Joining Instructions VHF Marine Radio SRC 

Candidates of any nationality or residency aged minimum 16 years old are eligible to take the RYA/MCA SRC course and exam. Candidates should have satisfactorily completed the RYA SRC online course or the RYA SRC classroom course, prior to the exam taking place. 

Approximately 10 hours of tuition over 1 day. About 7 hours in our classroom and 3 hours of pre course reading that we provide by email after the booking of the course. 

Usually we run the course during Weekends! It is a one day course which starts at 9.00 AM and finishes after the exam at 7.30 PM. For more details please see the Course Program below.

Pre Course Reading 

Students who want to spend less hours in the classroom should do approximately 3 hours pre course reading before attending the classroom course. We will send you the VHF handbook (or the e-book - as per your choice) via courier to an address provided by you at least a week prior the date of the classroom course and exam. We will also provide you with an email concerning the suggested self learning topics, structured by importance and pointed by pages in the VHF Handbook (The Phonetic alphabet, VHF marine channels, DSC and routine communication on Ch 16 etc.)

Whenever you are done with the pre course reading, please feel free to contact us to book a date of your classroom course!

Program of the SRC VHF marine radio course and/or examination 

The course and examination for your SRC Certificate takes place in English at our RYA training centre Lounge Yachting based in Sofia, Bulgaria. 

For those, who chose to do the classroom version the schedule is:

09.00 Introduction of the instructor, the RYA and the course SRC VHF marine radio operator.

09.30 Theory introduction of radio communication, types of calls, types of stations, Radio frequencies and VHF channels, VHF antennas, batteries on board, vocabulary.

11.30 - 11.40 Coffee break 

11.40  - 13.00 What is GMDSS, Operational procedures, Compulsory fit safety equipment

13.00 -14.00 Lunch break

14.00-14.30 Introduction of (MMSI) number system, Call sign, Ship radio licence

14.30-18.00  (a short coffee break included)

Hands on experience and practice with the VHF class D training radios.

• Exploring the menu of the Fixed Training Radios (4 pcs Standart Horizon Class D VHF radios)
•  Sending a DSC Distress Alert followed by a Mayday voice call and message on Ch 16
• Sending a DSC Urgency Announcement followed by a PAN PAN voice message on Ch 16
• Random/routine communication on Ch 16 using the DSC Routine Individual Call, followed by a voice call on a preselected inter-ship channel.
• What is a Safety Announcement, followed by a Securite voice message on a working channel

 18.00-19.30 Exam

The Assessment:

A short familiarisation (15 minutes) with the radios for the students who came only for the assessment and didn’t attend the classroom course.

18.15 -19.00  

1. 1.Practical Assessment: Each student is given a situation card to make a DSC Distress alert and DSC Urgency Announcement, followed by the  appropriate voice calls MAYDAY/PAN PAN  on Ch 16. A discussion about the main intership channels, dual watch, ch 70, high/low power…people are given questions and tasks to work and practice more on the training radios.

19.00-19.30

1. 2. Theory assessment

The theory assessment consists of a written paper again in English and will be closed book with a time limit of 30 minutes. 

Don't worry, even it sounds scary it is not! You can consider it as a little bit more practice!

What to bring with you to the course/exam 

Please don’t forget to bring:

• your SRC Application Form (received from RYA by email)
• your SRC online course completion certificate (if you chose the online option of the course)
• your ID
• two recent passport sized photos (for the Certificate) with your name and surname written in English on the back of the photo.

In addition, you may bring your course book or notes, to be used when practicing with our radios before the start of the exam. 

Course and Exam Fee 

A £60 exam fee applies which is payable directly to the RYA 

Please visit http://www.rya.org.uk/go/src for arranging and paying for your SRC exam, where all payment options are explained.

The classroom course alone is provided for 150 Euro payable directly to Lounge Yachting. After booking we will provide you with an invoice by email or you can always come and visit us on our adrress in the heart of Sofia, Bulgaria!

or

You can choose to ask for an assistance and our Training Centre will help you with the payment of the exam on your behalf and with completing and sending the application form to the RYA for you. The exam fee will be included in your total price of the course. This option costs 230 Euro.

Booking: You can book your course by our request form on this website and we will send you an email with the invoice for the course! You can always contact our office on +359 886 91 21 91 for questions before booking, or contact us on info@saling.bg for further information.

Accommodation 

Accommodation is not available for 1 day courses. For people outside Bulgaria we can assist with a hotel booking in Sofia and a transfer to the Training Centre.

Food 

Coffe, Tea, Water,  bisciuts  and crackers are provided. You can prepare a lunch pack for the course or you can have lunch in the nearby taverns or in mall Serdika Centre’s food corner.

Car Parking 

If there is not a place available for your car nearby, you can always park in the parking of mall Serdika Centre (over 1600 parking places) situated 5 minutes walk away from our Training Centre!

Location: 

"Cherkovna" 75b Str., 1505 Oborishte, Sofia, Bulgaria

Directions To the Centre:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir//42.6912427,23.3517739/@42.691243,23.351774,18z?hl=en-US