SSB Question

[IslandHopper]

AllenR

Thank you for the very informative posts, something i would have liked to do but with my typing skills would have taken me a week to do so....

Totally agree with all you have written...

Johnno...

[medicrene]

Originally Posted by Brisa

If anyone knows of an actual SSB receiver that works let me know.
Scott

This winter I installed an ICOM m700 that receives well in Olympia Washington from Kauaii and elsewhere. Lots of very clear reception. I transmit and receive well close to me but need someone 1000 or more miles away to help me test my transmitter. Is anybody in Southern California, Hawaii, or further away who could work with me? I need coordinates, a time, and a frequency to call on.

Brisa, bdbilldev@gmail.com

Brisa,

Yes, the HAM license gives you more fun stuff on the radio. That is why I got mine last year. Keep in mind that if you have an emergency, you can operate on any frequency were your radio will transmit. Just be certain to put Madyday in front of what you are saying so the Hams will talk to you. If you don't have a Ham call sign, they just ignore you. The license is easy and cheap.

Rene

[AllanR]

Hi Islanehopper,

Thanks for your comments. I expect HF communications is somewhat different away from the well developed services in Europe and North America. So if my post can help cruisers from those areas planning to embark on a cruise to the South Pacific or a circumnavigation, understand those differences, then hopefully they can be better prepared for their adventure.

Best wishes

Allan

[goboatingnow]

One thing that's missed is that under GMDSS the requirement for sea area a2 and a3 can be met by a MF set ( and EGC Inmarsat C or greater) it doesn't need a full DSC HF set.

I dread to think of the issues that will arise if US boaters took up HFDSC without compulsory training. It's a bad enough mess already. Training is required to understand DSC. ( and the functions of GMDSS)

Dave

[AllanR]

Hi Dave,

You are right MF is applicable for sea areas A2 and A3. But MF in the Marine band is a small number of 2 Meg frequencies. If you take a boat to tropical waters, 2 meg becomes very difficult to use because of atmospheric noise. For example, around SE Asia, 2 Meg is rarely used, the lowest workable marine frequencies are 4 Meg. In Australia, the 2 x frequencies assigned for yacht race management are 4483 & 6516; there is no attempt to use a 2 Meg frequency.

All the HF/SSB marine radios I've seen also include the few MF (ie 2 Meg) frequencies, including the emergency frequency, 2182. I've never actually come across an MF only transceiver. Perhaps this is an Australia/SE Asia thing. Can you buy them in the USA?

Countries already well established in DSC use, do have training programmes for recreational boat owners. Normally it is necessary to have a Restricted Radio Operator's License to get a license and callsign for your yacht. It's possibly one of those developments that is yet to hit your shores, as DSC radios become more widespread for recreational users. Probably a little pesky to do it, but a necessary evil to get the DSC benefits.

Some smart cookie will probably come up with an on-line training module and exam that will make it simpler to study at home and sit an exam without needing to attend a course and go to an FCC office.

Regards

Allan

[fairbank56]

Originally Posted by AllanR

Countries already well established in DSC use, do have training programmes for recreational boat owners. Normally it is necessary to have a Restricted Radio Operator's License to get a license and callsign for your yacht. It's possibly one of those developments that is yet to hit your shores,

A restricted radio operator license is a requirement in the U.S. in addition to the station license but there is no test for it. You just apply, pay the fee, and you have it. Lack of training for recreational boaters is a huge issue in the U.S. in my opinion. The sad thing is that most don't even seek out ways to improve their knowledge in radio communications. Most don't even know what DSC is all about and 90% of VHF user's haven't even obtained an MMSI number.

Eric

[AllanR]

Hi Eric,

Interesting about the RRO license. When I did mine I had a training course for I think 2 days, and then a rather big exam. It covered emergency procedures, general radio use, plus a lot of maintenance and technical topics, such as batteries and their charge level, wiring, power supply, antenna tuners, earths, antennas and fault finding. At the time I thought it was quite a lot to have to know just to use the radio, but in hindsight it is knowlege that has helped me keep the radio - and other electronics -running.

Allan

[Hydra]

Allan,
In France (where DSC is well established for VHF), it is not necessary to have a Restricted Radio Operator's License to get a licence and callsign for a yacht.

To get the "ship station licence", the associated callsign and the MMSI, I just had to provide a copy of ID, proof of residence, proof of yacht ownership and particulars of the radio station.

Alain

[Goudurix]

Alain,

I am astonished that in France - where you have very strict regulations to get a boating permit (inshore/coastal and offshore) - it is on the other hand possible to get a marine VHF license just like that.
In Belgium we do have an exam to pass (mainly regulations and how to structure VHF communication), which I think is a good thing.
And even in spite of that we often here idiots on marine VHF, blocking CH16, using it as their mobile phone, etc.
On the other hand...in Belgium it is still possible to buy a yacht and sail it coastal/offshore with a boating permit that is only based on a rather simple theoretical test.....

Jan

[goboatingnow]

You are mixing up ships station licenses and operator licenses. Manu European countries will give their citizens a ships radio license without needing an operators license.

But that doesn't give you authority to operate for that you neec the harmonised CEPT standardised SRC ( or ROC or equivalent ) or LRC ( or GOC ) licenses. ( lrc/GOC for vhf and mf/hf ) These all require an exam. It covers GMDSS organisation, DSC, VHF , epirus, sarts and other areas. It's a good course. I beleive all European countries have now implemented that requirement.

(GOC covers all radio types and GMDSS. Compliant sat comms and Telex over Radio ( TOR) )
Dave

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

.....
But that doesn't give you authority to operate for that you neec the harmonised CEPT standardised SRC ( or ROC or equivalent ) or LRC ( or GOC ) licenses. ( lrc/GOC for vhf and mf/hf ) These all require an exam. It covers GMDSS organisation, DSC, VHF , epirus, sarts and other areas. It's a good course. I beleive all European countries have now implemented that requirement.

(GOC covers all radio types and GMDSS. Compliant sat comms and Telex over Radio ( TOR) )
Dave

Goodness me Dave, it sounds like the EU has OMG, WTF, maybe I will avoid these TLA's and FLA's and stick to TTC.

OK, I know that most of CF'ers don't know WTF a TTC is so rather than waiting for someone to ask, I will explain - Two Tin Cans.

[goboatingnow]

Most countries have these license categories or very similar as they all come from the commercial shipping arena.


all certs now include GMDSS overview, and EPIRP, SART and navtex operation.
SRC (Short Range , VHF, often called Restricted operator cert)
ROC (CEPT standard Restricted Operator Cert, - VHF sea Area a1)
LRC (Long Range Cert, MF/MF, endorsed with or with sat comms)
GOC (The full monty, VHF,MF/HF, Sat coms, TOR etc).

GOC can take a week to do.

This side of the pond no real distinction is shown for leisure sailors, our certs are as good on a ship as a yacht.

Simples, as the meerkats say.

Dave

[Wotname]

Is EPIRN a typo or something new that I haven't yet heard of?

[goboatingnow]

sorry a typo , now fixed