WTB Ham Transceiver

[Ed Tanzer]

Looking for a clean SSB radio, capable of tuning both ham and marine frequencies......
Must be clean and all solid state also a continuous tuning receiver.
WHAT HAVE YOU?
tnx, ed W4PNG
MV JJ Flygirl
Hatt 53 MY

 

[Canuck Dennis]

Wow, that would be hard to find on here I think, legally, one must have ham license to use both sets of frequencies ? and if one "unlocks" the ham frequencies and gets caught without the license, trouble looms..

 

[Avenger]

I'm no expert by any stretch, but I think the signature has him qualified:

tnx, ed W4PNG
MV JJ Flygirl
Hatt 53 MY

 

[Genesis]

Scrod has it correct but there's a bit more to it than that.

It's always legal to listen to ham frequencies without any license at all, and as such possession of such a radio is perfectly fine no matter what your license status is. It is not legal to transmit without the proper privileges granted by license for the frequency you're using and where you are, except in a true emergency, in which case you can transmit using anything you can dig up and on any frequency it can operate. The OP in this case has an Amateur Extra ("Advanced") ticket and thus has access to all of the bandplan available for amateur operators in the US and, since it's his boat, as vessel master he can authorize himself to do so while aboard and all is good in US waters. Internationally things get a bit more complex, but it's manageable with a bit of planning.

73, W3KSD (holding a General-class ticket, if you care)

 

[Canuck Dennis]

If you have a regular ssb the ham frequencies are only available on receive, you cannot transmit unless the set is modified so you are stuck with usual land and cell stuff unless you have some friends on regular ssb who have ham capability.some people try to get the "store" to modify the set on purchase and some will do it but their license is under threat. It's a sha that the high seas people shut down their service and US CG will not be monitoring the distress frequency any longer..in Canada if you want to operate commercially in the high Arctic you have to have morse to get you ticket, that's a stretch, my brother has it from years ago as a radio operator on Merchant vessels

 

[Boatsb]

There is no license requirement for any radio to receive. In fact many people buy scanners so they can listen. In today's world even our cell phones transmit radio signals so the requirement to licence transmitters is dependent on freq and power.

FYI you need a license for your RADAR. Not just a vhf or SSB.

 

[seasalt]

There is a Yaesu System 600 in the salon of the boat that I bought last summer. I have not gotten around to reading the manual so see exactly what it is. The former owner was a Ham so I am thinking that it is SSB and Ham.

I am trying to decide if I want to keep it or not.

 

[z28jimi]

FYI you need a license for your RADAR. Not just a vhf or SSB.

Scott, that's a new one on me…can you cite the reg? I'm aware of radar licensing requirements for commercial vessel crew, but am unaware of the requirement you mention for recreational vessels.

 

[Boatsb]

I believe its based on a transmitter whether VHF or RADAR. If I remember all vessels traveling in international waters needed the licenses.

Its either free or close to it.

 

[z28jimi]

OK…didn't realize you were referring to international waters requirements.

 

[Boatsb]

Its only a few miles to international waters. Unless your a river rat it makes sense. Even the lakers go international .

 

[Genesis]

It's called the "Restricted Radiotelephone" license and you need one if your boat operates in international or foreign waters with any (yes, including VHF or radar!) radio transmitting equipment. There's no exam requirement and it's a lifetime issue deal.

 

[z28jimi]

It's called the "Restricted Radiotelephone" license and you need one if your boat operates in international or foreign waters with any (yes, including VHF or radar!) radio transmitting equipment. There's no exam requirement and it's a lifetime issue deal.

Well yes, there's that, (http://wireless.fcc.gov/commoperators/index.htm?job=rr) but if you are planning to carry more than six passengers on the open sea (and various other conditions) what you really want to do is spring for the Marine Radio Operator's Permit (MROP).(http://wireless.fcc.gov/commoperators/index.htm?job=mp)

I got mine several years ago, there is a test, the test is not expensive or difficult, and now, it has been changed so that once issued, it too is a lifetime license.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

O.K. a dumb question, if those licenses are only required for Int'l waters. who enforces and issues them ??

 

[z28jimi]

O.K. a dumb question, if those licenses are only required for Int'l waters. who enforces and issues them ??

Issued by the FCC, and I would guess (only a guess) that they'd enforce also. Not sure how they'd enforce, but for the minimal cost and effort to acquire, as Bob said earlier, if you're going to go where you ought to have such a license, getting it is a whole lot easier than dealing with enforcement of any kind by anybody if you're caught without it. Get it once, put it with your ship's papers and forget about it. If you need it, you have it. If you never need it, you're only out about $50.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

Sorry does not make sense, if you have licensing issued by your home Country and in a foreign Country, then , from what I understand ( to be corrected) you are bound by your own Country's regs except of course for pollution and criminal acts. International waters are International and have no requirements to conform to "International Government" YET !!!!

 

[Boatsb]

Americans need to have a US issued FCC Radio licence to operate in international and other countries waters. Its paperwork. Its free. Its the law. I have no Idea what the rules are for canerdians in the US but I would think having a canerdian licence would be acceptable as thats what is asked of us in other countries.

I believe you are bound by the rules of the country you are in as it pertains to legal use.

 

[Boatsb]

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=operations&id=ship_stations

 

[Canuck Dennis]

Still looking for the International waters requirements and enforcement

 

[Boatsb]

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/ra/publication/ra_info/ra364.htm