Attention Reader's......

From 14th January 2012 onwards... this blog become a private 1...... So, anybody wants to read the blog in future must SEND their E-mail id as a COMMENT to this post...otherwise...i'm sorry i can't add you as a reader.....

 The changes are not because of any selfishness... but because of more open sources ie, more Useful Question banks...and Opportunity pages are coming from the very next week....so..... take ur own decision....

Atlantic rowers rescued after activating their McMurdo EPIRB

4 January 2012

A McMurdo EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) has saved the lives of two Trans-Atlantic rowers, who were successfully rescued when they activated the beacon after their boat sank in the middle of the Atlantic.
The transatlantic rowers, Briton Tom Fancett and Dutchman Tom Sauer, were nine days into the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, a 3,000 mile endurance rowing event from the Canary Islands to Barbados, when a freak wave struck their boat and caused it to capsize and sink.
The Falmouth Coastguard received the alert at 7:54pm on Tuesday 13th December, 480 miles South West of the Canary Islands from the UK registered McMurdo beacon, belonging to the Atlantic Challenge rowing boat PS Vita. The Falmouth Coast Guard broadcast an alert to all vessels in the area. Four vessels picked up the alert however approximately 120 miles from the location, and closest to the scene, was Crystal Serenity a Bahamian registered cruise ship which was en route to St Martin in the Caribbean from Tenerife.
The two rowers, who had spent at least 10 hours adrift in their tiny life raft before being saved, were rescued uninjured by the crew of Crystal Serenity in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday 14th December.
McMurdo offers a range of emergency location beacon products including EPIRBs, PLBs (Personal Location Beacons), SARTs, AIS Beacons, NAVTEX and VHF Radios – must-have devices for all safety-conscious sailors.
McMurdo’s range of EPIRBs are designed to alert search and rescue services in the event of an emergency by transmitting a coded message on the 406 MHz distress frequency. The G5 Smartfind EPIRB also includes a GPS receiver ensuring that the exact position of a casualty is relayed to the rescue services.
For further information on McMurdo’s range of safety and emergency location beacon products, visit www.mcmurdo.co.uk.


data courtesy: websites

UK GMDSS _ Exam tips

Most important in UK GMDSS exam is ..


GK Paper---> for 25 min exam---> SOLAS is the scoring chapter for the descriptive part..and in objective part for 15 marks... the antenna, battery and some twisting quetions...


RT communication is easy ....but with the GREY box ....be cautious with the POSTION copying and time.....


OPT---- InmarSAT- C is the important.... As the Scenario model is implemented in OPT so the chance of scoring is easy ....but must have deep knowledge in SAT C and B .... 




there you can also expect random wise qns......

Model Qns,,, 2

1.         With respect to Distress communications the MAIN function of the On Scene Co-ordinator (OSC) is to

ANS:  maintain communication with all Search and Rescue (SAR) facilities

2.         Routine RT inter-ship VHF messages may be passed on

ANS: Ch.08 VHF is the only ship-to-ship channel listed in the options. Ch.16, Ch.13 and Ch.70 are used for other purposes.

3.         According to international regulations VHF Ch.06 may be used for

ANS: VHF Ch.06 has two functions. First it is the primary inter-ship RT (voice) channel. Secondly it is used for ship to aircraft communications during SAR operations

4.         n the terrestrial radio service, the category, message with the highest priority is a

ANS: weather observation

5.         The correct format for on-going on-board communications between sub station and bridge is

ANS: SEAQUEST CONTROL) this is SEAQUEST BRAVO is the correct format as per ITU radio regulations. It is used to avoid confusing with other vessels in crowded anchorages etc.

