Qualification as an Aid Verifier in the Auxiliary presumes a knowledge of navigational aids above that of the ordinary member. Questions on the subject may be directed to the AV as he/she is considered an expert in the same way other qualified Auxiliarists are considered experts in their specialties. This examination is designed to allow the interested Auxiliarist to become more aware of certain information and sources that apply to the field of aids to navigation (ATONs). As the purpose is the increase of knowledge on the subject, this is an open-book examination. AID VERIFIER QUIZ This is a semi-interactive page. If you choose, you may type your answers online and it will be forwarded to Bill or Mary Husfield for grading. Alternately, you may print out the page here and write your answers on the paper and mail it to Bill or Mary at the address below. The first method is quicker. As a pre-requisite before taking this exam, you should have completed the National AV PQS requirements. Then if you are successful with this exam, appropriate paperwork will be sent to DIRAUX to allow you to become a certified Aid Verifier. If you have questions, feel free to send them to Gregg McKee DSO-NS 8ER This is an open book examination based on the National Aids to Navigation Chart Updating Study Guide available only on the internet at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg3/cg3pcx/publications/auxmanuals/aton2003studyguide.pdf. It is 2.7 MB in size and so will take some time to download. The manual is somewhat dated but is the only National Manual available. If you want to view the Western Rivers Aid Verifier Guide it is available at http://www.trlmo.com/cgaux8wr/aton/word/avguide.pdf (750KB). It is a very thorough study guide although geared to 8WRs specifics and procedures. Further information will be found in the USCG LIGHT LIST Volume V Mississippi River System COMDTPUB P.16502.5. This publication is available online at http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lightlists/lightlist%20v5.pdf (4.36MB). 1. How often is the Light List published? a. One a year b. Twice a year c. Every Month d. Quarterly 2. Where can you obtain the Light List? a. Government printing office b. USCG Navcen website c. Both A & B d. None of the above 1
3. Where would you find charts of the Western Rivers? a. NOAA b. COE District Office c. COE web site d. Both B & C 4. What does Fl mean? a. Fixed Length b. Flashing c. Fixed Light d. Flashing Red 5. What does Isophase mean? a. Off longer than it is on b. On longer than it is off c. Equal intervals d. Flashing every 8 seconds 6. What does RDB and LDB mean? a. Red down bank, Left down bank b. Rear descending Bank, Left descending bank c. Red descending Bank, Lower descending bank d. Right descending bank, Left descending bank 7. What color would you see on the LDB? a. Red b. White c. Yellow d. Green 8. Who publishes the charts of the Western Rivers? a. Corps of Engineers b. Coast Guard c. Tennessee Valley Authority d. National Oceanic Survey 9. Which Class of Patons is the Auxiliary tasked to verify? a. Class I, II, III b. Class I c. Class I, II d. Class I, III, IV 2
10. How can you tell a Paton from a Federal aid at night? a. All patons flash 5 seconds b. All federal aids flash 6 seconds c. All federal aids flash 4 seconds d. All Patons flash 6 seconds 11. What does CR and CG mean? a. Crossing Red, Crossing Green b. Crossing Rear, Crossing Green c. Crossing Red, Crossing Gradual d. Coming Red, Coming Green 12. Who is the cognizant authority for reporting all critical discrepancies in 8ER? a. Coast Guard District 8 b. Sector Ohio Valley c. Corps of Engineers d. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 13. What characteristic is shown by all red lights on the western rivers? a. They flash once for 4 seconds b. They are occulting c. They have a group flash d. They are group occulting 14. Green is on what bank? a. LDB b. RDB c. WDB d. YDB 15. What is a Daybeacon? a. An unlighted structure with one or more dayboards b. A lighted structure with one or more dayboards c. Can be lighted or unlighted structure with one or more dayboards d. It is always on shore 16. On a fixed bridge with multiple spans, what will you see at night for the main channel? a. One green light centered on the span, and red lights on the piers b. Three white lights over a green on the span, and red lights on the piers c. One white and green light on the span, and red lights on the piers d. Three green lights on the span, and red lights on the piers 3
17. On a drawbridge, which color light indicates it is open and ready for passage? a. Red b. White c. Yellow d. Green 18. Which of the following is considered a discrepancy that should be reported promptly? a. A light extinguished b. A red nun on the RDB of the channel c. A green can laying on shore d. Only A & B 19. What is in the Local notice to Mariners? a. A notice of discrepant aids b. A listing stating discrepant atons c. A list of atons that have been fixed d. All of the above 20. You see a red light flashing once every 6 seconds on a paton found on the LDB, would this be considered a discrepancy? a. No b. Maybe sometimes c. Yes d. It may be a fire truck 21. Patons are not listed in the Light List a. True b. False 22. Which volume covers 8ER in the light list? a. Volume I b. Volume III c. Volume IV d. Volume V 23. What kind of structure is a dolphin? a. A post, like a telephone pole driven in to the bottom b. A fish c. A wooden structure with several piles tied together d. A metal post driven into the bottom with dayboards on it 4
24. What is a good description of a LDB lighted junction daymark? a. A green buoy with a light on it and flashing green once every 5 seconds b. A wooden structure with a dayboard indicating red on top and green below and has a white group flash every 6 seconds c. A red light flashing once every 6 seconds d. A structure that contains a green dayboard and light which is flashing once every 4 seconds 25. When you fill out the 7030 for reporting number of atons and time, who is put on this form? a. Everyone who was there b. All the persons that were on the boat c. Only you, the aid verifier, and any trainees d. Only those who looked at the aton 26. What does Fl (2+1) G 6s mean? a. A flashing green light every 6 seconds b. A occulting green light every 6 seconds c. A composite group flashing green light every 6 seconds d. A composite group occulting green light every 6 seconds 27. What does FW mean? a. Flashing white b. Fixed white c. Fixed and flashing white d. Flashing and fixed 28. In the IALA buoy system there are different regions. The United States is in region? a. Region B b. Region A c. Region 2 d. Region 1 29. What is the difference in the IALA Regions? a. They are opposite color and significance b. They are the same c. There are only a few differences d. The numbering is different 30. The first letter for a dayboard is what? a. Indicates color b. Indicates shape and purpose c. Indicates light color d. Indicates additional information 5
31. Why are the tops of buoys shaped with facets? a. They are easier to see at night b. They enhance the appearance c. They reflect radar better d. GPS bounces off them better 32. How would you best describe a light that is not lighted? a. The light is not working b. The light is broken c. The light is not flashing d. The light is extinguished 33. What best describes a mile board? a. A white board on a daymark b. A yellow triangle on a daymark c. A red colored board d. A green colored board 34. What is a skeleton structure? a. A bunch of wooden piles tied together b. A single post in the water c. A tower made of steel d. A plastic pipe out from shore 35. What would a light on an isolated danger mark look like? a. Yellow lights that are flashing b. White lights flashing twice c. Red lights flashing every 6 seconds d. Green lights that are fixed 36. If you saw a fisherman tied off to an ATON, what would you do? a. Yell at him and tell him to get off b. Tell him it is illegal to tie to a aid c. Ask him how many fish he has caught d. Call the police or CG right away 37. Special marks are what? a. Mark areas that are pipelines, jetties, traffic patterns and have a yellow light b. Are orange and alert the mariner to warnings or regulatory matters c. Indicate mid channel and can pass either side of them d. Are always red to indicate a hazard 6
38. Most rivers in the U.S. are numbered (mile numbers) from what point? a. A major port or city in the area b. The start (or mouth) of the river c. The end of the river d. Beginning at the dam/lock 39. Where would a Racon be used? a. On a bridge b. Located on a danger area buoy c. Anytime there is a bend in a river d. Near a big port or city 40. What does Fl (2) W 5s CR(U) TR (D) mean on a chart? a. Group Light flashing white every 5 seconds, with crossing red dayboard upstream, and triangular red downstream b. Light flashing white twice every 5 seconds, with crossing green dayboard upstream and triangular red downstream c. Light flashing white twice every 5 seconds, with crossing red dayboard upstream and triangular red downstream d. Light flashing yellow every 5 seconds, with crossing red dayboard upstream and triangular red downstream 41. Where can you find the specifications on a lock? a. On the Corps of Engineers charts or the Light list b. Only on the Corps of Engineers charts c. Only in the light list d. None of the above 42. How often is the Local Notice to Mariners published? a. Once a month b. Twice a year c. Twice a week d. Once a week 43. If a marina or port puts up a structure out in the water, what should you do? a. Call the COE or police b. Notify the CG c. Tell the owner it is illegal d. B and C only 7
44. You see a flashing yellow light flashing 50 70 times a minute, what is this light indicate? a. A malfunctioning lighted aton b. A front of a moving barge at night c. A safe water mark d. A sunken wreck 45. What are the some of the differences between western rivers and costal atons? a. Buoys are not numbered, CG and CR are used, isolated marks are used b. Buoys are numbered, numbers indicate mileage, and lights one green aids are either green or white c. Buoys are not numbered, Isolated marks are not used, lights on red aids are either white or red d. Mile boards are used, CG and CR are not used, isolated marks are used 46. How would you report a discrepant aton s location? a. Give the river and mile number with the LLNR b. Give the description of the aid c. Give the description of the area d. Give the approximate latitude and longitude 47. What is a watch circle? a. The chain or cable that attaches the aton to the anchor and is circular. b. The distance the aton can move in a circle c. No such thing d. A lighted aton that can be seen 360 degrees 48. How would you describe an aton that is functioning OK? a. OK b. Watching properly c. Nothing wrong with it d. Just fine 49. How would you know what bank a stranded aton is on? a. Face into the current, so red would be on the right; it would be RDB b. Put your back into the current, so green would be on your right; it would be RDB c. No need for what bank, just give the river and mile number d. By a GPS location 50. What time is UTC? a. Local time b. Greenwich mean time c. Universal coordinate time d. Only B and C 8
NOTES ON GRADING: As there are 50 questions, each is worth two (2) points. Because this is an openbook examination, 90% is considered a satisfactory grade. When you have completed the quiz, enter the following required information and mail to: Bill or Mary Husfield 4156 Barge Island Rd. Benton, KY 42025-6039 Name: Member Number: Mailing Address: Email Address: 9