Vhf - Use?

[sailingdog]

Actually, the minimum required license is none at all. If you are a recreational vessel and are not required to carry a VHF, you don't need a Ship's Station License or Restricted Radio Operator's License UNLESS you communicate with foreign flagged vessels or foreign ports. Up near Canada, down near Mexico, and near the Caribbean, this is an important distinction, but in the Chesapeake, it probably isn't so important.

BTW, if you're in the Chesapeake and accidentally communicate with a foreign flagged vessel, I seriously doubt the FCC will have a cow or do much about it.

Originally Posted by Boasun

The minium license for operating a VHF is the 'Limited Radio Operator's Permit.' You should have at lease one person on board, Preferredly the Captain who has it. Then a ship's radio station license for the vessel. These are easy to come by. Just talk to FCC (Federal Communications Comission).
I know that for commercial vessel it is a $10,000 fine if you don't have the station license. I don't think that they are so draconian for private yachts.

And remember that we do not use citizen band lingo or codes (police or otherwise) on the VHF. If you are in doubt of the proper protocol then use the Pub 'International Code of Signals' pub 102 to find out what are the correct protocols.

[Boasun]

I really don't worry about it, because I hold a GMDSS Operator's license.
Have had it for several years now. Does that make me or what?

Please don't answer that. It was a rhectorical question or something like that...

[Whampoa]

Morning lads,

Having reread this thread again I noted a difference in Cam's post #30 and Chris_Gee's post #38 with respect to the requirement to monitor one or more of the channels/frequencies depending on the type of equipment onboard and other status eg. compulsory or voluntary vessel, whether the radios was on, etc.....

I believe the wording that Cam included last year is from an earlier version of the regs and that Chris_Gee's were from a subsequent update in 2003. That got me wondering if there were any newer updates so I went looking.

Below, I have included a link to the current electronic copy of the CFR 47 - Telecommunications regs and the latest text for two sections that were referenced in posts #30 and 38. The time stamps show the last updates were Jan. 25th of 2008.

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=9dc17fe3ab85b5f297550b5dc0852195&rgn=div5&view=text&node=47:5.0.1.1.1&idno=47#PartTop

§ 80.148 Watch on 156.8 MHz (Channel 16).

Each compulsory vessel, while underway, must maintain a watch for radiotelephone distress calls on 156.800 MHz whenever such station is not being used for exchanging communications. For GMDSS ships, 156.525 MHz is the calling frequency for distress, safety, and general communications using digital selective calling and the watch on 156.800 MHz is provided so that ships not fitted with DSC will be able to call GMDSS ships, thus providing a link between GMDSS and non-GMDSS compliant ships. The watch on 156.800 MHz is not required:
(a) Where a ship station is operating only with handheld bridge-to-bridge VHF radio equipment under §80.143(c) of this part;
(b) For vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and participating in a Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) system when the watch is maintained on both the bridge-to-bridge frequency and a separately assigned VTS frequency; or
[51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at 58 FR 16504, Mar. 29, 1993; 68 FR 46962, Aug. 7, 2003; 73 FR 4480, Jan. 25, 2008]


§ 80.310 Watch required by voluntary vessels.

Voluntary vessels not equipped with DSC must maintain a watch on 2182 kHz and on 156.800 MHz (Channel 16) whenever the vessel is underway and the radio is not being used to communicate. Noncommercial vessels, such as recreational boats, may alternatively maintain a watch on 156.450 MHz (Channel 9) in lieu of VHF Channel 16 for call and reply purposes. Voluntary vessels equipped with VHF-DSC equipment must maintain a watch on 2182 kHz and on either 156.525 MHz (Channel 70) or VHF Channel 16 aurally whenever the vessel is underway and the radio is not being used to communicate. Voluntary vessels equipped with MF-HF DSC equipment must have the radio turned on and set to an appropriate DSC distress calling channel or one of the radiotelephone distress channels whenever the vessel is underway and the radio is not being used to communicate. Voluntary vessels equipped with Inmarsat A, B, C, M or Fleet F77 systems must have the unit turned on and set to receive calls whenever the vessel is underway and the radio is not being used to communicate.
[73 FR 4485, Jan. 25, 2008]

And here's the link to the FCC site for a bit of info on license matters:

FCC: Wireless Services: Ship Radio Stations: Licensing


Enjoy,

John

[captmikem]

I find it one of the few things on board I could really do without most of the time. When one is near the coast of the USA, it seems all you hear on 16 are people calling the coast guard for a “ radio check” (I think they like to hear themselves talk), off the coast of Mexico all you hear is continuous chatter in Spanish, off the coast of Africa one hears things that would make even old salts blush. In the Virgins you hear an occasional “mayday” when a charter can’t start his engine or his dingy has gone adrift. In the South Pacific and Indian ocean it seems no one has theirs on, and in the Med, well you can hear anything depending on where you are.
I monitor 13 near shore and when way offshore 13 and 16. I find it handy at times to chat with other boats, and it is extremely valuable when discussing crossing situations with other ships, but other than that, it is a nuisance.