Model Qns,,,

·  After transmitting a MF DSC Safety Alert, the RT call should be transmitted on

You answered:	2182 kHz
Correct

·  The correct format for an RT Urgency Call to Clyde Coastguard is

You answered:	PAN PAN (x3) Clyde Coastguard (x3) this is Nonsuch (x3) GABC 232123456
Correct

·  Your vessel is in GMDSS Sea Area A1, drifting ashore and you require a tow. You should initially transmit by Ch. 70 DSC

You answered:	an All Stations Urgency Alert
Correct

·  After transmitting a VHF DSC Urgency Alert, the RT call and message is usually sent on

After transmitting a VHF DSC Urgency Alert, the RT call and message is sent on Ch. 16.

·  The correct format for an RT Safety Call to Clyde Coastguard is

You answered:	SECURITE (x3) Clyde Coastguard (x3) this is Nonsuch (x3) GABC 232123456

·  After receiving a DSC Distress Relay Alert from an MRCC on MF, you should

You answered:	listen for a MAYDAY RELAY message on 2182 kHz

·  To announce an unscheduled meteorological warning a coast station should transmit a DSC

You answered:	Safety Alert

·  You are in GMDSS Sea Area A2 and have received a DSC Distress Alert you should

You answered:	wait a short period, then acknowledge by RT on 2182 kHz

·  A DSC Distress Relay Alert should only be sent on the authority of

You answered:	person responsible for radio communications in an emergency

A DSC Distress Relay Alert should only be sent on the authority of the Master or person responsible for of the vessel.

·  You are in Sea Area A2 and require medical advice from Humber Coastguard. You should initially transmit by MF DSC on 2187.5 kHz

You answered:	an Urgency Alert addressed to Humber Coastguard’s MMSI
	...............................................

 FOLLOW for the Complete series........

Inmarsat Device

The standard Inmarsat C device on board consists of an Inmarsat terminal (this is the transmitter and receiver), a message terminal with disc drive and keyboard or another computer system, a printer, a power supply, an omnidirectional antenna, an antenna cable and, if not built-in, a GPS receiver.

Example of an Inmarsat C device.

The Inmarsat C device can be used for sending and receiving messages. These messages consist of data which is generated or decoded by the message terminal or computer connected to the Inmarsat C terminal. So it offers the possibility of sending and receiving various types of messages such as E-mail, Fax, TELEX, SMS etc.

Inmarsat Communication

The Inmarsat system is a satellite communication network. It is used by ships, and also by other users. This Inmarsat system supports the GMDSS system and for that reason it is used a lot on SOLAS ships as well as on non-SOLAS ships. Within the GMDSS system the Inmarsat system may be used for distress- alerting in sea area A3. Although areas A1 and A2 are not excluded from distress-alerting by Inmarsat, in these areas the GMDSS system offers better solutions for distress-alerting. It is also used for transmission of Maritime Safety Information (MSI) outside the coverage of a NAVTEX station. History The International Maritime Satellite Organization was founded on 16 July 1979. At this time Inmarsat took over the Marisat-network from the American company Comsat. From this moment on it was possible for ships at sea to communicate via satellite. In the beginning the system was only used by ships. Now Inmarsat is offering a wide range off products/services also for airplanes and other landmobile users. Apart from commercial activities, Inmarsat is committed to the IMO to ensure a 100% functioning communication network for Distress communication. Satellite Propagation The Inmarsat services will use 'direct wave' propagation (just like at the VHF 'Line of Sight'). There should always be a direct line of sight between the ship's Inmarsat antenna and the satellite used. For this reason the antennae should be fitted clear of the superstructure or other obstructions. Coverage for GMDSS purposes is considered reliable up to latitudes 70 degrees North and 70 degrees South (assuming not 'in shadow' of mountains, terrain or buildings), though service can often be accessed further North or South than the mentioned 70 degrees. The further you are from the equator, the lower the angle of sight from the antenna to the satellite, and the greater the possibility of losing sight of the satellite when near to land or other obstruction. Inmarsat satellites 36000 km above the earth The picture above shows the position of the four Inmarsat satellites. These geo-stationary orbiting satellites are situated in fixed positions above the equator