Standard Horizon Gx5500s - Manual (Page 36)

GX5500S Page 36
11 DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALLING
11.1 GENERAL
WARNING
This radio is designed to generate a digital maritime distress and safety
call to facilitate search and rescue. To be effective as a safety device,
this equipment must be used only within communication range of a shore-
based VHF marine channel 70 distress and safety watch system. The
range of signal may vary but under normal conditions should be ap-
proximately 20 nautical miles.
NOTE
A DSC Warning sticker is included with
the GX5500S. To comply with FCC regu-
lations this sticker must be mounted in
a location that can be easily viewed from
the location of the GX5500S.
Digital Selective Calling is a semi-automated method of establishing a radio
call, it has been designated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
as an international standard for establishing VHF, MF and HF radio calls. It has
also been designated as part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety Sys-
tem (GMDSS). It is planned that DSC will eventually replace aural watches on
distress frequencies and will be used to announce routine and urgent maritime
safety information broadcasts.
This new system allows mariners to instantly send a distress call with GPS posi-
tion (when connected to the transceiver) to the US Coast Guard and other ves-
sels within range of the transmission. DSC will also allow mariners to initiate or
receive Distress, Urgency, Safety, Routine, POSITION REQUEST, POSITION
SEND, and Group calls to or from another vessel equipped with a DSC trans-
ceiver.
11.2 MARITIME MOBILE SERVICE IDENTITY (MMSI)
11.2.1 What is an MMSI?
An MMSI is a nine digit number used on Marine Transceivers capable of using
Digital Selective Calling (DSC). This number is used like a telephone number to
selectively call other vessels.
DI STRES S P UL L OPE N
-/ *
J KL
WARNING
STICKER