So why isn't your DSC hooked up?

I was reading a report in a boat mag last night and the jest was that the USCG and others couldn't figure why only 10% of boaters have it hooked up.

Mine is good to go.*A few others I have talked to just don't have a radio that has DSC and don't want to buy a new one.

So two things. Do you have a DSC radio.

Is it hooked into your GPS.

Why or Why not.

SD

DSC radio - yes
Hooked into GPS - no - haven't got around to it. Its one of those projects that looks like it could easily turn into an ordeal so I have avoided dealing with it.

It is not a big deal. Usually just 2 wires NEMA 0183.

If you look in da book that came with the radio and GPS.**It is simple.

Then you get your MMSI number and you are good to go.

It can and will save life's

SD


-- Edited by skipperdude on Wednesday 2nd of November 2011 09:17:19 AM

I have one and it's hooked up. I sure wish I could test it because I don't know if it works or not.

Why? Just because it was there. It has that as a benefit, so why not capitalize on it? If I have an emergency, pushing a single button sure wouldn't take away much time from tending to said emergency. Seems almost too simple to ignore.

Is this the Boating World article I skimmed over yesterday?

Tom-

*

**EDIT** I used a trailer hitch wire harness to hook the 0183 to the GPS. Works great and basically weatherproof.


-- Edited by GonzoF1 on Wednesday 2nd of November 2011 09:20:16 AM

Have one and it is hooked up to GPS, but I haven't programmed in DSC identifiers. *Mine is an Icom and the DSC system makes the radio almost not worth using. *About once a month, the DSC alarm goes off, 99% of the time because some child pressed it or some genius wondered what "this button does". *It is supposed to turn itself off if you don't acknowledge it, but it doesn't as we found out in Victoria when we forgot to de-power the VHF and the DSC alarm went off for the 2 hours we were gone. *The neighbors called the police, since the alarm is about 100 db and there is no volume control. *Because of the volume, when it goes off if you're in the pilot house, it is the equivalent sensation to someone sneaking up behind you with an air horn. *So we generally keep the Icom turned off and a handheld non DSC turned on when cruising just to avoid the drama.

I'm sure it's just the Icom, and their tech dept. expects me to send it to them so they can replicate the issue rather than take my word for it, and I haven't bothered with that yet. *I suppose I am missing the whole point, but this system seems like another attempt to regulate safety that results in folks like me keeping the safety device turned off because it is such a nuisance.

DSC is one of many choices. If I truly want to be found quickly I will activate my EPIRB - 30 year old technology that is recognized by virtually all satellites whether US, Russian, Chinese etc. Many years ago 5 guys that worked for me*were rescued from a downed plane with the signal*received by a Russian satellite, relayed to Canada where the mishap occurred and*occupants in turn picked up by a USCG helicopter sent in from Juneau.

On too many radios DSC is an advertising gimmick.

Delfin wrote:
Have one and it is hooked up to GPS, but I haven't programmed in DSC identifiers. *Mine is an Icom and the DSC system makes the radio almost not worth using. *About once a month, the DSC alarm goes off, 99% of the time because some child pressed it or some genius wondered what "this button does". *It is supposed to turn itself off if you don't acknowledge it, but it doesn't as we found out in Victoria when we forgot to de-power the VHF and the DSC alarm went off for the 2 hours we were gone. *The neighbors called the police, since the alarm is about 100 db and there is no volume control. *Because of the volume, when it goes off if you're in the pilot house, it is the equivalent sensation to someone sneaking up behind you with an air horn. *So we generally keep the Icom turned off and a handheld non DSC turned on when cruising just to avoid the drama.

I'm sure it's just the Icom, and their tech dept. expects me to send it to them so they can replicate the issue rather than take my word for it, and I haven't bothered with that yet. *I suppose I am missing the whole point, but this system seems like another attempt to regulate safety that results in folks like me keeping the safety device turned off because it is such a nuisance.

Click to expand...

*I would think that after you were aware of the alarm and were in no position to render aid you could just turn off your radio untill the emergency was over.

*Doesn't switching to another chanel silence the alarm?

SD

DSC is hooked up to one our VHF radios and the*HF.* I would activate both if needed but like Tom, I would rely on the EPIRB in a real emergency.*

Does anyone know of someone who was*rescued*via*DSC?

Yes, we have one (ICOM). Yes, its hooked up. Yes, I got MMSI number. No, I don't know if it works or not.

dwhatty wrote:
Yes, we have one (ICOM). Yes, its hooked up. Yes, I got MMSI number. No, I don't know if it works or not.

