There have been two recent changes to the RYA’s Marine Radio (SRC) course.

Correctly operating your VHF radio, and understanding when to make a Mayday call or a Pan-Pan call, is absolutely fundamental to this. It is taught and examined using radio simulators.

If you hold the ‘old’ VHF licence (pre-1999) you need to upgrade your qualification if you purchase new equipment. An eBook is also available. PAN PAN PAN calls take priority over every other calls on the radio except MAYDAY calls and should be used when someone is not in grave an imminent danger and does not require immediate assistance, but has an urgent situation. These may include, but are not limited to: Loss, or imminent loss of aircraft control for any number of different reasons. During … Good radio etiquette and using the right channels and protocols is also critical in ensuring the effective management of all marine traffic, however busy the water. There is also a short (up to 30 minutes) closed book theory assessment exam paper. In making the decision the following points are worthy of consideration. However whereas for a Mayday you would request immediate assistance, for a Pan-Pan you would state your intended action. It’s very interesting to see the various things that would cause a mayday vs. a pan pan call. PAN PAN?

If you have an emergency situation, have everyone put on lifejackets or PFDs and issue a MAYDAY call or Pan-Pan call on Channel 16. A Mayday call is only to be used in the case of “grave and imminent danger to a vessel or persons, such as fire, sinking, man overboard etc.” So serious is a Mayday call considered to be that in many countries now anyone making a false Mayday call could be prosecuted under criminal law. In making the decision the following points are worthy of consideration. A radio is an important piece of safety equipment to have on board and it is vital to understand the correct procedures, so you don’t potentially block a Mayday distress call from another vessel and you can help maintain good on-the-water order. MAYDAY calls are used for life-threatening emergencies. Correctly operating your VHF radio, and understanding when to make a Mayday call or a Pan-Pan call, is absolutely fundamental to this. The distress message procedure involves detailing the name of your boat, your call sign and Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) - a nine-digit registered number further helps identify your boat – your position, the nature of your distress and the number of people on board. Why does the pilot say "Swissair 111 Heavy"...why the "heavy" part?

Secondly, the final exam is now carried out by an assessor who was not involved in the tuition, previously, the SRC assessor used to do both the tuition and the exam. What does MAYDAY mean? It is against Canadian law to send false messages or distress signals on a radio or other devices. Using a normal MAYDAY or PAN call and describing the emergency as a medical one is perfectly acceptable and would be fully understood by all parties. This online SRC course provides background information on the types of radios available, the different users, and basic technical information about how radios work before enabling you to get to grips with transmitting messages using the course’s interactive radio while learning the language to use when communicating over radio The RYA VHF Handbook is referred to many times for further reading or reminders in the course, and the handbook is included in the course price. This includes both fixed and hand held equipment. share | improve this answer | follow | answered Nov 26 '15 at 13:27. You get plenty of practice sending stress, urgency, safety and routine calls to become familiar and confident with various procedures. SOS first. (Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail developed the electric telegraph during the 1800’s, more detail).

These are the kinds of incidents to use a Pan-Pan call.

In the final practical exam, candidates are assessed in the four areas of Distress Situations, Urgency Situations, Safety Situations and Routine Communication. The RYA’s Marine Radio Short Range Certificate (SRC) course complies with European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) requirements and is accepted internationally as recognition of certified VHF proficiency.