REGISTERED VHS CALL SIGN

foofer b · Post by **foofer b** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:24 pm

jimbo, Chapman's says that if a pleasure craft is not operating commercially, then it does not require licensing. Thank you , Paul, it was a wealth of information and should be required reading. For instance, does everyone know that you are supposed to monitor Ch 16 at all times (I know or 9)? Or the difference between mayday and panpan? Or the protocol for hailing other vessels?

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:51 pm

A oprators or a station license is not a requirement for a pleasure craft in the US if your from the US ( VHF)

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:08 pm

foofer, well well well, isn't that amazing!! I boat in the Thousand Islands which is home to Canadian and American boaters alike. I have often wondered why American boaters misuse VHF radio communications. Now I know. "Got your ears on good buddy?"

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 6:25 am

jimbo36 wrote:foofer, well well well, isn't that amazing!! I boat in the Thousand Islands which is home to Canadian and American boaters alike. I have often wondered why American boaters misuse VHF radio communications. Now I know. "Got your ears on good buddy?"

I will have to disagree Most do not misuse the VHF and when they do someone will correct them . But I sure that can vary with the area your in .

How can you be sure its the "American boaters" ? What is your Idea of Missuse ?

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:18 am

Not knowing the procedures and asking for help is mature and admirable. Misuse is when some idiot calls may-day just to see what happens while showing off for his drunken buddies or someone lets the kids play on the vhf for intertainment or after contact on sixteen won't move to another channel. That's just a few examples and I'm sure most of you can come up with more.
foofer, I don't know if you have taken any classes but it is a great help in most aspects of pleasure boating to take a Coastguard coarse for basic boating. After 40 years of boating I took an 8 week coarse with my wife to help her become more confident at the helm and we had a great time and both came out more confident.

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:19 am

Paul, I agree that MOST American boater's know the proper use of VHF radio. You may note that I did not say MOST in my post.

I am the Harbour Master for a Canadian City that receives hundreds of American boater's in a season. I would say that MOST are very good at proper VHF radio use. However, these boaters are experienced and educated skippers who are cruising extensively throughout the Great Lakes and The Intra Coastal Waterways. Not only do they know proper VHF use, they know why it is important that they do.

My concern is when I read a post that says; monitoring channel 16 (by the way, channel 9 is for C.B. use rarely used by Mariners), not knowing the proper use of a Pan Pan, Mayday and not a mention of the most used, Secuity,.. as a revelation, because they have been directed to Chapman's, it makes me wonder, do they know anything about VHF protacol? Phonic Elphabet? Numaric expression? common terms? etc.

Where I experience misuse is in the Thousand Islands. First of all, it is not hard to recognize a New York accent. The most common misuse is chatter on Channel 16, instead of going to a working channel. Next is lack of understanding of basic communications, who is the calling station and who is the receiving station, not identifying their vessel. God help you if you need a relay to Coast Guard Rescue. No training, no examination, no operators license = Limited knowledge.... Scarey. BTW misuse in Canada carries fines up to 5 GRAND!! O.K., so that's Canadian $

k9th · Post by **k9th** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:35 am

ready123 & jimbo36 -

The FCC dropped the requirements that you speak of for US watercraft and operators. I am not saying it was a good idea but it was done as a part of a deregulation move in a political era that had politicos pandering to the masses with promises of less government.

I am not a proponent of big government, but the need for standard procedures on public airwaves and regulating transmitting equipment is not a major intrusion into our freedoms - at least not in my mind.

One only need listen on a busy weekend to all of the people transmitting on the Marine emergency frequency and having the Coast Guard re-direct them to other frequencies to know that standard procedures are sorely lacking.

Don't even get me started on the ability to purchase a pleasure watercraft of any size and take off on it with absolutely no safety or operational training whatsoever!

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:37 am

wowzer52, Your previous post was IMHO the most important message to have ever been posted on this site! I have instructed the CPS Boating Course (12 week) for 14 years now and it never ceases to amaze me how many EXPERIENCED boaters that have taken this course, have said, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I DID'T KNOW ABOUT BOATING BEFORE TAKING THIS COURSE! Great advice!

