GMDSS: A User's Handbook

by Denise Bréhaut

Overview

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)—the revolutionary maritime equivalent of 911—provides a fast and efficient way of calling for assistance at sea, whatever the size of craft or its location. Denise Bréhaut explains the system and clearly outlines the procedures required to get help quickly, as well as covering the syllabi of the General Operator's Certificate (GOC), the Long Range Certificate (LRC), and the Restricted Operator's Certificate (ROC). Concise descriptions of channel usage, call signals, types of transmission modes, and all the various equipment involved-both aboard and throughout the entire system—allows novices as well as long-time users to thoroughly understand this life-saving communication system. Maps of INMARSAT areas and clear instructions for step-by-step distress communication protocols make this THE GMDSS bible. The sixth edition of GMDSS incorporates all the changes to the regulations that came into force in 2009 as well as the 2016 system updates.

GMDSS: A User's Handbook has proven an invaluable reference for exam candidates and equipment users for almost twenty years, both in UK and North America. The clear and lucid text is supported with illustrations, handy Q&A sections, and a quick-reference review guide for GOC and LRC students.

Since it was first published, this book has helped explain the system for anyone using GMDSS and has been excellent pre-course reading for students.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472945686
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	11/21/2017
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Denise Bréhaut is an LRC, ROC and GOC instructor and examiner. She lectures at the Warsash Maritime Campus of the Southampton Solent University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements     ix
Preface     x
Glossary of Abbreviations     xi
Introduction to the Systems     1
Sea areas     4
Equipment requirements for compulsorily fitted vessels     4
Voluntarily fitted vessels     5
Questions and answers     5
Training Courses and Examinations     7
The General Operator Certificate Course (GOC)     7
The GOC examination     7
The Long Range Certificate Course (LRC)     8
The LRC examination     8
Satellite module     9
DSC module     9
The Restricted Operator Certificate Course (ROC)     9
The ROC examination     9
Modes of Emission and Propagation     11
Modes of emission     11
Propagation of the radio wave     14
Types of radio waves     16
Practical uses within radio frequency bands     19
Questions and answers     19
General Regulations and Procedures     21
Identification of stations     21
Radio watch     22
DSC watch keeping     24
Test transmissions     24
Documents     25
Transmissions in UK harbours     26
Simplex and duplex     26
The use of channels and frequencies in the maritime band     27
Transceiver functions     28
Maximum permitted transmitter power     30
The phonetic alphabet     30
Control of communications     30
Making a routine call     31
Link calls     32
Difficulty with communications     33
Charging     33
Questions and answers     34
Digital Selective Calling     38
Distress alert     40
Undesignated or designated distress alerts     41
Receipt and acknowledgement of DSC alerts     43
Distress alert relay     44
Urgency alert     44
Safety alert     46
Routine alert     46
DSC priorities     46
Classes of DSC controller     47
Cancelling false alerts     48
Avoiding false alerts     48
Questions and answers     49
DSC and Radiotelephony Procedures     52
Distress     52
On-scene Communications     55
Procedural words relating to distress working      56
Distress relay     56
Urgency     57
Safety     58
Routine procedures     58
Contacting a vessel whose MMSI is unknown     59
Questions and answers     60
The Radiotelephony Examination     65
Radiotelex     74
ARQ     76
FEC     76
SELFEC     77
Manual or automatic telex     77
Radiotelex Procedures     78
The distress message     78
Procedural words relating to distress working     79
The urgency message     79
The safety message     79
ARQ procedure     80
Telex abbreviations and service codes     80
Questions and answers     81
The INMARSAT Systems     83
INMARSAT A     84
INMARSAT B     85
INMARSAT C     85
INMARSAT Fleet F77     86
INMARSAT E     86
Operations     86
Two-digit short code services     88
Distress alerting     88
Avoiding false alerts     89
Cancelling false alerts     89
Security      89
Questions and answers     89
INMARSAT Procedures     91
INMARSAT A     91
Alerting     91
Distress message by telephone or telex     92
Urgency message by telephone or telex     92
Safety message by telephone or telex     92
Routine telephone message     92
Routine telex message     92
INMARSAT B     93
Distress alerting by telephone     93
Distress alerting by telex     93
Distress message by telephone or telex     93
INMARSAT Fleet F77     95
Distress alerting     95
Distress message     96
INMARSAT C     95
Distress alerting     95
Distress message     96
Distress urgency and safety messages     96
Logging out     97
Questions and answers     97
EPIRBs and SARTs     100
EPIRBs     100
COSPAS/SARSAT EPIRBs     100
INMARSAT E EPIRB     103
VHF EPIRB     103
Activation     103
SARTs     104
Testing of EPIRBs and SARTs     106
Avoiding false alerts      107
Questions and answers     107
Antennae and Batteries     109
VHF antenna     109
MF and HF whip antenna     111
Wire aerial     111
Antennae for INMARSAT A, B and Fleet F77     112
Antennae for INMARSAT C     112
Maintenance of antennae     113
Batteries     113
Battery maintenance     114
Questions and answers     115
Maritime Safety Information     117
Navtex     117
Message types     120
Enhanced Group Calling (EGC)     121
Questions and answers     123
Quick Reference Revision Guide for LRC and GOC Students     125
Index     128

Editorial Reviews

This is a clear and cleverly constructed book. It is nicely designed, well-written and well-illustrated, providing straightforward explanations of the systems and the equipment” —Nautilus, The Telegraph

“A concise guide...can be recommended for anyone who has an interest in the subject” —Cruising Magazine

From the Publisher