11        On a marine radio, the function of the squelch control is to:

a          Increase the volume of the messages received

b          Increase the clarity of weak signals

c          Eliminate background interference

d          Stop other stations cutting into a conversation

12        An EPIRB is which of the following:

a          An emergency voice transmitter and receiver

b          An emergency voice and direction finding transmitter

c          A direction finding transmitter and receiver

d          A beacon transmitter

13        A limited coast station about to transmit a gale warning by radiotelephony will use a priority signal. Which one ?

a          The distress signal

b          The urgency signal

c          The safety signal

d          Routine weather signal

14        Write the phonetic word for each of the following:

            G, O, Q, U, X, Z, S, J, V, A

15        What word or phrase should always precede distress traffic?

a          POSITION

b          ALL STATIONS

c          MAYDAY

d          SEELONCE MAYDAY

16        What action would you take when you hear a distress call?

a          Transmit “Seelonce Mayday” and wait for the next silence period

b          Be prepared to write down in the radio log book any distress message that may follow

c          Change the receiver to a working frequency

d          Answer immediately giving your vessel’s, name, call sign and position

17        What would you do next after receiving a distress alert by VHF DSC?

a          Immediately acknowledge the alert by DSC

b          Monitor all the radiotelephony distress frequencies

c          Standby VHF Channel 16, prepared to write down any signals heard

d          Standby on 2182 kHz, prepared to write down any signals heard

18        If an operator transmits a digital selective call distress alert by mistake,  what is the first action that should be taken?

a          Advise the nearest coast station of the mistake

b          Transmit an all-stations DSC distress cancellation alert

c          Transmit an all-stations DSC safety alert

d          Switch off the transceiver to cancel automatic repeats of the distress alert

19        Which of the following is correct?

a          A distress message may be sent only on 2182 kHz during a silence period

b          A distress message may be sent on any frequency at any time

c          A distress message may be only be sent on 2182, 27.88 and Channel 16

d          A distress massage may only be sent during a silence period on any frequency

20        Pan Pan is a call to announce

a          Distress traffic after the initial Mayday call

b          Urgent message to follow

c          Navigational warning to follow

d          A French conversation will follow

21        The documents which must be carried aboard all vessels with regard to radio operation are:

a          Radio equipment licence, radio operator’s licence, log book of radio  traffic, SMA operator’s handbook

b          Ship’s log, radio operator’s licence, equipment manuals, telegram register

c          Radio Equipment licence, radio operator’s licence, Ship Master’s  Licence, Instruction Manual

22        Which of the following frequencies is an international distress and       calling frequency?

a          2524

b          27.88

c          VHF Ch 63

d          4125

23        Which of the following is an international supplementary distress and calling frequency on VHF?

a          Ch 73

b          Ch 71

c          Ch 67

d          Ch 16

24        Which is a digital selective calling distress frequency?

a          2182.5

b          2201.5

c          2524.5

d          2187.5

25        When a ship and a coast or limited coast station are communicating,  which station has the right to choose frequencies or transmission time?

a          Coast Station

b          Ship Station

c          Arranged by mutual agreement

d          Either station

26        With regard to radio telephone messages a limited Coast Station is:

a          Permitted to charge by the minute for radio telephone messages

b          Not permitted to charge for such messages

c          Permitted to charge by the word for such messages

d          Not permitted to accept such messages

27        What action would you take if you received a digital selective calling    urgency alert?

a          Tune the radio to the associated radiotelephony channel or frequency

b          Acknowledge the alert by digital selective calling

c          Acknowledge the alert by radiotelephony

d          Continue listening on the DSC frequency

28        How are ship and coast or limited coast stations identified using DSC techniques?

a          By the stations radiotelephony call sign

b          By the stations MMSI

c          By the stations radiotelephony call sign and name

d          By the stations official name

29        What is the urgency signal repeated three times?

a          Pan Pan

b          Mayday

c          Save me

d          Securite

30        A station controlling distress traffic may use the word ‘PRUDONCE’ to indicate that:

a          Only vessels assisting the vessel in distress may transmit messages

b          Complete silence is no longer necessary and restricted working may   be resumed

c          Normal working traffic may be resumed but messages should be kept short

d          All vessels not involved in the distress situation should use  supplementary calling frequencies

31        The radio power supply is generally:

a          Pure alcohol

b          Sulphuric acid / lead battery

c          Hydrochloric acid / lead battery

c          The motor of the boat

32        Your receiver is working normally, but when you press the transmit button everything ‘dies’ including dial lights etc.  Which of the following        is the most likely cause?

a          Blown fuse

b          Faulty aerial (antenna)

c          Battery almost discharged

d          Broken power leads

33        When you switch on, dial lights operate but both transmitter and receiver sections of your set are ’dead’.  Which of the following is the most likely cause

a          Faulty aerial (antenna)

b          Faulty receiver

c          Faulty transmitter

d          Blown fuse

34        If there are no lights, no receiver noise and no transmitter output, the   problem would most likely be:

a          Battery almost flat

b          Faulty microphone

c          Fuse Blown

d          Faulty earth

35        If you receive a shock from your radio when transmitting on your MF/HF set, the problem would be:

a          Faulty microphone

b          Intermittent power supply connections

c          Faulty earth

d          Reversed polarity of the power supply

36        Your radio fuse has blown.  Which of the following is the correct action:

a          Wrap the fuse in aluminium foil and replace it

b          Put a piece of fine wire across the fuse terminals

c          Replace with a fuse of the same size

d          Replace with a slightly smaller fuse

37        If the battery plates are not covered with electrolyte (liquid), which of the following would you add?

a          Salt water

b          Sulphuric acid

c          Distilled water

d          Acid and water mixed

38        Which of the following would be the most likely cause of one cell of a battery needing to be topped up more often than the others?

