Telephone: (954) 683-3426 / (954) 977-5245
I've had some information for quite awhile on my MARINE RADIO ELECTRONICS PAGE however I have found GMDSS Training Simulation(s) products that I would now like to offer along with Installation and Support for it.
It is very important for both Captain type of Schools, and individual Captains that may want to have their own training onboard ship, to be able to (as I will elaborate on more below) to Legally train for GMDSS on Modern Equipment without emitting illegal signals on the airwaves.
Fully emulated VHF and HF type of equipments modeled after ICOM modern radios, capable of voice radio transmissions (simulated only over your local area network: requiring sound and microphone capabilities available on all modern PC equipment) which allow you to practice also Voice Radio Procedures both in Emergency and everyday "bridge to bridge" and "watch standing" situations without having to disturb the actual physical airwaves. Also the GMDSS Distress and Digital Selective Calling DCS capabilities on VHF and HF, as well as Navtex and Inmarsat C capabilities.
The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is specifically designed to automate a ship's radio distress alerting function, and, as a consequence, removes the requirement for manual (ie: human) watchkeeping on distress channels.
GMDSS basic objective is to alert coastal stations, search and rescue authorities, and near ships of an emergency situation, so that they can lend assistance to coordinate search and rescue operations with minimum delay. To fulfill this objective many terrestrial and/or satellite transmission and reception media are used.
Vox Maris is a GMDSS simulator where its main objective is to train sea-faring people in operating GMDSS communications equipment.
Vox Maris simulates the functionality of marine radio communications equipment according to the operational norms determined by The International Telecommunications Union. Also it emulates real conditions of the marine radio communications such as noises, attenuation by distance in terrestrial and ionospheric propagation, and also the effects of sound of the different types from communication.
In a simulation exercise there are many stations, all connected by the local network. One station perfoms as a Coastal station (Instructor), and the others stations perform as a ship radio operator (Students). During the exercise, students must establish communications using the GMDSS radio equipment (VHF, MF/HF, DSC, NAVTEX and Inmarsat C), so that those communications can take place operators necessarily will have to make the correct selection of equipment, frequencies and settings (capabilities.)
The Student and Teacher product which is described now is of importance to those providing Training for students that need to know GMDSS for sea-going certifications. This would be most interesting to Captain type of schools in the U.S. and elsewhere. There is a stand-alone product available as well that may be of interest to Captains and Crews onboard marine vessels of all sorts. This includes but certainly is not limited to Sailing and Motor Yachts which Alan Spicer Marine Telecom normally takes as Communications Consultant clients.
The new version of Vox Maris has been released!. Includes VHF, VHF-DSC,HF, HF-DSC equipment, Navtex receiver, Inmarsat C terminal, and a view of the ship's cabin where all devices are shown. Also from Instructor program it is posible to send FLEETNET, SAFETYNET messages and answer Inmarsat C distress messages.
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Instructor and Students cannot run on the same PC. The Student will only work if it finds an instance of Instructor running in another PC on the same LAN (Local Area Network, or Fast Ethernet Network.) [Alan's Note: This can also be run across WLAN - Wireless LAN Network.]
When you run Instructor you will find a list of Steps that will help you to configure the scenario of the simulation (see also the FAQ document, in this same page)
This new version includes VHF, VHF-DSC, HF, HF-DSC equipment, Navtex receiver, Inmarsat C terminal, and a view of the ship's cabin (Wheelhouse or Navigation/Bridge depending on how you call it) where all devices are shown. Also from Instructor program it is posible to send FLEETNET, SAFETYNET messages and answer Inmarsat C distress messages.
In order to make any suggestion or to receive help, you can contact the Vox Maris's development team. [You can also contact: Alan Spicer Marine Telecom in the U.S. for suggestions or to recieve help.]
Demo Versions are Available for Download:
The Instructor Demo Download
This Setup contains Instructor Application and Help Manuals. Instructor and Student both need to be downloaded to use the Instructor Managed "Full Version". This is the version you want to get if you plan to have an Instructor Station manage training scenarios for 1 or more students. This is the only one covering both VHF, HF/SSB, Inmarsat C, and Navtex.
