Sea Start RYA VHF DSC Radio Courses
Sea Start is offering one day VHF DSC courses, which will be held at our offices. As many of you will now be aware, it is no longer mandatory for shipping to maintain a listening watch on Channel 16. DSC means that all emergency, safety and routine messages are received without a dedicated listening watch having to be maintained.
The UK Coastguard has discontinued a dedicated headset watch on Channel 16 - although a loudspeaker watch will continue. DSC has many advantages, the obvious one being that when it is connected to a GPS you can send a distress signal along with your exact position, with one touch of the button. The distress message is repeated every four minutes until it is acknowledged either by a Coastguard Station or by a ship within radio range.
One of the other benefits of DSC is the ability to make routine calls to another vessel or coast station. To make a call you simply put in their dedicated MMSI number, select your chosen VHF working channel and send the call, very much like using a mobile phone. Both your radio and the one you are calling will automatically switch to your chosen channel for subsequent conversation.
It is very useful to have more than one person in the crew who is familiar and competent with using the radio. As the skipper you will have enough to think about in an emergency, so why not bring your colleague on the course as well? It could save your life! Remember that it is against the law to carry a VHF radio and operate it without a licence.
Location
Our Offices.
Price
£89 per person. Plus £20 certificate fee which is payable to the RYA. Please bring a passport sized photograph too.
Please call 0800 885500 for course dates, and to book your place. Click here to find our offices.
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