Pharos Instructor Manual - Application Guide

Poseidon Pharos GMDSS Simulator
Instructor Manual
Application Guide
Pharos 7.9
Instructor Manual - Application Guide
Poseidon Simulation AS - http://poseidon.no
Poseidon Simulation AS Pharos 7.9 Page 2/74

Table of Contents
Getting started 7
License 8
Start the Simulator 8
Exercise Management 10
Create new exercise 10
Join exercise running in simulator 11
Load exercise from local computer 11
Load exercise from exercises library 11
Assessment 11
Maintenance 12
Coast station editor 12
System preferences 12
About the GMDSS simulator 13
How to create a new exercise 13

Create new exercise 14
Session name 14
Session time 14
Training area 14
Mission 14
Inserting and Managing ships 16
“Insert Ships” dialog 16
Insert Position 16
Insert pattern 17
Assign mode & Automatic assignment 17
Equipment Query 17
Pilot Card 17
Available ships 18
Modifying ships (and how to add/change VHF models)! 18
Finalize insertion of ship(s) 18
Navigate in the map 19
Symbols 19
Coast Radio Main Station 20
Coast Radio Monitor 20
Navtex Station1 20
Ship 20
Map symbol information 20
Communication visualized in the map 21

Menu system 22
File Menu 22
File - Create New Exercise 22
File - Save session 22
File - Load Exercise 22
File - Join Exercise 22
File - Manage Exercises… 23
File - Leave session 24
Keep exercise running in server 24
Stop exercise 24
File - Preferences 25
Sound Preferences 25
Hardware preferences 26
File - Shut Down All Stations 27
File - Shut Down Student Stations 27
File - Quit 27
Edit Menu 27
Edit - Insert Ship 27
Edit - Remove ship 27
Edit - Move ships 27
Edit - Assign to student 27
Edit - Assign to me 28
Edit - Release Instruments 28
Edit - Known Numbers Editor… 28
Edit - Sat-C confirmation delay 29
Sending Time 29
Confirmation Delay 29
Simulation Menu 30
Simulation - Pause 30
Simulation - Resume ( / Start) 30
Simulation - Debrief server status 30
Simulation - Simulation Timewarp 30
Tools Menu 30
Tools - Select Circle / Select Square 30
Tools - Measure Circle 30
Tools - Measure Line 31
Map Menu 31
View Menu 32
Window Elements 33
Toolbar 33

Manage Exercises 33
Sound/Noise 33
Insert ships 33
Delete ship 33
Move ship 33
Assign Instruments 33
Release Instrument 34
Start / Pause 34
Center View 35
Measure Circle 35
Measure Line 35
Simulation Window 37
Ships 37
CRS - Coast Radio Station 40
RCC and Navtex 41
Search / Filter 41
Selected Element 43
Action in selected element 43
Battery Panel 44
Training on power failure 44
Ship AC voltage failure 45
Set ship voltage 45
EPIRB 45
SART 46
AIS-SART 46
VHF 47
Log/Supervisor window 48
Coast Radio Station – CRS 49

VHF Operation 49
MF/HF operation 51
Event list 52
Color codes 52
VHF Process Handling 53
MF/HF Process 54
CRS Email 55
Position, speed and heading from ship in event list 56
Filter 56
Clear Selected / Clear All 57
Rescue Coordination Center - RCC 58

RCC Event list 58

Fleet 77 59
Select ship/MES (Mobile Earth Station) 60
Priority 60
Call type 60
Hook on/off 60
Status display 60
Example: How to make a routine call to a ship from RCC with Fleet 77 61
Example: Fleet 77 Distress Handling 61
Inmarsat C 62
Inmarsat B Phone 63
Select ship / MES 64
Hook on / off 64
Inmarsat B Telex 65
Example: Routine Telex connection to ship Aries from JRCC Stavanger in Atlantic 66
EPIRB 66
RCC Email 67
MSI – Maritime Safety Information 67

Navtex 68
Message setup 68
Type 68
Area 69
Station 69
Select Channel 69
Schedule Transmission 69
Now 69
Relative minutes 69
Fixed time 69
Load 69
Save 69
Delete 69
Clear 69
Send 70
SafetyNet 70
Select by 70
Satellites 70
Message 70
Schedule Transmission 70
Now 70
Relative minutes 70
Fixed time 70

Instructor’s ship 71
Limitations 72
Chat 72
Manual 73

Getting started
The Pharos GMDSS Simulator is separated into different programs based on usage. Currently
there are four main programs:
● The Pharos server.
● The Instructor station, a client program.
● The Student station, a client program.
● The Debrief server, responsible for recording the exercise.
The server programs are most often installed on the same computer as the Instructor client
program.
License
Along with the software there is provided a USB license dongle. The USB license dongle must be
installed in the USB port of the PC running the Pharos server program.
Note: Prior to Pharos version 7.6, a provided license file also had to be installed. For more
information, see the manual for your version of Pharos or contact Poseidon Support.
Start the Simulator

On Windows, program shortcuts will be installed in the desktop, while PharosLinux provides an
own boot menu, where you may select the program or selection of programs you wish to start (e.g.
server and instructor, or only student).
The server icon for Pharos Server and Debrief Server.

Server programs are console programs with no user interface, and will start up with a
small console window with black screen and some info text.
The client icons.

When client programs are started, they will enter an idle screen.
The client idle screen shows:

● Pharos version.
● Client name
● Connection state
The above picture is shown during startup of both on the Instructor’s and on the Student’s monitor.
The picture indicates that the simulator is not ready yet. There may be different messages
appearing on the radar PPI. First of all, it shows the name of the computer the program is running
at. Secondly it shows the state of the startup phase of the program:
● “Waiting for server” means that the instructor or student cannot communicate with the server.
Please make sure that the server is running, and a valid dongle is inserted into a USB port in
the server computer.
● “Waiting for instructor” means that the student client program is connected to the server and
it is ready to be assigned instruments in the exercise.

