Choosing a VHF Radio - is DSC useful?

Wading through the mountains of new toys I need to go out in the sea, add a VHF radio.

Digital Selective Calling seems valuable to me, but with the line-of-sight limits of a VHF, and the closest USCG base 50 miles away, I'm second-guessing myself.

If you're outside the line-of-sight of other vessels, is it of any use?

(Uncle Sugar better have a fat tax refund check for me this year)

I'm not sure that dsc is actually line of light, as I believe it's a digital signal? Either way assuming you're lost at sea and the coast guard is searching for you with their helo, it seems like awful good insurance to have. You also don't need to hit the actually coast guard station for assistance, you just need to hit any vessel monitoring channel 16 and they can help relay your message.

Thank you, Noah.  Since I asked the question, I've been trolling the WWW looking for effective range of a DSC signal, and don't seem to be finding the information, other than "increased range of radio signal".

It's still a radio, it's broadcasting on Low, Medium, and Very High Frequency ranges, but isn't any radio broadcast still, essentially, line of sight?

I'm asking because I see a nice ICOM radio I wouldn't mind carrying, but it does not have DSC.  The only ICOM I've found with GPS & DSC is an export only model.  So I was wondering about DSC vs. non-DSC.

I'm not sure that dsc is actually line of light, as I believe it's a digital signal? Either way assuming you're lost at sea and the coast guard is searching for you with their helo, it seems like awful good insurance to have. You also don't need to hit the actually coast guard station for assistance, you just need to hit any vessel monitoring channel 16 and they can help relay your message.

I believe all commercial ships were required to install DSC head units in their crafts and monitor it, back in 2012 or 2013.  So, if you get lost out there and push your DSC distress button, those ships out there should be monitoring it.  Then they can relay to the coasties.

I believe all commercial ships were required to install DSC head units in their crafts and monitor it, back in 2012 or 2013.  So, if you get lost out there and push your DSC distress button, those ships out there should be monitoring it.  Then they can relay to the coasties.

Well, duh!  Now it makes sense to me.  Thank you!

The DSC also has a cool feature that allows you to program other's MMSI numbers into your VHF to basically be able to talk to them only and not just anyone listening to the most common VHF open boat to boat channels.

The Standard Horizon units with DSC also allow you to ping your buddy (with MMSI number) and it will show on the screen an arrow heading pointing to his direction and how far he is from you.  He doesn't even know you are pinging him.  Although he does have to have the option to be "pinged" enabled on his unit.

I can see the advantages, INSAYN.  DSC it will be.

Got a Standard Horizons on the way.  Next task will be to up the wattage to where I can ping folks right out of their boats.

I like my privacy...