Which licence? Marine HF or Ham

[JOHNBOY]

Hi, Advice appreciated from any radio heads or long distance cruisers.

We want to access to email, weatherfax, websites, ie winlink and sailmail etc and to keep in contact with other yachts and nets on a circ nav.
We have a full ham tranceiver set and ATU but no licence. The boat already has an MMSI number.

What we need to know is which is the best route to go down to get the coverage we need as cost effectively as possible.

As I understand it there are two routes to go: 1. marine (but with restricted band operation)
2. Ham radio licence (3 levels)

Do I to go down both?
Or can I just use the marine licence? How restricting will it be if we only have the marine long distance licence?

If I need the Ham licence as well can I get the coverage we need with just the foundation Ham licence or do I need to go to intermediate or even full?

Many thanks

JB

PS sorry for the cross post but I need a pretty speedy answer on this one

 

[davidbains]

If you already have a Ham set, the logical approach is to get as far along the Ham training as you have time for. Once you have a callsign life gets simpler but you'll rarely be asked for it by other yachties.

 

[trouville]

Those calling from their boat just make up a call and add mm!In many contrys you can get an amater call by putting a $100 note in your form!
In the UK many "examiners" accept a £50 note in lue of the ticks in the box on the exam form.

Years ago i had to take a simple test for my marine band licence. But as far as i can see you now just have to pay for it? and should have a marine rig (very expensive) The last time i used my marine call was in 1996 when i place a phone call bit expensive but then worked very well.

I think that service has ended?? Just call the ofcom and ask what you need to get a marine call.

In the med there are no nets running, you have to form your own,if your just calling freinds then make up a call or use your marime one if their aboard their boat. You cant use the marine bands from land!!! If someone dose they may definatly be in trouble!! From a boat fine.

If your never used SSB its worthwhile buying a book on opperating procedures weather amature or Marine you have to do it according to the rules very easy youll soon get the hang of it!

Hope you have someone to QSO

 

[1611]

A useful websight to get the official picture is www.yachtcom.co.uk/communications/
Officially an opperators license from your own country is required and may be required by countries you visit along the way. Many liveaboards do not seem to have licences and get away with it. However there are some officialdoms who could impound your boat because you do not have the right piece of paper, not worth the risk for a circ.
To opperate a ham radio from a boat you need to be maritime mobile which requires an advanced licence. It is possible to do foundation, intermediate and advanced in one go and was offered at Southampton boat show a year or to back.
Best of luck. There have been a number of postings on this subject going back a number of years.

 

[trouville]

Rubbish! i have a full HF licence and can and must add MM or portable when i am!!

No question of taking a levels pwwww

 

[1611]

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Long Range Certificate is a higher level certificate to the Short Range Certificate and allows you to operate on any marine MF/HF/VHF frequency/channel and Inmarsat satellite from on-board your yacht.

The Radio Society of Great Britain are the awarding body for Amateur Radio ie ham radio and have the 3 levels of licence and restrict maritime use to advanced licence holders.

If you want it officially for yourself I suggest you go to www.rsgb.org

 

[trouville]

Your wrong! Years ago all VHF licences were upgraded to HF

Now you have beginer a landlocked restricted licence and HF which is all bands.

As for the marine licence i havent got any restrictions but then mines not British but European (the French issued it to me)

As for the amature i went to the world body as im resident there in Switzerland and have a HB9 call MM naturaly!!

Oh yes and when the changes were announced the letter they sent said be patent becouse some licencing bodys are slower than others!!
That was for the benifit of the VHF licence holders that kept and keep their origanal call and the slower contrys and more rule ridgid(UK) might not accept the call due to there ignorance(well they dident say that its my interprtation!!)

Seems the UKs still in the age of the inquisition or perhaps its members??)

 

[1611]

I have copied and pasted the following quotes from official documents. They apply to British Yachtsmen on British registered yachts anywhere in the world.

Amateur Radio
Having an amateur radio licence allows you to operate two-way radio from your home, car or yacht. You can communicate by voice or computers (email) with other amateur radio stations all over the world. You can send emails via HF and VHF amateur radio, through the global amateur radio network, visit www.winlink.org for details. You can also send your position and have it displayed on the Internet so that anyone with access to the Internet can see where you are.

