SSB license

[pdenton]

When I get my station license for my just bought ICOM m710, do I need a separate ham license to transmit on Ham bands?
Do I need a separate document to transmit in the Bahamas?

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by pdenton

When I get my station license for my just bought ICOM m710, do I need a separate ham license to transmit on Ham bands?

Yes. Goto the FCC website.

[bvander]

Station license is for the vessel and covers your SSB and related HF frequencies. HAM bands can be listened too, but to transmit you need a HAM License, which is for you personally and lasts for life. Easy to get with a bit of study, lots of online guides to help.
If using transmitting on amateur bands in the Bahamas should get a reciprocal license,
Publications Document Library - URCA

[ka4wja]

pdenton,
How about the straight facts??

Originally Posted by pdenton

When I get my station license for my just bought ICOM m710, do I need a separate ham license to transmit on Ham bands?
Do I need a separate document to transmit in the Bahamas?

1) Assuming you are talking about a maritime ship's station license, for US-flagged vessels??? For use on the marine bands??

a) You will obtain a Maritime Ship's Station License from the FCC, which will have your vessel's callsign, MMSI#, etc...
This costs about $240 USD, and is good for 10 years...no tests to take, just fill-out the forms and pay the money..

b) You will also need a Radio Operators License to use this radio on the marine radio frequencies...
The basic license is the Restricted Radio Operators License, and this costs about $35, and is good for life...no tests to take, just fill-out the forms and pay the money..

c) Anyone selling you a marine HF radio should have provided you with the above info....and anyone in the bus, would be able to fill-out the forms and submit them for you, but usually charge you some small fee to do this!




2) For US Citizens, for use on the ham bands (the Amateur Radio Service), you will need to take a series of tests / exams, and after proving proficient enough to pass these, you will get an Amateur Radio License (which is both your operator's license and station license), which is good for use on land or at sea...
The cost is typically about $10, and is good for 10 years...

If you desire to operate inside the territorial waters of other countries, you will need to obtain an Amateur Extra Class license (the highest of the 3 grades of license), as this is the only one recognized by most other countries....
Most of these other countries will grant you a license without testing, assuming you have a US Amateur Extra Class license...
Some countries (mostly N. America and EU) allow seamless, reciprocal, operating privileges under a CEPT agreement....but most countries require significant paperwork / mailings, etc...(and many have high fees, too!)

The Bahamas is one that DOES require significant paperwork and fees...but, as long as you have an Amateur Extra Class license, their license grant is pro-forma....

For amateur radio licensing, exam info, etc....please have a look at www.arrl.org



I hope this helps...

Fair winds..

John

[SaltyMonkey]

The HAM xtra - I aced the test and u can to. Not really necessary except for some obscure bands and contesting. The question really is why you would need it? You might be able to use it for FREE email of a non commercial nature but why bother? SSB is a nice have and you can use it for STS, emails etc.

[FL Dan]

Regarding the comments about Extra Class ticket necessary for foreign countries reciprocal license.. Is this accurate? Is this some new development? My foreign country ham experience is limited to the Bahamas, and is almost a decade ago, but with General Class license the Bahamas reciprocal license was no problem at all.


Dan
St. Pete

[ka4wja]

Dan,
The Bahamas is a outlier....and while I haven't looked recently, they just might grant recip licenses with just a General Class US license...

But, facts are that almost all other countries will require an Extra Class license to grant reciprocal licenses!

So, Dan, the answer is:
Yes, an Extra Class License is a requirement for almost all international sailing US-Citizen hams!

Fair winds...

John

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by pdenton

When I get my station license for my just bought ICOM m710, do I need a separate ham license to transmit on Ham bands?
Do I need a separate document to transmit in the Bahamas?

You may want to check your radio to be sure it is opened on the ham bands before you bother with the license. I got my license only to find that my M710 was unable to transmit on ham frequencies. I was finally able to open up those frequencies on the radio, but this is something of a black art and it took months of research and help from others to accomplish.

[CSY Man]

Never had a Ham ticket, but used my SSB in the Bahamas legally.
Have a Marine Radio Operators permit, or some such thing.
Took an FCC written test. No big deal.

[ka4wja]

CSY Man, et al,
Yes, for "marine radio" / transmitting on the marine radio frequencies, channels, bands....obviously no "ham radio" license is required....
And, all UN/ITU signatory nations recognize your nation's maritime station license and your nation's marine radio operators license, as legit...

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Never had a Ham ticket, but used my SSB in the Bahamas legally.
Have a Marine Radio Operators permit, or some such thing.
Took an FCC written test. No big deal.

And, you are certainly able to use the marine frequencies, channels, bands for domestic and/or international maritime comms, while in int'l waters and the territorial waters of any of these nations....(although some used to have restrictions on use of long-range radios when "in port", to financially protect their own communications systems/networks...I haven't heard of this in a while)

But, the Amateur Radio Service ("ham radio") is a completely different service, with completely different purpose, and completely different rules....and many of these rules vary from country to country...
And, this is what pdenton, the original poster, was asking about...


Fair winds..

John

[SaltyMonkey]

NOTE You can buy the SSB with the HAM freq open. Just look online for a dealer.

[TooCoys]

Originally Posted by bvander

... but to transmit you need a HAM License, which is for you personally and lasts for life.

Only lasts for 10 years before the need for renewal.

[CSY Man]

Originally Posted by ka4wja

CSY Man, et al,
Yes, for "marine radio" / transmitting on the marine radio frequencies, channels, bands....obviously no "ham radio" license is required....
And, all UN/ITU signatory nations recognize your nation's maritime station license and your nation's marine radio operators license, as legit...
And, you are certainly able to use the marine frequencies, channels, bands for domestic and/or international maritime comms, while in int'l waters and the territorial waters of any of these nations....(although some used to have restrictions on use of long-range radios when "in port", to financially protect their own communications systems/networks...I haven't heard of this in a while)

But, the Amateur Radio Service ("ham radio") is a completely different service, with completely different purpose, and completely different rules....and many of these rules vary from country to country...
And, this is what pdenton, the original poster, was asking about...


Fair winds..

John

Right on, he asked about ham, I read wrong, using an HF radio without a ham ticket. Or some such thing.
My bad will pay attention in the future