Boating Skills And Seamanship 1 Copyright 2007 - Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc. Your Boat’s Radio Chapter 13.

1 Copyright 2007 - Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc.

Boating Skills And Seamanship

Your Boat’s RadioChapter

13



Lesson Objectives

• Types of Radios• Functions and use of radios• Necessity of station license• Radio operator’s license• Buying a radio• Radio limits• Antenna selection• Radio check• Distress calls



Communications on the Water

• Coastal and inland

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of VHF radios, Citizen Band radios and cellular telephones?




• VHF• Used & Monitored By U.S. Coast Guard• New GMDSS models registered so automated

distress call can identify your boat & location• FM - Static Free• Line Of Sight - 10-30 Miles• 25 Watts Maximum Power• Relatively Inexpensive




• Citizen Band (CB) Radio• Not Monitored By U.S. Coast Guard • Sheriff or marinas may monitor at inland waters• Low power - 5 watts, Limited Range• Overcrowded • AM - Susceptible To Static• Channel 9 - Unofficial Emergency Frequency• Inexpensive




• Cell phones• Not Monitored By Others

• Help most likely from another boater nearby• Cannot Be Located By RDF • Some areas no signal




• Offshore• Single-sideband radios• Amateur radios• Emergency Position-Indicating

Radio Beacons

Reprinted with permission from Rough Weather Seamanship for Sail and Power by Roger Marshall



Single-Sideband

• Range• Day - 100 miles• Night - 1000 miles

• A Must For Ocean Operation• Weather information• Monitored by some U.S. Coast Guard• More Costly Than VHF-FM• Must also have VHF-FM Radio• Ship station license



Amateur Radio

• Amateur Radio Operators (HAM)• License required• Not monitored by Coast Guard• Other party may not be familiar with boating

issues



Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons

• 406 MHz registered so identifies vessel

• License required on 65’ recreational boats

• Expensive

• May be rented (vacation)

• Transmit only; no communications



Function of Radio Telephones

• Who recalls the functions of the VHF and SSB marine radios?



Function of Radio Telephones

• Safety• Distress, Urgency & Safety Messages

• Operations• Call Lock Master, Bridge Tender, Marinas, Boats,

Radio Checks

• Commerce• Messages Between Commercial Vessels And

Stations

• Public Correspondence



Licenses

• Station license• SSB Radio Is Installed

• Must Also Have VHF-FM Radio Installed• Boat Is Over 65 feet In Length• Visit Foreign Ports• Make International Calls

• Operator permit• May need if docking in foreign port



Selecting Your VHF-FM Radio

• What are the advantages of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System available in fix-mounted VHF radios manufactured since 1999?



GMDSS

• Uses channel 70 for distress calls

• MMSI provides vital boat info.• MMSI registration free at BoatUS

• Can provide position info when interfaced with GPS

• Operator can handle emergency while distress info is being sent




• Sensitivity

• Selectivity

• Audio output

• Signal strength

• Signal suppression




• Line of sight transmission

• Available channels

• Channel selector



Installation

• What are some important considerations when installing a VHF radio and antenna?



Operating Your VHF-FM Radio

• What are the important caveats to remember when using a marine radio?



Using a marine radio

• No false distress messages

• No obscenity

• Observe confidentiality

• Do not use when boat is on land

• Shift from calling to working channel

• Use correct radio terminology

• Speak slowly and distinctly




• Calling• Select channel – usually 16• Listen – determine channel not in use• Press to talk (PTT) button• Name Of The Boat You Are Calling

• “This Is (Name Of Your Boat)”• “Over”• Release PTT button & listen




• Digital Select Calling (DSC) radio• Select working channel• Press DSC button

• Choose or enter MMSI number to call• Radio changes to Ch 70 & calls• Radio reaches vessel you called• Both radios change to working channel• Radio sounds alert

• Press PTT & start communication. Working channel may be in use; pick another




• Radio watch

• Radio station log

• Special purposes of channels



Special Purpose Channels

• CH 16 - Distress, Urgency, Safety• CH 9 - Alternate Calling Channel• CH 12 - Port Operations• CH 13 - Navigation• CH 22A - Coast Guard Liaison• CH 68 - Non-Commercial Working• Ch 70 – DSC calling• WX-1, WX-2, WX-3




• Procedure (Pro) Words• Over• Out• Roger• Wilco• Say Again• I Spell• Words Twice• Wait



Phonetic Alphabet

• Spelling

• Numbers



Distress, Urgency, and Safety Calls

• Distress signal: Mayday

• Urgency signal: Pan-Pan

• Safety signal: Sécurité (Use French secur-i-tay)



Sending Distress Signal

• Use When IMMINENT Danger Exists• With GMDSS radio, press DISTRESS • Other radios, Call On Channel 16• Call Format:

• “Mayday Mayday Mayday”• “This Is (Name Of Your Boat)”• State Location, Nature Of Problem, Number

Of POB, Describe Boat And Condition• “This Is (Name Of Your Boat), Over”



During Distress Communications

• To Stop All Other Communications on this channel, transmit• “All Stations”• “SEELONCE Mayday”• “SEELONCE Distress”

• When Distress Is Over, Transmit• “SEELONCE FEENEE



Rules violations

• False Distress• $5,000 Fine Plus All USCG Costs

• Obscenity, Indecency, Profanity• $10,000 - 2 years

• Secrecy Of Communication• Applies To All But Distress

• Violation Of FCC Rules• Loss Of License, Fine, Prison



Crew Training

• Why is it important for a crewmember to be familiar with how to operate the VHF-FM radio?

Boating Skills And Seamanship 1 Copyright 2007 - Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc. Your Boat’s Radio Chapter 13.

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