Using amateur radio you are not permitted to transmit any business type information. In the UK amateurs are allowed to transmit third party greeting messages.

It as never been easier to obtain an amateur radio licence, here in the U.K. there are 3 class of license, fundamental license, Intermediate license and full license.

A Fundamental license is the allows you to operate on most amateurs frequencies, but with restrictions. Unfortunately with a fundamental license you are not permitted to operate from a vessel at sea. To obtain and fundamental license you need to pass a short fundamental license paper. Many amateur radio clubs run foundation licence courses and exams over a weekend.

Intermediate license allows you to operate of all amateur bands. You need to have passed the City and Guilds Intermediate Amateur Exam which is held 4 time.

The full license offer all privileges, you can operate on all ham bands, even from your yacht. To obtain a full license you need to pass the City and Guilds Amateur Exam which is held twice a year .

Marine VHF radio
Most yachtsmen use the marine VHF radio and GSM mobile phones for their main means of communications. Due to the time division multiplex access (TDMA) technology used by GSM phones, the range of a GSM mobile phone is only 22 miles (35kms) from the base station.

Marine VHF is the best way of summoning help, you can contact the coastguard up to 50 miles off-shore and talk to other yachts up to 15 to 20 miles on the open sea. click here for a list of international marine VHF channels

Before you can transmit using a marine VHF radio from your yacht, you require a GMDSS Short Range Certificate (VHF SRC).

If you have a long range GMDSS licence you can use any marine VHF equipment. Most coastal sailors only have the GMDSS restricted short range certificate.
I hope this clarifies what you need as a British yachtsman.
Good luck and fair winds.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marine SSB radio
Marine SSB (Single Side Band) is a popular means of communications for the independent cruising yachtsmen and a must if you are planning to do bluewater cruising to the Caribbean, Pacific or Mediterranean. The range of SSB is up to several thousand miles and calls between yachts are free. There are stations around which will let you make link calls (telephone calls) and even email and some basic Internet service is available over SSB radio.

 

[Benbow]

[ QUOTE ]
As I understand it there are two routes to go: 1. marine (but with restricted band operation)
2. Ham radio licence (3 levels)

[/ QUOTE ]

Slight misunderstanding here:

Marine and ham frequencies are completely separate. Licensing is also completely separate, either will give you access to a range of frequencies that will provide world-wide coverage and access to email. Neither will give you the right to access the other. Marine frequencies are not more 'restricted' than the ham band for any practical purposes - they are just different.

The LRC entitles you to use the maritime SSB frequencies. That is completely different from the VHF (SRC) operators licence.

To operate on the amateur frequencies from a boat in tidal waters (as a maritime mobile) you need a full amateur licence.

Some yotties seem to think it is outrageous that they need an amateur licence to operate on amateur frequencies. A baffling argument, if they don't want to be radio hams why do they want to use ham frequencies? There are plenty of maritime bands to use.

Finally, while Trouville is a great source of entertainment, I advise that you treat his rather eccentric pronouncements with caution.

 

[Sea Devil]

Or you just go down the route of most cruising folks - not all, but probably the majority.

Before you bother with any licence or course, you buy and install a marine SSB (they are easier to operate than most Ham sets) and you start to use it to communicate with other cruisers and the marine nets. You will also listen into the Ham nets but only talk to Hams if there is a real emergency. You can use your SSB to send and receive emails all over the world and pull down weather charts.

If you become interested in radio communications (and many do) then you can start working for your Ham Licence. If you do not then you continue to use the communication device of choice for cruisers in the Caribbean and Pacific. There is no reason whatsoever to have a SSB in European or Mediterranean waters.
Michael

 

[JOHNBOY]

Its still not clear? Quote [Micheal]
"You can use your SSB to send and receive emails all over the world and pull down weather charts". This and of course chat to other boats, is exactly what we want to do.
So is this all possible with just a Marine LRC?
PS thank you all for time. I’m learning!
JB

 

[JOHNBOY]

Its still not clear? Quote [Micheal]
"You can use your SSB to send and receive emails all over the world and pull down weather charts". This and of course chat to other boats, is exactly what we want to do.
So is this all possible with just a Marine LRC?
PS thank you all for time. I’m learning! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Sea Devil]

What I posted is not a legal interpretation of the law and rules. It is a statement of fact - the way it is... You will find a high proportion of cruising yachts with a SSB or even HAM radio have no operators licence at all. Mainly the radio is included in the ships radio licence along with the Radar, Epirb, VHF, HH and so on.

