Keep DSC equipped VHF radios turned on 24/7
- Thread starter Grant Stevens - USBR
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Grant Stevens - USBR
Well-Known Member
DSC is also very quiet along the coast in SoCal. I left the radio on in my sailboat for a week, and it did receive 1 DSC alert call. If anyone lives in Page or near the lake and wants to volunteer their time, they can record all DSC transmissions with a VHF radio, sound card, and PC. Check out the software DSCdecoder at this link:
https://www.coaa.co.uk/dscdecoder.htm
An acquaintance who logged 24 hours worth of traffic, just North of Long Beach harbor (the North bound shipping lane is very busy), only received about 300 transmissions (complete list is below, I truncated the MMSI's for privacy as it's not my file.)
Also, check out:
This site uses AIS, which is an extension of DSC where the ship transmits it's location every x minutes. It's pretty cool how far AIS has come, Standard Horizon just launched a VHF radio with a built in AIS transponder which is pretty cool (useless at lake powell, but interesting none the less.)
DSC call log for 24 hour period North of Long Beach: (had to truncate list as too long to post)
- removed by request -
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Grant Stevens - USBR
Well-Known Member
I remember reading your post on the old site, it is simply not acceptable Park Service employees in the dispatch center or operating the rescue vessels are not trained in this area. Two of my friends are professional captains, and their response when questioned was similar, stating "I don't need that c**p." I think his response was more to hide his ignorance, but scary as he has a 500 ton license, and is very well trained in GMDSS (at least the rules and regs, obviously not in practice.)
Even commercial operators do not have their radios properly configured, which is sad as many die who did not need to as shown in this video:
If your properly configured, when you press the red button:
- The search is removed from search and rescue, as every radio that hears your calls knows your exact position
- Any boat in the area alarms very loudly (even if their volume is turned down.)
- Their radio automatically turns to channel 16 (the vessel in distress should always follow with a voice call)
- All radios display the compass direction and distance to the vessel in distress, as well as the GPS coordinates (this will also show up on your chart plotter if you are properly configured.)
- The vessel in distress, should always follow up with a voice announcement. Your radio and every radio that received the distress will already of switched to channel 16. Give a few seconds for everyone to disable the alarm and turn up their volume then announce a standard mayday call "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, repeat each of the following 3 times, This is XXX and vessel description, Located at Dungeon Canyon, and nature of distress (heart attack.)
Now that's funny! Who said NPS workers don't have a sense of humor
birdsnest
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
She's the only only I've ever known of that did have a sense of humor and I think she might of spanked him.
John P Funk
Escalante-Class Member
Sounds like a major emergency situation to me, second only to running out of ice cream.
Grant Stevens - USBR
Well-Known Member
The USCG now has direction finding capability on all it's antenna's. It's pretty cool when someone talks inappropriately, they often call out the location "To the vessel in Newport Bay, channel 16 is for xxx." Not that they can get accurate enough to find the vessel, just enough to scare off any kids...
birdsnest
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
We do have to keep our priorities straight, right?
OneBlade
Member
Bought myself a DSC capable radio. Radio has GPS internal so no worries about getting that connected. It sounds like this thread it's quite possible any DSC call may not even be monitored. My question is related to a suggestion earlier in the thread to have everyone use an unofficial official WaynesWords group MMSI 022 222 222. What does that mean/do? Like does that mean I set my radio somehow to that group and monitor it (along with normal scan of VHF Chan 16) or can you elaborate what that would entail?
GregC
Well-Known Member
Grant is more up to speed on this stuff and I hope will correct me if I'm wrong, but DSC will do a lot more than send emergency signals. If you think of the MMSI number as a phone number you can begin to realize its value. By using the "222" number you can broadcast specifically to those radios with that number programmed in to the "Group Call" slot on their radios. So, punch up 222 (I'm abbreviating here) and all the boats with that number plugged in will hear you say "I'm sitting on a half-acre striper boil up here". Or "All Waynes-worders, we had to move the Shad Rally up to Hansen from Stanton because an outhouse tipped over". If you know a friends' MMSI you can call and ring his radio individually as well. Or, create a "Smith Family" group to tell the kids it's lunch time.
GregC
Grant Stevens - USBR
Well-Known Member
Greg's correct. Simply go in to your "group" menu on your radio, and add the group number 022 222 222 to your radio (you can even name it WaynesWords or what ever." I believe my radio allows up to 10 group numbers, so my radio will listen for and ring if any radio sends a group call to any number that is in my group list.
So if everyone in your group does the same, and has 022 222 222 programmed in their "group list", anytime anyone places a "group call" to 022 222 222 , every radio with that number will ring, and when the called party acknowledges the call, their radio will transmit an ack so the caller knows you got it, and at the same time switch to the channel the caller specified, so you can then start your voice conversation.
