se1012020 Dally, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships ‘*Now eBook: MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING OF MARINE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS [15% OFF] Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships By Paromita Mukhere| I: Marine Navigation |Last Updated on May 8, 2020, ‘The development of GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress And Safety System) for the shipping industry has ‘come a ong way, The GMDSS systam was established with an objective 1 improve distress and safely radio communications and procedures at sea “The greatest beneft of the GMDSS equipment is that it vastly reduces the chances of ships disappearing without a trace, and enables search and rescue (SAR) operations ta be launched without dolay and directed tothe exact ste of a martime dsaster. Gone are the days when ships were required to have deeicated radio officers to operate radio equipment With the implementation of GMOS, every deck officer with a General Operator Certificate (GOC) and the lconse is ented fo use the GMDSS equipment and make radio communications when neaded. For the GMDSS equipment to function properly and effectively in the event of an emergency, itis critical ‘hal mariners understand its purpose and do the required maintenance on board the vessel to keop itn a Working condition and make the best use of GMDSS equipment, The daily, weekly and monthly tests of all the GMDSS equipment should be done by every navigating officer responsible frit without any compromise, We must not forget tat itis our only best fiend in a distress situation at sea. ‘Ships at sea must be capable of performing the rine functonal GMDSS requirements. They ae: Ship-to-shore dstess alerting Shore-to-ship distress alerting Shipto-ship distress alerting SAR coordination ‘On-scene communications ‘Transmission and receipt of emergency locating signals ‘Transmission and receipt of MSI General radio communications Bridge-to-bridge communications ‘This can be ensured by testing the GMDSS equipment at regular intervals. ‘The GMDSS equipment and systems include the VHF OSCIRT, MFIHF DSCIRT, INMARSAT, SART, EPIRB, NAVTEX, and SURVIVAL CRAFT TWO WAY VHF, hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comimarne-navigation/gmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 1129se1012020 Dally, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships Daily Tests On GMDSS Equipment The proper functioning ofthe Digital Selective Calling (OSC) facltos shall be tested at least once each lay, without radiation of signals, bythe use ofthe equipmant's Internal test facility. The dally test chacks the internal connection, ransmiting output power and the display. The process can dif from equipment to equipment based on the make. The daily test ofthe FURUNO model of the VHF equipment can be executed as below: 1. Alte slandby cisplay press, the SHIFT key followed ay the TEST key. The “TEST IN PROGRESS" op up window appears momentarily and distress alarm both visual and audible occurs. area | eee Cae ae The display shows the TEST screen. if everything fs okay withthe sot and is functioning properly, the results show OK as below, However, in some situation or it's @ faulty equipment, ‘NG! may be displayed. In this case the dally test should be repeated a couple of times. Ifthe problem persists, i should be immediately brought to the notice ofa shore based eervice engineer. Seva) 2. Pross the CANCEL key to stop the alarm, Ta stop the daly test, prass the CANCEL key again Dally test also needs to be performed on the MF/MF equipment to ensure it wll function propery inthe ‘event of distress, 1. Press the [TEST] key to start the test. Select the Dally Test by rotating the knob and push to enter, ‘Aer several seconds the display shows the test results: OK for normal operation. The audio alarm also ‘sounds ater the test results are displayed and the alarm lamp flasnes several imes. hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-ests-on-ships! 229se012020 Dally, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships —=— Cory oC 2. The CANCEL key should be pressed to quit the test and retum tothe normal screen. Batteries providing a reserve source of energy should also be checked daly. Mainly the battery ON- LOAD and OFF-LOAD voltages are checked uy a volmetar connected to the charger ‘OFF-LOAD: when no equipment is connected, the battery should read 24 V or sighlly more. ON LOAD: switch off the AC power and note the voltage ofthe battery. Press the PTT on MFIMF ‘transceiver on @non-distress and idle RIT frequency. Voltage wil fall depending upon the load. Ihe voltage fais more than 10% It indicates thatthe batter Is either weak or not chargad fully. In this case, batteries should be recharged, hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comimarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 3129ser012020 Dally, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships Its also important to check that all printers are in a working condltion and there is sufficient supply of paper Weekly Tests On GMDSS Equipment Its necessary to test the proper operation ofthe DSC facillles at east once a week by means ofa test ‘allover one ofthe six cistress and safety quencies, when within te communication range ofa coast tation fited with @ OSC equipment, A test cll othe coast station can be sent in the fllwing ways MFIHF DS 4. Press the [2/080] key atthe DSC standby ser TYPE menu, and then push the [ENTER] knob to open the CALL 2, Rolate the [ENTER] knob fo choose TEST CALL and then push the [ENTER] knob, Push the [ENTER] knob again to open the COAST ID menu. hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 429ser012020 Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMOSS Equipment On Board Ships See ea ey 2 Using the numeric keys, key inthe ID ofthe coast station ID (seven digits) where you want to send the call depending upon the area you are navigating in and then push the [ENTER] knob. The coast station 1D can be found from the Admiralty List of Radio Signals Volume t- Maritime Racio Stations. 