Flashing Lights test question

[Capt. Lee]

One thing on the FL that helped me was before the test I wrote down the entire alphabet with the dots and dashes just in case I got brain freeze. It is so slow now with 4 words per minute that you won't have any problems at all if you do just a little prep.

[NAUTICART]

GET THE POPCORN,,,, THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD,,,,,,


,,,

Oh my G_d!. I just woke up and this is first post. Thanks, thanks alot. lol ehem Zzzzz

[Mr 100-ton]

Oh my G_d!. I just woke up and this is first post. Thanks, thanks alot. lol ehem Zzzzz


don;t thank me,,,, thank capt lee and anchorman,,,,, pleasant dreams

[NAUTICART]

,,,, pleasant dreams

no way. Actually glad I have a 12 hr watch to go to. YOU can write the reviews..

[Diesel]

I do believe we have just witnessed male on male fellatio!!

That may be, but just wait till I start humping your leg. If it weren't for you I wouldn't even be at this company. Guess my dance card is filling up fast!

[Mr 100-ton]

O.K.,, then one more question about the chief mate that anchorman brought up,,, if i start with chief mate classes like advanced stability will I not miss the basics about stability without taking that class??? in other words would it be like taking trigonometry without taking algebra??? how about advanced shiphandling without taking the basic shiphandling first,,,, would I not be a little behind in the advanced classes to start with???

[dougpine]

There is a reason they're offered in basic and advanced flavors. I can't speak to your question about stability courses because I haven't studied stability for over 20 years, but as a USCG approved shiphandling instructor I can comment on that one:

I don't advise it. I believe that at PMI (where I'm approved to teach) and at MITAGS BSH is a prerequisite for ASH. Unless you already have a comprehensive knowledge of single screw ship handling theory and practice, you'll be lost from the first moment in an Advanced Shiphandling class, and you'd be holding the rest of the class back. It isn't as if ASH is extremely difficult, but you need to know the basics first. I don't know what your background is, but if you haven't maneuvered a large deep draft single screw ship before, either in BSH or in real life, you won't have a clue in the advanced course.

[seadawg]

doug,

somewhere on this site is a good visual aid primer on the basics of single screw ship handling??

[aargh]

BSH is not a prerequisite for ASH at MITAGS. I completed it last year without taking a basic course, and I can tell you that the class was not difficult. We had individuals in the class that were from VTS "who had never handled a vessel", to an AB, and no one had a problem meeting the class requirements.

[anchorman]

I do believe we have just witnessed male on male fellatio!!

Being that you jumped in 'head' first..........I might can believe it.

[anchorman]

The difference in advanced versus non-advanced courses, in my opinion, is not whether you took the previous class, but what license level you are applying that knowledge to. If you are a 1600 ton Master, or even an OSV mariner, you should know anything and everything about STCW subjects at the operational level, and to a certain extent - the management level, even if you did not have to take a previous class. Do not be intimidated by a course labeled as "advanced". It is more of a reiteration of what you should know already - and there is not one subject that I'm aware of past the high school level within the whole Coast Guard regime of testing and training. You are simply not going to learn everything within a one week or two week class other than the test at the end of the week.
If you are exposed to something for the first time within a STCW course, and you are a previous licensed mariner, more than likely, you dropped the ball along the way somewhere.

[captobie]

Don't spend too much time studying. The REC's don't administer the test anymore. You will have to take a class and and present your certificate. I have yet to hear of anyone flunking out of their class and I'm sure you won't be the 1st.

Concur with that. The class I took, they put me in a room with the light and said come out when I have an answer sheet I want graded. Much less stressful than having some coastie watching over your shoulder.

The real question is why does that flashing light requirement refuse to die???

[Capt. Lee]

It sounds as if you wish to write the information down as it comes in dots and dashes and then translate into letters. What you will probably find as you practice is that you will begin to have letter recognition as you go along and it will be easier to just write the letter down.

You're right, it doesn't make sense that you CAN'T do it the way you are talking about. But if those are the rules the examiner (school) you take it with plan on adhering to, you don't have much proof to argue the contrary. You may simply have to play by their rules or find another place to take the exam.

I agree with Cal. I find it easier to just recognize the dots and dashes. One thing I did do before I tested is I wrote down the entire alphabet in dots and dashes before the test on scrap paper, just for quick reference. It is so slow now. You will have plenty of time to get the right answers. The problem I see with people is they lose their place and panic. Practice a little each day. It won't take long. As far as I know you can write down what you want on your scrap paper.

[jdcavo]

i am studying for flashing lights,,, on one of the study guides it says that YOU CAN NOT WRITE DOWN DITS (.) AND DASHES (-) ON SCRATCH PAPER during the test this makes no since,,, can anybody who has taken flashing lights enlighten me

The Coast Guard doesn't give the test anymore, you have to take a course.

NMC will allow schools to permit writing down the signals on scrap paper, whether a school lets you is up to the school. See Enclosure 2 of NMC Guidance Document 02-05, http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/marpers/pag/...hing_Light.pdf
Al;so, in the last few years that RECs gave the test (2005-2009), scrap paper was permitted.

[Ea$y Money]

The real question is why does that flashing light requirement refuse to die???

The other "trick" is that they send everything, except the call signs, twice. So for each 5 letter random group you skip every other letter and pick up the 2nd and 4th ones on the 2nd time around. You can get a program to practice with for about 50-60 bucks. That's what I did, couple of weeks of practice and I was good to go. No stress and I actually learned something. It didn't kill me as some people might imply.

As far as why this doesn't go away. My humble opinion is that everyone forgets that if we were to go to war your ass belongs to uncle sam and he will be expecting you to know how to answer him when he calls. Other than that I have no idea. Any other thoughts?

[G Consultant]

I work for Houston Marine Training. With our approval you are allowed to copy the Morse COde characters (dots and dashes) being transmitted, however all characters must be deciphered on the answer sheet. Where did you get the material?

[Mr 100-ton]

there is lots of material available on the web,,, that is were I found the study guides,,, I know there are several CD that i can purchase but at this point do not need then,,,