www.iFourWinns.com

Some years back I installed a Standard Horizon Quest VHF thinking that since it was DSC cabable I'd eventually get a GPS so I found have the added safety feature of having the radio rely my position in case of an emergency. Finally got a Garmin 441s GPS/sounder, hooked up the 2 wires so the Garmin could 'talk' to the VHF radio. You can tell when it's working when you see your location coordinates come up on the VHF screen. Next I got an MMSI number from BoatUS which identifies you and your boat. Last I programmed the # into the radio. So now the panic function works with one push of a button...only tricky part us configuring the Garmin to talk to the radio. This system is a must have for costal boaters and anywhere this serves..

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I agree, a must have. I have been using it for the past 4 years with the NMEA0183 connection. Last year I upgraded to a Garmin VHF200. You will love NMEA2k over the little wires & there color codes.

Those little wires were so small that I wound up soldering them instead of crimping them like I normally would.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Ah thanks for reminding me. I need to hook this up as well. I installed the garmin last summer but never got around to wiring it to the VHF. Sounds like it was very simple.

_________________
2004 248 Vista "Amante"
MC 5.0MPI/B3

http://www.amazon.com/McMurdo-Fast-Find-220-PLB/dp/B008M64COO

Great to have it hooked up, but I get more sense of security out of this.

Cost's around $250, and transmits emergency signal to satelite receivers, including GPS location from built-in GPS, and your registered ID#. Mine is registered with my airplane and boat information.

Still works even if boat is capsized, on fire, dead batteries, or too far from shore. The unit is waterproof, but does not float, so some floatation should be attached to it.

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

I have something like this. http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... id=1280601

But, the PLB do not send a distress call to the local boater. DSC will do just that and remember how PLBs work. Boaters in the area are really the first responders. I would use both.

Yep a pretty easy job, all you have to do is get the wiring color code for both the GPS and radio. On mine the blue wire from the gps went to the blue wire on the radio, and the green wire from the radio went to the black ground for the gps. Then you go into the Garmin menus and set up NEMA 0183 on port 1. It seems that each manufacturer uses a different color code.

That last comment is correct, a DSC radio alerts boaters to distress calls and you can relay it to the GG or respond to it yourself, you might be much closer than the CG.

I have heard a distress call a few times on LI Sound while monitoring Ch 16, but DSC is faster and not subject to garbled transmissions. I do feel safer having the CG right in the middle of my boating area but the fact that other boaters can pick up your call (even when not monitoring Ch 16) adds to safety.

If you have a properly set up DSC radio, if a call comes over you will see their mmsi# and their lat/Lon location. It also automatically switches your VHF to Ch 16.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

To add to that, if it is also hooked up to your GPS's input and your GPS (most newer ones are) can handel DSC. Your GPS will display were the distress call is on the screen.

As the CG rescue system becomes more universal around the country, the boat companies should consider bundling the GPS/VHF radios all ready set up this way. Its easy for us because we like doing this stuff but the average novice boater might never take the time to figure this out. At least in coastal regions and the Great Lakes for sure. Way more important than the fluff and glitz junk that boat companies use to lure them in.....

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Your right, now add to it AIS. With AIS I can call a target and that target alone on my VHF. Or I should say, from my GPS. The GPS will tell the VHF though the MNEA2k network to call that target from the screen.

Has anyone done this with a Garmin GPSMAP 441 (similar Garmin)?

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

The Garmin 441 is NMEA2k compatible. So you can do everthing that has been mentioned above! You might want to make sure the frimware is up to date, before trying to hook things up. You can even add a fuel flow sensor and the GPS will give you GPH rate.

That's the one I just put in, the sounder version GPS 441s....West Marine had them on sale back round Christmas time for about 350 or so....

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Ok I ran into a snag while reading up on this. From the BoatUS site:

"If your vessel is required to carry a radio onboard (“Compulsory Equipped”), or if you plan to visit or communicate in a foreign port including Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, and the British Virgin Islands, DO NOT proceed with this application. You are legally required to obtain a Ship Station License from the FCC. They will issue an appropriate MMSI with the License. Additionally, when traveling to foreign ports, you are required to have a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit holder aboard."

I plan on taking a trip to the north channel in the future. Wondering if I can just turn off the DSC function when I enter Canadian waters? Or do I have to get the FCC license?

_________________
2004 248 Vista "Amante"
MC 5.0MPI/B3

I'm not sure you need to worry about it - up here we only need the operator certificate. Canada doesn't have a reciprocal agreement with the US, so when I travel into US water I'm supposed to have a station license - which from what I understand is simply an annual fee of ~$20. Unless the coast guard wants to really burn you, no one is going to ask to see your station license (at least that's what I've been told).

_________________
1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD