Talk on the radio before it matters.
HelmHalo is a marine VHF radio simulator for Short Range Certificate practice. Hold to talk on a realistic DSC radio, and the Coastguard, marinas and other boats answer the way they would at sea.
- Runs in your browser
- Free radio lessons
- Annual plan about £5 a month
Serenity (you)
Kestrel Point Marina, Kestrel Point Marina, this is Serenity, Serenity, over.
Kestrel Point Marina
Serenity, Kestrel Point Marina, go ahead, over.
Serenity (you)
Kestrel Point Marina, Serenity. Request a visitor berth for one night. Length ten and a half metres, draught one decimal eight, over.
Kestrel Point Marina
Serenity, pontoon Charlie, berth one-four, port side to. Check in at the office before twenty-one hundred, over.
Serenity (you)
Pontoon Charlie, berth one-four, port side to. Serenity, out.
Debrief
Right channel, correct call format, berth read back.
Practice that sounds like the real thing.
Each session is one scenario: a briefing, a live exchange on the radio, then a debrief. Most take ten to fifteen minutes.
Read the briefing
Each scenario sets the scene: where you are, the weather, what's gone wrong and who's on board. Add your own boat's name and details, and the stations will use them.
Pan-Pan: engine failure in the main channel
Half a mile west of the Thorn Channel the engine stops and won't restart. The tide is carrying you towards the channel, and a ferry is coming down from Southampton Water.
- Wind
- SW 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later
- Sea
- Slight or moderate
- Visibility
- Good, occasionally moderate
- Position
- 1.2 miles SE of Calshot Spit
- On board
- 4, lifejackets on
Hold to talk
Press and hold the button, or the space bar, and speak as you would on a real set. Let go to send. Stations reply in their own voices, with the hiss, fading and clipped edges of real VHF.
Hold to talkTransmitting on 16
Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan. All stations, all stations, all stations. This is Serenity, Serenity, Serenity…
Read your debrief
See what you got right and the one or two things to fix, mapped to the SRC syllabus. Stations react to what you say, so no two runs play out the same way.
- Chose urgency, not distress
- Pan-Pan call and message in order, with your position
- Short, clear answers to the Coastguard
- Missed Harbour Belle's call on 16
- Cancelled the urgency once under tow
Work on this: turn on dual watch when the Coastguard moves you to 67, so you still hear calls on 16.
The stations hear what you actually say.
There's no script to follow and no multiple choice. Each station listens on its own channels, answers in its own voice and reacts to your words. Make a mistake and it responds the way a real operator would.
Serenity (you)
Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan. All stations, all stations, all stations. This is Serenity, Serenity, Serenity. My position one decimal two miles south-east of Calshot Spit. Engine failure, drifting towards the main channel. Require a tow. Four persons on board, over.
Nobody is hurt and the boat is sound, so this is an urgency call. The debrief checks that you chose the right priority.
Solent Coastguard
Serenity, this is Solent Coastguard. Received Pan-Pan. Switch to channel six-seven, over.
The Coastguard moves the working to 67 to keep 16 clear. Stay on 16 and you'll miss what comes next.
Serenity (you)
Solent Coastguard, this is Serenity, on six-seven, over.
Solent Coastguard
Serenity, Solent Coastguard. Can you anchor clear of the channel? Over.
Stations ask one or two questions at a time and follow up on your answers.
Harbour Belle
Serenity, Serenity, this is Harbour Belle… what are your intentions? Over.
A ferry several miles off sounds weaker than the Coastguard. With dual watch on, you hear this call on 16 while you work 67. Talk over it and you miss it, just like a real half-duplex radio.
Six Solent scenarios to start with.
From asking a marina for a berth to sending a Mayday. They're set in the Solent with fictional boats and marinas, and the procedures are the same wherever you use marine VHF.
| Priority | Scenario | Channels | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine | Marina berth requestCall Kestrel Point Marina on channel 80 and ask for a visitor berth for tonight. | 80 | Free |
| Routine | Radio check, the right wayGet a signal report from a friend's boat without tying up channel 16. | 16, then inter-ship | Free |
| Routine | Arrange a raft-up with a friendCall another boat on 16, move to an inter-ship channel and agree where to meet off Cowes. | 16, then inter-ship | Monthly, Annual |
| Safety | Receive a Sécurité and copy the forecastHear the Coastguard announce a broadcast on 16, switch to the right channel and note the gale warning. | 16, then as announced | Monthly, Annual |
| Urgency | Pan-Pan: engine failure in the main channelYour engine has stopped near a shipping lane. Make an urgency call and deal with a ferry asking your intentions. | 16, then 67 | Monthly, Annual |
| Distress | Mayday: engine-room fireSend a DSC distress alert, then the Mayday call and message on 16. The Coastguard tasks a nearby boat. | DSC, then 16 | Monthly, Annual |
Learn the radio before you need it.
The free radio lessons cover fixed DSC sets and handhelds: channels, 16/9, dual watch, squelch, power and the distress button. Try the controls on this one.
16/9Channel 16
Takes you straight to channel 16, which every station watches for distress, safety and calling. Press it again to go back to your working channel.
- Routine calls82%
- Channels and controls100%
- DSC48%
- Distress40%
- Urgency64%
- Safety25%
See what you've covered, and what's left.
Every session goes into your logbook, mapped to the SRC syllabus. Before your course you'll know which calls you're confident with. Before the assessment you'll know what to run again.
How to make a Mayday callStart free. Upgrade when your course is booked.
Prices include VAT. Paid plans open soon: start free now and upgrade from your account when they do.
Free
£0
Learn the radio and try two routine calls.
- All radio lessons
- 2 routine scenarios
- 3 sessions a month
Monthly Most people
£9.99a month
For your SRC course and assessment. Cancel any time.
- Every scenario
- 15 sessions a month
- Debriefs, progress and logbook
- Exam-style runs
Annual
£59.99a year
Keep your radio skills fresh each season.
- Everything in Monthly
- About half the monthly price
- New scenarios as they're added
For sea schools and instructors.
Give your students something to practise between classroom sessions, and see who needs help before assessment day. Students join your class with a code and get 30 days of practice on your school's plan.
Questions people ask
Is HelmHalo an SRC course?
No. HelmHalo is a practice tool. To get your Short Range Certificate you still take an approved course and assessment. Use HelmHalo before your course, between sessions and before assessment day.
What do I need?
A computer, tablet or phone with a microphone and an up-to-date browser. There's nothing to install. Headphones help you hear weak stations.
Is my voice recorded?
Your speech is turned into text as you talk. HelmHalo keeps the text and your scores so you can see your progress. The audio itself is never stored.
Is it only the Solent?
The first scenarios are set in the Solent. The procedures are the same wherever you use marine VHF, and more sea areas will follow.
What does it cost?
The radio lessons and two routine scenarios are free, with 3 sessions a month. Monthly is £9.99 a month and Annual is £59.99 a year, both with every scenario and 15 sessions a month. Prices include VAT.
Can I use it in a real emergency?
No. HelmHalo is a training aid. In a real emergency use your real radio, or call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Your first call is free.
Learn the radio, then call Kestrel Point Marina for a berth. No card needed.