Purpose
The simulator is designed for training and examination of seafarers that are going to obtain General Operator Certificate (GOC) or Restricted Operator Certificate (ROC).
The GM TRAINER 6.0 simulates the electromagnetic environment created by:
- radio stations of operator-controlled vessels;
- coastal stations;
- rescue coordination center radio stations;
- radio disturbances.
Main Characteristics
GM TRAINER 6.0 simulator incorporates the following simulated features:
- Radio wave passage using a simplified radio channel model, considering time of day, calendar season, and distance between stations;
- Offshore GMDSS A1, A2, A3 and A4 radio communications for various global navigation areas;
- The names, call signs, identification numbers, coordinates, service types, and frequencies used by the coast stations and coast earth stations modeled in the simulator, match the parameters of real stations.
- The simulated operational areas correspond to the real operational areas.
- Messaging between an SES Inmarsat workstation, listener and subscribers of shore-based Internet / e-mail networks, telex, and public telephone networks using a fax machine (at least 8 subscribers for each network);
- Ship-to-shore transmission of distress alerts using an Inmarsat CES listener workstation and shore-to-ship transmission in automatic mode;
- Transmitting SES Inmarsat messages with “urgency” and “security” categories using two-digit access codes to the listener workstation;
- The presence of background noise in the telephone mode;
- Ship-to-ship DSC call exchange between ship stations of listeners’ workstations; automatic ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship exchange, as well as between ship stations and the instructor workstation (with the instructor involved);
- Direct printing exchange with subscribers of the telex network programmed in the simulator through the coast stations in automatic mode (at least 8 subscribers);
- Ship-to-ship radiotelephone and letterpress exchanges between ship stations of listeners’ workstations; automatic ship-to-shore and shore-to- ship exchange at students’ workstations, as well as between ship stations and the instructor workstation (with the instructor involved);
- Transmitting maritime safety information (IBM) via SafetyNET service, NAVTEX radio stations and on HF band frequencies in NBDP mode.
- The NAVTEX international service rules for transmitting maritime safety messages via NAVTEX coast stations are followed.
- The formats of navigational safety messages contained in the simulator database and transmitted by the simulator in automatic mode correspond to the formats of actually used texts of navigational safety messages; it is possible to record and edit these messages by the instructor.
- SafetyNET service rules implement regarding messaging for Navigation Safety in the NAVAREA / METAREA regions through the specific coordinating stations in the ocean network.
- Operation of the radar / transmitter AIS ship and rescue equipment and displaying the transmitted signals on the radar screen;
- Formation and transmitting automatic confirmations of DSC test calls in the MF / HF bands, calls in the format of automatic and semi-automatic operation in the VHF band, taking into account the simulated model of the radio channel;
- Operation of the radio equipment of the listener's workstation ship station from the onboard network and from a backup power source.
Simulator Structure
The GM TRAINER 6.0 includes instructor workplace and up to 32 trainee workplaces operating under Windows 10 Pro. A typical workplace consists of one standard PC. One or two handsets used for each workplace for radiotelephony. Handsets are connected to PC via USB interface. Software and all data required for the simulator operation are stored on the instructor’s PC.
The instructor workplace has a possibility of on-line monitoring of any trainee workplace. The main instructor PC can be used for this purpose.
Each workplace can be supplement with a console including the imitator of control panels of Sailor equipment: VHF SAILOR 6222, MF/HF SAILOR 6301, Alarm panel SAILOR AP 6103, two band receiver Navtex NX-700 A/B Furuno and Iridium SES LT-3100S GMDSS Satellite Communication System or Power Switchboard Sailor BP4680. The console is connected to the PC via a USB interface. The trainee can control any of these units using actual control panels or the panels simulated on the PC screen.
The software simulates the behaviour of the following devices:
- VHF RADIO STATION WITH DSC VHF, SAILOR 6222
- MF/HF RADIO STATION WITH DSC MF/HF, SAILOR 6301
- MF/HF SAILOR 6300 MF/HF Radiotelex
- INMARSAT-C SES, EGC RX with LRIT and SSAS, SAILOR 6110
- INMARSAT FleetBroadband Sailor 250
- IRIDIUM SES LT-3100S GMDSS Satellite Communication System
- INMARSAT-B SHIP EARTH STATION NERA SATURN-B (optional)
- INMARSAT-FLEET 77 SHIP EARTH STATION NERA – F77 (optional)
- TWO BAND RECEIVER NAVTEX NX-700A/B, FURUNO
- Sailor TR733 2182 kHz Watch Receiver
- COSPAS-SARSAT EPIRB Tron 60GPS, Jotron
- SART Tron SART 20, Jotron
- AIS SART TRON AIS SART
- AIS Transponder SI-70A
- Two-way VHF radiostation Tron TR 30 GMDSS and Maritime VHF Radio
- VHF radio for two-way communication between vessel and aircraft, Tron TR 30 AIR, Jotron
- McMurdo Fast Find 220 PLB
- PLB AIS McMurdo S20
- GMDSS Alarm Panel Sailor AP 6103
- Radio direction finder RT-500-M (Marine)
- Power Switchboard Sailor BP4680
- Battery Charger
- Virtual Printer
- PPI of Radar/ ARPA Module JMA 5300
- GPS (Glonass) Receiver GP-170
Instructor Workstation
The instructor workstation is a PC-installed software that performs radio equipment and simulator control functions. Received and transmitted calls, as well as service information are sent to virtual and hardware printer.
The instructor software simulated features as following:
- RCC, ship and coast station assignment
- Assignment of working group
- Scenario editor – ability of creating and editing exercise scenarios for various cases of ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication
- Registration of working group
- Log module with possibility to print out and create archives
- Window for listening/ monitoring of the radiotelephone traffic including the possibilities to intervene in the radiotelephone traffic
- The possibility to introduce background noise from a list and instrument faults to trainee stations
- Ability of changing names, call signs, MMSI, telex numbers and Inmarsat mobile numbers of all emulated ship stations and coast station according to the requirement of different exercises
- Electronic chart with ships position indication and change the position, course and speed
- Ability of displaying and instantly altering trainee stations’ positions on electronic chart for conducting Search and Rescue (SAR) exercise
- Full monitoring of any trainee workplace – Ability of monitoring the status of each GMDSS instrument and listening to radio traffic of each trainee station
- Connection to external printer
- Connection to active speaker to watch channels simultaneously
- Providing functions of a coast telex or phone subscriber, coast radio station and RCC operator from the log window
- Status window of all the instruments at any workplace
- Ability of logging trainee communication and action for playback and subsequent review;
- Database on the coast radio stations, NAVTEX and MSI stations and INMARSAT shore based stations plotted on the chart
- Information on the GMDSS Sea Areas on the chart
- A rough estimate of the radio waves propagation in the selected frequency band
- Evaluation and assessment module
Operator Workstation
The software of simulated instruments of operator workstations takes into account:
- Distance limitations
- VHF line of sight communication
- VHF, MF/HF power limitation
- MF ground wave propagation
- HF atmospheric propagation and reflection
- Inmarsat Link Test and Log ON/OFF various satellites
- EGC test
Each operator workstation able to display positions of simulated ship stations, locations of coast radio/ earth stations, NAVTEX stations, GMDSS Sea Areas and Search & Rescue Regions (SRRs) on electronic chart.
Each operator workstation able to display SART signals on radar screen for training of SAR operation.
The Operator workstation can be presented in two versions: only software and with hardware console.