DSC all ships alerts

I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got very
pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on the DSC VHF
every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To cancel the siren
you have to go below to the radio, which is not always convenient when
single or short handed, and it is guaranteed to wake anyone up who is
snoozing. Apart from turning the set off I don't know a way of disabling or
making less the loud the alert signal, Is there one? I don't like to turn
the radio off altogether, in case there is a mayday or some relevant warning
etc.,
Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by someone
for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users who seriously
outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative?
Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular
UKCoastguard broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK.

Duncan Heenan wrote:

> I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got very
> pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on the DSC VHF
> every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To cancel the siren
> you have to go below to the radio, which is not always convenient when
> single or short handed, and it is guaranteed to wake anyone up who is
> snoozing. Apart from turning the set off I don't know a way of disabling
> or making less the loud the alert signal, Is there one? I don't like to
> turn the radio off altogether, in case there is a mayday or some relevant
> warning etc.,
> Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by someone
> for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users who
> seriously outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative?
> Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular
> UKCoastguard broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK.

I am not really into modern technology on yachts, but from what I know of
DSC it is totally inappropriate for yachts.

BTW up in the Minch last week a commercial vessel was testing some new DSC
gizmo with Stornoway CG, and it was failing miserably to make contact.

"Duncan Heenan" <duncanheenan@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:46cefe16$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
>I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got very
>pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on the DSC VHF
>every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To cancel the siren
>you have to go below to the radio, which is not always convenient when
>single or short handed, and it is guaranteed to wake anyone up who is
>snoozing. Apart from turning the set off I don't know a way of disabling or
>making less the loud the alert signal, Is there one? I don't like to turn
>the radio off altogether, in case there is a mayday or some relevant
>warning etc.,
> Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by someone
> for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users who
> seriously outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative?
> Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular
> UKCoastguard broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK.

If its any consolation I just had one of these alerts on my boat in British
Columbia for the first time. I was just coming into my marina and since
there was nothing I could do to help I just switched the radio off. I'll
remember to have it switched off at night. I'm not a professional rescue
person so I think I'm entitled to a normal nights rest.

Well, you never know with VHF.
I was really pissed-off sailing Biscay last week hearing Falmouth Radio on Ch 16 all the time 24/7...
JaC

I wonder if the play with automatic acknowledgement of DSC messages might be of some help...
JaC

RTFM...

> I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got very
> pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on the DSC VHF
> every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To cancel the siren you
> have to go below to the radio, which is not always convenient when single or
> short handed, and it is guaranteed to wake anyone up who is snoozing. Apart
> from turning the set off I don't know a way of disabling or making less the
> loud the alert signal, Is there one? I don't like to turn the radio off
> altogether, in case there is a mayday or some relevant warning etc.,
> Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by someone
> for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users who seriously
> outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative?
> Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular UKCoastguard
> broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK.

--
CU jb

"FSD" <brandaris400@hotmail com> wrote in message
news:mn.2ca57d7960b6d75a.38969@hotmailcom...
> RTFM...
>
>> I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got very
>> pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on the DSC VHF
>> every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To cancel the siren
>> you have to go below to the radio, which is not always convenient when
>> single or short handed, and it is guaranteed to wake anyone up who is
>> snoozing. Apart from turning the set off I don't know a way of disabling
>> or making less the loud the alert signal, Is there one? I don't like to
>> turn the radio off altogether, in case there is a mayday or some relevant
>> warning etc.,
>> Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by
>> someone for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users who
>> seriously outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative?
>> Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular
>> UKCoastguard broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK.
>
> --
> CU jb
>
What does RTFM mean please?

In message <46df946d_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>, Duncan Heenan
<duncanheenan@tiscali.co.uk> writes
>
>"FSD" <brandaris400@hotmail com> wrote in message
>news:mn.2ca57d7960b6d75a.38969@hotmailcom...
>> RTFM...
>>
>>> I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got
>>>very pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on
>>>the DSC VHF every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To
>>>cancel the siren you have to go below to the radio, which is not
>>>always convenient when single or short handed, and it is guaranteed
>>>to wake anyone up who is snoozing. Apart from turning the set off I
>>>don't know a way of disabling or making less the loud the alert
>>>signal, Is there one? I don't like to turn the radio off altogether,
>>>in case there is a mayday or some relevant warning etc.,
>>> Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by
>>>someone for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users
>>>who seriously outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative?
>>> Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular
>>>UKCoastguard broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK.
>>
>> -- CU jb
>>
>What does RTFM mean please?
>
Read the f******g manual!

--
Spike

NotMyRealName wrote:
> Read the f******g manual!
>

Why do you feel the need to censor the word "flaming"? :P

Andy

	#1
Duncan Heenan	DSC all ships alerts I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got very pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on the DSC VHF every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To cancel the siren you have to go below to the radio, which is not always convenient when single or short handed, and it is guaranteed to wake anyone up who is snoozing. Apart from turning the set off I don't know a way of disabling or making less the loud the alert signal, Is there one? I don't like to turn the radio off altogether, in case there is a mayday or some relevant warning etc., Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by someone for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users who seriously outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative? Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular UKCoastguard broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK.

	#2
Tony of Judicious	Re: DSC all ships alerts Duncan Heenan wrote: > I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got very > pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on the DSC VHF > every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To cancel the siren > you have to go below to the radio, which is not always convenient when > single or short handed, and it is guaranteed to wake anyone up who is > snoozing. Apart from turning the set off I don't know a way of disabling > or making less the loud the alert signal, Is there one? I don't like to > turn the radio off altogether, in case there is a mayday or some relevant > warning etc., > Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by someone > for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users who > seriously outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative? > Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular > UKCoastguard broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK. I am not really into modern technology on yachts, but from what I know of DSC it is totally inappropriate for yachts. BTW up in the Minch last week a commercial vessel was testing some new DSC gizmo with Stornoway CG, and it was failing miserably to make contact.

	#3
Gordon Wedman	Re: DSC all ships alerts "Duncan Heenan" <duncanheenan@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message news:46cefe16$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com... >I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got very >pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on the DSC VHF >every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To cancel the siren >you have to go below to the radio, which is not always convenient when >single or short handed, and it is guaranteed to wake anyone up who is >snoozing. Apart from turning the set off I don't know a way of disabling or >making less the loud the alert signal, Is there one? I don't like to turn >the radio off altogether, in case there is a mayday or some relevant >warning etc., > Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by someone > for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users who > seriously outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative? > Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular > UKCoastguard broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK. If its any consolation I just had one of these alerts on my boat in British Columbia for the first time. I was just coming into my marina and since there was nothing I could do to help I just switched the radio off. I'll remember to have it switched off at night. I'm not a professional rescue person so I think I'm entitled to a normal nights rest.

	#4
666	Re: DSC all ships alerts Well, you never know with VHF. I was really pissed-off sailing Biscay last week hearing Falmouth Radio on Ch 16 all the time 24/7... JaC

	#5
666	Re: DSC all ships alerts I wonder if the play with automatic acknowledgement of DSC messages might be of some help... JaC

	#6
FSD	Re: DSC all ships alerts RTFM... > I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got very > pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on the DSC VHF > every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To cancel the siren you > have to go below to the radio, which is not always convenient when single or > short handed, and it is guaranteed to wake anyone up who is snoozing. Apart > from turning the set off I don't know a way of disabling or making less the > loud the alert signal, Is there one? I don't like to turn the radio off > altogether, in case there is a mayday or some relevant warning etc., > Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by someone > for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users who seriously > outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative? > Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular UKCoastguard > broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK. -- CU jb

	#7
Duncan Heenan	Re: DSC all ships alerts "FSD" <brandaris400@hotmail com> wrote in message news:mn.2ca57d7960b6d75a.38969@hotmailcom... > RTFM... > >> I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got very >> pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on the DSC VHF >> every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To cancel the siren >> you have to go below to the radio, which is not always convenient when >> single or short handed, and it is guaranteed to wake anyone up who is >> snoozing. Apart from turning the set off I don't know a way of disabling >> or making less the loud the alert signal, Is there one? I don't like to >> turn the radio off altogether, in case there is a mayday or some relevant >> warning etc., >> Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by >> someone for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users who >> seriously outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative? >> Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular >> UKCoastguard broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK. > > -- > CU jb > What does RTFM mean please?

	#8
NotMyRealName	Re: DSC all ships alerts In message <46df946d_4@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>, Duncan Heenan <duncanheenan@tiscali.co.uk> writes > >"FSD" <brandaris400@hotmail com> wrote in message >news:mn.2ca57d7960b6d75a.38969@hotmailcom... >> RTFM... >> >>> I have just spent a week sailing the South Coast of England and got >>>very pissed off with having a deafening All Ships Alerts coming on >>>the DSC VHF every 15 minutes or so from Joburg traffic in France. To >>>cancel the siren you have to go below to the radio, which is not >>>always convenient when single or short handed, and it is guaranteed >>>to wake anyone up who is snoozing. Apart from turning the set off I >>>don't know a way of disabling or making less the loud the alert >>>signal, Is there one? I don't like to turn the radio off altogether, >>>in case there is a mayday or some relevant warning etc., >>> Personally I think it is an over-the-top safety aspect designed by >>>someone for professional use which is inappropriate for leisure users >>>who seriously outnumber the professionals. Is there an alternative? >>> Why is it only the French who seem to use it always? The regular >>>UKCoastguard broadcasts don't use it, and it seems to work OK. >> >> -- CU jb >> >What does RTFM mean please? > Read the f******g manual! -- Spike

	#9
Andy Champ	Re: DSC all ships alerts NotMyRealName wrote: > Read the f******g manual! > Why do you feel the need to censor the word "flaming"? :P Andy