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VHF Marine Radio Course

Course Format

  The course is taught in three evenings. The first evening is a lecture covering sections one to five below. The second evening is an oral drill covering the material in section 6. For this session, the class broken into small groups with about six students per instructor. The final session is the official exam. It consists of a fifty question multiple choice exam.

Upon successful completion of the exam on the third evening, the student will be issued a Temporary Operating Certificate. CPS will later mail a permanent certificate to the student. (Industry Canada has delegated the authority to certify marine radio operators on voluntarily fitted vessels to CPS.)

Course Outline

1.Maritime Mobile Service


  • Radiotelephone Operator's Restricted Certificate (Maritime)
    Radio Station Licence
    Authorities: Industry Canada, ITU, Coast Guard
    Radio Station Requirements: records and monitoring
    Required and Recommended Documents
    Secrecy of Communications
    International Distress, Safety and Calling Frequencies
    Propagation and the Transmitter Power Switch


2.Procedures


  • Use (and misuse) of Marine Radio
    Radio Operation, Word Spelling (Phonetic Alphabet), etc.
    Procedural Words and Phrases
    Calling Procedure
    Simplex and Duplex Operation
    Choice of Frequencies
    Control of Communication
    Priorities


3.Distress Communications


  • Priority
    Frequencies to be used
    Distress Signal
    Distress Call
    Distress Message - examples
    Acknowledging and Relaying a Distress Message
    Control of Distress Traffic
    Imposition of Silence
    Cancellation of Distress


4.Urgency Communications


  • Priority
    Frequencies to be Used
    Urgency Signal
    Urgency Message
    Cancellation of Urgency
 

5.Safety Communications


  • Priority
    Safety Signal
    Procedures


6.Distress Simulations


  • Distress Call and Message
    Acknowledgement of Mayday by CG Radio
    Distress Relay
    Acknowledgement/Assist by other station
    Distress Traffic
    Impose Silence by Controlling Station
    Impose Silence by Another Station
    Distress Traffic on Scene
    Cancellation of Distress by Controlling Station
    Homework Study
    Distress Call and Message from a Ship
    Acknowledgement by Another Ship
    Distress Traffic
    Imposition of Silence
    Cancellation of Distress
    Distress Call and Message
    Relay by Another Vessel


7.Additional Information


  • Alarm Signals
    Radiotelephone Alarm Signal
    Navigational Warning Signal
    Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
    Emergency Position Indicating Buoy (EPIB)
    General Electrical and Electronic Information
    Alternative Radio Services


8.Global Marine Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)


  • GMDSS Equipment
    Maritime Safety Information
    GMDSS Sea Areas
    Canadian Coast Guard Maritime Communications and Traffic Services Centers
    Operator Proficiency

 

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