A Boater's Guide to VHF and GMDSS

Overview

GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) and VHF (Very High Frequency) radiotelephone are integral components of the worldwide marine radio communications system. Nearly six million U.S. and Canadian recreational sail- and powerboats carry VHF radios. Endorsed by the U.S. Coast Guard and written by a navigation VHF-DSC radio trainer, this userfriendly guide gets boaters quickly up to speed on both analog and digital VHF radiotelephone usage. Its straightforward, nontechnical coverage, "Geek-speak" boxed definitions, quick reference chart, and more make it easy for readers to quickly master and get the most out of their radios.

Table of contents

Foreword by Captain Jack Fuechsel
Introduction
About This Book
Acknowledgments
Part 1. Your VHF Radio
Chapter 1. Overview of the VHF-DSC System
Why Digital Selective Calling?
How Long before I Need to Buy a New Radio? Benefits of Using DSC
Chapter 2. Non-DSC VHF Radios
Chapter 3. Portable Radios
Chapter 4. VHF-DSC Radios
Equipment Classes
VHF-DSC Radio Controls and Functions
Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) Numbers
How to Get an MMSI Number
Radio Buyer's Clinic
Chapter 5. Radio Installation
Where to Situate the Radio
Antenna
Radio Signal
Emergency Antennas
Testing the Radio
Chapter 6. Setting Up the DSC-Equipped Radio
Programming the Directory
Manual Position and Time
Entering a Group MMSI Number
Self-Test Feature (if Fitted)
Chapter 7. The Batteries
Small, Internal Batteries
Ship's Battery
Battery Care
Chapter 8. VHF Marine Radio Channels
Channel Numbering
Single- and Dual-Frequency Channels and Half-Duplex Communciations
Capture Effect
GMDSS VHF Channel Usage
Part 2. VHF Radio Protocol
Chapter 9. Standard Procedure
Language Requirement
Position, Course, Distance, and Speed
Geographical Names
Time
Phonetic Alphabet
Phonetic Numerals
Procedure Words
Transmitting Rules: The Radio Creed
Microphone Skills
Chapter 10. Calling Etiquette
Calling Channels
Initial Calls
Who Chooses the Working Channel?
Watchkeeping
Garbled Calls
Unanswered Calls
Call Planner
Part 3. Using Your VHF Radio
Chapter 11. Distress
Distress Alerting by DSC
Distress Menu
The Distress Call and Message
Designated Distress Alert and Mayday Message
Mayday Procedure Card
Acknowledging Distress from a Ship Station
Distress Relay
Distress Signals
Mayday Relay
CH16 Communications Control
Direction Finding
Canceling a False Distress Alert
Chapter 12. Urgency Traffic
Urgency Alerting by DSC
Pan-Pan Message for DSC and Non-DSC Radios
Urgent Medical Advice
Receiving an Urgency Message
Chapter 13. Safety Traffic
Sending Safety Alerts
Safety Alerts by Ship Stations: Passing a Safety Message to the Coast Guard
Receiving a Safety Message
Chapter 14. Calling Another Vessel
Intership Channels
Collision Avoidance
Communications on Board
Intership Calls
Chapter 15. Calling the Coast Guard
Coast Guard Services
Weather and Safety Information
Float Plans
Direction Finding
Routine Calls to the Coast Guard
Chapter 16. Weather Information
Weather-Wise Boating
Where to Find Weather Forecasts
Chapter 17. Making a Phone Call
Coast Radio Stations
Phone Calls Step-by-Step
Chapter 18. VHF Radio versus Cellular Phones
Cell Phones on Boats
Chapter 19. Port Operations and Marinas
Chapter 20. Marine Radio Legal Requirements in the United States and Canada
United States
Canada
Part 4. The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
Chapter 21. What Is the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System?
Chapter 22. Other GMDSS Equipment
EPIRBs
Search-and-Rescue Transponders (SARTs)
Navtex Systems
Chapter 23. The Last Word: Training
Part 5. Appendices
1. U.S. Maritime VHF Bandplan
2. Canadian Maritime VHF Bandplan
3. International Maritime VHF Bandplan
4. U.S. Coast Guard Weather Broadcast Schedule
5. Maritel Coast Radio Station Channels
6. U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard MMSI Numbers
7. Contact Information
8. Glossary
9. Making the Call: Quick Reference
Index

Biographical note

Sue Fletcher is a navigation VHF-DSC radio teacher-assessor, a freelance nautical magazine writer, and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation. She is coauthor of the training guidelines for the U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boater GMDSS Awareness Course.

Back cover copy

The first complete, hands-on VHF guide for recreational boaters

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) represents a complete overhaul of marine communications, which hadn't changed much since the Morse code system was instituted after the Titanic sank in 1912. VHF analog radio has long been essential for two-way communcation between boats or between a boat and a shore station within line-of-sight distance of one another. But GMDSS uses VHF radios fitted with digital selective calling (DSC), which allows automated radio calls. A VHF-DSC radio can selectively call another digital radio by call number, just as a telephone does, and in the case of distress, urgency, and safety calls, all vessels and coast stations within receiving distance are alerted; once programmed, the DSC radio will broadcast and repeat your digital ID, your position, and a Mayday message to rescue personnel.

Endorsed by the U.S. Coast Guard and written by a VHF-DSC radio trainer, A Boater's Guide to VHF and GMDSS is a user-friendly guide that gets recreational boaters quickly up to speed on using both analog and digital VHF radiotelephones. Think of it as your on-call radio resource, with step-by-step instructions, illustrations of what the radio displays will look like, and sample transmissions. Sue Fletcher's straightforward explanations are accompanied by highlighted tips, guides to radio "Geek-Speak," and a Quick Reference chart, so you'll easily master what you need to know about


Selecting and setting up a DSC or analog VHF system
VHF radio protocol, including radio regulations, transmission etiquette, and channel allocation
Using and getting the most out of your radio, including calls, weather, and port operations
A full explanation of GMDSS, including equipment requirements, EPIRBs, SARTs, and Navtex


"The U.S. GMDSS Task Force is pleased to endorse A Boater's Guide to VHF and GMDSS as a valuable aid throughout North America, especially for small-vessel operators, both to support the recommended training and for self-study purposes. It is important that all mariners understand the GMDSS."--from the foreword by Captain Jack Fuechsel, USCG (Retired), Director, U.S. GMDSS Task Force