Long Range Certificate Course

Just as every driver needs a licence to drive a car, operators of marine radios also require a licence. Radio operators on leisure or commercial vessels not under the regulation of the SOLAS convention that are fitted with long range communications (MF/HF radio) or satellite equipment must be qualified to a minimum standard. This standard is the GMDSS LRC (Long Range Certificate).

The LRC course is divided into several chapters. The first one covers the basics of GMDSS, while all other chapters cover the theory and practice for the equipment required for GMDSS Sea Areas A1, A2 and A3. These are:

• VHF radio,
• MF/HF radio,
  
• NAVTEX receiver,
• EPIRB,
• SART,
• Technique ( Power supply to the above items of equipment).

Each chapter has a quiz to enable students to assess their new knowledge.

The LRC course also contains a glossary. Entries in the glossary are available throughout the LRC course by clicking on the linked word(s), for example GMDSS.

The LRC course is also supported by four simulators:

• VHF DSC radio simulator,
• MF/HF DSC radio simulator,
• Inmarsat C simulator and
  
• NAVTEX receiver simulator.

The simulators will be launched automatically in a separate web browser window as you progress through the course. However, there is an option for them to be launched at anytime from the "Jump to" function in the top-right and bottom-right corners or from "GMDSS >> LRC Topic outline" web page.

The aim of a simulator is to put the learner into an active role. The simulators are available in a separate browser window so that learners can follow the LRC course in one web browser window, and practise on the simulator in another web browser window. Thus, learners can practise and verify their knowledge on simulators without any interruption to the LRC course.