General Operator's Certificate
GOC Detailed Syllabus
5. EXAMINATION SYLLABUS
The information contained in sections 5.1 and 5.2 has been extracted from Annex 1 of the text of the recommendation proposed by the Working Group "Radio Regulatory" (RR) for the Harmonised Examination Procedures for the General Operator's Certificate (GOC) - Recommendation T/R 31-03 E (Bonn 1993)- edition of May 1, 1993.
5.1 Examination Syllabus for the GMDSS General Operator's Certificate (GOC)
The examination should consist of theoretical and practical tests and shall include at least:
5.1.1 Knowledge of the general principles and basic features of:
(a) The Maritime Mobile Service.
(b) The Maritime Mobile-Satellite Service
5.1.2 Detailed practical knowledge and ability to use the basic equipment of a ship station.
(a) Practical use of the basic equipment of a ship station.
(b) Digital Selective Calling (DSC).
(c) General principles of Narrow Band Direct Printing (NBDP) and Telex Over Radio (TOR) systems. Ability to use maritime NBDP and TOR equipment in practice.
(d) Usage of Inmarsat systems. Inmarsat equipment or simulator in practice.
(e) Fault locating.
5.1.3 Operational procedures and detailed practical operation of GMDSS system and subsystems.
(a) Global Maritime Distress and Safety Systems (GMDSS).
(b) INMARSAT.
(c) NAVTEX.
(d) Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs).
(e) Search and Rescue Radar Transponder (SART).
(f) Distress, urgency and safety communication procedures in the GMDSS.
(g) Search and rescue operation (SAR).
5.1.4 Miscellaneous skills and operational procedures for general communications.
(a) Ability to use English language, both written and spoken, for the satisfactory exchange of communications relevant to the safety of life at sea.
(b) Obligatory procedures and practices.
(c) Practical and theoretical knowledge of general communication procedures.
5.2 Examination Syllabus Guidelines for the GMDSS GOC
5.2.1 Knowledge of the basic features of the Maritime Mobile Service and the Maritime Mobile-Satellite Service.
(a) The general principles and basic features of the Maritime Mobile Service.
(i) Types of communication in the Maritime Mobile Service:
Distress, urgency and safety communications.
Public correspondence.
Port Operation service.
Ship movement service. Intership communication.
Onboard communication.
(ii) Types of station in the Maritime Mobile Service:
Ship stations. Coast Stations. Pilot stations, port operations station, etc.
Aircraft stations. Rescue co-ordination centre (RCC).
(iii) Elementary knowledge of frequencies and frequency bands:
The concept of frequency. The equivalence between frequency and wavelength.
The unit of frequency: Hz, kHz, MHz, GHz.
The subdivision of the most significant part of the radio spectrum: MF, HF, VHF, UHF, SHF.
(iv) Characteristics of frequencies:
Different propagation mechanisms: propagation in free space, ground wave, ionospheric propagation.
Propagation on MF.
Propagation on different HF bands.
Propagation on VHF and UHF.
(v) Knowledge of the role of the various modes of communication:
DSC. Radiotelephony, NBDP, Facsimile, Data, Morse telegraphy.
(vi) Knowledge of the different types of modulation and classes of emission:
Carrier frequency and assigned frequency.
Bandwidth of different emissions.
Official designations of emissions (e.g. F1B, J3E, A3E, A1A, etc.).
Unofficial designations of emissions (e.g. TLX, SSB, AM, CW, etc.).
(vii) Frequencies allocated to the Maritime Mobile Service:
The usage of MF, HF, VHF, UHF and SHF in the Maritime Mobile Service.
The concept of radio channel. Simplex, semi-duplex and duplex.
Paired and unpaired frequencies.
Frequency plans and channelling systems: HF and VHF telephony (relevant appendix of the Radio Regulations), HF NBDP (relevant appendix of Radio Regulations),
MF telephony and NBDP for Region 1 (Geneva 85 plan),
GMDSS distress and safety frequencies,
Calling frequencies.
(b) The general principles and basic features of the Maritime Mobile-Satellite Service.
(i) Basic Knowledge of satellite communications:
Inmarsat space segment.
Modes of communication: Telex services, Telephone services, Data and Facsimile communications, store and forward operation.
Distress and safety communications.
Inmarsat-A communications services.
