The VHF GMDSS Handbook by J Michael Gale

Publisher: 63pp £ 8.95

Michael Gale has already extended his book 'Marine SSB Operation' to cover GMDSS and now provides a companion work for VHF. "A training manual for the RYA 'VHF only' certificate, the CEPT/MSA Short Range Certificate (SRC) and the GMDSS Restricted Operator's Certificate2, this covers the syllabus for these tests plus a great deal of background and reference material.

Understanding this backgound material will improve your performance as a VHF operator but is not essential to pass the 'VHF only' test, and may indeed detract from its value as a manual to pass the test, for which the RYA's VHF for Yachtsmen is more straightforward. Bill Anderson (RYA) is currently updating their booklet for the SRC, and non-technical yachtsmen may wish to await this publication.

Gale starts with chapters on licences, the phonetic alphabet, VHF channels and their use and basic tecnicalities such as calculating the line-of-sight range. Further chapters cover Channel 16, ship-to-ship, calling coastguards, marinas, ship-to-shore telephone (link calls) and distress signal procedure. A single chapter covers the all-important Digital Selective Calling (DSC) controller. The book concludes with a chapter on Navtex, EPIRBS and SARTs (other parts of the GMDSS service), and glossaries of prowords (e.g. 'I spell') and technical terms.

The otherwise dry text is lightened by Peyton cartoons, and the book well illustrated. Worth retaining after passing the new SRC test as a reference work on board. - RMG