Click to expand...

*If you get you boat buddy's MMSI number you can enter it in and give it a try. It is really pretty cool.

You can send a position report. An icon will show up on your GPS screen showing the location of the boat sending the position report.

It is also handy to stop people from clogging up channel 16 with useless broadcasts like. " This is Rubber Duck. Negative contact with Big Boat. Rubber duck clear".

Not necessary no one cares if you made contact or not only you. You could prevent a MayDay from being heard on 16 by useless and needless chatter.

SD

dwhatty wrote:
Yes, we have one (ICOM). Yes, its hooked up. Yes, I got MMSI number. No, I don't know if it works or not.

Click to expand...

*Ditto.

skipperdude wrote:So two things. Do you have a DSC radio.
Is it hooked into your GPS.

Why or Why not.

*

Click to expand...

*That's actually three things.

1. Yes, on each boat.

2.* Yes, on each boat.

3.* Because I can't think of a smart reason NOT to have it hooked up.* While we don't anticipate an emergency that would necessitate the use of the "red button," never say never, right?* So it makes sense to send the boat's position out along with the automated emergency signal.* And as skipperdude says, connecting the radio to a GPS (chart plotters in the case of both our boats) is very easy.* Just two wires to connect together.

As to the selective calling feature of DSC, we have MMSI numbers for both boats but we've used this feature only a couple of times on longer cruises in the company of another boat that also had DSC.* And that was because the other boat wanted to use it.* It's easy to program (although you only get two or three shots at entering your MMSI number correctly.* If you mis-key more than that, the radio has to go back to the manufacturer to be reset).*

We have found no real value in it (so far) for our own purposes.* There are only a few--- maybe three--- boats that we ever have reason to communicate with if we and they are out at the same time, and the standard call on 16 and switch to a working channel is no more time consuming that dialing in and making a DSC call.

But the automated position reporting feature is a very smart idea, I think.* We have an older Icom radio on the flying bridge of the GB that we bought new before DSC became a feature.* So that radio is obviously not connected to a GPS.* But since we never drive the boat from the flying bridge we don't view it to be worthwhile to change that radio simply to acquire DSC capability up there.

Both our DSC radios are Icoms (different models, however) and in the three or four years we've had them we've very rarely had the alarm go off for an incoming emergency transmission.* Also, the radios emit a sort of warning tone that an emergency transmission is incoming so we're able to reach over and hit the clear key if we don't want to be subjected to the alarm itself, which is very loud.* But so far when we've been out we've heard these signals maybe a two or three times a year at most.





-- Edited by Marin on Wednesday 2nd of November 2011 12:48:14 PM

Marin wrote:skipperdude wrote:So two things. Do you have a DSC radio.
Is it hooked into your GPS.

Why or Why not.

*

Click to expand...

*That's actually three things.

You're killing me.

*

I have a DSC radio. I have an MSSI number. It is not hooked up to my GPS and I have not entered my number into the radio.

Why Not? I don't know. No way to test it really for the emergency part that is. CG says that is a no-no. So how would I know it works for emergency?

To not do it is a bit foolish in my way of thinking. Hook it to the GPS and program the MMSI...it's not hard...there's plenty of assistance out there online or from helpful boaters or your frindly local assistance tower...I've helped several do it.

Being able to tell a passenger to hit the red button for 5 seconds while you fight the fire, plug the whole, get the engine started is worth it's weight in gold...

Anyone worried about it not working only has to listen to the thousand of false alarms by idiots to know it will probably work and work right for you if you hook up and MMSI it.

skipperdude wrote:Delfin wrote:
Have one and it is hooked up to GPS, but I haven't programmed in DSC identifiers. *Mine is an Icom and the DSC system makes the radio almost not worth using. *About once a month, the DSC alarm goes off, 99% of the time because some child pressed it or some genius wondered what "this button does". *It is supposed to turn itself off if you don't acknowledge it, but it doesn't as we found out in Victoria when we forgot to de-power the VHF and the DSC alarm went off for the 2 hours we were gone. *The neighbors called the police, since the alarm is about 100 db and there is no volume control. *Because of the volume, when it goes off if you're in the pilot house, it is the equivalent sensation to someone sneaking up behind you with an air horn. *So we generally keep the Icom turned off and a handheld non DSC turned on when cruising just to avoid the drama.

I'm sure it's just the Icom, and their tech dept. expects me to send it to them so they can replicate the issue rather than take my word for it, and I haven't bothered with that yet. *I suppose I am missing the whole point, but this system seems like another attempt to regulate safety that results in folks like me keeping the safety device turned off because it is such a nuisance.

