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HAM/SSB Cert

3K views 20 replies 9 participants last post by  brokesailor 
#1 ·
I am looking for instruction leading to cert in Maryland/Va area. I tried contacting the Baltimore Amateur Radio Club, The Local Power Squadron and Anapolis School of Seamanship but no one answered emails. Does anyone out there know where to go?
 
#2 ·
For the SSB, all you need to do is fill out the application for a Restricted Radio Operators License and send it to the FCC. No test or training required (unfortunately). Your boat needs a Radio Station License. Both can be done online, but its ridiculously and unnecessarily complicated.
 
#5 ·
Brokesailor -

The Offshore Store link above is a good one.

If you are interested in a ham license in particular the ARRL web site has a page Find an Amateur Radio License Class in Your Area that will identify the nearest available class. I know the Anne Arundel Radio Club has classes in Davidsonville ( http://www.w3vpr.org ) but there may well be something closer to you in Solomons.

If you don't find what you are looking for -- ham or marine -- send me a note and I'll help you.

73 es sail fast, dave KO4MI
 
#6 ·
HamTestOnline

Brokesailor,

I could not find a class in NVA/MD, got a couple of books but they were dense. I dont want to design or fix a radios, I just want to be able to use the ham/SSB frequencies.

I finally used HamTestONline and after a couple of weeks I was able to take the General exam and was successful. The reason this method worked for me is that the questions come from a pool of 600 and repetition is the key to get the right answer on the test. YMMV
 
#10 ·
You have to take 2 tests to be able to use SSB frequencies. FCC Licesensing

First you have to take the Technician test to ge the Technician License and a second test to get a General License. When I took my General test I did take the Extra test but failed becuase I did not study for it, so there is a possibility that you can take both test the same day depending on the testing Volunteer Examiners. You also have to create an account w/FCC Universal License System (ULS). This will help you manage your license profile.
 
#11 ·
There are 2 types of licences when using an SSB radio. First you need to have an operator license (tech, general, extra) you need at least general to use the SSB frequencies. If you are going to another country as Minnewaska said you may need a station license (FCC will assign a station call sign, different from your own call sign) IIRC the station license also cover any other RF gadgets like your EPIRB, Radar & VHF.
 
#16 · (Edited)
If you are going to another country as Minnewaska said you may need a station license (FCC will assign a station call sign, different from your own call sign)
If you have a marine HF transceiver installed on a vessel, you are required to have a marine station license, regardless of any intention to visit or communicate with another country.

SSB does not refer to any particular range of frequencies. It is simply a mode of operation, and stands for Single SideBand. When you operate using voice on either the marine bands or ham bands, you are operating SSB. You can operate USB (Upper SideBand) or LSB (Lower SideBand). Marine HF frequencies are USB only. On the ham bands, we operate USB on 20 meters and above and LSB on 40 meters and below. The "channelized" 60 meter freq's are USB only.

Also, it is legal to operate a marine HF transceiver on the ham bands if you have the ham license but illegal to operate a ham HF transceiver on marine bands.

Eric
 
#12 ·
Since the OP combined Ham and SSB, I think there is confusion. SSB operates on marine frequencies and Ham is slang for amateur frequencies. They are separate and distinct. There is no test required to get a restricted radio operator license for the SSB frequencies, which are all that a standard marine SSB radio accesses.
 
#17 ·
On a related subject, I can not tell if the SSB on my boat is working. The boat was transported by land to maryland. I reconnected the tuner cable to the antenna, the connection to the tuner seems intact, I turn on the SSB and go thru a bunch of different frequencies (at the Marina) but all I hear is static. Is there a frequency I can diial in on the East Coast that i can use to see if I hear anything?
 
#18 · (Edited)
Try the WWV time stations on 5, 10, 15 and 20 megahertz. Also CHU Canada time stations on 3330, 7850, and 14670 kilohertz. The Maritime Mobile Service Net is very active during the day on the ham freq of 14.300 megahertz. You can also listen to the standard AM broadcast stations.

RF wise, marina's tend to be very noisy with all the battery chargers, inverters, refers and various other electrical devices running.

Which transceiver and tuner do you have?

Eric
 
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