Description: The DM qualifies personnel as GMDSS radio maintainers to perform at sea repair and maintenance of GMDSS equipment. It also confers the operating authority of the PG and MP.

NOTE: In instances where an applicant qualifies for both a DO and a DM, the applicant qualifies to hold a GMDSS Radio Operator/Maintainer License (DB).

Qualifications: To qualify, you must:

• be a legal resident of (or otherwise eligible for employment in) the United States; and

• be able to receive and transmit spoken messages in English; and

• pass a written and/or telegraphy examination(s) as described below under Examinations.

Term of license: DM is issued for the holder's lifetime. (Prior to March 25, 2008, the license term for a DM was five years. Any holder of a DM that expired prior to March 25, 2008, was required to file an application to renew the license within the five-year grace period after expiration.)

How to Obtain a License: Submit FCC Form 605 along with the appropriate Proof of Passing Certificates. Use the FCC Form 605 and the FCC Form 159 (fee processing form) to renew a license or to replace a lost, stolen, or mutilated license. Golden Aviation and Electronics Training will assist you with filling out these documents as part of your training package.

Examinations: To obtain an FCC Commercial Operator License, applicants must submit, to the Commission, proof of passing written Elements as illustrated in the following table.

Written Examination Elements:

• Element 1 - Basic radio law and operating practice with which every maritime radio operator should be familiar. To pass, an examinee must correctly answer at least 18 out of 24 questions.

• Element 3 - General Radiotelephone. Electronic fundamentals and techniques are required to adjust, repair, and maintain radio transmitters and receivers. The exam consists of questions from the following categories: operating procedures, radio wave propagation, radio practice, electrical principles, circuit components, practical circuits, signals and emissions, and antennas and feed lines. To pass, an examinee must correctly answer at least 75 out of 100 questions.

• Element 9 - GMDSS Radio Maintenance Practices and Procedures. Requirements set forth in IMO Assembly on Training for Radio Personnel (GMDSS), Annex 5, and IMO Assembly on Radio Maintenance Guidelines for the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System related to Sea Areas A3 and A4. The exam consists of questions from the following categories: radio system theory, amplifiers, power sources, troubleshooting, digital theory, and GMDSS equipment and regulations. To pass, an examinee must correctly answer at least 38 out of 50 questions.