Inmarsat-C communication Services.
Inmarsat Enhanced Group Call (EGC) system.
(ii) Types of station in the Maritime Mobile-Satellite Service:
Coast Earth Station (CES).
Network Co-ordination Station (NCS).
Ship Earth Station (SES).
5.2.2 Detailed practical knowledge and ability to use the basic equipment of a ship station.
(a) Knowledge of, and ability to use in practice, the basic equipment of a ship station.
(i) Watchkeeping receivers:
The controls and usage of VHF DSC watch receiver.
The controls and usage of MF DSC watch receiver and MF/HF DSC watch receiver.
(ii) VHF radio installation.
Channels. Controls. Usage. DSC.
(iii) MF/HF radio installation.
Frequencies.
Typical controls and usage, e.g. connecting the power, selecting Rx/Tx frequency, selecting ITU channel number, tuning the transmitter, selecting the class of emission, using volume control and squelch, using clarifier or Rx fine tuning, controlling RF gain, using automatic gain control, using the 2182 kHz instant selector, testing the alarm generator, using the alarm generator
(iv) Antennae
Antennae Isolators. VHF whip antennae. MF/HF whip antennae. MF/HF wire antennae. Construction of an MF emergency antenna.
(v) Batteries
Types of marine batteries and their characteristics.
Charging.
Maintenance of batteries.
(vi) Survival craft radio equipment.
Portable two-way VHF radiotelephone apparatus.
SART. EPIRB
(b) Digital Selective Calling.
(i) Call format specifier.
Distress call. All ships call. Call to individual station. Geographical area call. Group Call
Automatic, semi-automatic service.
(ii) Call address selection with the MMSI number system.
The nationality identification.
Group Calling Numbers.
Coast station numbers.
MMSI number with three training zeros.
(iii) Call categorisation.
Distress. Urgency. Safety. Ship business. Routine.
(iv) Call telecommand and traffic information.
Distress alerts. Other calls. Working frequency information
(c) Knowledge of the general principles of NBDP and TOR systems. Ability to use maritime NBDP and TOR equipment in practice.
(i) NBDP systems.
Automatic systems. Semi-automatic systems. Manual systems. ARQ, FEC modes. ISS/IRS arrangement.
Master and slave. Radio telex number. Answerback.
Numbering of the SSFC selective calling system.
(ii) TOR equipment (Telex Over Radio).
Controls and indicators.
Keyboard operation.
(d) Knowledge of the usage of Inmarsat systems. Ability to use Inmarsat equipment or simulator in practice.
(i) Inmarsat-A Ship Earth Station.
Satellite acquisition.
Telex services. Telephone services. Data and facsimile communications.
(ii) Inmarsat-C Ship Earth Station.
Components of an Inmarsat-C terminal.
Entering and updating position.
Usage of an Inmarsat-C SES.
Sending and receiving text messages.
(iii) Inmarsat EGC Receiver.
Programming an SES for EGC message reception.
(e) Fault locating.
Proficiency in elementary fault localisation by means of built-in instruments or software in accordance with equipment manuals.
Elementary fault diagnosis and repair such as replacement of fuses, indicator lamps, antenna maintenance.
5.2.3 Operational procedures and detailed practical operation of GMDSS system and sub-systems.
(a) Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
(i) Sea Areas and the GMDSS master plan.
(ii) Watchkeeping on distress frequencies.
(iii) Functional requirements of ship stations.
(iv) Carriage requirements of ship stations.
(v) Sources of energy of ship stations.
(vi) Means of ensuring availability of ship station equipment.
(vii) Licences, radio safety certificates, inspections and surveys.
(b) Inmarsat usage in the GMDSS.
(i) Inmarsat-A SES:
Distress communications: use of distress facility, satellite acquisition, telex and telephony distress calls, procedures for distress calls.
(ii) Inmarsat-C SES:
Distress and safety services: designated and undesignated distress alert, distress priority message, 2-digit code service codes.
(iii) Inmarsat EGC:
Purpose of the EGC system:
All-ships messages and Inmarsat system messages.
(c) NAVTEX.
(i) The Navtex system:
Purpose of Navtex. Navtex frequencies. Reception range.
Message format (transmitter ID, message type, message number).