When the instructor client has connected to the server, you will see the above picture. This is the
simulator’s startup screen. On the bottom line you will see all the student stations that have
connected to the server. You will also see that the server and the instructor programs are running.
If a student is missing in the list, you should check the state of this computer and its network
connection.
The startup screen has got icons in three different groups:

Exercise Management, Assessment and Maintenance. Assessment and part of Maintenance are
license protected functions and will not be covered by this manual. The buttons for these functions
will be grayish if not available.
First let us have a look at Exercise Management.
Exercise Management
Create new exercise
The instructor can create a new exercise – he will then have to select a sea area and
insert a number of ships in this area.

Join exercise running in simulator
If there are already one or more exercises running on the server, then the instructor may join one
of the exercises. The running exercises (if any) will be listed under this icon. Select the exercise
you would like to join and click the button. You may even delete a running exercise. Just highlight it
and click the button in the lower part of the window.
Load exercise from local computer
The Instructor may save exercises locally for future use. Click this button to see a list
of these exercises. Navigate as usual in a directory structure and select the desired
exercise. If you would like to delete an exercise, right click on it and select Delete.
Load exercise from exercises library
The exercise library is a more permanent store that is located on the server computer. Previously
saved exercises will be listed under this icon. Select the exercise you would like to join and click
the button. Want to delete an exercise? Just highlight it and click the button in the lower part
of the window.
Assessment
Assessment is a license protected feature. If you are interested, please contact
sales@poseidon.no.

Maintenance
Coast station editor
Coast station editor is a license protected feature. If you are interested, please contact
sales@poseidon.no.
System preferences

Sound
Brings up the sound dialogue. Refer to the Installation Manual for more info.
Hardware
Brings up the hardware dialogue. Refer to the Installation Manual for more info.
System
Brings up the System dialogue. Refer to the Installation Manual for more info.
Shut down Student Stations

This will physically shut down all the student stations. The Instructor station and the server will not
be shut down.
Shut Down All Stations

This will physically shut down all running stations including Student stations, Instructor(s) and
Server.
Quit
This will quit the instructor program. For Linux, the program will reload. For Windows, you will have
to manually start the program from an icon on the desktop or from the menu.
Power up and start stations

Provided that the system has been prepared for this, this choice will wake up the whole lab by
sending wake-up packets to all the computers in the lab. For info on how to prepare the system,
refer to the installation manual.
About the GMDSS simulator
Brings up information about this version of the GMDSS simulator.
How to create a new exercise
Before the instructor starts creating the exercise, he should assure that all the student stations that
will take part in the exercise have connected to the server. This is easily done by viewing the
“Network” section in the bottom of the start screen (Exercise Management). If a student is missing,
you should check the state of this computer and its network connection.

Create new exercise
Press the “Create new exercise” icon

and a new dialog window will be displayed.
Session name
Create a name for the exercise.
Session time
Set the time for the exercise. The program will suggest today’s date and noon time but this may be
changed.
Training area
Choose from a set of areas. Each area has got its own map, the scale varies depending on which
instruments you plan to use in the exercise.
Mission
Describe the mission of the exercise. This text will be displayed on the student’s screen when the
exercise is started.

Push the Create button to create the new exercise as specified.
In this example, the Vestfjord map is loaded on the instructor station:
The exercise is now created, now we can have a look around the map, before continuing with
inserting ships and assign them to students.

Inserting and Managing ships
Now we have got a training area. Next we wish to insert ships into this area. You may insert one
single ship or multiple ships. Press the Insert ship button on the top toolbar (or press the Insert key
on the keyboard) to insert a ship into the training area, then click the targeted area/position in the
map where you want to insert the ship(s). You will now be shown the “Insert Ships” dialog.
“Insert Ships” dialog
In this dialog you are presented with a list of ships (per default 26 ships, where all have the same
equipment/instruments). This dialog will usually be used only to select one or more ships, then
press “Ok” to insert the ships, but a lot more features are available.
Insert Position
The position you pressed in the map will be set automatically in the “Insert Position” fields, and
could be edited manually if relevant.

Insert pattern
If selecting multiple ships for insertion, these should ideally not be placed in the exact same
position (see “Insert Position” above), and the pattern for how to insert these can be selected here.
Options are:
● “VHF Range” (Default). Will insert all ships in VHF range of each other and specified
position.
● “MF Range”. Will insert all ships in MF range of each other and specified position.
● “All on top”. Will insert all ships (on top of each other) in the exact specified position.
● “1 nm”. Will insert ships within 1 nm of each other and specified position.
Assign mode & Automatic assignment

To speed up the assignment of ships’ instruments to student stations, it is possible to assign these
automatically. The possible assign modes are:
● “Not yet”: No automatic assignment is performed, all assignment operations must be
performed manually by the instructor when dialog is closed. (Right click ships or
instruments in the “Simulation” section, click “Assign Instruments” and select station.)
● “Matching”: When selected ships and pressed “Ok”, the simulator will look for connected
student stations with computer names matching the inserted ships’ names. If such student
stations exist (and are not participating in other exercises!), these will be automatically
assigned with the instruments of the ship with matching name.
● “Random”. When selected ships and pressed “Ok”, each ship’s instrument will be
assigned to a random student station, if any available.
● “Contains” (Default): Similar to matching, but does not require a strict match between
station name and ship name. If the station name contains the ship name, it will be assigned
to the ship.
Equipment Query
This section allows the instructor to filter the list of available ships below based on which
instruments they are equipped with. Six pre-selections (ranging from no restrictions to very
restricted) are created: “All ships”, “A1”, “A2”, “A3”, “A4” and “All Instruments”, meaning that only
the ships matching the selection will be available for insertion. The instructor may choose to select
one of the pre-selections, or specify a custom filter by checking specific instruments.
As the default simulator setup is that all ships have all instruments (and therefore will match any
selection), this feature is rarely
used.
Pilot Card
The “Pilot Card” section simply