Limitationes of DEMO version:
5 minutes simulation only
Scenaries (simulation environment) cannot be loaded or saved
Ships cannot be added into the simulation (1 ship only)
If you are interested in getting the full version of vox maris, please contact me at telephone number above.
The Student Demo Download
This Setup contains Student Application and Help Manuals.
The Student is fully functional and has no limitations.
Note: Remember that Student Application an Instructor can't run over the same PC. First, you have to run Instructor, configure a scenary and begin the simulation over one PC. After that, you must run the Student application over another PC of the LAN
The "Stand Alone" VHF Demo Download
This Setup contains Vox Maris VHF Application and Help Manuals. This is a demo of the Stand-Alone Version which Individuals could use onboard ship or at home, without the need of the Instructor. It is limited to VHF and doesn't have the functionality that is available in the Full Version described above. This would be a good version to have onboard a yacht if you didn't need the full Teacher-Student version. It would be good to practice GMDSS DSC for VHF only. It cannot network with other Ship Stations (other computer installations) as the Full Version can. The VHF audio only goes within the same PC. It's not a bad version to "get your feet wet" in Vox Maris Simulations and GMDSS DSC on VHF Radio Gear. A lot of crew members standing watch these days of all professions. It's not a bad idea to familiarize everyone with the Radio Gear. Get the Full Version if you need to cover HF/SSB Radio Gear and Inmarsat C / Navtex as well.
Limitations of DEMO version:
5 minutes simulation only
Some DSC circuits may not be available
Frequently Asked Questions (Help)
Frequently Asked Questions about installation and common problems regarding the Instructor or Student usage.
Abstract Information (Help) Download
Presentation of Vox Maris' main features and characteristics.
Dossier Information (Help) Download
More detailed documentation about Vox Maris features and technical characteristics.
- It is a didactic (intended for instruction;
instructive) tool used for training sea-faring people
For its training purposes, Vox Maris offers features for two different roles: the communications operator on board and the communications operator at the coastal station. During a simulation exercise, operators can establish communitations using different GMDSS radio equipment (VHF, MF/HF, DSC, NAVTEX, Inmarsat C). So that those communications can occur, the operators will necessarily have to make the correct selection of equipment, frequencies and equipment settings and what buttons to press and what knobs to turn (power on, and settings, and DSC and Distress controls usage.)
The instructor designs exercises in order to evaluate knowledge and actions of the students. These exercises can have a specified goal that students would reach. Vox Maris helps the instructor to know when a practice is going out of the goal, thus, he can correct the exercise's direction. The Instructor has also a graphical tool to create, edit, save, load and execute scenes. The scene determines all the work and environment conditions that student will face during a simulation exercise.
The course Instructor counts on a module in which he can define the simulation scenario, where the work conditions for each student are set (position, equipment on board, identification). Also the instructor can assign some events that will happen along the simulation, these events can be equipment fails or some wreck. Once the exercise has started, the course instructor can evaluate each students performance in real time, observing the actions of the students step by step, being able to take part to correct errors or omissions at the moment at which they take place.
The student's workstation shows the communication device's interfaces. In this way, the student is able to play the role of a Marine Radio Operator and acquire abilities of the several roles that he would play in a real accident. Thus, sometimes the student will help in a Search and Rescue operation and in some other occasions he will be the ship in distress. Therefore, the students can participate even in exercises that don't imply distress situations, like sending messages about security, urgency or routine types of communications.About students, each simulation allows students to learn to evolve in different roles that can occur in a real emergency situation. By this way, students can perform as a support ship in search and rescue tasks, or as ship that suffered an accident or is in need of assistance. Also, students can take part in training exercises that do not involve accidents or help requests, such as communications related to navigation security, urgency, harbor operations or other particular subjects.
- It reproduces in a trustworthy form the real conditions
of sea radio communications
Besides its simple and friendly interface and operation, Vox Maris reaches the maximum realism inside a PC.
• The operation of all the controls is easy and as near to reality as a PC simulator can get. Each device is based on real equipment allowing students a much faster learning about GMDSS equipments. All functions are accessed by pressing the buttons directly on the interface (The Radio and Navtex/Satellite Equipment Looks and Feels "Real") as if the student were manipulating the real hardware onboard a ship at sea.
