TFSR-63 - US Coast Guard Navigation Center
TFSR-63 - US Coast Guard Navigation Center TFSR-63 - US Coast Guard Navigation Center
Text Messaging during emergencies, the Safety Alert cautions operators that TextMessages may not be received, recognized, or acted upon by in the same fashion as alertsin the GMDSS system. It is acknowledged, however, that AIS text messaging can be auseful augmentation of GMDSS.On May 25 th , a Coast Guard San Diego News Release cited the reactivation of theMission Bay Jetty fog signal which had been destroyed in a storm 10 years ago. Thesignificance of this reactivated fog signal is that it is user activated by calling on VHFchannel 79A and pressing the mike button 5 times. This is the second west coastinstallation of this type of boater activated fog signal but the technology has been usedsuccessfully throughout the Great Lakes and represents a more cost effective solutionthan the earlier cell phone activated fog signal which required a dedicated phone line.c. Status Report on Rescue 21 VHF–DSC for Sea Area A1. CDR SteveOsgood provided an update for the Rescue 21 Program. The following are highlights:1.) One of the best features of the new Rescue 21 upgrade is the highlyaccurate direction finding capability which is proving to be a big assist in locatingdistress calls from vessels without DSC and from DSC capable vessels without aconnected navigation receiver. The D/F has also enabled prompt resolution of severalhoax calls.2.) The east coast is largely completed except for some gaps in the NorthCarolina and Corpus Christi Sectors which need to be filled.3.). The west coast is also filling in nicely with Sector San Diego declaredoperational last month. There are gaps to be filled in on San Clemente Island and the BigSur area south of Carmel. Sector San Francisco is still outstanding as are someorganizational changes in the 13 th District.4.) One of the first rescues involving DSC occurred recently and wasquickly resolved with a helicopter dispatched to the scene.d. Status of MF-DSC Coastal Network Upgrade to DSC for Sea Area A2.Dave Fowler provided an in depth review of his study of the Coast Guard’s reception ofsafety and distress calls on 2 MHz frequencies as determined from the Coast Guarddatabase of SAR cases. Surprisingly, the study revealed more use of MF for safetycommunications than had been expected, especially from fishing vessels. There may belimited funding available to ‘shore up’ a few weak spots but the longer term upgradeswill likely be further constrained by new budget realities. Some statistics from his report:1.) The study looked at reception by MF/HF Voice and DSC as well assatellite (Inmarsat and other), VHF, EPIRB, and phone. The large number of phonenotifications may be partially due to the RCC controller recording manner in which hewas notified and not necessarily the radio system the distressed vessel used.
2.) Initial Notifications during the period 2003-2009 totaled 82K byphone; 61K by VHF; 19K by EPIRB; 2209 by MF/HF; and 1710 by Satellite (afterdiscarding cases from outside U.S. SAR area and cases without lives saved or assisted).3.) Fishing Vessels were the predominate type of vessel which accountsfor relatively few of the MF/HF cases using DSC as F/V have not yet been required toupgrade to DSC.e. Working Group Preparations for COMSAR 14. Russ Levin reported on theresults of Comsar 14 which met in London on 8 March 2010 with the followinghighlights:1). The authorized “scoping exercise” for GMDSS Modernizationreceived relatively little attention as it was assigned to a heavily committed workinggroup. The final decision was to refer the issue to a 2 day meeting of IMO and ITUexperts scheduled for September 2010 in London.2). There was discussion of the problem of retaining the priority forInmarsat safety and distress messages in the shore to ship direction. TheIntergovernmental Maritime Satellite Organization (IMSO) was requested to look intothe issue and report to Comsar 15.3). The Conference again declined to endorse replacement of the EPIRB121.5 MHz homer with an AIS transmitter as few of the less developed countries hadaircraft capable of homing on AIS. Future plans are to reopen the proposal as an optionalalternative similar to the current alternative for Radar SARTs or AIS SARTs.4) Comsar 14 approved a new SafetyNET Manual.f. Coast Guard Safety Alert on VHF-DSC Automatic Channel Switching. JoeHersey explained that an incident off New York prompted issuance of the Safety Alert toremind operators that on receipt of a VHF-DSC distress alert, distress acknowledgement,or other DSC call where a VHF channel number has been designated, the DSC radioautomatically switches to channel 16 or the other designated channel. This could result ina vessel operator thinking he was still on the Bridge-to-bridge channel 13 making passingarrangements when the radio had shifted off of channel 13. To prevent this fromhappening, the Coast Guard strongly recommends disabling the automatic channelswitching feature when actively engaged in bridge-to-bridge or Vessel Traffic Service(VTS) communications.g. GMDSS Modernization. RADM Gilbert (Ret.) noted the presentationsrelating to modernization of the GMDSS during various sessions of the RTCM Assemblyearlier in the week and invited interested parties to attend the GMDSS ModernizationWorkshop to be held that afternoon. The output from the Workshop will be sent to allTask Force members as a separate distribution soliciting input and comment on theconclusions reached. The resulting consensus will be recommended to governmental
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Text Messaging during emergencies, the Safety Alert cautions operators that TextMessages may not be received, recognized, or acted upon by in the same fashion as alertsin the GMDSS system. It is acknowledged, however, that AIS text messaging can be auseful augmentation of GMDSS.On May 25 th , a <strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong> San Diego News Release cited the reactivation of theMission Bay Jetty fog signal which had been destroyed in a storm 10 years ago. Thesignificance of this reactivated fog signal is that it is user activated by calling on VHFchannel 79A and pressing the mike button 5 times. This is the second west coastinstallation of this type of boater activated fog signal but the technology has been usedsuccessfully throughout the Great Lakes and represents a more cost effective solutionthan the earlier cell phone activated fog signal which required a dedicated phone line.c. Status Report on Rescue 21 VHF–DSC for Sea Area A1. CDR SteveOsgood provided an update for the Rescue 21 Program. The following are highlights:1.) One of the best features of the new Rescue 21 upgrade is the highlyaccurate direction finding capability which is proving to be a big assist in locatingdistress calls from vessels without DSC and from DSC capable vessels without aconnected navigation receiver. The D/F has also enabled prompt resolution of severalhoax calls.2.) The east coast is largely completed except for some gaps in the NorthCarolina and Corpus Christi Sectors which need to be filled.3.). The west coast is also filling in nicely with Sector San Diego declaredoperational last month. There are gaps to be filled in on San Clemente Island and the BigSur area south of Carmel. Sector San Francisco is still outstanding as are someorganizational changes in the 13 th District.4.) One of the first rescues involving DSC occurred recently and wasquickly resolved with a helicopter dispatched to the scene.d. Status of MF-DSC <strong>Coast</strong>al Network Upgrade to DSC for Sea Area A2.Dave Fowler provided an in depth review of his study of the <strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong>’s reception ofsafety and distress calls on 2 MHz frequencies as determined from the <strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong>database of SAR cases. Surprisingly, the study revealed more use of MF for safetycommunications than had been expected, especially from fishing vessels. There may belimited funding available to ‘shore up’ a few weak spots but the longer term upgradeswill likely be further constrained by new budget realities. Some statistics from his report:1.) The study looked at reception by MF/HF Voice and DSC as well assatellite (Inmarsat and other), VHF, EPIRB, and phone. The large number of phonenotifications may be partially due to the RCC controller recording manner in which hewas notified and not necessarily the radio system the distressed vessel used.
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