displays a few details about the
selected ship. The default simulator

setup is that all ships are set up as “Container 163”, but for users that have customized the ships,
this section can be more useful.
Available ships
The list contains all ships available for insertion in this session, each shown with name, call sign
and included instruments. If any ships are already inserted in this exercise session, they will be
removed from the list. If any ships are inserted/assigned in other simultaneous exercise sessions,
they can still be inserted in this exercise, and will be shown in the available ships list. But to avoid
confusion (e.g. if inserting ship Aries in two exercise sessions, both cannot be assigned to a station
with the same name), these are marked with colors and hover texts.
Red text: This ship is inserted and assigned in another exercise session. Hover the ship’s row to
see which exercise it is assigned in.
Orange text: This ship is inserted in another exercise session, but not yet assigned to a station.
Modifying ships (and how to add/change VHF models)!
If selecting a ship, you can choose to copy, edit or delete this ship. You can also simply add a new
ship. If editing an existing ship, or adding a new ship, you’re presented with a wizard that takes you
through the process of setting all required details, such as ship model, nationality, name, call-sign,
MMSI number, available instruments, details for each instruments etc. When the list of ships are
modified, it will be saved for future use.
To add or change the VHF models, you can select none, some or all of the following types:
● VHF-1
● VHF-2
● VHF-3
● VHF Portable
● VHF Air
This selection is done in step 3 of the new/edit ship wizard. For each selected instrument, an own
wizard step is added. For each of VHF-1 to -3, you will in these specialized steps select whether
the instrument should represent Sailor RT5022 or Sailor 6222. Additionally you can set a
default/initial level of volume and squelch (and except for VHF Air, also the initial channel).
Finalize insertion of ship(s)
When you have made your choices in the “Insert new Ship…” dialog, press “Ok”, make sure
relevant student stations join the exercise. Then you may start the exercise by pressing the play

button on the toolbar.
Map View
Navigate in the map
● Zoom
o The scroll wheel on the mouse is used for zooming in the map.
● Select item
o The left button on the mouse device selects an item, e.g. ship or coast station.
● Move around in the map

o Move the cursor to a point in the map and click the right mouse button to center the
map to the selected point. You may also use the arrow keys on the keyboard in
order to move around in the map.

Symbols
Symbols in the map are displayed in different sizes depending on the zoom level (range) in order
to minimize clutter in the map.
Overview Medium view Close view

(zoomed out) (zoomed in)
Coast Radio Main Station
Coast Radio Monitor
Navtex Station1
Ship
Fixed zoom level
If the color of a ship is white, it means that the ship is not connected to a
student station or an instructor station. The ship exists in the exercise and we
call it a target ship. The instructor may now and then log on a ship like that by
double-clicking it.
If you select (by left-clicking) a ship in the map, the ship will turn red and may
be configured.
If the ship is green in the map, the ship is assigned to a student station or an
instructor station.
Map symbol information
Hold the mouse pointer over one of the icons in the map, and an info box
will appear. Example of Coast Radio main station symbol →

Communication visualized in the map

During the exercise, the instructor may get a visual view of the communication lines. The so called
Spiderweb will show in VHF and MF/HF.
Communication between ships Distress activated from a ship
Communication from CRS Communication from ship to ship and CRS

Note: When using a Monitor Station, the line will Note: When using a Monitor Station, the line will
be drawn from Main Station to the ships via be drawn from the ship to the Main station via
Monitor Station. Monitor Station.

Menu system
File Menu
File - Create New Exercise

The Instructor may create a new exercise; the simulator can run several exercises at the same
time.
File - Save session

Save the exercise to the central library on the server computer or the local computer.
File - Load Exercise

Load exercise from the central library on the server or the local computer
File - Join Exercise

If there is more than one exercise running on the simulator, the instructor can switch between the
exercises. Shortcut Alt+1 takes you directly to the first listed exercise; Alt+2 takes you to the
second listed exercise etc. If you are assigned a ship, you will automatically be unassigned.

File - Manage Exercises…
Pharos GMDSS simulator have the possibility to run several exercises at the same time. All
exercises are independent, and the instructor may switch between them to participate.
Several exercises may be used if the instructor wants to split up the lab, and let a small group train
on each exercise. You may even run two instructors in order to control the different groups.
Even if you are running two exercises in the same area, there is no connection between them. The
students cannot hear each other if they are participating in two different exercises.
If you save your exercise with different names, you may split the class and run the same exercise
in two different groups at the same time without interfering with each other. The instructor can then
run two instructor stations or switch between the exercises on one instructor station.

File - Leave session
When you leave a session you get two choices:
Keep exercise running in server

Only you will be disconnected from this exercise. Other students and instructors can continue
working. You can connect to the exercise again at any point.
Stop exercise
All students will be disconnected and the exercise will be stopped. You also get the following
choices:
● Save exercise to library on Phaos Server. Will be stored in the server, and can easily be
loaded from the list of saved exercises by any instructor at a later point.
● Save to file on this computer. Will only be available for this instructor, and must specify
folder position when loading, but can easily be exported to e.g. email or USB-stick.
● Delete students exercise saved data. If physical files and data is saved during the exercise,
check this box if you don’t want these to be available in future exercises or for manual
retrieval in the file system.

File - Preferences
Sound Preferences
The instructor may find the sound preferences in the menu (File – Preferences – Sound) or via
System Preferences in the Exercise Management page.
For students, this is not available from any menu or button, but only by shortcut SHIFT + ALT + S.
You will see one tab for each sound card installed.
Recording Test
Only available when not in exercise.
Run the Recording test to test the microphone, press Test button and talk, you will now hear
yourself in the headset.
Playback Test
Only available when not in exercise.

