1.

VHF Radiotelephone
The VHF radiotelephone totally fulfills with all the GMDSS requirements for
sailing in the A1 area, accordingly to the Global Distress Maritime Security System
(GMDSS). Its operation is very simple and allows fast and efficient emergency
communications, emergency or routine with other vessels. The equipment
incorporates the DSC function (Digital Selective Calling) for general communications
and a dedicated DSC Watch receiver for distress and safety frequencies.

2. VHF Portable Handheld Radiotelephone

Same as VHF which is fixed the only difference is that a portable set (often
essentially a waterproof, VHF walkie-talkie in design) can be carried on a kayak, or to
a lifeboat in an emergency, has its own power source and is waterproof if GMDSSapproved. A few portable VHFs are even approved to be used as emergency radios in
environments requiring intrinsically safe equipment
(e.g. gas tankers, oil rigs, etc.).

3. Search And Rescue Transponder

(SART)
The radar-SART is used to locate a
survival craft or distressed vessel by creating a
series of dots on a rescuing ship's radar display.
A SART will only respond to a 9 GHz X-band
(3 cm wavelength) radar. It will not be seen on
S-band (10 cm) or other radar. Shipboard
Global Maritime Distress Safety System
(GMDSS) include one or more search and
rescue locating devices.

4. NAVTEX
Navtex (Navigational Telex) is
an international automated medium
frequency direct-printing service for
delivery of navigational and
meteorological
warnings
and
forecasts, as well as urgent marine
safety information to ships.

5. EGC RECEIVER
Enhanced Group Call (EGC)
service is a part of the GMDSS system
for the transmission of maritime safety information (MSI) in areas where the
NAVTEX service is not available

6. EPIRB
An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
or EPIRB is used to alert search and rescue
services in the event of an emergency.
It does this by transmitting a coded message on the
406 MHz distress frequency via satellite and earth
stations to the nearest rescue co-ordination centre.

7. RADIO TELEX
The Radio Telex routes the messages, by radio, to
a similar Radio Telex nearby, which will get it closer
to its destination. That Radio Telex in turn looks

at the address, and moves it closer to the

destination. Finally, after many hops, and
anything from seconds to days later, the
destination Radio Telex recognizes a packet for
itself and flags it as such for the recipient.

8. AIS
The Automatic Identification System (AIS)
is an automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for
identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby
ships, AIS base stations, and satellites.
Information provided by AIS equipment, such as unique identification, position,

course, and speed, can be displayed on a screen or an ECDIS

LAYERS OF THE IONOSPHERE

The ionosphere is broken down into the D, E and F regions. The
breakdown is based on what wavelength of solar radiation is absorbed in
that region most frequently.
The D region is the lowest in altitude, though it absorbs the most
energetic radiation, hard x-rays. The D region doesn't have a definite
starting and stopping point, but includes the ionization that occurs below
about 90km.
The E region peaks at about 105km. It absorbs soft x-rays.
The F region starts around 105km and has a maximum around 600km. It
is the highest of all of the regions. Extreme ultra-violet radiation (EUV) is
absorbed there.

On a more practical note, the D and E regions reflect AM radio waves

back to Earth. Radio waves with shorter lengths are reflected by the F
region. Visible light, television and FM wavelengths are all too short to
be reflected by the ionosphere. So your t.v. stations are made possible by
satellite transmissions.