(ii) Navtex receiver:
Selection of transmitters. Selection of message types. Messages which cannot be rejected.
Use of operator controls and changing paper.
(d) Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs).
(i) Satellite EPIRBs:
Basic characteristics and operation of 406 MHz and 1.6 GHz. 121.5 MHz EPIRBs including homing functions.
Information contents of a distress alert. Manual usage. Float-free function.
Routine maintenance: testing, checking battery expiry date, cleaning of the float-free release mechanism.
(ii) VHF DSC EPIRB:
The main technical characteristics.
Information contents of a distress alert.
Manual operation.
Float-free operation.
Routine maintenance: testing, checking battery expiry date, cleaning of the float-free release mechanism.
(e) Search and Rescue Radar Transponder (SART).
Primary technical characteristics.
Operation.
Range of a SART transmitter.
Testing and checking battery expiry date.
(f) Distress, urgency and safety communication procedures in the GMDSS.
(i) Distress communications:
DSC distress alert:
definition of distress alert
transmission of distress alert
transmission of shore-to-ship distress relay
transmission of distress alert by station not itself in distress.
Receipt and acknowledgement of a DSC distress alert:
acknowledgement procedures by radiotelephony
acknowledgement procedures by NBDP
receipt and acknowledgement by a coast station
receipt and acknowledgement by ship station.
Handling of distress alerts:
preparations for handling of distress traffic
distress traffic terminology.
Testing DSC distress and safety calls.
On-scene communications.
SAR operation.
(ii) Urgency and safety communications.
The meaning of urgency and safety communications.
Procedures for DSC urgency and safety calls.
Urgency communications.
Medical advice.
Safety communications.
(iii) Radiotelephony communications with non-GMDSS stations.
Distress signal. Distress call. Distress message.
Acknowledgement of a distress message.
Distress traffic terminology.
Transmission of a distress message by a station not itself in distress.
Medical advice.
(iv) Reception of maritime safety information (MSI).
Reception by NAVTEX, INMARSAT EGC, HF NBDP.
The navigational warnings transmitted by radiotelephony.
(v) Protection of distress frequencies.
Guard bands.
Tests on distress frequencies.
Transmissions during distress traffic.
Avoiding harmful interference.
Prevention of unauthorised transmissions.
(g) Search and Rescue operation (SAR).
(i) The role of RCCs.
(ii) Merchant Ship Search and Rescue Manual (MERSAR).
(iii) Maritime rescue organisations.
(iv) Ship reporting systems.
5.2.4 Miscellaneous skills and operational procedures for general communications.
(a) Ability to use English language, both written and spoken, for the satisfactory exchange of communications relevant to the safety of life at sea.
(i) Use of the International Code of Signals and the IMO Standard Marine Navigational Vocabulary/Seaspeak.
(ii) Recognised standard abbreviations and commonly used service codes.
(iii) Use of international phonetic alphabet
(b) Obligatory procedures and practices.
(i) Effective use of obligatory documents and publications.
(ii) Radio record keeping.
(iii) Knowledge of the regulations and agreements governing the maritime mobile service and the maritime mobile-satellite service.
(c) Practical and theoretical knowledge of general communication procedures.
(i) Selection of appropriate communication methods in different situations.
(ii) Traffic lists.
(iii) Radiotelephone call.
Method of calling a coast station by radiotelephony.
Ordering for manually switched link call. Ending the call.
Special facilities of calls.
Method of calling a coast station by DSC.
Selecting an automatic radiotelephone call.
(iv)Radiotelegram.
The parts of a radiotelegram:
preamble
service instructions and indications
address, text, signature.
Addresses:
full address, registered address, telephonic address, telex address.
Word count.
Transmission of a telegram by radiotelephony.
Transmission of a telegram by radiotelex.
(v) Traffic charges.
International charging system.
Inmarsat communications charging system.
AAIC code.
The meaning of land line (LL), coast station (CS) and ship station(SS) charges.
Currencies used in international charging.
(vi) Practical traffic routines.
(vii) World geography, especially the principal shipping routes and related communication routes.
5.3 Conditions of the Awards
The GMDSS General Operator's Certificate (GOC) will be awarded to applicants who have, by means of satisfactorily completing the appropriate standard written and practical tests, demonstrated their knowledge and ability in the area detailed in Sections 5.1 and 5.2.
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