GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress Safety System)

The Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) ensures reception and transmission of alerts and distress signals to and from ships in automatic mode and messages through operator for coordination search and rescue activities, navigational and meteorological warnings and urgent information, general purpose radio messages transmission and reception, rendering of commercial communication services.

Coastal GMDSS system allows:

to enhance the likelihood of distress signal reception
to simplify search and rescue activities
to improve coordination between rescue services and vessels situated nearby a disaster region
to provide seafarers with vital information about security at sea

Coastal GMDSS features:

systems are fully power reserved and duplicated with GMDSS equipment
module construction simplifies system’s operation, maintenance and modernisation
base stations constitute unmanned equipment, assembled into standard 19-inch cabinet
all distress talks are automatically registered in the System
System has an access to common use telephone net

Compliance

Transas GMDSS systems correspond to IMO GMDSS resolution, recommendations for organization of digital selective call systems in maritime service. All GMDSS equipment fully complies with international requirements.

Transas supplies GMDSS systems for A1 and A2 areas:

Sea area A1 – area in a communication zone of coastal stations, equipped with VHF radio stations with selective call (30-50 nm)

Sea area A2 – area in a communication zone of coastal stations, equipped with MF/HF radio stations with selective call (100-200 nm, excluding A1 zone)

GMDSS coastal equipment set was developed in a close cooperation with Dutch company S. P. Radio, is assembled, adjusted and tested in Transas and is certified by Russian Federation Maritime Transport Department.

GMDSS A1, A2 description

Coastal GMDSS A1 is intended for organization of radio communication with vessels in DSC mode, in telephone mode via emergency call channel and via duplex channels.

GMDSS A1, A2 equipment includes one or several Base stations with VHF and/or MF/HF equipment and single Control center.

Communication equipment of A1 Base station includes VHF transceivers of 16th channel, 70th channel (with modem) and transmitters of duplex channels. Communication equipment of A2 Base station includes MF/HF receivers and transmitters, which provide communication on 2187,5 kHz, 2182 kHz frequency as well as telex and duplex channels.

Control center includes operator’s workstations, audio-talks registrator, guaranteed power supply system.

Configuration GMDSS A1, A2

Operator’s workstation allows performing following functions:

Observation of DSC
Reception of a DSC distress signal, its reflection on a monitor and switching on an alarm
Confirmation of the distress signal
Retransmission of DSC distress for vessels in a distress region
Reception DSC urgency, its reflection on a monitor and switching on an alarm
Reception of DSC safety signal, its reflection on a monitor and switching on an alarm
Reception of a common DSC and its reflection on a monitor
Communication working channels switching for information exchange
Communication commercial channels switching with connection to coastal telephone net
Forming and transmission of DSC on vessels
Maintenance of archive of transmitted and received DSC formats
Printing of received DSC messages through connected printer
Observation and troubleshooting of VHF and MF/HF stations and displaying a report about its condition