5 March 2007
FROM: DCO Bruce Miller
TO: ALL HANDS
SUBJ: Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
To date, about 250,000 VHF-FM radios equipped with Digital
Selective Calling have been sold. Only 10% have requested an MMSI
(Marine Mobil Service Identifier) number. This surprising statistic
shows me the boating public and perhaps a surprising number of Auxiliarists
are not familiar with DSC and how it is a part of a very important marine
distress system. I am asking you to consider the following:
a. Include instruction on DSC/Rescue 21 as part of
each vessel safety check. You may find this to be a member training
issue for vessel examiners. See my suggestions below.
b. The Coast Guard has asked us to survey VHF-FM
equipped boats as part of our instruction. You will find the
interactive form and instructions on the 13th District website at:
http://www.a130.uscgaux.info/dso-ps/d13_forms.htm.
c. Include DSC instruction in your public education
and boat show efforts.
You can find out more by going to the USCG Rescue 21/DSC
website
http://www.uscg.mil/rescue21/dsc/index.htm.
In the second paragraph click on "digital selective calling (DSC)" for an
excellent handout.
A popular misconception of DSC is that it only useful near
a Coast Guard facility or in Puget Sound. DSC is a very effective emergency
alert system on any body of water in every state of the United States where
there are similarly equipped VHF-FM radios with DSC installed MMSI numbers
and hooked to installed GPS. Here is why...
DSC technology makes a VHF radio function more like a
telephone. It allows boaters to send a digital call directly to another DSC
equipped vessel or shore station. In an emergency, one push of a button and
the DSC radio will send an automated digital distress alert consisting of
your identification (MMSI), and position (if the radio is connected to a GPS
or Loran unit) to other DSC equipped vessels and rescue facilities.
You can privately hail another DSC equipped vessel, or
shore station, if you know their MMSI. It is similar to having a VHF phone
number which "rings" the radio called and then automatically switches you to
a pre-determined working channel.
The BoatUS website has an excellent narrated 35 minute
tutorial that allows viewers to try various radio buttons and sounds on
their computers. If you have a laptop, projector and web access, this might
be a great member training exercise at your next flotilla meeting!
Bruce
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Webmaster's note: for additional information about DSC Radios, see the
DSC Fact Sheet.
