mike cunningham
Freedom 30 "Jacqueline"
I just received my new DSC handheld. Standard Horizon HX870 (waterproof and floats). Selected it based on recent Practical Sailor review.
Goodbye to my old Uniden handheld which has served me well for 10 years but is heavy as a brick and would sink accordingly.
I have a Fixed mount DSC aboard the boat with external GPS hooked up from the CP.
Anyway, I am ashamed to say I gave the fixed mount VHF "quick start guide" a read through and tossed the full manual in Jacqueline's manual bag. Until I attended the ISAF sea survival course I really did not have a handle on how to operate the DSC function, even the basic distress function. I figured if you start sinking you gotta go down below, press the red button under the plastic flap and something good will happen. Maybe a Coastie in full rescue mode will pop out of the ether ready to escort me to the waiting helicopter.
I have now resolved to actually read the HX870 manual and am amazed at the capability this thing has - presumably my fixed VHF has more or less the same magical powers.
I realize everyone is racing and wishes to retain their proprietary rights to course, speed, position, etc. But, being a newbie, I was wondering if SSS ever uses use some of the DSC functionality like group calls and so forth?
Also I was surprised to find the Radio, if appropriately polled, will automatically report its position. This could be mighty useful if people were overdue or whatever. I realize it could also be used to take a sneak peak at the aforementioned proprietary data.
Goodbye to my old Uniden handheld which has served me well for 10 years but is heavy as a brick and would sink accordingly.
I have a Fixed mount DSC aboard the boat with external GPS hooked up from the CP.
Anyway, I am ashamed to say I gave the fixed mount VHF "quick start guide" a read through and tossed the full manual in Jacqueline's manual bag. Until I attended the ISAF sea survival course I really did not have a handle on how to operate the DSC function, even the basic distress function. I figured if you start sinking you gotta go down below, press the red button under the plastic flap and something good will happen. Maybe a Coastie in full rescue mode will pop out of the ether ready to escort me to the waiting helicopter.
I have now resolved to actually read the HX870 manual and am amazed at the capability this thing has - presumably my fixed VHF has more or less the same magical powers.
I realize everyone is racing and wishes to retain their proprietary rights to course, speed, position, etc. But, being a newbie, I was wondering if SSS ever uses use some of the DSC functionality like group calls and so forth?
Also I was surprised to find the Radio, if appropriately polled, will automatically report its position. This could be mighty useful if people were overdue or whatever. I realize it could also be used to take a sneak peak at the aforementioned proprietary data.
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