Routine (Individual) calls
When you make a routine DSC call, you’re usually reaching out to another vessel, a marina, or a shore station. For example, if you're approaching a marina and need docking instructions, you can send a DSC call to a specified target.
Routine DSC calls can also be made to groups, which is handy when several vessels need the same information. For example, during a yacht race or a club rally, you can use a group-call identity to send a message to all the vessels in your group at once.
You automatically transmit your vessel's precise position data during a DSC call through the internal or external GPS antenna. This is especially useful in emergency situations, as your exact location is shared instantly with nearby vessels or shore stations, improving response times.
When calling a coast station there is no need to select a communication channel. The coast station automatically selects a free channel for you to communicate on.
Sometimes however, the coast station is not able to accept a call, when this happens, a reason is given to you. These are listed below:
| Reason code | Meaning |
|---|---|
No Reason | This means that no reason is or can be given for rejecting your call. |
| Congestion | This means that the maritime switching centre is congested. |
| Busy | This means that the coast station has no one free to answer your call. |
| Queue | This means that there is a queue of people waiting to contact the coast station. |
| Barred | This means that the station is barred and cannot accept any calls from anyone. |
| No operator | This means that there is no operator available. |
| Disable | This means that the equipment at the coast station has been disabled. |