T&T: Defending DSC

[Peter Bennett]

Friday, November 10, 2006, 7:21:12 AM, Arild wrote:

>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:> Ron Trossbach
>> The purpose of this post is to voice the opinion that DSC has a
>> place in small boat operations and is a simple thing to install with huge
AJ> safety
>> benefits.


AJ> REPLY
AJ> Notwithstanding the obvious benefits,  unless the Mayday Relay function is
AJ> modified, that one feature in conjunction with false calls is the achilles
AJ> heel and will likely be the downfall of DSC acceptance.

AJ> For those who are not familiar with "Mayday Relay" this is the automatic
AJ> repeat and thus relay of a received DSC  Mayday call. The concept was well
AJ> intentioned. A call originates in some distant location not close enough to
AJ> a Coast Guard station to be heard. Any DSC equipped radio that does pick up
AJ> the call relays it to another DSC  equuipped receiver.
AJ> The original call spreads like a ripple on a pond. Unfortunately the
AJ> reception of a mayday call also triggers an alarm ( see previous post that
AJ> initiated this thread)

The Class D and SC-101 type DSC radios cannot do a Distress Relay.  Class A radios, as required on SOLAS-compliant vessels may (but I think I've read somewhere that a distress relay required manual intervention even on those radios.)  A book I have on GMDSS states that _only_ a Coast Station should send a distress relay.

-- 
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI    Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Lien Hwa 28 (AKA Polaris 30) "Sea Spray"
GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter 
Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca