MMSI, DSC and location awareness
 

Hello all.

I should be ready to start the hunt for tuna in early June.

I have two (2) Icom MC504 VHF radios. I have a MMSI number for the boat.

I have a Furuno MFD12 and two (2) Furuno GPS antennas. All are properly configured. I just have to plug in the MMSI number.

Has anyone used the MMSI number for send and receive coord with friendly ships and then plotted them to your GPS screen?

From what I understand, if you have my MMSI and I have your MMSI we can exchange position, with the click of a button and engage in (relatively) secure comms via VHF.

Do I have this correct?

Anyone want to start a SB MMSI pool? I will mostly be out of Narragansett bay, east of BI, and CCB. I am a newbie to this game, but share very accurate G2.

- ATG

Hi AT,

It works great. You need to put your friends numbers in the radio and the gps for them to show up. Are you trailering your boat or is it slipped?

floating slipped
 

My boat is on a floating slip in EPVDS - bullocks cove.

- ATG

I've got my DSC radio all setup and linked to my GPS for the distress sending of my coordinates over the DSC network in case of emergency. I haven't used in the station-to-station mode as I have no numbers to list. Mine is 338077114.

BTW: the CG Emergency DSC network should be activated in our area some time later 2009 from the posted schedule.

yeah, it works basically like you said. But it also depends on your system and how it is set up. Basically you have a "phonebook" of MMSI numbers in your vhf (that you entered in). You select "position request", then select a given number out of your list. depending on how the other boats system is set up, it will either automatically send the position data back OR the other boats vhf will BEEP with a message saying you are requesting there position......"yes" or "NO". Also depending on how your system is set up, this position data will then be plotted on your GPS. On my ray system, it asks if you want to "go to" their position or if you want to add a waypoint at their location. REALLY cool stuff when the bite is on......Another usefull feature is you can use the phonebook to call someone and request they switch to a certain channel, with out saying a word over the air........cool stuff. Good luck with it.

AT,

I launch out of Haines usually when i fish the bay. We could test it out sometime if you want.