LaGmra Day 8 - Part 1 - CHECKLIST - VHF 01 Dec, 06 - 20.43

Note: Todays posting is a bit longer than usual, so I have split it into to parts. The morning and afternoon.
Note2: This is a funny video I came across the other day. Click on the video link to the right (below the photo). Or copy and past the following link into your web browser.
http://www.humanedgetech.com/expedition/bhavik/videos/061201_pt1VHF.MPG
Part 1 - VHF
Good news today. Passed the Royal Yachting Association exams .
The morning was spent in the classroom at Canary Sail, with Clive and 2 other day skippers, studying VHF Marine radio telephony. The payoff
comes in the form of my GMDSS certification and the all clear from Kennith. There have been some updates to the GMDSS system since 2005 and although some means of pre-GMDSS communication will continue to be available, the exam has been necessary to participate in the new system to send an effective distress message.
** CHECK LIST - VHF & DISTRESS **
Medium frequency, high frequency and Marine VHF equipment
1 x iCOM VHF with GMDSS DSC (Digital Selective Calling) interfaced with GPS
1 x iCOM Hand held marine VHF
Satellite comms equipment
1 x SART (Search and Rescue Radar Transponder)
1 x 406.025 MHz EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)
Note: NAVTEX optional. Not on board.
** CHECK LIST - DISTRESS INFO **
MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity Number) - 235026784
Call Sign for Miss Olive - MJGU9
For the benefit of future sailors and those interested - HERE IS A BRIEF NOTE ON WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW -
1. The GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) ensures that ships anywhere in the world can communicate with a Rescue Co-ordination Centre on shore by two independent means. Channel 16 has always been the VHF
Distress Safety and Calling frequency and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. The normal routine is to establish contact on Ch 16 and move to a mutually acceptable working frequency as quickly as possible. However, in the busiest areas there is great pressure on Ch 16 and rescue centers fear that a distress call my be lost due to congestion. While ship and store stations maintain continuous watch on Ch 16, the introduction of DSC reduces congestion as the initial electronic alert is sent as a very short data burst using Ch 70. Although HM Coastguard will continue to listen to Ch 16 at its stations, since 2006 it has ceased to have an operator whose sole job is to monitor the channel. The only way to guarantee communications within all authorities within VHF range by VHF/DSC.
2. WORKING CHANNELS
Ch 16 - Distress & Safety
Ch 13 - Bridge - to - Bridge
Ch 6, 8, 72, 77 - Intership
Ch 9 - Harbour Pilots
Ch 11, 12, 14 - Port Operations
Ch 10 - Weather
Ch 15, 17, 69 - Ship Movements
3. MMSI and CALL SIGN
(MMSI is a unique nine digit number that identifies a particular ship or shore station. Four types include a. ship station b. coast guard station c. group station d. portable DSC equipment.
MMSI should be entered into the VHF set)
4. TRANSMISSION RULES (Secrecy, interference, in port, communications control)
5. VOICE TECHNIQUE (Pitch, Volume, Speech rate
6. PHONETIC ALPHABET (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie etc)
7. PROCEDURE WORDS
Standard Nav. Vocab (eg: All after, All before, Correct, Correction, In figures, I read back, I say again, I spell, Out, Over, Request Radio Check, Received, Say Again, Station Calling, This is, Wait, Word After, Word Before, Wrong etc),
Repetition, Distances, Numerals, Position, Courses, Bearings, Speed, Geographical Names, Time, Calling Harbour Authorities, Garbled Calls, Unknown Calling Stations, Unanswered Calls, All Ships Broadcast
8. PROCEDURES FOR DISTRESS
(DSC distress alert, Voice Distress Call, Voice Distress Message)
9. PROCEDURES FOR RECEIVING A DISTRESS MESSAGE
(Mayday relay procedure, DSC Mayday relay)
10. IMPOSING RADIO SILENCE
(imposing, relaxing, cancelling)
11. DIRECTION FINDING
12. FALSE ALERTS
(False VHF DSC, False 406 MHz EPIRB)
13. URGENCY MESSAGES
(Pan-Pan Procedure, Urgency DSC, Urgency Call and Message)
14. SAFETY
(DSC Safety Alert, DSC Safety Call)
15. COASTGUARD LIAISON
(Calls, Meteorological Info, VHF Direction Finding)
16. FREQUENCY TABLES
(At Sea, International Channels)
TODAYS PHOTO - Emergency Calling Card next to the onboard radio

TODAYS VIDEO - A funny coastguard ad by Berlitz