New VHF communication solution for shore-based systems

Transas maintains that until recently there were two basic ways of providing VTS, State Revision Authorities, shipping companies and other users with VHF communication:

installation of a mobile ship station, (effectively providing the certificate of a shore-based maritime station at the desk of every operator); or installation of a specified VHF system The disadvantages of the first way were the advantages of the second and vice versa. For instance, being inexpensive to install at the operators’ desks and uncomplicated to master, the mobile ship station does not correspond to high-tech operational demands and international recommendations on VHF communication requirements. The installation of a specified VHF system, which satisfies existing requirements for such systems, demands considerable expense. For example a Danphone subsystem for 4 radio stations – 2 sites, local and distant, with 2 VHF-stations each, and 2 operational consoles – may cost up to $150,000.

The developers therefore faced the task of creating a system capable of providing VTS, State Revision Authorities and shipping companies with VHFcommunications while minimising costs and meeting the requirements for such systems.

The Transas VTS VHF system consists of a Control Centre and one or several Base Stations. The base stations can be either located at distant sites or combined with the Control Centre. The system can be used to modernise existing communication systems based on the Sailor 4000 series VHF-transeivers, thus minimising costs.

The approximate price of the equipment (2 base stations with 2 VHF radio stations and 2 operational consoles) is $22,000, excluding possible Base Station-Control Center communication channel maintenance, as well as mounting and start-andadjustment works.