Marine Radio Operator Permit (MROP)
Basic marine radio operations including VHF procedures, distress communications, and FCC regulations for recreational and small commercial vessels.
Subelement B: Communications Procedures
Topic 10: Distress Communications
What information must be included in a Distress message?
1-10B2What are the highest priority communications from ships at sea?
1-10B3What is a Distress communication?
1-10B4What is the order of priority of radiotelephone communications in the maritime services?
1-10B5The radiotelephone Distress call and message consists of:
1-10B6What is Distress traffic?
Topic 11: Urgency and Safety Communications
What is a typical Urgency transmission?
1-11B2What is the internationally recognized Urgency signal?
1-11B3What is a Safety transmission?
1-11B4The Urgency signal concerning the safety of a ship, aircraft or person shall be sent only on the authority of:
1-11B5The Urgency signal has lower priority than:
1-11B6What safety signal call word is spoken three times, followed by the station call letters spoken three times, to announce a storm warning, danger to navigation, or special aid to navigation?
Topic 12: GMDSS
Topic 7: Bridge-to-Bridge Operations
What traffic management service is operated by the U.S. Coast Guard in certain designated water areas to prevent ship collisions, groundings and environmental harm?
1-7B2What is a bridge-to-bridge station?
1-7B3When may a bridge-to-bridge transmission be more than 1 watt?
1-7B4When is it legal to transmit high power on Channel 13?
1-7B5A ship station using VHF bridge-to-bridge Channel 13:
1-7B6The primary purpose of bridge-to-bridge communications is:
Topic 8: Operating Procedures-1
What is the best way for a radio operator to minimize or prevent interference to other stations?
1-8B2Under what circumstances may a coast station using telephony transmit a general call to a group of vessels?
1-8B3Who determines when a ship station may transmit routine traffic destined for a coast or government station in the maritime mobile service?
1-8B4What is required of a ship station which has established initial contact with another station on 2182 kHz or Ch-16?
1-8B5How does a coast station notify a ship that it has a message for the ship?
1-8B6What is the priority of communications?
Topic 9: Operating Procedures-2
Under what circumstances may a ship or aircraft station interfere with a public coast station?
1-9B2Ordinarily, how often would a station using a telephony emission identify?
1-9B3When using a SSB station on 2182 kHz or VHF-FM on channel 16:
1-9B4What should a station operator do before making a transmission?
1-9B5On what frequency should a ship station normally call a coast station when using a radiotelephony emission?
1-9B6In the International Phonetic Alphabet, the letters E, M, and S are represented by the words:
Subelement C: Equipment Operations
Topic 13: VHF Equipment Controls
What is the purpose of the INT-USA control settings on a VHF?
1-13C2VHF ship station transmitters must have the capability of reducing carrier power to:
1-13C3The Dual Watch (DW) function is used to:
1-13C4Which of the following statements best describes the correct setting for manual adjustment of the squelch control?
1-13C5The “Scan” function is used to:
1-13C6Why must all VHF Distress, Urgency and Safety communications (as well as VTS traffic calls) be performed in Simplex operating mode?
Topic 14: VHF Channel Selection
What channel must VHF-FM-equipped vessels monitor at all times when the vessel is at sea?
1-14C2What is the aircraft frequency and emission used for distress communications?
1-14C3Which VHF channel is used only for digital selective calling?
1-14C4Which channel is utilized for the required bridge-to-bridge watch?
1-14C5Which channel would most likely be used for routine ship-to-ship voice traffic?
1-14C6What channel would you use to place a call to a shore telephone?
Topic 15: MF-HF Equipment Controls
Which modes could be selected to receive vessel traffic lists from high seas shore stations?
1-15C2Why must all MF-HF Distress, Urgency and Safety communications take place solely on the 6 assigned frequencies and in the simplex operating mode?
