Regulations And Safety Warnings; Basic Radio Guidelines; Dsc: Frequently Asked Questions - Uniden UM455 Owner's Manual

Regulations and Safety Warnings

Regulations and Safety Warnings

Basic radio guidelines

You should familiarize yourself with the rules on marine radios and be aware of which
rules apply to your boat.

DSC: Frequently Asked Questions

The following information is sourced from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's
DSC FAQ.
What is the status of VHF DSC coverage in Australia?
In Australian waters, VHF DSC is for ship-to-ship alerting. There is no official shore-
based infrastructure but there are a number of volunteer marine rescue (VMR)
stations that have installed VHF DSC and a check with your local VMR should be
made.
VHF DSC for small craft is primarily for distress, urgency and safety purposes.
How should VHF DSC be used?
In Australian waters, Channel 70 should be used for DSC distress alerts only. Once
an alert has been sent the party in distress should monitor Channel 16, the distress
and calling channel. Parties receiving the DSC distress alert should switch to Channel
16 and acknowledge the MAYDAY call by voice giving their identity and signalling
"Received MAYDAY". If the party in distress does not receive an acknowledgement to
their DCS alert they should transmit the standard MAYDAY call by voice on Channel
16. There are still quite a number of boats that do not carry DSC radios.
Because Channel 16 is the distress and calling frequency it should only be used for
general traffic to raise another party. Once contact has been made, all routine traffic
should be passed on another agreed VHF channel.
Is a call sign or Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) needed?
An MMSI is a unique nine-digit code set into your DSC terminal to identify your
vessel. You need only one of these if you have multiple DSC radios. You use the
same MMSI for all radios on board the one vessel as it is a ship's identity. Because
VHF radios now operate under a Class License there is no requirement for an
official call sign but an operator must have a Maritime Radio Operators Certificate of
Proficiency (MROCP).
How can a MMSI be applied for?
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority allocates MMSI. To apply for an MMSI
complete the MMSI Application form available for download via
www.amsa.gov.au/mmsi. This page has important information about MMSI and
DSC radio.
What qualifications are needed to operate a VHF DSC radio?
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