Click to expand...

*I would think that after you were aware of the alarm and were in no position to render aid you could just turn off your radio untill the emergency was over.

*Doesn't switching to another chanel silence the alarm?

SD

*Yes, you can switch the VHF, which I do after wiping the wine I snorted out my nose off the book I'm reading after it goes off at 110 db. *

On the two Icoms we have that have DSC (both of them relatively new radios) you don't even have to switch channels to silence the alarm. You just push the "clear" button.

Both VHF's are DSC, and connected to the GPS's and have an MMSI. I figure it can help when there is a problem....and we also carry an EPIRB.

yes and yes, it was easy to do when we set up the new VHF after we installed it.* got the MMSI number before we installed the VHF.

Yes and yes, with an international MMSI # (not the boat/us one). Also GPIRB.

Got 2...one on the FB and one at the lower/foul weather helm. Both are connected to GPS. It was an easy job, much easier than connecting the PA speaker. Programming and activating the MMSI was simple, too. Don't know of any boating friends with active MMSIs to test the system with. Maybe we should share our MMSI numbers here. Can you think of any good reasons not to?

The admiral has instructions how to use it and what to expect if she ever pushes the button. Since she's not a boater, once a year we review the what-ifs in case I am incapacitated. I think I have her convinced of the fun and practicality of taking a 'pinch hitter' course. Maybe in the spring...

Delfin, I've got an Icom on the FB and have never had that problem. Sounds like something's seriously wrong with the radio. I'd have pulled mine and chucked it long ago if mine did that. Having the system connected gives me peace of mind that a simple action can get the rescue ball rolling in my direction.

I also have the BoatUS/Vessel Assist droid app to quickly send them my position and request assistance in the event of an emergency. All my boatingi s within the SF Bay and CA Delta, so cell coverage and VHF radio coverage is very good. No need for EPIRB yet.


.

FlyWright wrote:
Got 2...one on the FB and one at the lower/foul weather helm. Both are connected to GPS. It was an easy job, much easier than connecting the PA speaker. Programming and activating the MMSI was simple, too. Don't know of any boating friends with active MMSIs to test the system with. Maybe we should share our MMSI numbers here. Can you think of any good reasons not to?

The admiral has instructions how to use it and what to expect if she ever pushes the button. Since she's not a boater, once a year we review the what-ifs in case I am incapacitated. I think I have her convinced of the fun and practicality of taking a 'pinch hitter' course. Maybe in the spring...

Delfin, I've got an Icom on the FB and have never had that problem. Sounds like something's seriously wrong with the radio. I'd have pulled mine and chucked it long ago if mine did that. Having the system connected gives me peace of mind that a simple action can get the rescue ball rolling in my direction.

I also have the BoatUS/Vessel Assist droid app to quickly send them my position and request assistance in the event of an emergency. All my boatingi s within the SF Bay and CA Delta, so cell coverage and VHF radio coverage is very good. No need for EPIRB yet.


.

Click to expand...

*Thanks, Fly. *That was my conclusion as well. *Unfortunately, Icom doesn't agree. *I should get it taken care of one way or another, so thank you.

Carl--- There is an Icom service center in Bellevue if you don't know that already. When we had an intermittent problem with the previous Icom we had at the lower helm station of the GB we gave it to the dealer we'd got it from in Bellingham and while he experienced the problem once on his test bench the cause of the problem was not apparent. So he sent it to the Icom center in Bellevue. They put it in a heat chamber for a couple of days to try to duplicate the problem. As is often the case with intermittent problems, this one decided not to show up over the two days Icom tested it.

They did not charge us for the heat chamber testing but since the radio was several years out of warranty we elected not to start paying money to have them or the dealer start replacing parts in the hope that the fault might be physically removed from the radio. So we bought a new radio.

The point is that we experienced pretty good response from Icom. However, we went through our electronics dealer rather than direct. Don't know if this made a difference.

The first time our current radio, also an Icom, received a*DSC distress signal and started to yowl it did silence the alarm after not very long. At the time we weren't sure how to silence it ourselves and by the time we'd looked it up it had stopped. The few times it's happened since, we hit the clear button before the yowling even starts. The radio first emits a low-volume alarm for a few seconds, sort of a pre-echo of the full alarm, so we always know when the loud alarm is on its way.

As you're in the Puget Sound area it might be worth taking the radio to Bellevue unless you've already done this with unsatisfactory results.