1-15C3To set-up the MF/HF transceiver for a voice call to a coast station, the operator must:
1-15C4MF/HF transceiver power levels should be set:
1-15C5To set-up the MF/HF transceiver for a TELEX call to a coast station, the operator must:
1-15C6What is the purpose of the Receiver Incremental Tuning (RIT) or “Clarifier” control?
Topic 16: MF-HF Frequency & Emission Selection
On what frequency would a vessel normally call another ship station when using a radiotelephony emission?
1-16C2What is the MF radiotelephony calling and Distress frequency?
1-16C3For general communications purposes, paired frequencies are:
1-16C4What emission must be used when operating on the MF distress and calling voice frequency?
1-16C5Which of the following defines high frequency “ITU Channel 1212”?
1-16C6For general communications purposes, simplex frequencies are:
Topic 17: Equipment Tests
What is the proper procedure for testing a radiotelephone installation?
1-17C2When testing is conducted on 2182 kHz or Ch-16, testing should not continue for more than ______ in any 5-minute period.
1-17C3Under GMDSS, a compulsory VHF-DSC radiotelephone installation must be tested at what minimum intervals at sea?
1-17C4The best way to test the MF-HF NBDP system is?
1-17C5The best way to test the Inmarsat-C terminal is?
1-17C6When may you test a radiotelephone transmitter on the air?
Topic 18: Equipment Faults
Under normal circumstances, what do you do if the transmitter aboard your ship is operating offfrequency, overmodulating or distorting?
1-18C2Which would be an indication of proper operation of a SSB transmitter rated at 60 watt PEP output?
1-18C3If a ship radio transmitter signal becomes distorted:
1-18C4What would be an indication of a malfunction on a GMDSS station with a 24 VDC battery system?
1-18C5Your antenna tuner becomes totally inoperative. What would you do to obtain operation on both the 8 MHz and 22 MHz frequency bands?
1-18C6Which of the following conditions would be a symptom of malfunction in a 2182 kHz radiotelephone system that must be reported to the Master, then logged appropriately.
Subelement D: Other Equipment
Topic 19: Antennas
What are the antenna requirements of a VHF telephony coast, maritime utility or ship station?
1-19D2What is the antenna requirement of a radiotelephone installation aboard a passenger vessel?
1-19D3What is the most common type of antenna for GMDSS VHF?
1-19D4What is the purpose of the antenna tuner?
1-19D5What advantage does a vertical whip have over a long wire?
1-19D6A vertical whip antenna has a radiation pattern best described by?
Topic 20: Power Sources
For a small passenger vessel inspection, reserve power batteries must be tested:
1-20D2What are the characteristics of the Reserve Source of Energy under GMDSS?
1-20D3Which of the following terms is defined as a back-up power source that provides power to radio installations for the purpose of conducting Distress and Safety communications when the vessel’s main and emergency generators cannot?
1-20D4In the event of failure of the main and emergency sources of electrical power, what is the term for the source required to supply the GMDSS console with power for conducting distress and other radio communications?
1-20D5What is the requirement for emergency and reserve power in GMDSS radio installations?
1-20D6What is the meaning of “Reserve Source of Energy”?
Topic 21: EPIRBs
What is an EPIRB?
1-21D2When are EPIRB batteries changed?
1-21D3If a ship sinks, what device is designed to float free of the mother ship, is turned on automatically and transmits a distress signal?
1-21D4How do you cancel a false EPIRB distress alert?
1-21D5What is the COSPAS-SARSAT system?
1-21D6What is an advantage of a 406 MHz satellite EPIRB?
Topic 22: SARTs
In which frequency band does a search and rescue transponder operate?
1-22D2How should the signal from a Search And Rescue Radar Transponder appear on a RADAR display?
1-22D3What is the purpose of the SART’s audible tone alarm?
1-22D4Which statement is true regarding the SART?
1-22D5At what point does a SART begin transmitting?
1-22D6How can a SART’s effective range be maximized?
Topic 23: Survival Craft VHF
Which statement is NOT true regarding the requirements of survival craft portable two-way VHF radiotelephone equipment?
