闃呰棰?/p>
1
The radio can now be tuned to the emergency frequency of the band on which the DSC alert
was sent for transmission of the urgency message. The format of an urgency message is: Pan Pan.
The words Pan Pan indicate that the message is an urgency message, and as such, it should have
priority over all but distress traffic. In the case of a request for medical assistance, the signal is
Pan Pan Medico. Note that this is for medical assistance. A request for medical advice is not a
Pan Pan. Address - All messages except distress must be addressed to somebody. A general call,
perhaps for a tow, would be addressed to 'all stations'. A Pan Pan Medico is more likely to be
addressed to a specific Coast Station, but under some circumstances that too could be addressed
to 'all stations'. Identity - You must identify yourself in all transmissions. Any station that has
received your urgency call on DSC has received your MMSI number as part of the call, so your
identity
should
include
the
MMSI
number
as
well
as
the
name
and
call-sign
of
your
vessel.
Position
-
This
may
have
been
included
in
the
DSC
call,
but
it
should
be
repeated
here.
If
somebody is to help you, they need to know where you are.
As in the distress message, your
position as a distance and bearing from a prominent landmark may mean more to the receiving
station
than
a
latitude
and
longitude.
Assistance
-
State
what
assistance
is
needed.
Over
-
Terminate the message with Pan Pan, name of your vessel and call-sign, and the word 'over', so
the other stations know you have finished, and they can respond. Once communications have
been
established
with
a
suitable
station,
the
subsequent
traffic
will
normally
transfer
off
the
emergency frequency onto a working channel. If the communication is on VHF and the traffic is
inter-ship, then channel 6 could be used. If the communication is with the Coastguard, then they
will probably transfer operations to channel 67 in the UK or 22A in the USA. A Coast Station will
move communications to one of their working channels.