Maritime Licenses

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MW0SWA
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Maritime Licenses

Post by MW0SWA »

Ok I now have my full amateur license under my belt.

I now want to work towards something else. I live by the coast, busy maritime port. I would now like to venture into getting licensed in the marine sector. Why? You may ask? Well for one I am keen to get qualified to use the radio on the boat that I am going to be diving from in the summer on my diving course. Secondly any more radio qualifications can only enhance my CV.

I have heard of

GMDSS, CAA, SRC,

I have even logged onto Ofcom website and they have option for a 'Ship Radio License' and a 'Ship Portable Radio License'

Also I have found this one day course local to me http://www.swanseawatersports.com/index ... f-training

Can someone please break all this down for me, I don't mean to sound lazy I have been going out of my head with the googling and not making sense out of anything.

Thanks for any of your input guys
I am a bit crazy about the Realistic DX-394
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by mr_h4ck3rm4n »

The three courses you mention are aimed at commercial shipping ect, I've got the gmdss and the caa airband from working offshore, these are not much use outside work .. The gmdss covers the gmdss types and requirements and and the caa is the certificate of competence for airband radio, it was a requirement offshore to have anyone working with the helicopter landing to have the caa, , if it's for pleasure a simple vhf course is enough... Sadly ships radio officers positions are being lost as it's now the electricians job to maintain the radio kit .. The ships radio license and portable licences on the ofcom page assign a mmsi number and call sign for a ship and kit associated with it, anyone using the radio must be certified..,

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spynappels
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by spynappels »

Have a look online for the RYA SRC (Short Range Certificate) course which is the general marine VHF qualification.

Marine VHF is now also using DSC (Digital Selective Calling) which is where the MMSI that Mr_Hackerman referred to, this is normally tied to the radio of a vessel and programmed into it, so that when an automatic distress call is made, the vessel's identifier (MMSI) is transmitted automatically, along with GPS co-ordinates if the radio is interfaced to a GPS unit. The MMSI is not normally used on H/H VHF radios for obvious reasons.

Ofcom will only issue a Marine VHF SRC license if the course has been successfully completed.

For Marine HF etc, you still need a ship's license from Ofcom, but it appears that one license will cover all radio equipment on a vessel, as long as it is declared when the license is applied for. Subsequent addition of new equipment will require a variation to your license. Apologies for the previously incorrect info and the kind manner in which it was highlighted.

Hope this helps.

Stefan
Last edited by spynappels on 25 Mar 2015, 11:41, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by G0EHU »

spynappels wrote:
For Marine HF etc, you're already licensed through your full Amateur License.

Hope this helps.

Stefan
You do talk some twaddle!
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by GW0DIV »

Ive got the ship's portable licence, giving me a T number, but I need another certificate before I can actually operate.
http://www.facebook.com/southwalesradio

http://www.radioclubs.net/rars/

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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by GW0DIV »

.Ship Radio licence .The Ship Radio licence allows the licensee to install and if the relevant Maritime Radio Operators’ Certificate of Competence and Authority to Operate is held, use any combination of maritime radio equipment listed below on a specified vessel.–Digital Selective Calling (DSC) equipment associated with the Global Maritime Distress & Safety System (GMDSS); –MF, HF, VHF equipment;–Satellite communications equipment (Ship Earth Stations);–RADAR; Search and Rescue Radar Transponders (SARTs);–Low powered, on board maritime UHF communications equipment;–UHF On board repeater stations;–./. MHz Aeronautical Search and Rescue equipment;–./ MHz and /. MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), and . GHz EPIRBs (these are becoming obsolete).
http://www.facebook.com/southwalesradio

http://www.radioclubs.net/rars/

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MW0SWA
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by MW0SWA »

Ok thanks guys, very informative.

So the link I posted above is my closest training centre for the SRC course.

So if im reading your comments correct, I can sit that SRC course and that is me licensed for life as an individual.

The diving club I belong to will have to have a separate license for their radio equipment, and my SRC certificate enables me to operate their stuff?

If that's all correct then I will be booking myself on that course. A great way to start in marine radio I suppose. : 8)
I am a bit crazy about the Realistic DX-394
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MW0SWA
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by MW0SWA »

A chap in the local amateur radio club last night said that if you pass your advanced amateur exam this also entitles you to automatically qualify for a maritime license via ofcom.

Surely this cannot be true? Can it?
I am a bit crazy about the Realistic DX-394
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by spynappels »

I believe that the full Amateur Radio License is viewed as the relevant Certificate of Competence and Authority to Operate on the HF bands, but I'll wait for someone to tell me I'm talking twaddle again.
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by MW0SWA »

spynappels wrote:I believe that the full Amateur Radio License is viewed as the relevant Certificate of Competence and Authority to Operate on the HF bands, but I'll wait for someone to tell me I'm talking twaddle again.
Sorry pal i missed what you posted before.
I think you could be on to something here, ive sent an email to ofcom to find out what exactly.
I am a bit crazy about the Realistic DX-394
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by mattltm »

Would be interesting to know what reply you got from Ofcom...
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MW0SWA
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by MW0SWA »

This is the reply I got from Ofcom......




"Thank you for your email, the details of which have been noted.

Amateur Radio qualifications are entirely different to the qualification you would obtain for marine VHF equipment.
If you are looking to use maritime radios, either fixed or portable then you will need to sit the exam with the Royal Yachting Association in order to get your Short Range Certificate.
You can contact them directly to arrange this.
Once you have this certificate you are covered to operate VHF equipment out at sea, which means the next stage is to licence the VHF equipment to be out at sea.
Therefore if this radio equipment was fixed to a vessel then you would apply for a new Ship Radio Licence with Ofcom.
If it was for a handheld VHF Portable radio then you would need to apply for a Ship Portable Radio Licence.

We have attached the terms and conditions for the Ship Radio Licences.

We trust this helps."
I am a bit crazy about the Realistic DX-394
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by mattltm »

I thought they would say as much.

The VHF SRC and the GMDSS LRC are different beasts compared to a HAM licence.

For the OP, go ahead and get your VHF SRC (Short Range Certificate). It's an easy one day course and you hold the licence for life. You do not need a "T" number unless you have a fixed type GMDSS radio that is installed permanently on a boat.
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by spynappels »

They didn't address Marine HF though, and what they consider to be a Certificate of Competence for that.

The RYA SRC is extremely simple if you've already got your full Amateur license.
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Re: Maritime Licenses

Post by kr0ne »

Are you maybe getting confused with when the amateur licence was a C&G qualification? I'm sure it used to count for something in the marine radio world back then and was usually taught by the same college...
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