Ian Waugh - A Mariner\'s Guide to Marine Communications

(John Hannent) #1

Problem: I've been experimenting with my Marine SSB radio, trying
to listen to a weather service on an 'Amateur Maritime Mobile Net' at
3750kHz, in the NW Atlantic (to give me more practice using the SSB
Radio). I can hear the guy talking, loud but distorted, but I cannot
remove the 'Donald Duck' effect with the Clarifier. What am I doing
wrong?
Answer: Amateur frequencies below lOMHz normally use Lower Side
Band (LSB), not USB (which is used on all marine bands, and on
amateur bands above lOMHz). If your set has the LSB option, that
should correct your problem.
Some marine SSB radios do have other controls, additional to
those listed above. If you can master the controls listed here, you should
have no problem in mastering the others (with the help of the equipment
manual).


Power supply

Just like your VHF radio, SSB equipment will normally use a direct
current (DC 12V or 24V) power supply - direct from the radio-station
batteries or emergency generator when mains power has been lost; or
through the mains rectifier/battery-charging system during normal
operation. The DSC controller/scanning watch receiver - when separate
from the SSB radio - will also be powered by a DC supply (more about
radio station power supplies in Chapter 11).


MF /HF DSC Controller and Scanning Watch Receiver

Operation & Controls


The DSC Controller should have been programmed with your
individual MMSI (see Appendix V) by your equipment supplier. This
MMSI will be included in every DSC transmission you may make


Your controller will respond to:
All Stations Calls (e.g. Distress, Distress Relay, Urgency and Safety
calls).
Calls addressed to your individual MMSI.


  • Calls addressed to any Group MMSI (Appendix V) programmed
    into your equipment.


MP/HP Scanning Watch Receiver
The scanning receiver normally comes programmed to scan all
MF and HF DSC Distress Alerting frequencies (see Appendix IX). If


you are in an A2 area, you can disable all HF frequencies and listen only


MARINE COMMUNICATIONS 143
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