-- Edited by Marin on Thursday 3rd of November 2011 10:34:32 PM

Thanks Marin, that is probably what I should do. *I appreciate your advice.

FWIW here is the contact information for the Icom Bellevue service center from their website:

Icom America, Inc.
Service Department
2380 116th Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98004
Phone: (800) 306-1380

Conrad wrote:dwhatty wrote:
Yes, we have one (ICOM). Yes, its hooked up. Yes, I got MMSI number. No, I don't know if it works or not.

Click to expand...

*Ditto.

*Ditto

It would be helpful if the CG had some way of allowing a test of the device.* I've tried selectively calling a buddy's boat but it didn't work.* I don't know who's unit was not set right.

Yes - I've got a Uniden Oceanus DSC

No - The DSC is not hooked up and I don't have an MMSI

Why not - I do a large part of my cruising in Canada and the DSC info isn't recognized in Canada unless you pay ~$300 to the FCC for the MMSI and a radio license. *Boat US obtained MMSI - DSC is only recognized in the US.

I carry a SPOT messenger that works, can be tested, and can be taken with me in the lifeboat. *

I have not figured out a way to silence the DSC alarm on my Uniden. *I have to shut it off as it's so loud it induces panic in everyone on board, myself included. *I can't interpret the info on the radio display anyway. *The display doesn't stay activated long enough to get the MMSI # (is that what's showing?) copied down. *

This summer I was one of hundreds (WAG) of boats cruising in Puget Sound when the USCG announced on Ch 16 that they had a report of a DSC of unknown origin. *The USCG asked that "anyone who did or did not hear the DSC Alert", to report their position. *Only one boater responded. *This does not indicate high participation. *

I'm not interested in the secret communication aspect of DSC but I would get an international MMSI and hook it up if it were less expensive, testable, and I could figure it out. *Until then I instruct my passengers on how to push the 911 button on the SPOT Messenger. *

Norm


-- Edited by mitkofisle on Monday 7th of November 2011 12:00:15 AM

mitkofisle wrote:....when the USCG announced on Ch 16 that they had a report of a DSC of unknown origin. *The USCG asked that "anyone who did or did not hear the DSC Alert", to report their position. *Only one boater responded. *This does not indicate high participation.

Click to expand...

Actually, this doesn't indicate anything.* In our area (north Puget Sound) we have heard a fair number of these "we got a distress signal at such and such a time, did anyone hear or not hear it and what is your location?" broadcasts.* A few boat's will respond, almost always in the negative.* This is because in the islands boat-to-boat reception can be very spotty.* And if the boat that transmitted the signal has a low antenna it can be even more spotty.* This, I believe, is one reason for the mayday relay that is used by the US and Canadian coat guards to broadcast a mayday to a wider area.

Every marine radio sold today has the DSC capability.* I believe the emergency broadcast capability is alway active--- you don't need an MMSI number for this.* While it will only include the vessel's location if the radio is connected to a GPS signal source, the basic distress signal will always go out when the red button is pushed and--- I believe--- the radio will always recieve and alarm a distress signal if one is received.* The MMSI is for the discreet communications part of the equation, not the distress part.

I was talking with a buddy of mine a couple of weeks back and he told me that when the weather wasn't so fine he and his son were caught out a fair ways from shore. He said he experienced engine problems on his boat and to compound things even a little more his radio was giving him issues too. Anyway, his son who was bored with the trip and spent most the time in the salon txting and playing games on his*cell phone called 911 ( a trait well learnt in school i.e. to call 911 if there was ever a problem ). They dispatched the CG and gave them his coordinates as per the cell phone GPS indicator. Within 30min help arrived and got them to safety.

He told me that he would have never thought about using a cell phone. He said he took back all his thoughts he was having concerning his son who seemed uninterested in the trip. He was thinking that he should have just stayed home and played with his phone because he wasn't of any help for him pre the phone call.*

This event was kinda funny in the end but may have turned out a little different if my buddy was there alone. So if you take some young'ins along for a trip and all they want to do is txt.. buy him/her a pop.

Elwin*

"....unless you pay ~$300 to the FCC for the MMSI and a radio license..."

It costs $160 to get your VHF station license which is good for 10 years; $60 for the application payment and $100 for regulatory payment.* There is no charge for the MMSI number.* You can do it on line although the process is a little slow.* You'll need to fill out FCC Form 605 and Schedule B.* When you fill out the forms you are asked for search and rescue information and also alternative emergency contact information ashore.* We have to have a license based on where we cruise but for $16/year I would do it*if we lived in the states.* Hopefully, in time, the system will work as it was designed.*