Will output music when pressed “Test”.
GMDSS Target
Choose targets for the sound card, normally tag all for your only soundcard. Hardware devices
need their own sound card; sound configuration will be described in the manual belonging to the
hardware. More details can also be found in the installation manual.
Noise
Only available on Instructor.
Enable background noise for the radio instruments. When applied during an exercise, changes to
noise and noise level will immediately affect all connected stations, if focusing their radio
equipment (where squelch level is below 3).
Hardware preferences
The instructor may find the sound preferences in the menu (File – Preferences – Hardware) or via
System Preferences in the Exercise Management page.
For students, this is not available from any menu or button, but only by shortcut SHIFT + ALT + H.
Hardware preferences allow you to see the status on the hardware connected to the simulator.
Poseidon hardware can be:

● Sailor Alarm Panel 6103
● Sailor VHF 6222

● Sailor VHF 5022

● Sailor MF/HF CU5100
● Sailor Alarm Panel 5065
● Poseidon Generic Handset

● Poseidon Battery Panel
● Poseidon Gooseneck
● Tipro Handset
● Tipro Gooseneck
Contact support@poseidon.no for further information.
File - Shut Down All Stations

When you are done with the lesson, you may conveniently turn off the entire simulator with this
menu choice. It will shut off all computers including the instructor station(s).
File - Shut Down Student Stations

When you are done with the lesson, you may conveniently turn off all student stations. It will shut
off all student computers except for the instructor station(s).
File - Quit
This menu choice lets you quit the instructor application and return to the operating system.
Server, students and any running exercises will continue to run.
Edit Menu
Edit - Insert Ship

Insert one or multiple ships in the map.
Edit - Remove ship

Removes the selected ship in the map.
Edit - Move ships

When enabled you will able to move ships around the map.
Place the mouse cursor on the ship, press left mouse key and
drag the ship to the new location.
Edit - Assign to student

Assign a ship’s instruments to a student station.

Edit - Assign to me
Assign a ship’s instruments to yourself.
Edit - Release Instruments

Release ship instruments from a student station.
Edit - Known Numbers Editor…

You may enter telephone number ashore which you may call from a ship station on Sat-B or Fleet
77. You will most likely only hear the ringing tone and get no answer.

Edit - Sat-C confirmation delay
From the Edit menu the instructor has the

option to set the time it should take before
the student will receive the confirmation
acknowledge.
In real life the process has several stages

that can be described as follows:
Sending Time
The time it takes to send the message from
the ship to a LES. Tests shows that time
might vary depending on size and message
type. In the simulator this is a fixed time 10
seconds
Confirmation Delay
Routine
The time it takes for the LES to send acknowledge to the ship with a confirmation that the receiver
has got the message. This can be edited by the instructor, but is default 30 seconds.
Distress
The time it takes to get a distress ack / confirmation from the LES that a RCC has got the distress
message. This can be edited by the instructor, but is default 10 seconds.
This means that by default the distress sequence time will be 20 seconds (10 + 10)

Simulation Menu
Simulation - Pause
Pause the exercise simulation, the student will not be able to
maneuver or communicate.
Simulation - Resume ( / Start)

Resume exercise simulation from Pause.
Simulation - Debrief server status

Shows and gives information of Debrief server’s status (online or offline).
Simulation - Simulation Timewarp

Set the speed of the time in the exercise, speed it up to 100 x normal speed. This makes it
possible during a SAR exercise to save time when the ships are sailing towards the ship in
distress.
Tools Menu
Tools - Select Circle / Select Square

Used for selecting items in the map.
Tools - Measure Circle

Measure a distance from a selected point, showing a range
circle.
Press Measure Circle in the toolbar, move the cursor to the

point where to measure from, press and hold the left mouse
button and move the mouse cursor.

Tools - Measure Line

Measure a line distance from a selected point.
Press Measure Line in the toolbar, move the cursor to the point
where to measure from, press and hold down the left mouse
button and move the mouse cursor.
Map Menu
This menu has three main purposes:

● Filter map information to prevent information clutter. E.g.
when training MF, it is convenient to see just the stations
with MF radio.
● Show and investigate the various range visualizations for
ships and land stations.
● Ship speed vector appearance.
This filter selection shows:

● All coast stations that have MF radio
● Navtex stations.
● Coast station VHF range, shown as red color
around the coast.
● Coast station MF range, shown as green
color around the coast.

● Coast stations: Toggle coast station icons

● Filter Coast stations: Filter view on / off for
stations with VHF, MF and/or HF radio
● Navtex stations: Toggle Navtex station icons
● VHF Range: Show the coast stations
combined VHF range off shore in red color.
● MF Range: Show the coast stations
combined MF range off shore in green color.
● Navtex Range: Show a range circle for each
Navtex station
● Show Selected Stations Range: Check this
to see the range of the selected object
The image to the left shows a selected coast

main station and the VHF (inner circle), and MF
range.
● Ship speed vector: Turn off or set the speed

vector length
● Ship Portable VHF Range: Visualize the PVHF
radio range for the ship.
● VHF Range: Visualize the VHF radio range for the
ship, high wattage.
● MF Range: Visualize the MF radio range for the
ship, high wattage.
The image to the left shows the ship’s VHF range and
ship’s speed vector. This example also shows that it is
not possible to communicate on VHF from Aries to
Aberdeen. This is a convenient tool when setting up an
exercise
View Menu
● Window: Here you may select which window(s) to

show on the monitor. Tag the window(s) you would
like to show. The window(s) may be moved around at
your satisfaction. Just grab the title line of the window
and drag it to the new location.
● Center View: Center the map view, all ships are
displayed in the map.

● Toggle Fullscreen: On / off

● Save Layout: Save the layout. If the Instructor
changes the layout and wants to save it, use Save
Layout.
● Projector Mode
Changes the display color of the instruments. The original
color, red on black in the instruments has low contrast.
Projector mode is used when the Instructor wants to view
an instrument on a projector screen or he e.g. wants to
make a screenshot for printing.
Window Elements
Toolbar
The toolbar is displayed under the Menu line. It may be hidden. See the menu entry View/Window.
Manage Exercises
Described in the Edit menu.
Sound/Noise
Described in the File - Preferences menu.
Insert ships
Delete ship
Move ship
Assign Instruments

Release Instrument
Start / Pause
Press to start the exercise. The exercise information is transferred to the student stations. The
students will now be given access to their equipment.
When the exercise is started, is protected and is activated.
Press to pause an exercise. A message

is sent to
all student stations and the students are no longer able to access their equipment.
Center View
Described in the View menu.
Measure Circle
Described in the Tools menu.
Measure Line
Described in the Tools menu.