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:55 am

k9th, We had the same issue in Canada. Transport Canada was going to do the same political BS when the Canadian Power Squadrons stepped in and took over the administration of the program. At the time we (CPS) where already providing the majority of the training, nationwide, through our organization of about 40,000 members. It is bad when Governments make decisions that negativly impact so many people. The only answer is, like wowzer52 says, take a course. Learn for your own benifit and piece of mind.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 12:06 pm

[quote="jimbo36"]Paul, I agree that MOST American boater's know the proper use of VHF radio. You may note that I did not say MOST in my post.

Your qoute

"My concern is when I read a post that says; monitoring channel 16 (by the way, channel 9 is for C.B. use rarely used by Mariners), not knowing the proper use of a Pan Pan, Mayday and not a mention of the most used, Secuity,.. as a revelation, because they have been directed to Chapman's, it makes me wonder, do they know anything about VHF protacol? Phonic Elphabet? Numaric expression? common terms? etc. "

You also said "I have often wondered why American boaters misuse VHF radio communications"
Sure sounds like your inplying most . I resent the way it was wrote as I am a American boater . You all so do not know the use of channel 9 on the VHF atleast in the states .

CHANNEL 9 VHF ( not CB)

The Federal Communications Commission has established VHF-FM channel 9 as a supplementary calling channel for noncommercial vessels (recreational boaters). A ship or shore unit wishing to call a boater would do so on channel 9, and anyone (boaters included) wishing to call a commercial ship or shore activity would continue to do so on channel 16. Recreational boaters may continue to call the Coast Guard and any commercial facility on channel 16.

The purpose of the FCC regulation is to relieve congestion on VHF channel 16, the distress, safety and calling frequency. FCC regulations require boaters having VHF radios to maintain a watch on either VHF channel 9 or channel 16, whenever the radio is turned on and not communicating with another station.

Warning: The Coast Guard announces urgent marine information broadcasts and storm warnings on channel 9 in the First Coast Guard District only (waters off the coast of northern New Jersey, New York, and New England). For that reason, we strongly urge boaters to use channel 9 in these waters. Use of channel 9 in other waters is optional, and we recommend boaters keep tuned to and use channel 16 in those waters unless otherwise notified by the Coast Guard.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 1:41 pm

k9th wrote:ready123 & jimbo36 -

The FCC dropped the requirements that you speak of for US watercraft and operators. I am not saying it was a good idea but it was done as a part of a deregulation move in a political era that had politicos pandering to the masses with promises of less government.

What are you talking about here. I have said that Canadians require a station license to visit US and US boats require a station licence to visit Canadain water.
NOTE: if either countries boaters stay at home they do not require station licenses.
Are you saying I (&jimbo36) are incorrect in those specifics?

k9th · Post by **k9th** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 3:16 pm

No. My point is that there was a time when all recreational boaters and pilots had to have a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator's License and the requirement was lifted in 1996. If you travel internationally you still have to have a license.

I personally think that when the requirement was lifted here in the US that recreational boaters' and pilots' radio communications suffered and there are many instances where people do not know or follow proper protocol for radio transmissions because they have no training. Passing a test for a license, no matter how simple, nonetheless teaches the basics of proper protocol in my estimation.

I know very little about your requirements in Canada - only what I have learned here from you Canadian boaters.

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 5:54 pm

this is true some times on the lower end of the bay it sounds like I've got a C.B. on my helm.

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 6:41 pm

Paul, may I suggest that you re-read my posts. I have stated that I did not and do not refer to MOST Americans regarding my concern over lack of proper use of VHF radios. Sorry you feel resentment. Certainly wasn't my intent. As a result of posts from k9th, wowzer52 and alexander 38, your own countrymen, a problem exists as a result of the FCC deregulation. As a concerned boater, sharing our waterways, I felt it important to bring this up for discussion. I am glad I did and appreciate the responses. If you knew me personally you would know that I have a very high regard for all Americans. Jimbo36.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 6:55 pm

No problem , sure the radio has some abusers but for the most part most user are good and are corrected when not , I surprised Alexander 38 made this comment being close to the same area. I take that back Alexander 38 keeps his boat near Guinea , and thats like another world ,They speak a English like you never heard . Talk a 100 mph and never say much . ( I have heared them on the radio and worked around there)