City Sailingvideo
Learn VHF DSC Urgency Call in Minutes
2 June 2020 · 2 min · 5K views · Wiltshire, England
What this video covers
Initiating a Digital Selective Calling (DSC) urgency call requires first verifying the VHF radio has power and is switched on.0:05 Navigate the radio menu to the DSC function and select the "all ships" option.0:15 Confirm the "urgency" category and designate channel 16 as the inter-ship communication channel.0:39 The radio transmits the digital alert on channel 70, triggering an alarm on all vessels within range.0:46 Wait 15 seconds after the digital transmission before broadcasting the voice "PAN PAN" call.0:54 State "all stations" three times, followed by the vessel name, MMSI number, current GPS coordinates, and the nature of the emergency.1:20 In this scenario, the vessel "Hot Stuff" reports a steering failure and a loss of manoeuvrability with six people on board.1:26 If no response follows the initial broadcast, repeat the entire DSC and voice sequence.2:24 A DSC urgency call alerts nearby vessels to a situation that is serious but does not yet require an immediate Mayday distress response.
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