Module 10 - Scenario Simulator
How to Use the Simulator
What you will learn
Set up a simulator drill from the situation rather than copying visible phrase-chip positions.
The simulator is a rehearsal space: read the facts, set the training radio, build or speak one transmission, then use the reply to decide what happens next.
Start with the situation card. Identify who is calling whom, the current risk, the intended channel or DSC route, the facts you actually know and the action requested. Only then touch the phrase builder or live radio. That order prevents the interface from choosing the procedure for you.
Build the call is the supported entry point: Easy mode exposes the authored choices, while Hard mode adds plausible distractors and changes their display order. Both modes compare your chosen phrases with an authored scenario sequence. Neither mode transmits on marine frequencies or operates a real DSC set.
The simulated radio adds channel, power and operating-mode decisions. Read its display before pressing PTT. A well-worded call on Channel 70 voice, the wrong working channel or an unsuitable power setting can still fail the exercise because procedure includes the equipment state as well as the words.
| Before transmitting | Question to answer | Evidence in the scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Priority | Routine, safety, urgency or distress? | Present risk and assistance needed |
| Route | Voice channel, working channel or DSC then voice? | Task and station being called |
| Message | What must the receiver know or do? | Identity, position, problem and request |
| Next turn | What reply or instruction should follow? | Proword and expected station role |
Prepare before arranging phrases
Compass Rose needs urgent medical advice for severe abdominal pain. The vessel is safe and one mile east of Cowes.
1. Classify
Serious concern needing urgent advice, but no grave and imminent danger is described: start with urgency, not distress.
2. Route
Use the authored Pan-Pan voice scenario on Channel 16; do not invent a DSC alert when the exercise does not specify it.
3. Select facts
Carry the vessel identity, position, medical problem and request for advice into the transmission.
Sense check: If changing 'severe pain' to 'vessel sinking' would not change your priority, you have copied a call shape instead of interpreting the situation.
Common mistake or limitation
- Choosing phrases before deciding priority and radio route.
- Memorising chip positions instead of recalling the procedure.
- Treating a completed on-screen sequence as a real transmission or practical pass.
Recap
- Situation first; controls and phrases second.
- Hard mode removes interface cues but uses the same authored procedure.
- Check channel, mode and power as well as message order.
Optional quick check
Section 1 of 8
What should you decide before selecting the first phrase chip?
Keep revising this topic
Sources and factual review
Reviewed 20 August 2026 - Compass Revision editorial review.
Continue studying Scenario Simulator
This public lesson is part of Revision Module 10. Full revision access adds the guided Learn, Practise and Test flow, flashcards and revision progress.