HF SSB: Long Range Certificate

[Skylark]

Is hf communication in common use on long distance cruising yachts?

If so, for what modes of communication and using what equipment?

There does not seem to be many training institutions offering the LRC course, haven't yet come across one in the north west?

As always, input and advice from the panel will be most appreciated.

David

 

[Ariadne]

'Is hf communication in common use on long distance cruising yachts?'
Yes it is.

'If so, for what modes of communication and using what equipment?'

Well, MF/HF is the mode of communication, using a transceiver. Or are you asking what make of radio?

'There does not seem to be many training institutions offering the LRC course, haven't yet come across one in the north west?'

Try asking at John Moore uni' in Liverpool, or Fleetwood Nautical college for a start.

 

[snowleopard]

Is hf communication in common use on long distance cruising yachts?

If so, for what modes of communication and using what equipment?

Very common. Over half the boats we met were carrying it in 2001-2

It is used for, among other things -

Talking to other people doing the same passage; informal radio nets are common.

Listening and contributing to local nets e.g. Caribbean safety & security net

Listening to weather forecasts & time signals

Herb

Weatherfax

Sailmail

I wouldn't want to go transatlantic without it. Can't speak for the Med though. It's uncommon around the UK.

 

[Skylark]

Many thanks for the replies.

I've held an Amateur A licence since the early 1980's so I'm pleased that HF / SSB is still in common use within marine. As always, it's useful to hear first hand accounts of its day to day use.

John Moore Univ shows the LRC course within their program but has no plans to run it just yet. Fleetwood seems to offer it but their cost is simply eye watering

The "best" option I've found so far is a training establishment on the distant shores of the south coast offering 20 hour e-training plus 2 days face-to-face. Not particularly convenient. My world currently revolves around Manchester.

The lack of / or difficulty in finding a (reasonable cost) tarining course made me questions its use today, hence my OP.

I'll keep searching.

Many thanks

David

 

[Sea Devil]

There is a pretty even 3 way split in operators. 1/3 are hams and it is an extension of their hobby. 1/3rd have done a course but now realise it was a bit of a waste of time and money and 1/3rd taught themselves.
It really is not a difficult thing to self teach particularly when you meet up with other boats with an SSB.
The course is not really about how to operate the sets or what frequencies to use rather 'health and safety' and correct procedures.

Yachts are probably the main user of SSB these days as ships and rigs all have satellite phones and no longer are obliged to have radio operators.

Hardly used at all in the med except by a few boats popping out at 'Suez' having come from far away places but like Snowleopard I would not go transatlantic without it and in the Caribbean it is the primary form of yacht communication

 

[Billjratt]

If you use the same respect on the maritime frequencies as you do on the amateur, you won't have problems, Most of the activity would be listening for weather info etc and your ham set will cover that already. If you broadband it, you have the ability to xmit emergency traffic but may not have the power that the true marine sets have.

 

[Skylark]

The problem is that, legally, you need to have a certificate of competence and a licence to have the equipment on board, hence the LRC. Don't want to come across as arrogant but I'm sure I could find my way around basic kit and basic operating procedures, based upon my 30 years Amateur and 15 or so marine vhf experience.

I'd willingly do the course to get "legal" and I have no doubt that there's lot's to learn about complementary kit networking, snailmail, weatherfax and so on, but £500 and 4 days seems a bit excessive................

Sadly, I still have to work for a living so I'm a few years away from cast-off! Hopefully, something will come together

 

[snowleopard]

As regards the LRC course, it's typically 4 days abd that is far more than a reasonably intelligent person needs to absorb the material. Bear in mind that it covers all methods of radio communication, not just SSB so you will be wasting time on - VHF (presumably you've been using it for years) - Navtex, as if there isn't anything more you need to know after half an hour with the manual and 1/2 page of Reeds - Inmarsat C via a PC simulator.

