Transmission of a Distress Alert: the Distress Alert can be performed in two ways. This can be done by:

• Using the Distress button on the front panel of the transceiver.
  
• Or by composing a Distress message on the message terminal (this will be explained later).
  

In this chapter the first option of using the hardware will be explained. In this exercise it will not be possible to specify the "nature of Distress" or to select a LES.

Practise on the Inmarsat C simulator

Transmission of a Distress Alert direct on the transceiver can be performed as follows:

• Lift the cover to reach the distress button.
  Caution: Before lifting the cover and pressing the alert button, verify if your real geographical position is the same as is shown on the Inmarsat C terminal. If it is not, insert your correct position manually.
• Send a Distress Alert by pressing the button on the transceiver for a period of five seconds.
• During the five seconds the distress button is pressed down the alarm indication light on the transceiver starts blinking and the built-in terminal buzzer starts to beep.
• After this period of five seconds the indication light will come steadily on and the buzzer will be silent.
• When the distress alert has been confirmed, this will be shown by the alarm indication light going off for a short period every 15 seconds.
• If the alert is not confirmed the light will turn itself off.
  

The Distress alert will be sent to a LES. If no LES was previously determined as default distress station by the operator, the Distress alert is sent by the terminal to the LES which was used previously by the operator for routine communications. On receiving a Distress alert, LES will automatically relay a distress message to the associated RCC (MRCC).