ROCK PRACTICE SYLLABUS

Section A. General knowledge of radiocommunications in the maritime mobile service.

A.1. Basic general characteristics of the maritime mobile service:

  • Types of stations: Ship stations; coastal stations; rescue coordination centers; vessel movement service stations (VTS).
  • Types of communications: Distress, urgency and safety communications; SAR communications; communications between ships; communications of port operations and ship movement; public correspondence communications.

A.2. Maritime Mobile Service Identities:

  • Maritime Mobile Service Identification Numbers (MMSI): Maritime Identification Digit (MID); vessel and shore station identities.

A.3. General characteristics of VHF communications:

  • Scope; distress, urgency and safety channels, and for call and response; channels for communications between ships; working channels of coastal stations and port operations.
  • Mandatory listening on distress channels.
  • Interference.
  • Order of priority in radiocommunications.
  • Secrecy of communications.
  • Captain’s authority.

A.4. Mandatory basic documents:

  • Ship Station License.
  • Procedure for the installation of radio equipment.
  • List of Spanish coastal stations and rescue coordination centers.

Section B. Detailed practical knowledge and aptitude for using radiocommunication equipment.

B.1. VHF radio installation with and without DSC:

  • Channel selection and controls; dual listening system; use of the different equipment controls; facilities and use of the emergency button; handling of the LCD menus, antenna positioning, GPS connection, routine checks and maintenance.

B.2. General communication procedures using VHF equipment:

  • Routine calls and call response; radiotelephone channels for these communications; when to use them; examples.
  • International phonetic alphabet and chart for spelling numbers and letters.
  • International diagram on operating procedures in relief situations.
  • Calls to coastal stations. Mandatory listening on distress channels.

B.3. Operational procedures for distress, urgency and safety in VHF using digital selective calling techniques and radiotelephone procedures:

  • Meaning of distress, alert and safety communications.
  • Emergency, distress and safety channels.
  • Transmission, acknowledgment and traffic of distress, urgency and safety alerts and calls; cancellation of involuntary distress, urgency and safety alerts; transmission, reception and acknowledgment of an alert or a distress call by a station not in danger (MAYDAY RELAY); distress traffic (SILENCE MAYDAY and SILENCE FINI); use of the distress signal (MAYDAY); communications at the scene of the incident; cancellation of involuntary alerts.
  • Transmission of announcements, calls and urgent and security messages; types of urgent and security communications; urgent (PANPAN) and security (SECURITÉ) signals.
  • Medical consultations.
  • Procedures for testing equipment.

B.4. Digital Selective Calling (DSC):

  • General operating features and procedures; types of calls (all-vessel call, individual call); distress button facilities and use; sending alerts; reviewing received messages; monitoring controls and functions. Cancellation of unintentional alerts. Equipment testing procedures.

B.5 Practices.

  • Transmission, acknowledgment, and full traffic routing of an alert and a distress call from onboard using a VHF installation. Retransmission, acknowledgment, and full traffic routing of a distress call received from another vessel (MAYDAY RELAY).
  • Transmit and receive announcements and emergency and safety calls by radiotelephone and using DSL, and subsequent communication procedures. Initiate a call to a coastal and radio-medical center.

B.6. Portable VHF equipment:

  • Main features; range; operating channels; controls; primary and secondary batteries; types of equipment. Communication practices with this equipment.

B.7. 406 MHz satellite location radio beacons:

  • Basic operating characteristics; location functions; routine maintenance; self-testing system; battery and hydrostatic release mechanism. Registration and installation procedures. Cancellation of an unintentionally issued alert. The Cospas-Sarsat System: Basic system concept. Practical exercises.

B.8. Power sources for radio equipment:

  • Batteries and chargers; connection to different equipment; basic care.

B.9 Other radiocommunication and radioelectronic navigational aid equipment:

  • AIS, PLB, NAVTEX, SART, etc.

B.10. Mobile telephony:

  • Limitations and other considerations of mobile phones on board.