Is it illegal to use Marine radios from land?

[stick]

I had recently heard that it may be illegal to use a marine radio (VHF) from land. What I picture is a "base" unit on-land communicating to vessels out on the water. Can anyone confirm this as legal or illegal?

[castmaster]

i cant find anything in teh MN statute books saying it would be illegal. unless its a federal law. i cant see a reason for it, and i know there are resorts etc that send out weather info and things over marine band they also talk to their launch operators from shore at places like mille lacs, as well as the lock operators at dams on the mississippi river have a channel you can call into to find out when the next lock through time is. so unless these places have some sort of license to operate from shore i would think its legal.

the only radio communications i am aware of that require licnesing (other than commercial radio stations and the like) are ham radios.

its something i wouldnt worry too much about!!

[Big Laker]

ship to shore marine radio use is only permitted on some frequencies (I think channel 16). I know the resorts up on Rainy Lake use the radios to communicate with the houseboats. marine radios are regulated by the coast guard. checkout this site: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/vhf.htm

[LMITOUT]

Channel 16 is the frequency for calling and very brief messages only. On bigger waters where there are people monitoring this channel from land for distress calls, they may tell you to "move up" or stop being chatty on this channel if you continue talking for a period of time. You can move up to some other unused channels such as 66, 67, etc. The great lakes and other large waters you will have to watch your P's and Q's more closely. Smaller inland waters where there is no coast guard you're probably fine using whatever channel, although it's not technically proper.

As mentioned above, resorts will monitor 16 on the bigger waters and make contact with their boats time to time. If you want to call somebody you typically use 16 (good to stay on 16 to hear announcements or other people's distress calls) and then either say a quick message or move to another channel and continue talking, then move back to 16 when you're done.

So, although it's not illegal to use a VHF radio from land to talk to boats on the water, there are procedures and protocols for safety, etc when doing so.

[LMITOUT]

Boater Calling Channel (VHF Channel 9)

The Federal Communications Commission established VHF-FM channel 9 as a supplementary calling channel for noncommercial vessels (recreational boaters) at the request of the Coast Guard. 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 would continue to call the Coast Guard and any commercial facility on channel 16.

The purpose of the FCC regulation was 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.

Since the Coast Guard generally does not have the capability of announcing an urgent marine information broadcast or weather warning on channel 9, use of channel 9 is optional. We recommend boaters normally keep tuned to and use channel 16 in those waters unless otherwise notified by the Coast Guard.

[stick]

Thanks everyone...I won't sweat it. I figured it was allowed.

[Capt. Don*]

MAY I USE MY HAND-HELD MARINE VHF RADIO ON LAND?

You must have a special license, called a marine utility station license, to operate a hand-held marine radio from land -- a ship station license IS NOT sufficient. You may apply for this license by filing FCC Form 601 with the FCC. To be eligible for a marine utility station license, you must generally provide some sort of service to ships or have control over a bridge or waterway. Additionally, you must show a need to communicate using hand-held portable equipment from both a ship and from coast locations. Each unit must be capable of operation while being hand-carried by an individual. The station operates under the rules applicable to ship stations when the unit is aboard a ship, and under the rules applicable to private coast stations when the unit is on land.

This is right from the FCC, a non hand-held radio that is mounted in a bulding, ie. cabin etc. is considered a shore based station and requires a license.

Being a commercial operator I am required to have a station license on board.

Would I worry about putting a radio in the house to talk to boats on the water for non commercial reasons even on federally regulated waters? No not ever, the USCG and licensed operators are probably the only ones who know the rules, even the DNR and land based law enforcement really don't know, need to know or care to know. As long as you don't talk on channel 16, other than hailing and picking a channel to talk on, nobody is going to pay any attention.

Keep in mind though that it is illegal, so, if after talking you notice black helicopters above you...... well, I hate to say I told you so.

[PerchJerker]

I agree with Capt Don. Just because some channels are designated for certain use DOES NOT mean that a marine vhf is allowed to be used from land unless you are licensed. In fact, federal requirements are that you are licensed to use a vhf on land.

As I mentioned in my other post, I believe someone on the east side of Mille Lacs got nailed for this last year.

[cold one sd]

I have a VHF in my boat amd one in my camper to keep in touch with my wife when she isn't in the boat with me. It doesn't get used very often. We used to have a problem around here when the farmers and ranchers found out that the range on a VHF was much more than on CBs. The FCC showed up and made them remove them from their trucks and combines. Much quieter now.

[fishermann222]

Wow, I never knew it was illegal, the FCC would have a heart attack up here when they see every eskimo house has a VHF antenna on it, and every village has their own channel. They even use it to communicate with the bush pilots, yes they have a VHF in their planes. A VHF radio is more common in the shacks here than a telephone.

[SteveWilson]

Quote:

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I had recently heard that it may be illegal to use a marine radio (VHF) from land. What I picture is a "base" unit on-land communicating to vessels out on the water. Can anyone confirm this as legal or illegal?

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It's illegal unless you've obtained a license from the FCC, fill in form 601. Your land station must provide some service to the marine communitity, a resort with marina facilities, yatch club, etc. would typically qualify. If you want something for your familly you might want to consider CB or one of the other communications methods besides Marine VHF.

As for Alaska it's an exception, the following is from the FCC's description of coast station http://wireless.fcc.gov/marine/coast.html

Coast Stations

Land stations in the marine services are the links between vessels at sea and activities ashore. They are spread throughout the coastal and inland areas of the United States to carry radio signals and messages to and from ships on the water. These stations are generally characterized by the services they provide:

Public coast stations connect marine radios with the public switched telephone network. These stations are commonly know as "marine operators." VHF band (156-162 MHz) public coast stations provide short-range communications for vessels not more than 30 nautical miles from shore. High seas band (2-27.5 MHz) public coast stations serve vessels far from shore. Some high seas stations can even serve vessels thousands of miles from land. Public coast stations are common carriers, and thus charge a fee for providing, voice, telex, fax, or data transmission services. Nevertheless, public coast stations provide a vital public service as they are reach well beyond the limits of terrestrial radio systems and are required by statute to relay distress messages free of charge.

Automated Maritime Telecommunications System (AMTS) stations are a special type of public coast station operating in the 216-220 MHz band. AMTS stations are licensed to provide coverage over an entire inland waterway or a substantial portion of an ocean coastline.

Private coast stations are not common carriers -- they cannot charge for communications services. Instead, they provide information to associated vessels. Only those entities that provide some sort of service to vessels or control a bridge or waterway may become a private coast station licensee. Some common uses of private coast stations include: marinas, radio repair shops, bridges, locks, and yacht clubs.

Alaska public fixed stations provide communications for safety and public correspondence like public coast stations, but they serve Alaskan communities exclusively.

Radar stations on land are used mostly to locate and track vessels in coastal and inland waters. Some radars also serve as navigational fixes for vessels in their range.

Radiobeacons emit a constant radio signal from fixed locations on land, like lighthouses, or from buoys in the water, for navigational reference.