I was recently looking at CAPP-214, which is the Communications specialty track guide and noticed that one of the requirements for the Senior Rating is to have complete knowledge and proficiency in "Surival Beacon Station Operations".
What the heck is a Survival Beacon Station?
My best guess is being familiar with running a DF unit.
FYI, this pamphlet is dated 1994, which isn't so old.
(Note, wasn't sure where this topic fit best, but figured that since it part of the Comm PD program, it would fit here).
One could also suggest that the title refers to the operations of an ELT. Can't include PLBs, since it is dated in 94.
Possible, but can't see why a CAP communications specialist would need to know how to operate an actual ELT.
C'mon Joe Tomasone, surely you know!
IIRC back in the day CAP used to maintain ELT receiver stations....basically guys with 121.5 dieled up on their radios. If they got a hit then they could start DF ing it.
Some of these stations can be automated. That is the just sit idle until something sets them off. Then they can make phone calls or relay to another station.
A Google search of "Survival Beacon Station" comes with only three results - all CAPP 214.
A search on "Survival Craft Station" has almost 63,000 results.
From the FCC regs:
Title 47 Sec. 80.5 Definitions
Survival craft station. A mobile station in the maritime or aeronautical mobile service intended solely for survival purposes and located on any lifeboat, liferaft or other survival equipment.
[Other parts of the FCC regs show that survival craft stations are equipped with some combination of ELTs, EPIRBs, HF and VHF radios, which have maintenance and operational requirements.]
Apparently senior rated comm members don't hang out in this forum. It would be nice if one would explain how complete knowledge and proficiency in "survival beacon station operation" (or craft) is achieved as part of the rating.
Mike
I am not sure what CAP means with this nomenclature, but I am pretty sure that showing knowledge or being licensed by the FCC with a Commercial FCC license with GMDSS would more than meet the requirement: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Maritime_Distress_Safety_System
Major Lord