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RightShip Guide

THE DEEPDRAFT · RIGHTSHIP PREPARATION

GMDSS equipment, log and routine tests

RISQ 11.2Section 11 · Radio and CommunicationSource marking: V

Applicability: Apply to the ship’s certified radio equipment, sea area and fitted systems; retain equipment-specific conditions in each entry.

What is being checked

Certified radio equipment is serviceable and routine checks are logged.

Ready on board

0 / 8 checked

Check the vessel’s actual procedures, equipment and records against these points from RISQ 3.2.

Compare equipment condition with Form R or Form C attached to the relevant safety certificate and maintain the radio log.Have the Master nominate personnel, normally qualified for distress/safety radio communications, to maintain the log and perform checks.Daily: use the internal DSC test without radiating signals; check battery on-load/off-load voltages and printer operation.Weekly: make the specified DSC test call when within range of a DSC-equipped coast station; if the reserve source is not batteries, test that reserve source.Monthly: examine the EPIRB and use its self-test without using the satellite system; check the radar-SART using its self-test and the ship’s X-band radar.Monthly: check survival-craft portable VHF operation on a frequency other than channel 16 and check battery expiry.Monthly: inspect battery connections/compartment and check/record electrolyte level and specific gravity where applicable to the fitted battery type.Monthly: inspect antenna mountings, cables and insulators for security and visible damage.

Practice questions

Preparation prompts derived from this entry, not an official inspector interview script.

1Does the daily DSC check require transmitting a test signal?

No. The source explicitly calls for the internal test without radiation; the conditional weekly coast-station test is a separate check.

Where a finding may arise

Missing evidence, defects or gaps in familiarity against these checks may prevent a satisfactory answer. These are derived preparation concerns, not additional explicit finding criteria or reported past observations.

Past observations for practice

Anonymised reports, manually reviewed before publication. These are reported experiences, not additional inspection requirements.

No reviewed observations have been added for this entry.

Share an observation for private review

Remove vessel, company and inspector names, report numbers, exact dates and confidential information. Do not paste a complete inspection report.

Source clarification

The X-band method is for a radar-SART, not a generic test of every locating-device technology. Follow fitted-equipment instructions for self-tests; do not activate a live distress alert. Electrolyte checks do not mean opening sealed batteries. The source’s survival-craft wording is not converted into an invented per-craft carriage count.

References and source status

RightShip Inspection Ship Questionnaire, November 2025, version 3.2. Section 11, page 190, reference 11.2.

The explanation, checklist and practice answer derive from the supplied questionnaire. Reported observations are separately contributed and manually reviewed; they are not official RISQ guidance.

Independent DeepDraft preparation guide, based on the supplied RISQ 3.2 questionnaire. Not an official RightShip product or inspection report.