Simulation Window
The Simulation Window is a window used for

displaying information about exercise objects.
● Ships
o All ships inserted in the exercise, available
instruments for each ship, and which student
or instructor station they are assigned to.
(Instructor stations are appended “/i”.)
● Coast Radio Stations,

o All the radio stations available within the
exercise area, including monitor stations,
grouped by station’s country.
● Rescue Coordination Centers

o All RCCs are always available, not
depending on exercise area.
● Navtex
o All the Navtex stations available within the
loaded exercise area.
Ships
This example will demonstrate how to release several
instruments from one student station. Why would you do that?
If you limit the number of instruments, the students can
concentrate on the ones which are the topic for the lesson.
This exercise has 6 ships assigned, and all ships names are
colored green. The green color shows you that all instruments
on the ships have been assigned to stations.

Press button in the front of a ship name to see the

assigned instruments.
In this example we will use ship Emilie.
Select one or several instruments. To select or deselect several

instruments, hold down the Ctrl button and select the
instruments.
Right click with your mouse device and a new window appears.
Select Release Instruments
Press Yes to release those 3 instruments

MF/HF, Fleet 77 and SatB are now released from ship Emilie.
When not all instruments are assigned, the ship name changes
color to orange.
To assign the instruments to a station again, right click the

selected instrument and select “Assign Instruments”.
Note that it is possible to assign instruments from one ship to

multiple stations, to have flexible setups with multiple computers
representing one ship (e.g. can have 3 computers with 2 screens
each, to show 6 instruments simultaneously).
If a ship is assigned to multiple stations, this will be shown in the

Station column for the ship, e.g. “Aries, Bella” or “Aries+3”.

CRS - Coast Radio Station
Click CRS in the Simulation window, and a list of all available Coast radio stations in the area
covered by the map are available, sorted alphabetically by country.
Double click on the Coast station you want to act as. In this example we want to act as Rogaland
Radio in Norway. Find Rogaland Radio in the list of available coast radio stations and double click
on it.
When double clicking a station, the simulator will focus on the tab called CRS and load information
about the station to the VHF and MF/HF. (Single click will focus the station in the map, and show
details under “Selected Element”)

Rogaland Radio has got many VHF monitors available. Navigate in the list to find the Monitor you
want to communicate on.
Notice that the same list of monitor stations is available in the CRS listing in the Simulation section,
you can also double click here to select a monitor for VHF or MF/HF operation in the CRS tab, or
you can double click directly in the map.
RCC and Navtex
All RCC (Rescue Coordination Centers) and Navtex stations are available independent on which
map you have chosen.
The Instructor can be a selected CRS, RCC or a Navtex station by double clicking on a CRS, RCC
or Navtex stations in the map.
Search / Filter
In the top of the simulation window, above the list of ships and stations is a text field which can be
used to search/filter the list (which can be quite long in large exercise areas). This works by simply
writing the first few letters of a ship, country, CRS, monitor, RCC, Navtex area or station. Use

minimum 3 letters, preferably at least 4 for best results.

Selected Element
The section with the title “Selected element” describes the

selected item.
The picture above shows information about RCC Stavanger.
Action in selected element

Some elements contain a dialog where the instructor can make different adjustments.
E.g.: Click on a ship in the list under Simulation
● GPS
Set GPS failure in order to simulate damaged GPS
equipment on the selected ship. The instruments will
not be able to show any GPS position.
● Course
Change the course on the selected ship.
● Speed
Change the speed on the selected ship.
● Rudder
Set the rudder angle on the selected ship.

Battery Panel
To change settings for the battery panel, select a ship,
click the + sign to expand the list of instruments. Then
click the Battery Panel entry.
The window “Selected Elements” have changed to Battery

Panel settings for a selected ship.
Training on power failure
The Pharos simulator has its own training facilities for power failure. Each ship in the exercise is
equipped with a battery indicator as shown in the image above.
This indicator will give the student a view of the current usage, and the voltage on the battery bank
in use. The student may toggle between battery bank 1 and 2 in the simulated battery banks with
the upper right button.
In normal operation, the ship powers its instruments on AC, which means that they will always get
enough power independent of battery state. When AC power is failing however, the student must
know how the batteries should work, since most instruments will then depend on the battery bank
supplies. However, the Inmarsat B and the radar control are always simulated on AC current.
To induce power failure at a ship, the instructor locates the Battery panel instrument in the session
browser for the exercise. This will highlight instructor’s remote controls for setting power failure
attributes.

Ship AC voltage failure

If the instructor toggles the Ship AC voltage failure but keeps the voltage on nominal 24V, the
following will take place on the GMDSS console of the student:
1. Instrument power on VHF, MF-HF, Navtex, Fleet 77 and SatC is switched to battery.
2. SatB and Radar which runs on AC are turned off if they were on. The mini-versions of
these instruments will start flipping all indicator lights. They will not be able to turn on until
the instructor toggles off the AC voltage failure.
3. The EPIRB, SART, Portable VHF and VHF Air stays unaffected due to own battery
supplies.
4. The instruments connected to the battery bank will start drawing current from it. This will be
observed on the battery indicator. Also, using the PTT on the VHF and MF-HF will
consume current and also result in some voltage drop.
Set ship voltage

If the instructor chooses to change the voltage of the battery in use, either below 20V or above
30V, a DC failure will be induced on the instruments.
The student will notice that instruments turns off and the indicator lights in the mini-versions starts
to blink. Actually, since the MF-HF and VHF PTT usage leads to some drop in voltage, this action
at the student might also lead to DC failure!
To mend this problem the student should then switch to the battery indicator and switch from
battery bank 1 to 2. The voltage will then go back to nominal 24V, and the MF-HF, VHF, SatC and
Navtex can be switched on again.
However, the instructor may at any time choose to set the voltage to another level or toggle off the
AC failure. Then all instruments can be switched on again dependent of the voltage level.
Note: before turning off AC failure, first reset the voltage level to 24, as the opposite order of
actions may lead to unexpected results.

EPIRB
Click on the EPIRB instrument in the ships list, and “Selected
Element” displays the EPIRB settings.
● Battery Date
Set battery expiration date for the EPIRB on the selected ship.
● Hydrostatic Date
Set the hydrostatic date for the EPIRB on the selected ship.
● Activate EPIRB
Activate EPIRB on a selected ship from instructor station.
Images to the left shows how this expiration dates are shown on
the selected ship’s instrument.
SART
Click on the SART instrument in the ships list, and “Selected
Element” displays the SART settings.
● Expiration Date
Set battery expiration date for the SART on the selected ship.
● Activate SART
Activate SART on a selected ship from instructor station.
Images to the left shows how the expiration date is shown on the
selected ship’s instrument.

