| Author | Message | ||
     Ted Lavino Senior Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 282 Registered: 01-2004 |
Greetings folks, for the heck of it I called the AT&T High Seas Service at 800-SEA-CALL (800-732-2255) and received a recording that this service has been terminated. I also contacted MariTel who provided similar services, and they also shut down their operator assisted marine telephone services in 2003. | ||
| Ted Lavino Senior Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 199 Registered: 01-2004 |
Greetings All, I stumbled onto this older thread and thought a clarification might be in order. Authoritative information regarding the Marine Mobile service (VHF and SSB) is available from the FCC at http://wireless.fcc.gov/marine/ . Briefly, if you do not communicate with someone residing in a foreign country or enter a foreign country's territorial waters, you only need to follow the FCC's rules, which do not require a Station License for the radio nor a Restricted Radio Operator's permit for the person transmitting. However, if either of the two situations above are true you come under the jurisdiction of the the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), whose rules require both a Station License covering each transmitter on board (VHF, SSB, EPRIB, Radar, etc.) and a Restricted Radio Operator's permit held by the operator in charge of the radio, both of which are available from the FCC for a fee. No tests are required, and the RROP is good for life. So if you're heading down to Ensenada for example, the rules say you need a station license for your VHF and a RROP to be legal, but they're not required until you enter Mexican waters or speak to someone in Mexico. Theoretically the Mexican customs authorities have the authority to confiscate all radios that don't have a Station License, so a heads up to all that venture down that way or to other ports of call outside the US. BTW FCC's rules appy to all US flagged boats when on the high seas. The ITU's rules don't come into play until you enter a foreign country or speak to someone in a foreign country. For those who are chartering in the Carribean for example, you should have a RROP to allow you to use either your handheld VHF or the ship's VHF. Note: your handheld becomes licensed under the ship's Station License in case you are asked about it from Customs. You also might want to make sure the ship does have a Station License, particularly if the ship is flagged from a different country than you are chartering in, or are travelling between countries during your charter. I've actually never had an issue with licensing, but it pays to cross the t's and dot the i's, particularly in a foreign country. I would urge all sailors to become familiar with rules surrounding the Marine Mobile service to make one a better citizen of the airwaves. If you plan to cruise, I would also suggest obtaining a General level Amateur (ham) license as well. The General license gives you access to all the various cruiser's radio nets around the world. Even if you don't participate, they are a great way to pick up local knowledge. A great way to get your ham license is with Gordon West's Radio School (http://www.gordonwestradioschool.com/). He gives weekend classes, so that with a little studying up front, his weekend seminar, 2 30 question multiple choice tests (included) you will walk away with your General class license. The FCC is in the process of dropping the 5wpm morse code requirement, making it even easier! If anyone is interested, I have Gordon's study guides for Technician and General levels to loan. | ||
| hughston (hughston) |
Got clarification on another marine operator issue just now. I was worried that since Trinity apparently does not have a VHF Station License, that I wouldn't be able to place a call. A few years ago I attempted to make a call from Freya II, and when the MO asked for the call sign I said I didn't have it, and didn't know if the boat had a station license. She said she had to have to the call sign and so I went looking for the manual. I found it and only then would the MO complete the call. So I called the marine operator again this morning to ask about it, got a supervisor, and she said that if there was no call sign, the skippers name and vessel name could be used instead. I just hope all the other marine operators know this. | ||
| hughston (hughston) |
Mark and Dick, Thanks. I forgot there was an '0' Operator. I just now did as you suggested Mark, and I asked to be connected to the San Pedro marine operator. The MO came on and I asked how things worked, and happily they work just as you describe. The MO said that upon getting a request to contact a vessel she would hail the vessel, and if there was no response, she would keep a record of the person attempting to reach the vessel and his/her phone number. So, she said, the vessel could hail the MO and ask if there was any traffic, and if there was, the MO would connect the vessel to the person at the number that was left. So, thanks for that!! Marc | ||
| dickb (dickb) |
Marc, The following is a list of California's Coast Guard radio stations. It may or may not be helpful...? My preference tends toward smoke signals and carrier pigeons, but either way, good luck. Mark, say hi to Aunt Matilda for me.  Pacific Area/Eleventh Coast Guard District Group San Diego 2710 Harbor Drive, North San Diego CA 92101-1079 Tel: (619) 683-6470 VHF Radio Coverage Chart MSO/Group Los Angeles - Long Beach 1001 S. Seaside Ave. Bldg 20 San Pedro, CA 90731-0208 Tel: (310) 732-2000 VHF Radio Coverage Chart Group Humboldt Bay McKinleyville CA 95521-5000 Tel: (707) 839-6117 VHF Radio Coverage Chart Group San Francisco Yerba Buena Island San Francisco CA 94130-5013 Tel: (415) 399-33520 | ||
| unclemark (unclemark) |
I haven't used the Marine Operator in a long time. The way it used to work, Aunt Matilda would call the O Operator and ask to be connected to the Marine Operator. Then she would give the vessel name and skipper name and her phone number. Then at certain times during the day the MO would read off the list of vessels she was "holding traffic" for and what channel to make contact. So when you hear your vessel and skipper you call in and get connected. Also you could call in to a particular MO on a daily basis and ask if she was "holding traffic" for you. That way you wouldn't have to monitor the radio so closely. Try calling the O Operator and see if you can get a MO. 411 may not be familiar with the system. BTW, I used to get a peculiar visual in my mind's eye of an operator "holding traffic". :-) | ||
| hughston (hughston) |
While I have used the marine operator on many occasions to call home from the anchorage at Santa Barbara Island and elsewhere, my question is about how a person on shore might use the marine operator to contact a vessel. In my case, we have two parents who will be on board for a week in the Channel Islands, with the kids being cared for back home. The parents want to know, could an emergency back home be communicated to the boat via the marine operator? Or maybe a better question is, without a cell phone (assuming no reception), what are the options for shore-to-ship communications? While it is plain that a vessel can hail another vessel by contacting the marine operator on VHF, can you call the marine operator on a land line and aks her to hail a vesssel? Has anyone done this? If so, what number did you call? So far, I can find no listing for the San Pedro Marine Operator with 411, and I can find no information on the web pertinent to my question. I suppose I could get on a boat, hail the marine operator on VHF and ask this question, but before I charter a boat so I can do that, can anyone monitoring this discussion help? Many thanks, Marc Hughston |
