RYA SRC DSC Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What type of DSC call should be used to contact all vessels in an area?
- All ships call (Correct answer)
- Individual call
- Group call
- Distress relay call
Correct answer: All ships call
An all ships call (using the all ships MMSI 999999999) is used to contact all vessels simultaneously in an area, typically for safety announcements or urgent communications.
Question 2: Which DSC call category is used for urgent safety information such as navigational hazards?
- Safety (Correct answer)
- Distress
- Urgency
- Routine
Correct answer: Safety
The Safety category in DSC is used for navigational and meteorological hazards. It is the lowest priority category but still alerts all vessels to important safety information.
Question 3: What should you do if you receive an unacknowledged DSC distress relay alert from another vessel?
- Relay the distress call on behalf of the vessel in distress (Correct answer)
- Ignore it as it is not your emergency
- Contact the vessel directly on Channel 70
- Wait for the coastguard to respond first
Correct answer: Relay the distress call on behalf of the vessel in distress
If you receive a DSC distress relay alert that appears unacknowledged, you should relay it to the coastguard to ensure rescue coordination is initiated.
Question 4: A DSC urgency call on VHF corresponds to which voice call prefix?
- PAN PAN (Correct answer)
- MAYDAY
- SECURITE
- SEELONCE
Correct answer: PAN PAN
The DSC urgency category corresponds to the voice PAN PAN call, used when a vessel or person is in urgent situation requiring assistance but not in immediate danger of sinking.
Question 5: What is the DSC MMSI format for a coast station?
- 00XXXXXXX (starts with two zeros) (Correct answer)
- 9XXXXXXXX (starts with nine)
- 1XXXXXXXX (starts with one)
- MMSI is the same format as vessels
Correct answer: 00XXXXXXX (starts with two zeros)
Coast radio stations have MMSI numbers beginning with two zeros (00XXXXXXX), making them identifiable as fixed shore-based stations rather than mobile vessels.
Question 6: Can a DSC distress alert be cancelled once transmitted?
- Yes, by transmitting a DSC distress cancellation message on Channel 70 (Correct answer)
- No, once sent it cannot be cancelled
- Yes, by switching the radio off immediately
- No, but you can announce cancellation on Channel 16 only
Correct answer: Yes, by transmitting a DSC distress cancellation message on Channel 70
A DSC distress alert can be cancelled by transmitting a DSC distress cancellation message on Channel 70, followed by a voice announcement on Channel 16 to prevent unnecessary SAR response.
RYA SRC DSC Procedures 2
What type of DSC call should be used to contact all vessels in an area?