4, Now push the [ENTER] knob to open the DSC FREG menu: (Note that here the PRIORITY is. ‘automaticaly selected to SAFETY, 5. Rotate the [ENTER] knob to choose an appropriate frequency and then push the [ENTER] knob. hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comimarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 529se1012020 Dally, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships ‘Ator the tet call has been sent successfully the acknowledgement is received from the shore station. “The aul alarm sounds on receiving the acknowledgement Many times it en happens that the deck officer does nat recelve any acknowledgement fom the shore Station. In such cases, we often take it for granted that the shore station isnot sending the ‘acknowledgement. However, in realy, this might not be the case, ‘The problem could be with aur equipment to. To make sure that he MFIMF equipments in order, itis better we ty sending the test call using other frequencies and to other stations. Even ifthen we fallto receive any acknowledgement, test call can be sent toa passing ship f possible. Instead of keying the ‘coast ID, key in the MSI of the passing ship. It's beter to call he ship and confirm if they have received ‘he test call. We can also request them to send usa test call to ensure that the equipment recelving {acityis functioning propery Oe Mune} = er Peering Rare ee er as ce Scat en ae ee SP tee ete Cree) GET MORE INFO Itis also recommended that a station to station test takes place using VHF DSC. 41, Press the CALL key. This will open the compose message screen where the cll ype can be selected, Rolate tne channel knob to select TEST call ee 2, Entor the Station ID n this case, the MMSI of your own ship and then press the CALL key fo itto be transmitted hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comimarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 229sert012020 Dally, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships ‘The aualio and visual alarm is generated and the test call is received onthe other VHF station, Press, ‘cancel fo terminate the test cal Monthly Tests On GMDSS Equipment EPIRB: The Emergency Position Indicating Radio Geacon or EPIRB should be examined by carrying outa sell tet function without using the satelite system, No emergency signal i transmitted during the self-test. During set-test the battery vallage, oulput power and frequency are checked, The EPIRB should also be checked for any physical damage. The expiry date ofthe battery unt and that ofthe hydrostatic release unit should be checked. Also, check thatthe safety lp is properly attached and in place. hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-ests-on-ships! 729ser012020 Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships Gee ‘To perform the self-test on the JOTRON EPIRB: 4. The EPIRB should be removed from the bracket fst hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 829se10r2020 Dally, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships 2. The spring loaded switch on top ofthe EPIRB Is then ited to the TEST position. ‘A successtl test will cnsla ofa series of blinks on the LED testndicator, folowed by a continuous light and a strobe fash after approximately 16 seconds. The last green led indicates a successful test hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comimarne-navigation/gmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 9729‘6110/2020, Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMOSS Equipment On Board Ships 3. After the successful completion of he test, the switch is released and the EPIRB is put back into the bracket BO ke ORO eg De areca) ‘An essential guide for ship's deck officers and crew members to carry out all important deck jobs and operations with utmost ease and safety. GET MORE INFO ‘SART: ‘The Search and Rescue Transponder or SART is also equipped wit a selfsest mechanism to test the ‘operational function of the beacon. The SARTT is tested using the ship's X band radar. The test should preferably be done in open seas to avoid interference on the radar display 1. Remove the SART from the mounting bracket, 2. The SART should be hold by one person in view of the radar scanner. This could be dane from the bridge wings. The SART should then be put onthe TEST mode by rolatng it tothe left othe TESTPREVUE poston for a brief period hitpsslwwn.marineinsight.com/marine-navigaion/gmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships/ 101729ser012020 Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships Seva ‘Visual ights operate and bloops ars heard indicating thatthe SART has beon triggered. 3. Simultaneously a person should observe the radar display forthe correct patter, Atleast 11 concentric crcles appear on the radar dsplay ifkept on a 12 M range scale. The distance between the twa rings is approximately 0.64 NM. hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-ests-on-ships! 1129ser012020 Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships 4. The SART should also be visually inspected for any signs of physical damage. The battsry expiry dato should also be noted. The safety clip should bein place. ‘Search and Rescue At Sea #SART Survival Craft Two Way Portable VHF Equipment Each survival craft wo way VHF equipment should be tested at least once a month to ensure proper ‘operation In case ofa dietass situation. t should be tested on a frequency other than VHF channel 16 (158.8 MHz). The expity date ofthe battery needs tobe checked and changed when required. 4. Press the power key o switch on or of 2. Test The selected channels indicated with channel number and frequency on the seroen. a diferent channel, press the CH key and use the arrow keys to select the aquired channel 5. Press the PTT (Push lo talk) fo communicate with another rado-elephone to test receive ané transmit functions. One person can stand near the VHF receiver to receive atest call rom the handhelé radio. hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-ests-on-ships! 