Marine Radio Licences?

A section for Marine radios, VHF and UHF radios, for all types of discussions dealing with these types.
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TrumpyNZ
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Marine Radio Licences?

Post by TrumpyNZ »

Can anyone tell me what sort of qualifications are needed to operate a VHF Marine Radio set these days, in New Zealand?.
I see one well-known retailer, selling these sets, advertising "No Licence Required".
Hmm. :x
Sounds dodgy to me.
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Post by The Defpom »

You MUST HAVE a licence to operate a marine radio, as a matter of fact I sat mine a couple of weeks ago ! (I passed by the way, with a 100% mark).

The main focus is on safety and how to use the radio in an emergency, it also covers the usage of the channels, what they are designated for that kind of thing.

I sat my licence in Hamilton, but I expect it is done all over the country at main centres.
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TrumpyNZ
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Post by TrumpyNZ »

Hi Scott,
I'm rather curious as to what the Marine Radio Licence exam covers.
I'd like to have a go at the exam myself, as I live by the coast down here in Ashburton and would like to keep an eye on things out at sea from here.
And as I spend a fair bit of time sitting here operating Ham Radio gear, another radio isn't going to look out of place. :)
Do you have any links, where I can find out more about sitting this exam and what the syllabus for the exam covers?.

Cheers,
Mike. 8)
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The Defpom
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Post by The Defpom »

There are tow licences, the marine radio one which I did is a licence for use on a boat ONLY, aparantly to use a marine radio from the shore you need to get a coastal licance.

i did the marine radio course as a last minute thing, my parents (who have a couple of small boats) were doing it and asked if I wanted to go with them, the licence was not too bad, you learn the stuff while you are there, then you sit the exam at the end of it, it was not that hard (not to me anyway), as a ham radio operator you should have no trouble picking it up, it mostly focuses on safety procedures use the mayday and pan pan calling procedures, what the channels are allocated for, that sort of thing.

I dont have any info about it really, my suggestion is the do asearch on google (site:nz) and look for Marine Radio Licence, I expect that you will get results from the coastguard, who run the courses.
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Marine Radio Licence

Post by Old Pirate »

Trumpy,
When I did my Marine radio licence about 25 years ago the licence did not distinguish between marine vhf or marine hf, you just sat the one operators licence and that covered both. That was in the good old days of the NZ Post Office, now as has already been pointed out the examinations are conducted by the CoastGuard on behalf of the NZ Radio Frequency Service who come under the Ministry of Economic Developement.
As far as I am aware NZ Radio Frequency Service Radio Inspectors still check new installations and are responcible for the station licencing and issuing of the vessels call sign.

Murray
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Post by Studio1 »

Things may have changed but the last time I looked into it, if you wanted a marine VHF operator's licence, you had to have a boat - ie they issued a licence in respect of a vessel and the callsign was registered to that vessel as opposed to licencing the operator themselves.

Scott, you have just done the course, is this still the case?

While you were there, did you find out what the situation is with getting a coastal operator's licence?
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Post by The Defpom »

The callsign is based on the vessel, but the radio operator should be licenced, it is linked to the vessel, if I remember rightly as long as the operator is licenced they can operate the radio on any vessel using a radio covered by the licence 9i this case VHF).

I find that I am starting to forget some of the things I did on the course, as that was the first and last time I used it.... use it or you lose it is certainly true.

I may have to sit down with the books again to refresh my memory !
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Restricted Marine Oprerators Licence

Post by Old Pirate »

I work for a private coast radio station and I don't think owning a boat is actually a requirement these days to sitting the licence. I know we had a number of people at work sit the licence who do not own a boat and I know the same is true for a number of the Coastguard operators.
I think that once the NZPO was no longer involved in issuing licences or administrating the service the rules became a lot more relaxed.
Until 5 years ago we were operating 5 VHF channels and an 800 watt Danish "Sailor " transmitter as well as numerous UHF channels but with the expansion of cellphone services, faxs, emails and satelite phones HF was discontinued.
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Post by Studio1 »

It's a shame they stopped using HF.

When all the other tonka-toy modes of communication (cellphones, faxes etc) stop working, HF can still be relied upon to keep in touch almost anywhere.
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