a          Not getting enough charge

b          Getting too much charge

c          Cell stronger than the others

d          Cell breaking down

39        Who is responsible for the coordination of all search and rescue of small vessels in inshore waters?

a          Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR)

b          Australian Maritime Safety Authority

c          The nearest Volunteer Marine Rescue Organisation

d          State and Territory Polices

40        What is the function of the Antenna Tuning Unit (ATU) on a MF/HF set?

a          Adjusts the ‘electrical’ length of the antenna to achieve maximum  power output on different frequencies

b          Improved the quality and clarity of incoming signals

c          Minimises the effect of loud static on received signals

d          Adjusts the ‘physical’ length of the antenna to achieve maximum power output on different frequencies

41        The contamination of a battery with salt water will cause it to give off   which of the following gasses?

a          Sulphur dioxide

b          Chlorine

c          Hydrogen

d          Oxygen

42        A battery being charged will give off which gas?

a          Sulphur dioxide

b          Chlorine

c          Hydrogen

d          Oxygen

43        Which of the following is the correct hydrometer reading for a fully discharged battery?

a          1150

b          1450

c          1250

d          1200

44        Two 12 volt batteries connected in parallel will produce which of the following voltages:

a          12 volts

b          24 volts

c          6 volts

d          18 volts

45        The general condition of a battery and its ability to supply current over a period of time is best measured by:

a          Calling another station for a radio check

b          Measuring the specific gravity of each cell

c          Checking the height of the electrolyte in each cell

d          Starting the boat engine

46        Your radio receiver ‘crackles’ and incoming messages are broken.  Other stations report your transmitted signal is broken and hard to read.  Which of the following is the likely cause of the problem?

a          Power leads frayed or broken

b          Poor earth connection

c          Antenna broken or broken and contaminated insulators

d          Press to talk switch faulty

47        Your radio is receiving incoming messages clearly but you are unable to get a reply to your transmissions.  Which of the following is the most    likely cause of the problem

a          Broken antenna lead

b          Faulty microphone

c          Discharged or defective battery

d          Blown fuse

48        Your radio receiver operates intermittently and dial lights are flickering. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the problem?

a          Loose or corroded battery terminals

b          Faulty press to talk switch

c          Broken power connecting cables

d          Fracture inside the whip antenna

49        A EPIRB can only be tested:

a          By activating the test switch

b          Inside the hull of your vessel

c          With the permission of the nearest coast or limited coast station

d          With the permission of local police

50        Fine tuning of incoming signals on SSB can be achieved by adjusting:

a          The squelch control

b          The volume control

c          The clarifier control

d          The RF gain control

Supplementary Questions

51        Generally speaking what determines the range of VHF marine communications over an all-water path?

a          It is achieved by ionospheric ‘ducting’

b          The part of radio energy travelling by sky waves

c          The combined line of sight distance of each station

d          The part of radio energy travelling by both sky and ground waves

52        Secrecy or confidentiality does not apply to which of the following?

a          Distress broadcasts

b          Telephone calls

c          Received personal crew emails

d          Transmitted private telephone calls

53        What MF frequency is available for inter ship routine or general communications?

a          2182 kHz

b          2201 kHz

c          2638 kHz

d          2524 kHz

54        Which of the following services do Australian Coast Radio Stations provide?

a          Access to the public network services

b          Radiotelephony on the 8 MHz band

c          HF radiotelephony distress and safety services

d          Continuous automated watch of HF DSC frequencies

55        What mode is required for all HF marine radiotelephony transmissions?

a          H3E/AM

b          J3E/SSB

c          F1B/Telex

d          A1A/Radiotelegraphy

56        What frequency or channel are Maritime Safety Information messages broadcast on?

a          The distress, urgency and safety frequencies

b          On a working frequency or channel

c          On a telephony frequency or channel

d          On a DSC frequency

57        What information is always contained in a DSC alert?

a          Name of the coast station being called

b          Working frequency for further communications

c          Transmitting station identity

d          Type of radio transmitter being used

58        On the screen of a Marine ‘X’ Band 3cm Radar what would a line of 12 blips indicate?

a          A Racon beacon

b          A cray pot marker

c          An EPIRB

d          An activated SART

59        What information is included in a 406 MHz EPIRB transmission?

a          The serial number

b          The unique identifier

c          The name of the owner

d          The manufacturer

60        How are the 121.5/243 MHz EPIRB signals detected?

a          By aircraft only

b          By satellites only

c          By aircraft and satellites of the COSPAS/SARSAT system

d          By Inmarsat only

61        In all Australian waters on what frequencies or channels is it customary to observe silence periods on?

a          2638 kHz and VHF Channel 72

b          2182 kHz only

c          2182 kHz and VHF channel 16 only

d          Either 2182, 4125, 6215, 8291, 12290, 16420 kHz and/or VHF Channel 16

62        What VHF Channel may be used for co-ordinating search and rescue communications between vessels and aircraft?

a          Channel 70

b          Channel 67

c          Channel 16

d          Channel 06

63        What is the general rule for use of MF/HF frequencies?

a          They should not be used during hours of darkness

b          The higher the frequency the greater the communications distance

c          The lower the frequency the greater the communications distance

d          They are effective only for very short range communications