12729se1012020 Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships Copyrights 2016 Marine Insight / Paromita ‘Tho symbol TX is shown when the PTT is prossod and transmission lakes place. Tho TX indicator Indicates that a cartier is produced atthe antenna output When it receives a signal the symbol RX’ is indicated on the display. hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigaionlgmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 13729ser012020 Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships NAVTEX : The Naviex is an equally important GMDSS equipment and isthe source of mariime safety information. It is also equipped with atest function that can tes the battery, keyboard, LCD, ROM and RAM. I's @ good practice to test the Navtex and detect an erorif any. The Furuno model of Navlex can be tested as follows: 1. Press tho MENUIESC key lo opan the main menu 2. Now use the navigating arrows to choose SERVICE and then hit ENT. The SERVICE submenu contains the TEST option. Use the down arrow key to select TEST and press ENT key. Choose YES and press the ENT key again, The TEST will start and the results will be displayed on the screen after afew ‘seconds hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-ests-on-ships! 1472916H 012020 Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships ee ee Ifthe testis successful the results show OK otherwise it wll show NG meaning - No Good. Freee nee PAS) Italso tests each key for proper functioning hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comimarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships!16H 012020 Cee ee Tho Rx test seroon shows as follows: The test results can be printed and fled in the GMDSS log book. INMARSAT: ‘The INMARSAT Is also equipped witha diagnostic test which checks itfor proper operation. The stops to perform a Diagnostic Test an FURUNO INMARSAT are given below, 1. On the keyboard press the F7 key fo display the ‘OPTIONS’ menu, 2, Uso the down arrow to open the TEST menu ane then select the DIAGNOSTIC TEST. Select YES to begin the test. hitps:lwwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships 16729se1012020 Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships ees | Pat ae) nes cc Dairy Tale E Oey Current State © IDLE Cee ete ewer x ae) ra 4 Ee) eer tas reat rend ree Ee Cd por a Bad ri sors E hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 79se1012020 Dally, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships (On completion ofthe test, the results are shown on the screen as below. The ESC key is used to retun to the main menus [AV test or Performance Verification test can be performed every month, This test consists of receiving a test message from an LES (Local Earth Station), transmiting a message to an LES and a distress alert lest. The PY TEST can be opened from the TEST menu under OPTIONS as mentioned above Sera ee Cd 7) on oe « sre) tee a0) en) Pa tt Barren ~ pbieesss Ey peta) eee Pratt Ci eed Pee eral Coe aaa preston) ree oo Ee 4 pe pe al The slalus shows ‘TESTING’ when the test isin process. hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-ests-on-ships! 1872916H 012020 Dally, Monthly And Weekly Tesls Of GMDSS Equipment On Board Ships ra ee ea Prete nected ot preset eee my Seees CS Pre i ee Tae ae Se a les Eee ae or The status changes to IDLE on completion of the PV Test. “The test results can be seen from the option ‘PY Test Result under the TEST menu, The test results can be printed and logged. ABER denotes the bulletin board ertor rate, Pass appears for no error. "PASS! appears for satisfactory completion of the test hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 19729ser0r2020 Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMOSS Equipment On Board Ships GMDSS Battery: “The battery connections and compartment should also be checked. The level ofthe electrolyte and the specie gravy of each cell should be checked and recorded. Sulfation can reduce the specific gravity ‘hereby reducing the battery capacily. Maintenance free batleres on board, however. do not require any ‘such checks. | |_ VHF ANTENNA Itis recommended every month to visually check all antennas forthe securty of mounting and vsiole ‘damage tothe cables. The antennas are located on the monkey island, Any deposit of dt and salt ‘should be removed. tis also important to check the condition of the aerials and insulators along with the hitps:wwn-marinsinsight.comImarne-navigationlgmdss-equipment-ests-on-ships! 2029se1012020 Daily, Monthly And Weekly Tests Of GMOSS Equipment On Board Ships help ofan electrical officer. Ensure that the equipment is switched off and isolated before carrying out any work on the antenna, GMDSS enables a ship in distress to send an alert using various radio systems. tis therefore important that allthe GMDSS equipment are maintained in a state of readiness and working condition. Te achieve this itis mandatory to perform the day, weekly and monthly tests. Only then can we ensure the safety of the ship and its crow. Disclaimer: The authors’ views expressed inthis article do not necessarlyrefloct the views of Marine Insight. Data and charts, fused, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not ‘boen authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Marine Insight do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility fr the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidlines or recommendation on any course of action ta be followed by the reader The article or images cannot be reproduced, copled, shared or used in any form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight. opart an Eror Tags: [GOSS Want to share your tips and advice? Got questions? Visit the community forum to ask questions, {get answers, meet people, and share your tips! ‘About Paromita Mukheroe Paromita has completed graduation in Nautical Science and is present preparing for (22nd mate exams. Besides sailing, she love to read books and to travel. She has also won many awards in musi. (swrnmemp OY ‘Search in Marin night Comments Laurentiu V says “The EPIRB test should be performed inthe fist 5 minutes ofan hour. ‘Thole also an AIS tos Noo ancl! all says my favorites list for bridge electronics Radar Fruno mass: Sailor AisFruno hitps:wwn-marineinsight.comimarne-navigation/gmdss-equipment-tests-on-ships! 21129