Signals and Communication Flashcards
“Over”
-Invitation for radio reply
“Station Calling”
-Asking the station calling to repeat/identify themselves.
“Out”
-I have finished this conversation
“Received”
-I have received and understood your message
“Standby”
-Said by the coastguard, when telling you to wait until called back.
Radio Channels:
What are ship-ship channels?
6, 8, 72, 77
Radio Channels:
What are UK Marina channels?
80 or M (47 or 47A)
Radio Channels:
What are the UK coastguard channels?
16 and 67
What is the code that a ship is heading to danger?
- “U” (di di dah or . . _)
- Flag: 4 Squares: 2 diagonal red quadrants and 2 whites.
What does horizontal waving of a flag/flare indicate?
- “Negative”
- “Move away from here, it is highly dangerous”
What does vertical waving of a flag/flare indicate?
- “Affirmative”
- “This is the best place to land”
What are some air-surface replies?
- Drop a message / Rock wings / Flash lights twice
- T (dah or ) or R (di dah dit or ..) if received:
- Doesn’t signal/flies in a circle if not understood.
- RPT (“repeat”) (di dah dit - di dah dah dit - dah)
- Pneumonic: “RIP ._. - . . - . __ .”
- Pneumonic: “ET: . - _”
“Yes” or “Affirmative”
- Flag: (Lines): Blue - White - Red - White - Blue
- “C”
- Morse Code: (Dah di Dah dit) / _ . _ .
- Pneumonic: “CNN” = _ . _ . - _ . - _ .
“No” / “Negative”
- Flag: Blue and white checkered
- “N”
- Morse Code: (Dah dit) / _ .
- Pneumonic: “CNN” : _ . _ . - _ . - _ .
“I require medical assistance”
- Flag: Red sq in white sq in blue sq
- “W”
- Morse Code: (di dah dah) / . _ _
“I require assistance”
- Flag: Red X on White background
- “V”
- Morse Code: (di di di dah) / . . . _
- “I require assistance from the doctor, daVid Tennant, who’s heart goes Di di di Dah”
Flares:
What are the offshore flares? (>7 miles from land)
- 4 x red hand flares
- 2 x buoyant orange smoke
- 4 x red parachute flares
Flares:
What are the costal flares? (3-7 miles from land)
- 2 x red hand flares
- 2 x orange hand smoke
- 2 x red parachute flares
Flares:
What are the inshore flares? (<3 miles from land)
- 2 x red hand flares
- 2 x orange hand smoke
Flares:
If seen, what is the response from the life-station?
- Orange smoke signal
- White star rockets x 3 - 1 minute apart.
For routine communications, should the radio be set to high or low power?
Low
What are some forbidden transmissions?
- Discussion about sports
- Distress signal without the master’s permission
- Broadcasting music
- General chitchat
- Transmission without identification
- Sending a hoax distress
- Indecent language
- Using the radio unsupervised if not the holder of an operator’s licence.
Name four inter-ship channels?
6, 8, 72, and 77
What is an MMSI?
A 9 digit number which identifies the craft using digital selective calling (DSC)
Under what circumstances should a Mayday be sent?
When there is an immediate danger to life, a vessel, an aircraft, or another vehicle where immediate assistance is required.
Which channel is used for small-craft safety by HM coastguard?
Channel 67
What is the spoken distress message?
- Distress call x 3: “Mayday Mayday Mayday”
- Name of casualty: “This is motor yacht [__]”
- Call sign and MMSI: “2ABC8 MMSI _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ “
- Distress beings: “Mayday [___]”
- Call sign and MMSI again
- Position: “Position 50 degrees 05’.9N ….”
- Nature of distress: “Serious fire onboard”
- Assistance required: “Require immediate assistance”
- Other info: “3 persons on board”
- End of message: “Over”
Avoiding Collisions: Sound
-What are the different sound signals for direction?
- 1 Short blast: Altering course to starboard
- 2 Short blasts: Altering course to port
- 3 Short blasts: Engines are going astern
- 5+ Short blasts: WAKE UP! TAKE ACTION!
Avoiding Collisions: Signs
What does a hoisted black sphere, diamond, sphere show?
The vessel is restricted in its movement
-E.g., maybe launching a helicopter.
Avoiding Collisions: Signs
What does a hoisted black sphere show?
The vessel is anchored
Avoiding Collisions: Signs
What does a hoisted diamond show?
The vessel is under motor control
-Useful if the sail is up, but there is little wind.
Flags:
Describe Flag “A”.
- A ( . _ )
- Swallowtail Shape
- Tail-end: Blue, Square end: White
- “A diver is operating near the ship”
Avoiding Collisions: Sound
-What are the two different sound signals for a powered boat and a sailed boat when underway in fog?
- Powered: One long sound signal (>5s, every 2 minutes)
- Sailed: One long + 2 short sound (Every 2 minutes)
Avoiding Collisions: Lights:
-What side is the red light on?
Port
Avoiding Collisions: Lights:
-What side is the green light on?
Starboard
Avoiding Collisions: Lights:
-What colour is starboard?
Green
Avoiding Collisions: Lights:
-What colour is port?
Red
Avoiding Collisions: Lights:
-If the white light is higher than the sidelights what does that indicate?
That the vessel is power-driven.
Avoiding Collisions: Lights:
-If you can see side-lights of another boat, what does that indicate?
You are likely to be outside the “Overtaking arc” (112.5 degrees on either side of the bow).
Avoiding Collisions: Lights:
-What type of side-lights do vessels under 20m have?
Combined port/starboard light
Avoiding Collisions: Lights:
When a powered vessel over 50m in length is moving, how are its lights arranged?
- Aftward “mast” light higher than second, forward “mast” light.
- Port and starboard sidelights taking 112.5 degrees each.
Avoiding Collisions: Lights:
-How does a boat under sail arrange its lights?
-No front white light
- Small: a combined port/starboard lamp AND
- A stern light OR
-A combined triple-light on the masthead (Por/Star/Stern)
Avoiding Collisions: Lights:
-What do boats have to display while they anchor?
- All-around light(s), one of which must be near the bow.
- Large ships have aftward light LOWER than the forward light.