1-23D2Which statement is NOT true regarding the requirements of survival craft portable two-way VHF radiotelephone equipment?
1-23D3With what other stations may portable survival craft transceivers communicate?
1-23D4Equipment for radiotelephony use in survival craft stations under GMDSS must have what capability?
1-23D5Equipment for radiotelephony use in survival craft stations under GMDSS must have what characteristic(s)?
1-23D6What is the minimum power of the SCT
Topic 24: NAVTEX
NAVTEX broadcasts are sent:
1-24D2MSI can be obtained by one (or more) of the following:
1-24D3Which of the following is the primary frequency that is used exclusively for NAVTEX broadcasts internationally?
1-24D4What means are used to prevent the reception of unwanted broadcasts by vessels utilizing the NAVTEX system?
1-24D5When do NAVTEX broadcasts typically achieve maximum transmitting range?
1-24D6What is the transmitting range of most NAVTEX stations?
Subelement A: Rules & Regulations
Topic 1: Equipment Requirements
What is a requirement of all marine transmitting apparatus used aboard United States vessels?
1-1A2What transmitting equipment is authorized for use by a station in the maritime services?
1-1A3Small passenger vessels that sail 20 to 150 nautical miles from the nearest land must have what additional equipment?
1-1A4What equipment is programmed to initiate transmission of distress alerts and calls to individual stations?
1-1A5What is the minimum transmitter power level required by the FCC for a medium-frequency transmitter aboard a compulsorily fitted vessel?
1-1A6Shipboard transmitters using F3E emission (FM voice) may not exceed what carrier power?
Topic 2: License Requirements
Which commercial radio operator license is required to operate a fixed-tuned ship RADAR station with external controls?
1-2A2When is a Marine Radio Operator Permit or higher license required for aircraft communications?
1-2A3Which of the following persons are ineligible to be issued a commercial radio operator license?
1-2A4What are the radio operator requirements of a passenger ship equipped with a GMDSS installation?
1-2A5What is the minimum radio operator requirement for ships subject to the Great Lakes Radio Agreement?
1-2A6What is a requirement of every commercial operator on duty and in charge of a transmitting system?
Topic 3: Watchkeeping
Radio watches for compulsory radiotelephone stations will include the following:
1-3A2All compulsory equipped cargo ships (except those operating under GMDSS regulations or in a VTS) while being navigated outside of a harbor or port, shall keep a continuous radiotelephone watch on:
1-3A4When a watch is required on 2182 kHz, at how many minutes past the hour must a 3 minute silent period be observed?
1-3A5Which is true concerning a required watch on VHF Ch-16?
1-3A6What are the mandatory DSC watchkeeping bands/channels?
Topic 4: Logkeeping
Who is required to make entries in a required service or maintenance log?
1-4A2Who is responsible for the proper maintenance of station logs?
1-4A3Where must ship station logs be kept during a voyage?
1-4A4What is the proper procedure for making a correction in the station log?
1-4A5How long should station logs be retained when there are entries relating to distress or disaster situations?
1-4A6How long should station logs be retained when there are no entries relating to distress or disaster situations?
Topic 5: Log Entries
Radiotelephone stations required to keep logs of their transmissions must include:
1-5A2Which of the following is true?
1-5A3Where should the GMDSS radio log be kept on board ship?
1-5A4Which of the following statements is true?
1-5A5Which of the following logkeeping statements is true?
1-5A6Which of the following statements concerning log entries is false?
Topic 6: Miscellaneous Rules & Regulations
What regulations govern the use and operation of FCC-licensed ship stations in international waters?
1-6A2When may the operator of a ship radio station allow an unlicensed person to speak over the transmitter?
1-6A3Where do you make an application for inspection of a ship GMDSS radio station?
1-6A4Who has ultimate control of service at a ship’s radio station?
1-6A5Where must the principal radiotelephone operating position be installed in a ship station?
1-6A6By international agreement, which ships must carry radio equipment for the safety of life at sea?