AIS-SART
Click on the AIS-SART instrument in the ships list, and Selected
Element” displays the AIS-SART settings.
● Expiration Date
Set expiration date for the AIS-SART on the selected ship.
● Test AIS-SART
Test AIS-SART on a selected ship from instructor.
● Activate AIS-SART
Activate AIS-SART on a selected ship from instructor station.
Image to the left shows how the expiration date is shown on the
selected ship’s instrument.
VHF
Click on any VHF instrument in the ships list, and selected
element changes to VHF info. This simply displays which
channel, volume and squelch settings the instruments is set to
on this ship. No operations are possible from Instructor.

Log/Supervisor window
The log/supervisor window is not displayed by default. To show it, select in the menu
View/Window/Log/Supervisor.
You will now see the log window. Press the symbols to the left to display different log events.
Normal log events blue. Distress events are displayed with red color.
You may click the Supervisor tab in order to see the call signs and status of the different
instruments of the ships participating in the exercise.

Coast Radio Station – CRS
A CRS handles all VHF and MF/HF radio and DSC traffic in the exercise. In addition it can receive
email. Despite that some CRS also can have Inmarsat equipment it is not simulated due main
focus on GMDSS communication and routines. The Inmarsat GMDSS routines are simulated
under the RCC operation tab.
All incoming CRS traffic is added to the event list. The CRS event list shows VHF, MF/HF and
email as default only.
This chapter will go into detail on how to work as a CRS by answer incoming events from ships or
contacting ships in the exercise.
To work as a CRS there are five main components except for the map:
● The event list.
● The operation section, with VHF, MF/HF and email handling.
● Simulation object browser, where all the CRS are listed with monitor stations.
● Selected Element view, where appropriate information about the station is displayed.

VHF Operation
● Select appropriate VHF radio by
o Double click on a monitor/station in the map.
o Double click on a monitor/station in the
simulation object browser window.
o Choose from the drop down list in the VHF
operation, shown to the left.
● Working Channel
Select the desired working channel from ‘Working
Channel’ drop down list before making a broadcast.
The working channel list is based on real world
setup.
● DSC Category
Choose from the list of available DSC categories, for
relay see ‘compose relay’ which is handled
differently from the other categories.
● Receiver
Choose which ship to send the DSC to from the list
of available ships in the exercise.
● Compose relay
When selecting ‘Relay’ as DSC category the button
name changes from ‘Send DSC’ to ‘Compose
Relay’. Now the DSC will not be sent instantly, but a
‘Compose VHF DSC Relay’ dialog will appear.
‘Compose VHF DSC Relay’ dialog, use this to

create a DSC Relay e.g. based on an incoming
voice distress.
It gives the same relay composing possibilities as
the VHF 5022 equipment.
The ‘Ship in distress’ option has a drop down list

with all ships in the exercise. Choosing a ship from
this list, position and time of position will
automatically be filled in.


MF/HF operation
● MF or HF radio
These radio buttons setup the MF/HF operation as
MF radio or HF radio. Because radio capabilities
might vary among the stations and monitors. Some
might have both, and some just one of them.
● Select appropriate MF-HF radio by
map.
simulation object browser window.
o Choose from the drop down list in the
MF/HF operation, shown to the left.
● SSB Tx, choose the frequency to broadcast on.
The available frequencies are related to
selected station/monitor and are based on real
world setup.
● DSC Rx / Tx, choose DSC frequency pair to
transmit on. These are related to selected
station.
● SSB working frequency Rx /Tx, choose
suggested working frequency put in the DSC for
further communication.
● Priority, choose priority for the DSC, note
special handling for ‘Relay’. See below.
● Receiver, choose from all ships in the exercise.
Note ‘All ships’ is shown as area call at student.
Area is auto generated by simulator based on
HF or MF range.
● Compose relay, when choosing ‘Relay’ the
‘Send DSC’ button changes to ‘Compose
Relay’. And opens a ‘Compose MF/HF DSC
Relay’ dialog.

‘Compose MF/HF DSC Relay’ dialog, use this to

create a DSC Relay e.g. based on an incoming
voice distress.
It gives more or less the same relay composing
possibilities as the MF/HF 5100 equipment.
The ‘Ship in distress’ option has a drop down list

with all ships in the exercise. Choosing a ship from
this list, position and time of position will
automatically be filled in.
Event list
The event list collects and displays events from the student stations which are related to all CRS
activity, not only the selected CRS.
By default VHF, MF,HF and email events are filtered and displayed. The event list does not collect
events if the ship is outside range or uses frequency which is not supported by the CRS.
Color codes
● Blue colored event: Voice events
● Green colored event: Safety events
● Red colored event: Distress events
Event list example:
Handling
For all events a ‘Process’ or a ‘PTT’ text occur in the
Handling column, focus on the event by one click on
the ‘Process’ or the ‘PTT’ text and a button will
appear. Click on the ‘Process’ or the PTT button again
to perform the action.
E.g. we have 2 incoming events, a VHF Voice from

ship Brita on channel 16 and a MF/HF Voice on

TxFreq.2182.0
Press one time on PTT text and a button appears.
● PTT
o Make a direct broadcast on incoming frequency / channel. Hold down the PTT button
and communication can start from CRS to ship Brita and all other ships within the range
of the monitor.
o This is done without changing the selected CRS. This is for convenience when handling
several students.
o Direct broadcast on MF/HF will always be on the on the ships Rx frequency, despite if
this frequency normally is not a working frequency for the called station. The Rx
frequency is shown in the description text.
● Process
o This will be bring up a dialog or focus on CRS operation for further operation.
VHF Process Handling
From the event list there is an incoming VHF DSC Distress from ship Aries.
Press one time on the event to focus and ‘Process’ button appears.
‘Process VHF DSC’

Click the ‘Process’ button and a this dialog is displayed.
● ‘Send Acknowledge’, this option is enabled if
according to type of DSC. Not all DSC is supposed
to be acknowledged.
● ‘Working channel’, normally set based on the
incoming DSC, if supported by the station.
● ‘Focus on coast station’, if this is checked the CRS
operation will be setup with the station the DSC was
address to.
● ‘Send distress relay, this option is enabled if the
DSC is a distress. Then it is possible to send
acknowledge on the distress and send a distress
relay at the same time.