Michael

 

[Benbow]

[ QUOTE ]
Its still not clear? Quote [Micheal]
"You can use your SSB to send and receive emails all over the world and pull down weather charts". This and of course chat to other boats, is exactly what we want to do.
So is this all possible with just a Marine LRC?
PS thank you all for time. I’m learning!
JB

[/ QUOTE ]


YES!!


email - Google for 'sailmail'
weather - you don't need any kind of transmitter (except for specific GRIBs via email in which case see above)
chat - as has been said, in Europe there are not many boats to chat to. But in much of the rest of the world, marine freqs are the ones to chat to other boats on. The most famous weather and general support net for Atlantic crossing is on marine frequencies.

 

[trouville]

He could chat to me!!
Summers can be lonly at anchor in the Baltic!!Only thing is i havent found a way to provide enough power to run my SSB on TX even at 60w???

Buying a good amature radio is a good way of buying a first class receiver!! Not all the kenwood TS 50 has a bad front end!! And the alinco 70 has other questions

Icom are good but expensive!! Now the Yaesu FT857D costing just over £400 (i have the advert in fornt of me) Is a first class rig with a super receiver and high quality functional DSP (modul inc in price)

IF there was someone to talk to and i had a bigger boat!!(even a small gererator a bit to heavy for me to justify shareing my limmited space)I would buy today at once the Yaesu FT897D which costs £500 with DSP both are small. The first is car radio size with removable fromt panel

The least expensive is the Yaesu 817ND at £400 thats a QRP rig and i dont know anything at all about it so can only say the reciever ought to be better than the Lowe or target.

Just look at amature rigs lots have super radios!!

Oh and perhaps Benbow was correct you shouldent take my advice on a simple way to get a call!!!! Beter just invent one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I better go.

 

[michael_99]

About half of all around the world sailors have either a SSB or ham radio which has been "fixed" which mean they can operate on both marine and ham bands and only a ham license, and has never run into trouble anywhere.

 

[searover]

Hey i like the bit of touviles comment. about the fifty quid, buying a ticket well can he tell me one who will and then i can recomend him. i dont know anyone who could or would do that, cos theres more than one examiner present so cant happen.

 

[JOHNBOY]

Thanks everyone!!!
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I,m up to speed at last...

My Final decision. I might as well get a Ham Foundation Licence [ Because it so easy]
I am now looking for a Maritime LRC course. Sensible to sort a MMSI number and apparently loads of free software, weather & fax etc.
My HF radio is a Ham unit, Icom 745. it has already been tweaked for Marine bands.
And finally just to impress you radio heads, I have purchased a new ATU made in USA. Smartuner SG-239. Spos to be the DBs.

Many thanks again to all. 88s. JB.

 

[TNLI]

Thanks everyone!!!
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I,m up to speed at last...

My Final decision. I might as well get a Ham Foundation Licence [ Because it so easy]
I am now looking for a Maritime LRC course. Sensible to sort a MMSI number and apparently loads of free software, weather & fax etc.
My HF radio is a Ham unit, Icom 745. it has already been tweaked for Marine bands.
And finally just to impress you radio heads, I have purchased a new ATU made in USA. Smartuner SG-239. Spos to be the DBs.

Many thanks again to all. 88s. JB.

The RSGB Foundation licence is restricted to 10W max, AND you can't use it for full /MM (Maritime Mobile) operations, just canals, rivers and estuaries. You need to get a FULL Ham ticket that is then good for overseas and 400W, although most Ham sets like my Kenwood only put out 100 to 150W max.
I did a single-handed circumnavigation in Dicha, a steel Van Der Stadt 34 (Alloy and Steel boats have far better earthing properties than any plastic or wood job, regardless of how big the ground plates and although I only used a homemade twig, I had no problem staying in contact with all the different nets. Those nets are incredibly useful for weather routing.

 

[Sandyman]

Once you get outside of Uk waters no one gives a toss whether you have an authorisation chitty or not because no one cares.