You can place a DSC call to an Individual (their MMSI number), or a DSC call to a Group (anyone with that group number.)
So by doing a DSC individual/group call, instead of just calling with regular voice, your more likely to get all group members to hear you (as the radio will ring even if the volume is down and/or the stereo is blasting.)
So when you hear someone repeatedly hailing for another boat "Sunshine, Sunshine, you there???", DSC Individual or Group calls free up channel 16, as you can "ring" the radio your trying to call. If they do happen to miss the call, they will see a missed call on their radio that you tried to call them, and most radios it's a simple button press for them to reply with a DSC call directly back to you.
If you've ever monitored channel 16 around Wahweap/Antelope marinas, you begin to see the value of DSC as no one monitors for long due to the continuous annoying calls in this area as the marina operators are using 16 as their personal business calling channel...
I'll be on the lake June 14th for a week if anyone wants to give it a try.
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Grant Stevens - USBR
Well-Known Member
Nah, rf doesn't bother Squirrel, it's Kryptonite that he has to worry about...
Bringing this post to the top for the 2018 season...
Dworwood
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
How many of you programmed your radios to the private channel suggested above by Grant. I really liked the idea that I could actually meet some of you face to face, if you want to meet on the lake. I will have mine programmed as soon as the snow is off the cover. I am sure the radios are capable of much more than I will use. I learned a lot from this thread while sitting on an airplane but again I am catching up on many of these threads as I learn the sight and go back and read posts. Thanks for sharing some of your knowledge about this subject as I have always used it as just a radio. My old one was from 1987 so I am sure it did not have these capabilities. Always learning.
Littlesaltwash
Well-Known Member
I am glad you posted this Dworwood. I remembered and referenced this thread about a week ago to find out the model of suggested radio. I do not have a radio yet but I have been thinking i am being irresponsible for not having one. I would regret being in a situation where i couldn’t call for assistance to help and protect my family or not even be aware to render assistance to another family. The Standard Horizon gx1700 were now under 200 with the rebate. Actually, 177 with free shipping and after rebate thru cabelas.
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Squirrel
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
I heard that Santa got that same deal for someone in my family!!
Greg C said;
So, punch up 222 (I'm abbreviating here) and all the boats with that number plugged in will hear you say "I'm sitting on a half-acre striper boil up here".
I hope that I'm not over-thinking this, but, in Colorado it is illegal to use radios to lead hunters to game, are the rules for fishing different in Utah?
Sq
Greg C said;
So, punch up 222 (I'm abbreviating here) and all the boats with that number plugged in will hear you say "I'm sitting on a half-acre striper boil up here".
I hope that I'm not over-thinking this, but, in Colorado it is illegal to use radios to lead hunters to game, are the rules for fishing different in Utah?
Sq
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Fish are protected by the creel limit which states the number of fish that can be caught per day. You can only catch 5 largemouth bass per day, but stripers and walleye in Lake Powell are unlimited which indicates that they can reproduce, grow and survive, better than we can catch them with fishing rods. That may change in the future if the lake keeps dropping at which time UT DWR will change the limit. That is why I get to study fish at the lake year round.
If all the anglers within close proximity came to fish your boil they could catch all they wanted until the fish went down. The other question is: do you want that much company to attend a boil?
Grant Stevens - USBR
Well-Known Member
I tried everyday when I was on the lake in 2017 and 2018 (1 week in June and Thanksgiving week), no response.
Instructions for a Standard Horizon:
1) Go to the menu Setup/DSC Setup/Group Directory, enter the following:
WaynesWords 022 222 222
2) To place a group call, press:
CALL, then select Group Call
select WaynesWords
select the channel (68 for example)
select "YES" for Transmit Y/N
<Any radio in range with the group number 022222222 programmed in as indicated in 1) above, should now ring and display:
RECEIVED: GROUP CALL
From: Squirrel
Category: Safety
Channel: 68
Since: 1:03
ACCEPT/PAUSE/QUIT
If you click Accept, your radio will tune to 68, an ack will be sent to the calling radio that you accepted, and either side can now start to talk as both radios should now be on channel 68 "Wayne's got free beer at buoy 23!"
Have fun!
Dworwood
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
I have a uniden the dealer installed, I am reading the manual and I WILL figure it out before I hit the lake again. Thanks for your help on this subject & I look forward to trying it out on LP. The mariner site you listed is pretty awesome, I guess it goes to show you can run but you can’t hide! One more question without reading the manual, do all the radios in the group have to program the same channel for the group? I would assume so but I hate to assume!
Littlesaltwash
Well-Known Member
Being a newbie I am not going to remember any of this when I need it. Are the procedures standard for : starting an emergency signal, responding to an a emergency signal, and passing one on? Should all that info be in an owners manual? What, or are there any Lake Powell specific signals for emergency?
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