Got Your MMSI Code?

P

Pat Anderson

New member
OK, yesterday I got our MMSI code from the BoatUS site, programmed it into the Icom M402 and ran the checks per the Icom manual - much relieved to confirm that the Icom is properly receiving the NMEA data from the Raymarine C-80.

Get you code here. Basically, your vessel, owner and contact info go into a database, you put the code in your GPS-connected radiio. If you get into a Mayday situation, you just lift the red cover on the radio face, hold the button down for five seconds, and your radio is broadcasting your code and lat/lon coordinates. The CG knows where you are from the signal and who you are from the database. I hope we never have to use it, but it is reassuring to have it...
 
It's great for the safety features but has more functionality than that. Other boats equiped with Dcs radio's (that have them hooked up correctly) will also receive your distress call and it will put your location on their chart plotter.

Also you can make a "phone book" of other DCS users and make calls just to them. You can send them your coordinates without broadcasting it to the whole fishing fleet ect.

Pretty cool stuff. Now if people will just take the time to learn how to do this stuff.
 
flapbreaker":f7jbyk8o said:
Also you can make a "phone book" of other DCS users and make calls just to them. You can send them your coordinates without broadcasting it to the whole fishing fleet ect.
Click to expand...

That's done a lot down here. Mostly between fishermen who want to tell their buddies where the bite is without revealing the hot spot to the world.

Combine that with the Icom MV1 or equivalent which can encrypt your voice transmissions and you can upset Homeland Security monitors as well.

Don
 
Another cool thing is you can get a group MMSI # that you can program into your VHF( say for instance ... like a CBrats group MMSI #) And you can get a hold of anyone with the group # programmed in. It will actually tune everyones VHF's to a preselected channel. So say you are out fishing or cruising in area 9 and want to see if there are any other brats around. Just hit a button and it will tune everyone ( with the Group # programmed in) into the channel you selected. Pretty neat! I fish alot so plan on definitly using it for exchanging coordinates without attracting the horde. I have a couple secret spots that I would like to keep from having 500 boats converge on while I'm out fishing them.
 
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