Satellite operations center and teleport technicians facilitate uplinks from a wide variety of remote terminals, as well as from their own facilities. They may support carrier lineups, cross-pol alignments, and help field technicians troubleshoot links. The GVF Operations Center and Teleport Technician (GVF-CERT-TOPC) certification demonstrates that you have the knowledge and skills that are important for performing these tasks efficiently and with minimum interference.

This course serves as the final exam, and the recertification exam, for GVF-CERT-TOPC. To open this exam, you must have completed courses GVF 510 Edition 2, GVF 520, and GVF 532.

To gain the certification, students must successfully complete course GVF 520, which builds a solid foundation of satellite communications fundamentals, including orbits, footprints, waves, antennas, signals and noise, modulation, propagation, links, and access methods. The candidate must also complete GVF 510, which teaches critical skills for VSAT field technicians, in order to support activation and operation of managed terminals. Finally, for skilled support of SCPC, SNG, occasional-use, and similar uplinks, course GVF 532 is required, which covers operation of manually-controlled equipment for antenna pointing, carrier setup, and monitoring, as well as using a spectrum analyzer to identify the correct satellite from its beacons and spectral signature. Throughout, the General Access Procedure (as referenced by ITU-R S.2049 and WBU-ISOG) is emphasized for core principles of responsible, interference-free uplinking.

A final certification exam ensures a solid grasp of the required knowledge and skills. All courses and exams are given online and include scored simulator exercises. Successful candidates receive the Satellite Operations Center and Teleport Technician certification and are eligible to be listed in the SatProf public certification database.

Audience:

Satellite operations center technicians, engineers, and technical managers; teleport technicians responsible for local uplinks or supporting occasional-use or permanent remote uplinks; technicians responsible for supporting field technicians with procedures such as “peak and pol”, P1dB testing, and carrier power adjustments.

If your certification has expired, take this exam to recertify, which will extend your certification for three years.

As discussed in the GVF599 Introduction course, once certification exam pre-req courses are complete please email gvfsupport@satprof.com to request enrollment in this exam.

Certification requirements:

1. Course GVF 510: Core skills for VSAT Installers. Core skills required by all fixed VSAT installers for accurate antenna alignment and prevention of major sources of uplink interference. Second edition: enhanced simulators, revised cross-pol technique, new materials covering cross-pol and line of sight, and updated and enhanced Quick Reference Sheet.
2. Course GVF 520:Satcom Fundamentals. Fundamental theory of VSAT communications for all VSAT technicians and engineers. Provides the student with a thorough understanding of the fundamental theories of VSAT communications. This knowledge is essential for every skilled and effective satellite ground equipment terminal technician.
3. Course GVF 532: Core Uplinking Skills. Covers operation of uplink systems including manual controls for antenna pointing, carrier setup, and monitoring. In this course, you will learn how to use a spectrum analyzer to identify your correct satellite from its beacons and spectral signature as you command the antenna to move. You will then learn how to carry out the full General Access Procedure.
4. Final examination. Covers all knowledge topics from GVF 510, 520, and 532. Includes scored simulator assessments of the following skills: line of sight and site selection; accurate pointing of manual and motorized antennas with signal meters and with spectrum analyser; interactive cross-pol alignment with an operations center; bringing up carriers in accordance with the General Access Procedure; calculating uplink, downlink, and translation frequencies for 70MHz and L-band systems.

Note: A Hands On Skills Test is not required for this certification.