In this example the monitor Værøyfjell received a

Distress from ship Brita and has chosen to focus on
station.
Acknowledge; When an acknowledgement is sent

from Rogaland Radio on channel 70, the VHF on ship
Aries will display an acknowledgement like this.
MF/HF Process
From the event list there is an incoming MF DSC Distress from ship Aries, directly to
Rogaland Radio station.
Press one time on the event to focus and ‘Process’
button appears.

‘Process MF/HF DSC’

Click the ‘Process’ button and this dialog will be
displayed.
● ‘Send Acknowledge’, this option is enabled
according to type of DSC. Not all DSCs are
supposed to be acknowledged.
● ‘Working channel’, normally set based on the
incoming DSC, if supported by the station.
● ‘Focus on coast station’, if this is checked the
CRS operation will be setup with the station the
DSC was address to.
● ‘Send distress relay, this option is enabled if the
DSC is a distress. Then it is possible to send
acknowledge on the distress and send a
distress relay at the same time.
In this example the station Rogaland Radio
received a Distress from ship Aries and has chosen
to focus on station.
Acknowledge; When an acknowledge is sent from

Rogaland Radio on channel 2187.5 or DSC’s
distress frequency, the MF/HF on ship Aries will
display an acknowledgement like this.
If Aries choose to connect, they can communicate
on MF.
CRS Email
All CRS has an email address and can receive email from a ship based Inmarsat C instrument.
The email address can be located by selecting a CRS from the simulation object list and view the
‘Selected element’ information.
Note: When clicking on the event entry the

‘Process’ button becomes active.

Click the ‘Process’ button to focus on the

E-Mail view tab and read the message.
Position, speed and heading from ship in event list

How to know the exact position the ship have, when an event occurs.
The ship position is displayed in an information window if you move the mouse cursor over the
name of the ship in the event list.

Filter
The Filter table allows you to suppress some of the
messages shown in the event list.
Clear Selected / Clear All

The Event list shows all events according to the filter
settings.
To clear a selected element from the list, mark the
element and click on button.
To clear all events from the event list click the

button.

Rescue Coordination Center - RCC

While the CRS controls MF-HF and VHF radios, the RCC controls all the satellite based
instruments. In the event list, you will be able to see all events that have occurred during the
exercise. It is possible to make a filter mask which allows you to decide which events are shown.
The standard filter setting is that you will see all the satellite based communication that has
occurred.
The RCC list does not cover all RCCs worldwide. The selection is based upon the RCCs which are
registered in the Inmarsat system as GMDSS rescue centers.
Even if a RCC has got only one satellite instrument available, it is possible to open the other tabs
and even use the instruments on these. Some RCCs might also have VHF or MF/HF radios, these
are handled under the CRS tab.
EPIRBs are not a part of the Inmarsat system. If a ship drops an EPIRB, the closest RCC will
receive the message.
This chapter will go into detail on how to work as a RCC by answer incoming events from ships or
contacting ships in the exercise.
To work as a RCC there are five main components except for the map:
● The event list.
● The operation section, with Inmarsat generic instruments, EPRIB and email handling.
● Simulation object browser, where all the RCC are listed with monitor stations.
● Selected Element view, where appropriate information about the station is displayed.

RCC Event list

The event list collects all events from student stations. Default event filter for RCC, omits
VHF and MF/HF events.
Handling
For all events a ‘Process’ or a ‘View text occur
in the Handling column, focus on the event by
one click on the ‘Process’ or the ‘View text and
a button will appear.
Click on the ‘Process’ or the ‘View’ button to
perform action again.
E.g. we have 3 incoming events, an EPRIB

activation, a Fleet 77 distress call and Inmarsat
C Email.
● ‘Process’
o This brings focus to the RCC operation and the generic instrument associated with the
event.
● ‘View’
o The same as ‘Process’ but there is no more action after the focus has been achieved,
normally used to view an email or EPRIB message.

Fleet 77
Select ship/MES (Mobile Earth Station)

A list of available ships in exercise, choose a ship in the list for
communication.
Priority
Select a priority for the call, this selection is related to call type
directly. Changing priority also changes call type.
Call type
Select a call type for the call, this selection is related to priority
directly. Changing call type also changes priority.
Hook on/off
Status display
This display works more or less like the display on the Fleet 77
Distress cradle handset display. Gives information about call
status and also shows distress information when handling a
distress call.
Different statuses:
● Idle
● Outgoing Call
● Talking
● Hook Off

Example: How to make a routine call to a ship from RCC with Fleet 77
At RCC
Fleet 77 status
Select a MES / Ship, priority and Call type.
Press the ‘Hook’ button to start the call. Status changes to
Outgoing Call, waiting for the MES /Ship to pick up.
At Ship / MES
At the ship, an incoming routine call from RCC looks like
this.
Yellow flash flashes, and the Fleet 77 instruments gives
information about a call.
Example: Fleet 77 Distress Handling

1. Incoming Distress from ship Brita to JRCC Stavanger.
2. Press Process text one time and a button appears, press the Process button.
3. After pressing the Process button, the focus changes to Fleet 77 generic instrument and
a voice communication is established.

4. The display changes status to ‘Talking’ and shows call Priority.

5. The ‘Ship in distress’ message is information provided by Inmarsat to the RCC, and
shown upon incoming distress from a Ship.
Inmarsat C

● Select Ship / MES

A list of available ships in exercise,
choose a ship in the list for
communication.
● Send
Send the message that is written in
the text field.
● New / Clear
Text is cleared in text field.
This generic instrument is used for handling incoming Inmarsat C messages and sending
routine messages to ships. For MSI messages use the MSI system covered by the MSI
window tab.

Inmarsat B Phone
Select ship / MES

A list of available ships in the
exercise, choose a ship in
the list for communication.
Hook on / off
Different statuses:
● Idle
● Outgoing Call
● Talking
Hook Off

Inmarsat B Telex
The Inmarsat B telex generic instrument, has got the most common and basic telex features
to make it quicker and easier for an Instructor to operate and communicate on telex.
● Select ship / MES

A list of available ships in exercise, choose a ship in the list
for Telex communication.
● Select priority
Select between Distress and Routine.
● Telex Mode
Start a telex session.
● Clear Call
Clear the telex session.
● Clear screen
Clear the screen.

Example: Routine Telex connection to ship Aries from JRCC Stavanger in Atlantic
1. From the list of RCC in the object list,

choose JRCC Stavanger.
2. Select ship / MES Aries,
Select priority: Routine
3. Select priority, Routine.
4. Click the ‘Telex Mode’ button to connect.
Connection established.
This is how it will look like at Instructor
station.
This is how it will look at Aries Inmarsat B

instrument.
Telex connection is now established between Aries and JRCC Stavanger.

EPIRB
If a student drops the EPIRB from his ship, you will see it as an event in the event list in the
RCC. If you click “View” in this line, the information about the EPIRB will be displayed in the
EPIRB tab (see next chapter).
Incoming EPIRB message in the event list from ship Aries.

Press the ‘Handling’ button, ‘View’, to process the message.
After pressing the View button, the

focus changes to EPIRB in the
operation window.
The message contains EPIRB

information about the EPIRB activation
from Aries.
RCC Email
All RCC has an email address and can receive email from a ship based Inmarsat C instrument.
The email address can be located by selecting a RCC from the simulation object list and view the
‘Selected element’ information.
The processing of an email works like processing an EPIRB message, except there is an own
email instrument tab under operation where the email is displayed.

MSI – Maritime Safety Information

MSI contains the two message services Navtex and SafetyNet, each with its own tab.
Navtex
Message setup
Before you can send a message, there are some setup to be done.
Type
Choose which type of message to send.
A - Navigational warnings (cannot be rejected)
B - Meteorological warnings (cannot be rejected)
C - Ice reports
D - Search and rescue information (cannot be rejected)
E - Meteorological forecasts
F - Pilot service messages

G - AIS messages
H - Loran messages
I - Not used
J – SATNAV messages
K - Other electronic navaid messages
L - Additional navigational messages
V - Special services
W - Special services (possible other languages use)
X - Special services, allocation by IMO NAVTEX Panel
Y- Special services, allocation by IMO NAVTEX Panel
Z - No message on hand (QRU)
Area
Choose an area from area list
Station
Choose a station from station list
Select Channel
Select between Navtex channels 518 kHz, 490 kHz and 4209 kHz
Schedule Transmission
Now
Message will be sent immediately
Relative minutes
Message will be sent after set minutes
Fixed time
Set a time for the message to be sent
Load
Load a saved message from computer
Save
Saves the message typed in the Edit/Send message editor.
Delete
Delete the message from the Edit/Send message editor
Clear
Clear the message from the Edit/Send message editor

Send
Send the message you have entered into the Edit/Send message editor
SafetyNet
Select by
Select all ships, all in a specified area, with a given flag or fleet. You can also select specific ships
by clicking them. Hold Ctrl, or use circle/square to select multiple ships.
Satellites
Choose a satellite from satellite list
Message
Choose a priority and service/subject indicator (matches EGC subjects in Inmarsat-C instrument).
Schedule Transmission
Now
Message will be sent immediately
Relative minutes
Message will be sent after set minutes

Fixed time
Set a time for the message to be sent.

Instructor’s ship
In Pharos, the instructor has the ability to assign a ship to oneself. This will function much like a
student station inside the instructor station, available through the “Ship” tab. If assigned the chart
instrument (“ECDIS”), this will appear under an own tab “Shipname: ECDIS”.
Limitations
The option of assigning a ship to the instructor station is solely created for demonstration purposes
and is not intended to work as a regular student station, as it will have some limitations,
especially with regards to communication (for instance if trying to communicate with a CRS, also
represented by the instructor).

Chat
An own tab “Chat” is created to have an option to communicate by chat with the students without
being in the exercise environment. This is described further in a separate user manual “Chat”.
Manual
Under this tab the instructor can browse the user manuals.
Select user manual in the top drop-down menu. Select page by entering a page number and press
enter, or use the arrows to go back and forth.

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Poseidon Pharos GMDSS Simulator

Poseidon Simulation AS Pharos 7.9 Page 2/74

How to create a new exercise 13

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Coast Radio Station – CRS 49

Rescue Coordination Center - RCC 58

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MSI – Maritime Safety Information 67

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Start the Simulator

The server icon for Pharos Server and Debrief Server.

The client icons.

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The client idle screen shows:

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The startup screen has got icons in three different groups:

First let us have a look at Exercise Management.

Create new exercise

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Join exercise running in simulator

and click the button in the lower part of the window.

Load exercise from local computer

Load exercise from exercises library

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Coast station editor

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Shut down Student Stations

Shut Down All Stations

Power up and start stations

How to create a new exercise

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Create new exercise

Press the “Create new exercise” icon

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Push the ​Create​ button to create the new exercise as specified.

In this example, the Vestfjord map is loaded on the instructor station:

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Inserting and Managing ships

“Insert Ships” dialog

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Assign mode & Automatic assignment

The “Pilot Card” section simply

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Modifying ships (and how to add/change VHF models)!

Finalize insertion of ship(s)

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button on the toolbar.

Navigate in the map

● Move around in the map

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Overview Medium view Close view

Coast Radio Main Station

Coast Radio Monitor

Fixed zoom level

Map symbol information

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Communication visualized in the map

Communication between ships Distress activated from a ship

Communication from CRS Communication from ship to ship and CRS

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File - Create New Exercise

Push the Create button to create the new exercise as specified.

Contact support@poseidon.no for further information.

● Coast stations: Toggle coast station icons

The image to the left shows a selected coast

● Ship speed vector: Turn off or set the speed

● Window: Here you may select which window(s) to

● Toggle Fullscreen: On / off