idlerboat 116 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 ,,,has anybody stuffed up the MMSI number into a VHF ? (back to the factory) Where do you guys get the number from ? Do you have to have a licence like we do here before you can even get one ? (AMSA) Link to post Share on other sites
PaulR 3 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 No stuff ups yet!! Luckily!!! After a lot of phoning around, the Radio Spectrum allocators (part of the Ministry of Economic Development) in our capital Wellington, seemed to want to know all sorts of things like my eye colour, hair colour etc just to push a button. All sorts of red tape forms = admin crap. Eventually I got back to NZ Coastguard, Boating Education Services, (on Westhaven seawall) who administer the VHF callsigns. (Wellington Radio Spectrum administer the SSB Registrations.) So although DSC is NOT monitored (officially in NZ at about a year ago) I was able to obtain 3 MMSI numbers for different yachts, each only had VHF radios. I also had to argue that I was not worried about official monitoring, just happy to want the NEAREST vessel to rescue me if required. As I understand it, all foreign ships in NZ have VHF/DSC always on and so do a lot of NZ ships. I think any DSC radio will sound an alarm if it hears a DSC call even if they don't have an MMSI number. All works OK and was able to make GPS input display Lat & Long on the VHF screen; able to make a VHF ringing situation with the Cobra VHF supplier => Advanced Trident Ltd, well known SIMRAD sponsor, un abashed plug for them. So now the DSC function will work as long as the GPS is on at the same time and has a good fix. Licences. In NZ you do need a radio operators licence to legally operate a radio, marine or ham, but there is an exemption for emergencies. Coastguard look after the VHF only licences. Radio Spectrum looks after SSB from Wellington. Luckily I have my licence from the old DSB days which now is for both VHF and SSB. So you don't actually need a radio OPERATORS licence to get an MMSI number as you may not even be on the crew, but it certainly helps smooth the way through the red tape if you have one. Most concern was about distress procedures etc. I read a comment somewhere that in the USA about 90+% of DSC capable VHFs do NOT have an MMSI number so their DSC feature will NOT work. Totally senseless IMHO as in an emergency, one needs all and each safety item to work WITHOUT thinking, or writting application letters etc. It's only one's life that is at stake, and I am happy to be rescued FIRST so I can assist others. NB. RTFM Read your radio's manual carefully as it may take 1 to 3 minutes to send the DSC message as there is a delay once the red button is pushed, so you can cancel it if required. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Score one for cell/sat phones. Link to post Share on other sites
PaulR 3 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Score one for cell/sat phones. Yes but only operate person to person, knot one to many. Perhaps a half point. Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Pope 243 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Squid, probably Sat phones rather than Cells, I found out recently I eventually got Cell phone (vodaphone) reception around 15 miles east off Tauranga. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 One to omnne is OK, when your house is burning down do you call all your friends and neighbours, or the fire station? Link to post Share on other sites
PaulR 3 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 One often shouts "FIRE, FIRE, FIRE" out loud first while in rapid panic to find cell phone which was left somewhere, if only one could remember. Deduct 3 points Ogre. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I can't understand a word on a radio, back to the phone. Link to post Share on other sites
rigger 47 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I think any DSC radio will sound an alarm if it hears a DSC call even if they don't have an MMSI number. my handheld which has the DSC function but no MMSI entered - it does receive DSC distress calls So now the DSC function will work as long as the GPS is on at the same time and has a good fix. Should still function without GPS input but message sent will not contain your position. Read your radio's manual carefully as it may take 1 to 3 minutes to send the DSC message as there is a delay once the red button is pushed, so you can cancel it if required. Very true - different equipment has issues. Lastly - DSC is not AIS, they are totally different systems operating on different freqs. DSC is on VHF channel 70 AIS operates on VHF channels 87B and 88B (from memory) Link to post Share on other sites
grant 40 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 DSC is not AIS, they are totally different systems operating on different freqs. but if you get an AIS transponder you do need an MMSI number to put into it to ID yourself Link to post Share on other sites
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