The exam was a bit of a joke - the whole class goes round reciting a rehearsed message into a dummy microphone - a supposed response to a mayday received then the examiner asks you individually to press various buttons on the demo boxes. They don't ask you to programme a channel on the SSB, it is sufficient to use one pre-programmed by the instructor. OTOH he asked me to turn up the brightness on a VHF set I'd never seen before - in a brightly-lit room so I couldn't see whether it had worked.

All a bit of a joke really but if you can learn it from a book you can just take the exam (or not - no one has ever asked to see my certificate).

J Michael Gale has produced a good book - he was my nav instructor in 1974 and is quite good at explaining.

p.s. there is one extra thing you need to know about SSB that knowledge of VHF and reading the manual for the set won't tell you - propagation. You need to know what frequency to pick depending on distance and time of day. There are websites and software that can tell you what frequencies work best over a given path.

 

[whipper_snapper]

The problem is that, legally, you need to have a certificate of competence and a licence to have the equipment on board, hence the LRC.

No. If you have a "full" amteur licence then you are licenced to carry any radio gear. Including a marine band SSB set. You are not licenced to USE it on marine HF frequencies, only amateur bands. So in your case an opened amateur set would be a perfectly legal and reasonable way to go. If you wanted to stay totally legal you would only transmit on the various amateur nets, but could listen on the marine bands.

 

[Skylark]

Snowleopard,

Now that's something I hadn't thought of............just take the exam.

I'm assuming that the LRC examiners are "in league with" the training establishment, just as they are with SRC so it may not be that easy to arrange, given that the trainer would effectively have to give up potential income. Any specific ideas or knowledge about "friendly" examiners?

I've asked RYA via their website but nothing back as yet.

Thanks for the tip about the J Michael Gale book. Trusty Amazon found it instantly.

Re propogation, I'm quite familiar with D, E and the 2 F layers and their ability to bounce signals based upon time of day, month and level of sun spot activity etc. Undoubtedly there is other marine ssb tribal knowledge to learn, though, which is why I wouldn't mind doing the course but cost and availability seems to be a barrier.

To whipper_snapper, an interesting "spin" too. I don't think being asked to show CoC's and a transmission log book is very likely but I'd still prefer to stay the right side of Authorities.

Other thoughts most welcome.

 

[whipper_snapper]

To whipper_snapper, an interesting "spin" too. I don't think being asked to show CoC's and a transmission log book is very likely but I'd still prefer to stay the right side of Authorities.

Other thoughts most welcome.

I don't know what a CoC is, but your licence explicitly states that there is no requirement to keep a log when mobile or maritime mobile.

 

[AndrewF]

If doing a course, why limit yourself with a SSB LRC. Why not do the whole GMDSS General Operators Certificate, covers you for all radio equipment. HF/MF Sat C etc, VHF and all the other bits and pieces. And the course is of a similar length.
I would like to point out that all commercial ships still monitor and Use HF/MF.

 

[snowleopard]

If doing a course, why limit yourself with a SSB LRC. Why not do the whole GMDSS General Operators Certificate, covers you for all radio equipment. HF/MF Sat C etc, VHF and all the other bits and pieces. And the course is of a similar length.
I would like to point out that all commercial ships still monitor and Use HF/MF.

The LRC covers VHF, MF/HF, Sat C, DSC, GMDSS. Or at least that's what it says on my certificate.

 

[snowleopard]

You may find as you already have an amateur/ham license that you may be able to just do the DSC upgrade.

the only different bit was SATCOM C!

When I did the course, some of the candidates chose not to do the SatC module because they weren't confident on a PC so I guess you can have a cert restricted to just radio.

 

[Ariadne]

You may find as you already have an amateur/ham license that you may be able to just do the DSC upgrade.

This is what I did for mine after holding an RT certificate for 20 years+. I only had to do the DSC side of the course and pay for the exam. The DSC for the LRC is virtually the same as for the VHF, the only different bit was SATCOM C!