VHF Marine Radio Protocols
VHF Marine Radio Protocols
Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
53
Nothing
Comes Close to a Cobra
®
52 English
Maritime Mobile
Service Identity (MMSI)
Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
•
Digital selective calling is a semi-automated system for establishing a radio call. It
has been designed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as an international
standard for VHF, MF, and HF calls and is part of the Global Maritime Distress and
Safety System (GMDSS).
DSC will eventually replace aural (listening) watches on distress frequencies and will
be used to announce routine and urgent maritime safety information broadcasts. Until
DSC is fully implemented, it is still necessary to maintain a listening watch on Channel
16.
The DSC system allows mariners to instantly send a distress call with GPS position
coordinates to the Coast Guard and other vessels within range of the transmission. DSC
also allows mariners to initiate and receive distress, urgent, safety, routine, position
request, position send, and group calls between vessels equipped with DSC capable
radios.
Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI)
•
The MMSI Number Is Available In The U.S.A. From Any Of Two (2) Sources:
n
U.S. Power Squadron www.usps.org
n
BoatU.S.– www.getmmsi.com
NOTE
The above references are for recreational vessels only. Commercial vessels
should contact the FCC.
An MMSI is a nine (9) digit number used on a marine radio capable of using digital
selective calling (DSC). It is used to selectively call other vessels or shore stations and
is similar to a telephone number.
For your Cobra Marine®
™
radio to operate in the
DSC
mode, you must enter your
maritime mobile service identity (MMSI) number. See page 55 for instructions
on how to enter it.
In Canada, Contact:
n
Industry Canada Spectrum Management Office (only available on the Internet):
www.ic.gc.ca and search for “MMSI”.
To Obtain An MMSI Number Outside The U.S.A.:
Users can obtain an MMSI from their country’s telecommunications authority
or ship registry. This may involve amending or obtaining a ship station license.
WARNING
This equipment is designed to generate a digital maritime distress and
safety signal to facilitate search and rescue. To be effective as a safety
device, this equipment must be used only within communication range
of a shore-based VHF marine channel to distress and safety watch system.
The range of the signal may vary.