• All environmental conditions that affect radio communications are simulated in order to reach a very similar real scene of training.
• Beside all of the features, the student has the Control Panel, a view of the ship's bridge where all the communication equipments are placed. It's a general view of the ship's state and where every action on the equipments is informed. This is the way it would be on a real ship at sea, on the Navigation Bridge or Wheelhouse, or in an adjacent Radio Room.
- It fulfills the ITU requirements for the following GMDSS
communications equipment:
- VHF
- VHF DSC
- MF / HF
- MF / HF DSC
- Navtex
- Inmarsat C
Vox Maris is made up of two modules, the first one to set all the simulation enviroment and control the stations (Instructor), and the other which simulates a ship and its radio/satellite devices on board (Student).
The Instructor define the simulation scenario, the position of each student station, and also sets the equipment of each student and of the coastal station. Also can set the conditions of transmission and the generation of wrecks, main reason for the use of GMDSS system.
Why use a simulator?
The need of using a simulator resides in which tests and drills cannot be made on the real radio and satellite systems, because it is not possible to generate "test alarms" nor to interfere either in the space of real radio and satellite communications. Doing that would be to put at risk the effectiveness of the Real GMDSS and Radio and Satellite Communications "system". For all of this, it is very important to count on a *good quality* GMDSS simulator that faithfully reproduces the existing conditions in the sea communications gear and systems.
| Compliance |
The simulator was developed following the standards, regulations and dispositions of the International Maritime Organization and the International Telecommunications Union. Such standards refers to propagation conditions of the radiocommunications, operative matters and requirements that must fulfill the simulators used for GMDSS training.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is an international specialized organization within the United Nations System where governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services. This organization is the leading publisher of telecommunication technology, regulatory and standards information. It is fundamentally divided in three sectors, one of them dedicated specially to radiocommunications, who plays a vital role in the management of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, finite natural resources which are increasingly in demand from a large number of services such as fixed, mobile, broadcasting, amateur, space research, meteorology, global positioning systems, environmental monitoring and, last but not least, those communication services that ensure safety of life at sea and in the skies.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is an international organization dedicated exclusively to the elaboration of regulation relative to marine security. This organization provides the machinery for cooperation among Governments in the field of governmental regulation and practices relating to technical matters of all kinds affecting shipping engaged in international trade; encourages and facilitates the general adoption of the highest practicable standards in matters concerning maritime safety, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of marine pollution from ships. It is also empowered to deal with administrative and legal matters related to these purposes. The Organization consists of an Assembly, a Council and four main Committees and many Sub-Committees. The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) is the highest technical body and it consists of all Member States. At the moment it is integrated by 166 States Members and two Associate Members. The IMO has adopted about 40 agreements and protocols, as well as more than 800 codes and recommendations on marine security, pollution prevention and other related matters.
Some of the standards and regulations used in the simulator's development are:
ITU Recommendations:
- RECOMMENDATION ITU-R P.368-8
Ground-wave propagation curves for frequencies between 10 kHz and 30
MHz
- RECOMMENDATION ITU-R M.493-11 Digital
selective-calling system for use in the maritime mobile service
- RECOMMENDATION ITU-R P.1239
ITU-R Reference ionospheric
characteristics
- RECOMMENDATION ITU-R P.1240
ITU-R Methods of basic MUF, operational
MUF and ray-path prediction
- RECOMMENDATION ITU-R P.1407-2
Multipath propagation and parameterization of its
characteristics
- RECOMMENDATION ITU-R P.533-8 HF
propagation prediction method
- RECOMMENDATION ITU-R P.372-8
Radio noise
- RECOMMENDATION ITU-R M.541-9 Operational procedures for the use of digital selective-calling equipment in the maritime mobile service
OMI Regulation:
- A.703 Resolution: Training of radio personnel in the
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System.
- STCW Code: Seafarer's training certification and watchkeeping
code
- Setctions A-I/12: General performance standards for
simulators used in training
- B-I/12 - 41: GMDSS communication simulation
- Setctions A-I/12: General performance standards for
simulators used in training
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