[Take Five]

Whilst working channels may be informative unless your VHF is capable of monitoring ALL channels then you are not following protocol. I also sail in the greatest cruising grounds in the world, Georgia and Jaun da Fuca Straits from Seattle to Alaska and the protocol if you have your radio operators license is to monitor Channel 16 for fifteen minutes before leaving port and to keep it on for 15 minutes after returning. As an an example of why this is necessary I'll tell you a true story. Some very good friends of ours who have circumnavigated the world in a 33 ft s/v an later in a 42 ft vessel refuse to keep their radio on except at proscribed times. Their excuse was/is that they are annoyed by the inane chatter and the mikes that are left open. Good point you say? The point is that if all mariners took that view ther vessel would have sunk within sight of land and just outside Pender harbour their home port. Luckily for them a number of power boats who were following protocol were able to come to their aid with extra pumps (theirs could not keep up with the ingress of water) and rescue them and their vessel. Yet they still, despite this lesson, sail with their radio OFF. Sure the open mikes and the umblical cord sailors make a lot of noise, especially on a fine sunny weekend, but what a small price to pay compared with saving another mariner. Channel sixteen is the only channel you can be sure will respond to your Mayday or advise you of one. Unless you have the equipment and personnel to monitor multiple channels, then follow protocol and tune in to Channel 16, for calling or distress, and switch to a working channel to chatter. Last note. DO NOT lay your mike on a console or chart table, hang it securely where it can't accidentally open the mike when not on use. Too much of that this summer.

[Confluence277]

I also keep my VHF/DSC radio on all the time with a back up hand held. Monitor 16 & 13 for commercial traffic and set up for NOAA weather alerts to honk loudly. Make sure you set up your MMSI info. A radio is another tool to be used and understood properly for your safety.

[frigidnorth]

I monior 16 at all times. And after a back event...even at night. We set out for a late fall weekend in Alaska along with another boat. In thevening we rafted up and had dinner on our boat. During that time I had shut the radio off to have a quiet evening with a little music. Afterwards we separated and retired for the night. A few hours later the winds picked up and were very strong. We were in a cove with high terrain on three sides. This generated williwaws that became quite ferocious swinging us in circles. All night long I kept getting up and taking bearings on where we were in relation to other anchor lights. We were holding well. Eventually I fell asleep but an hour later when there was a hint of light all I say was granite out the portlight. I jumped out of the berth and headed up the companion way. At the same time I heard a blast from and air hour and once on deck I was in shock.

Our anchor had broken free and we had drifted about 300 feet, passed our friends boat and were but mere feet from striking the rocks. Fortunately the area we were in had very steep shoreline and were still in about 30 feet of water. My wife jumped on the helm and fire up the engine while I scramble up front to pull in the anchor. We motored over to our friends and rafted up uneventfully.

The air horn I heard was my buddy trying to wake us up when he say we were drifting. He tried to call several times on the radio but if you recall we had shut it off. He was preparing to drop his dinghy and row over when he saw us come up on deck.

The bottom line is that had I had the radio on I could have been contacted earlier on. So, it isn't just using it to make a call, the purpose is to be able to be contacted when need whether you are in jeopardy or as someone else mentioned, you may be the only one that hears another's call fro help

[mstiles]

If you have a VHF radio, I believe that monitoring channel 16 is the correct thing to do. We do keep emergency instructions next to the radio. The squelch adjustment helps to tune out most unwanted noise. It has been my experience, that if you call for a tow on your cell, they will ask you to switch to your VHF radio if you have one. VHF radio is the preferred means of communication on vessels. Unless you are on an inland lake where no one is monitoring, when you make a call everyone receiving has chance to hear you. A nearby vessel will be asked to standby or assist a vessel in danger. Our main set is forward, so I use a remote unit that lets me use and control it from the cockpit. While I have met experienced cruisers that don't have a VHF radio aboard, because they don't like the chit-chat some cuisers engage in on a daily basis, I think monitoring the emergency/calling channel 16 is the right thing to do. Some folks abuse it, and I have heard the USCG reminding them of it. Quite often someone can hear you, but their transmitions may fall short of returning the call. They may succeed in relaying the message and increasing the range of a distress call. The authorities seem to have bigger ears and a stronger signal, but I don't know that for sure. At times I have heard transmissions from land bases to ships at sea at distances well beyond 12 miles. They probably have very high antennas, since that is what gives you range.

I say, "we should try to do for others with VHF radios, as we would have them try to do for us with their VHF radios!" (Even with the cell phone, if it works!)

[davidpm]

So what is the official way to say a lat and long position?
I sort of remember a discussion about the difference between
41.456 and 41 45.6
I can't find the post from the coastie that explained it.