 months

Gotta say that the Coast Radio Hobart crew are pretty good, they deal as much with pros as amateurs, and I've actually heard them handle a few dramas - very cool and collected

[Taroona]

I queried both VMR and Coast Guard here in Brisbane about six months ago and they do not monitor DSC.
However if you send a distress DSC call and other boats in range are carring VHF with DSC they will pick up the call as will commercial vessals that are required to carry class A radio's.

Here two links that might help

http://www.amsa.gov.au/Publications/Fact_sheets/VHFDSC_fact.pdf

http://www.boatus.com/foundation/dsc/player.html


Les

Almost forgot you need two radios in Tassie one for each head

[wilcara]

I think Jigs will have you for that one taroona. Unless your'e from Taroona?

[Taroona]

I think Jigs will have you for that one taroona. Unless your'e from Taroona?

Grew up at Kingston Beach and went to Taroona High in the 60's. Learnt to sail at 14 when in the sea scouts at kingston beach

[wilcara]

This place seems full of escaped tasmanians! (New Town/St Virgils 61-70) ;D;D

[White Pointer]

It has been awhile since I did my radio course so please correct me if I'm wrong, but the DSC panic button will still work if interphased with the GPS? A automatic distress message will be transmitted with the Lat and Long of the distressed vessel however no identification of the vessel will be sent!

Still think you should do a course however.

Cheers Richo

G'day Richo,

To have DSC enabled you need a license. If you have a license you apply for the MMSI code to enter into your radio.

If you activate a DSC alert you will send your MMSI code.

If you have a GPS interface it will send your position.

Good VHF radios allow the operator to edit the message being sent - same as texting on a mobile but scolling menus and selecting options.

You can usually edit for the following, depending on radio: Stations being called or all stations; the priority (mayday, pan-pan, etc); your last position (if you don't have a GPS interface); and some radios allow some free text, such as "Sinking".

Typically, a distress message would be sent to all stations. All stations should start a radio log of the call and monitor the distress channel, waiting for a coast or limited coast station to acknowledge. If this hasn't happened for about a minute stations that received the message should send a relay distress message and wait. If there is still no acknowledgement stations that received the message should coordinate the rescue based on location and capability.

Hope this helps.

White Pointer