VHF DIGITAL SELECT CALLING (DSC)

A VHF marine radio is an essential piece of equipment to have on your boat — and in an emergency, it may be your only line of communication to get help. Operating on standard, international frequencies known as channels, VHF radio systems from our Cortex® line combine with automatic identification system (AIS) collision avoidance and remote vessel monitoring to help you maintain situational awareness and peace of mind while on the water.

All Garmin VHF systems include DSC, an international standard protocol for sending data signals via VHF. DSC was initially created for sending distress signals, along with a vessel’s MMSI identification number and GPS coordinates, in emergency situations. Each VHF radio with DSC is configured with their boat’s MMSI number, allowing them to be identified with the distress signal. For non-distress calling, you can initiate a DSC signal to another vessel along with your MMSI to identify who’s calling. The other boat’s VHF will “ring,” making a chirping sound until they accept, ignore or decline the call. When they accept the call, the other boat’s VHF will change to the channel you’ve selected, so you can talk.

One-touch DSC — Featured on Cortex VHF devices, this lets you initiate direct DSC calls to other vessels just by tapping the “CALL” button on your handset. Unlike other VHF radios that require you to manually enter another vessel’s 8-digit MMSI number (which can cost you valuable time in a high-stress emergency situation), the Cortex VHF lets you quickly select from a directory of nearby AIS-equipped vessels or saved “buddy” vessels. You can also make a priority DSC call during a potential collision-threat situation to quickly get the other vessel’s attention and make contact.