Tag Archives :emergency

Not just anyone can use a VHF marine radio. To operate this equipment - both fixed and handheld radios - on a UK-flagged vessel, you must have, at the minimum, the Marine Radio Short Range Certificate (SRC). This is a legal requirement. The SRC, which must be successfully completed at a recognized training center, instructs users in radio etiquette and procedures, digital selected calling (DSC) and emergency procedures.  ...

The Coast Guard must respond to about 60,000 emergency calls each year (while saving nearly 5,000 lives annually) using limited resources. According to Coast Guard say, “Of the roughly 100 digital selective calling distress alerts we are now receiving each month, approximately nine out of 10 do not have position information (i.e., do not have a GPS navigation receiver interconnected to their DSC-equipped VHF radio), and approximately six out of 10 have not registered their MMS  ...

All DSC-equipped shore stations and vessels will hear your distress signal as an alarm. It will be repeated every 4 minutes until acknowledged. A DSC alert signal has a 15% greater range than a voice transmission and therefore is more likely to reach a vessel or rescue centre.  ...

What do you do when you are trapped fishing on the island? What happens when your ship suddenly runs out of oil? At this time, if you don't bring any communication equipment, you can only listen to fate. If you bring it, Congratulations, you can get help. Of course, if you use a mobile phone at this time, pray that it has a signal, otherwise it can only be a toy. If you have a marine VHF radio in your hand, you can be happy.  ...

Marine VHF radios should be intrinsically safe, which means that the wiring of the equipment is designed to withstand high heat, dust, and water. In other words, even if something major goes wrong onboard a ship, the radio should still operate to communicate and alert the appropriate authorities.  ...