🔍 Key Concepts

• Digital Selective Calling (DSC) priorities: Distress, Urgency, and Safety • The specific purpose of the "Distress Hot Key" on a VHF-DSC radio • Differences between how Distress and Urgency (PAN PAN) calls are initiated and handled

💭 Think About

• What is the primary design purpose of the "Distress Hot Key"—is it for all types of priority calls or only a specific one? • Does an Urgency call (PAN PAN) use the same dedicated emergency button as a Distress (MAYDAY) call, or is it normally set up differently on the radio? • Which answer choice sounds like it would allow reprogramming an internationally standardized emergency feature on the radio—does that seem consistent with SOLAS/GMDSS practices?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify how many priority levels DSC uses and which one the Distress Hot Key is reserved for. • Check if standard marine VHF-DSC radios allow the red emergency button to be reassigned to anything other than distress. • Confirm whether Urgency calls are normally initiated via a menu/soft key selection rather than the dedicated distress button.