TransOceana

GDMSS MF/HF/VHF DSC is not a secure method of signaling. An "All Station" call or "Distress" call is received and alarmed by all stations within the receiving distance of the transmission. Station calls are normally only seen by the addressed MMSI station but 'modified' DSC radios can be used to intercept all DSC traffic in the area. By using the TransOceana Secure DSC option any 'secure' VHF/MF/HF DSC message will be received only by a TransOceana decoder with the matching key.

GMDSS DSC is used for signaling one or more stations from a vessel or shore station using a VHF or HF/MF radio. For distress signaling a radio DSC transmission is ideal because it will immediately alert all stations within receiving distance of the transmission. But DSC can also be used to signal a station for subsequent communications such as voice or telex, or to alert all stations in a geographic area of a situation. DSC can also be used to send position information. But DSC transmissions are not secure, until now. TransOceana is now introducing an add on option to its GMDSS DSC software which will provide both standard and secure DSC signaling functions in parallel.

Situation 1 – A Coast Guard vessel wants to alert all other coast guard vessels in a geographic region to a developing situation. The ideal way to do this is an All Stations Call to a geographic area DSC message. With standard DSC this message will alert ALL vessels in the geographic area including commercial vessels. But with the TransOceana Secure DSC option only those vessels equipped with the matching TransOceana decoder will be alerted. All other vessels will not see the transmission.

Situation 2 – A naval vessel wants to report its position to only the navy shore stations. By enabling the TransOceana DSC Secure DSC function the transmitted position report will be received only by those stations. All other stations will not see the message.

Situation 3 – A Coast Guard vessel is in a distress situation but only wants to alert nearby Coast Guard vessels and shore stations and not give away its situation to nearby pirate vessels. By using the Secure DSC feature only the nearby Coast Guard vessels and shore stations will receive the distress alert.

NOTE: THIS OPTION IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO COAST GUARD AND NAVY VESSELS/SHORE STATIONS.  IT IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS.

For further information and a demonstration of Secure DSC contact TransOceana at:

TransOceana Limited

info@transoceana.com

001-214-526-3995 (USA office)

A DSC message received is processed in parallel by both a standard TransOceana DSC decoder and an optional TransOceana Secure DSC decoder. If it is a standard DSC message then it is processed by the decoder and forwarded to the operator console. If it is a Secure DSC message then it is processed by the secure decoder and forwarded to the Operator Console and identified as a secure message. By using parallel decoders there is no loss of either type of messages.

Transmitting a secure DSC message can be done manually or automatically. In the manual mode the operator creates a standard DSC message and then enables the 'secure' function before transmitting. In the automatic mode the destination MMSI or group MMSI will 'trigger' the secure function before transmitting. The automatic secure function can also be enabled based on the type of message being sent or message content.