Marine Radio Operations Simulator

The Marine Radio Operations Simulator (MROS) is a multi-purpose marine communications training environment used for various courses and programs at the Canadian Coast Guard College.

MROS consists of eight identical student positions, each an accurate copy of a Marine Coast Station with its own communication facilities, ship-shore radiotelephone and radiotelegraphy frequencies, telephone, facsimile and data lines, and all the miscellaneous equipment found on a typical station. The "outside world" is a separate room where up to four separate instructors and/or course participants control the activities of the various agencies with which the students must interact. From the instructor positions, the entire simulated environment is controlled and monitored. Time of year, time of day, weather conditions, atmospheric anomalies, man-made or natural interference can all be controlled according to the pre-programmed scenarios or at the discretion of the instructors to reinforce a teaching point.

Continually changing to keep pace with modern marine communications, MROS provides up-to-date marine communications training using the latest technology and most advanced simulation techniques.

Features and Capabilities:

All positions and systems are fully networked using IBM Token Ring network technology and OS/2 LAN Server software.

Marine communications are simulated using the following features:

• A complete internal e-mail network
• A simulated receive Telex capability
• MF Radiotelephony
• VHF Radiotelephony
• A complete self-contained PCBX (Computer-based Private Branch Exchange) telephone system including Meridian Norstar telephone sets and Facsimile machines at all positions, with built-in Intercom
• Custom created software for the "outside world" participants and instructors using MS Windows interface which allows for monitoring, interface, and feedback functions
• Complete control of simulation date, time of day, atmospheric conditions and interference from the instructor positions, as well as complete monitoring and interface capabilities
• Ability to blend live and taped marine communication into the simulations using MF/HF and VHF receivers and various record and playback facilities

All student positions have broadcast capabilities using the following features:

• The Interalia Continuous Marine Broadcast system using state-of-the-art digital audio storage techniques
• NAVTEX broadcasts using the latest in automated NAVTEX broadcast software and hardware
• MF and VHF Radiotelephony
• All students are provided with the Message and Data System (MDS) software, the current standard in electronic logkeeping systems, with landline communications handled through MDS interface functions