FCC Restricted GMDSS (RG) study plan

Map every VHF channel in the A1 operator's working set (6, 9, 12, 13, 16, 70, plus the intership and port operations channels) to its purpose and permitted use, writing the mapping from memory at week's end.

Explain in your own words how DSC on channel 70 differs from voice on channel 16, including why channel 70 may never carry voice traffic.

Draft a one-page quick-reference card listing the distress, urgency and safety priority calls on VHF voice and the corresponding DSC alert categories.

Walk through the sequence for sending a distress alert by VHF DSC followed by voice on channel 16, and identify the point at which you would stop transmitting if an acknowledgement arrives.

Recite the full distress message structure (MAYDAY, identity, position, nature of distress, assistance required, persons on board, other information) and adapt it to three different casualty scenarios.

Distinguish urgency (PAN PAN) from safety (SECURITE) traffic and give three worked examples of each that are realistic for a small vessel in Sea Area A1.

Describe how to acknowledge a distress alert received by DSC and how to relay a distress alert when you are not the casualty.

Explain the on-scene communications role of the assisting vessel, including silence periods and coordination with a rescue coordination centre or coast station.

Define Sea Areas A1 to A4 by their radio coverage criteria and state which areas a Restricted Operator certificate covers.

List the GMDSS carriage requirements that apply to a vessel operating only in Sea Area A1 and explain the function of each item.

Trace the alerting path from a VHF DSC distress alert through the coast station to a rescue coordination centre and back to the on-scene coordinator.

Explain the difference between alerting, SAR coordination and on-scene communication, and say which equipment serves each function in A1.

Perform five full simulated distress, urgency and safety exchanges aloud, including correct prowords, phonetic alphabet and numerals.

Practise receiving a DSC alert and responding with the correct voice follow-up, including the case where the alert is addressed to your own station.

Identify and correct the errors in five deliberately flawed distress transcripts.

Explain when to impose radio silence and how to lift it.

State the NAVTEX frequencies, the role of the international and national broadcast schedules, and how to select stations and message types on a typical receiver.

Classify NAVTEX message categories by subject and identify which categories may never be rejected.

Explain how an EPIRB is registered, activated, tested and stowed, and what a survivor should do after activation.

Describe how a SART appears on a ship's radar and on a 9 GHz radar at range, and state the detection range and battery/service-life checks.

Explain the difference between a float-free EPIRB installation and a manual one, and list the pre-voyage checks for each.

Describe the operation of a survival craft portable VHF radiotelephone, including its channel limitations, battery type and range, and how it supports two-way on-scene communication.

Explain how a portable VHF set, a SART and an EPIRB work together during an abandonment and subsequent rescue.

Identify the common user errors that cause false alerts from EPIRBs and DSC equipment, and state how to cancel a false alert.

Summarise the operator obligations attached to a Restricted Operator certificate: authority to operate, supervision, identification and secrecy of communications.

Explain the purpose and required contents of the radio station log, including which entries are mandatory and how long records are kept.

Describe the VHF watchkeeping requirements for a vessel in Sea Area A1, including the channel 16 and channel 70 watch and the use of dual watch.

List the prohibited transmissions and the penalties framework at a general level, and state the correct procedure for testing a transmitter without causing interference.

Describe the routine maintenance tasks within a restricted operator's scope: antenna and connector inspection, battery charging regimes for sealed lead-acid and lithium packs, and cleanliness of DSC controllers.

Diagnose five common faults (no transmit, weak transmit, no receive, DSC not transmitting, EPIRB test failure) and state the first three checks for each.

Explain how to verify battery condition and state of charge without specialist test equipment, and when to escalate to a technician.

Complete a full timed mock examination across all eight domains and review every incorrect answer.