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Thread: Marine Radio - Do You Need One

  1. #31

    Re: Marine Radio - Do You Need One

    Scott, from memory you had to register your old 27 mhz radio and have a licence to own it but not to operate it.

  2. #32

    Re: Marine Radio - Do You Need One

    Quote Originally Posted by Dignity View Post
    Scott, from memory you had to register your old 27 mhz radio and have a licence to own it but not to operate it.
    Not round these parts Sam . Never had one. Technically though - yes. Station licences were a requirement but not an operators ticket. No longer the case for anything less than a HF. ROCOP required for VHF and HF (never bothered with that one either) and now at a commercial level on bigger vessels, also a GMDSS ticket which is required to be revalidated every 5 ? years at a ludicrous cost.

  3. #33

    Re: Marine Radio - Do You Need One

    Bit of confusion?

    Mostly you guys will come across 27mhz or VHF marine.

    The Fed Govt has no licensing requirement for either type of radio as they fall under what's called a Class licence. A class licence is one legally deemed to be issued to ALL persons in Aus. So no payment of licence fees is involved.

    There is no qualification needed to operate a 27 mhz radio but there is to operate/use a VHF marine radio.

    If its only for your recreational vessel, then you need to obtain a qualification called Australian Waters Qualification (AWQ) in respect of the VHF marine type.

    Demonstration of basic knowledge is the requirement and what that translates to can be found here: https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/MARC019

    Under Federal law, if you are going to put a VHF marine radio in your vessel then the operator must be qualified or operating under the immediate direction of somebody who is qualified. It's a federal offence under the Radiocommunications Act to fail to comply with that condition.

    The Maritime Safety Authority of the State in which you live may or may not have requirements about the fitting of radiocommunications eqpt.

    Most States have requirements about EPIRBs and the circumstances relating to compulsory installation (usually about area of operation).

    You do NOT need a radiocommunication licence to possess or use an EPIRB as it's covered by a class licence similar to the VHF marine class licence.

    You do not need a qualification to use an EPIRB.

    Be aware that the VHF marine system is the most widely used in Aus waters and is very effective particularly since the introduction of VHF marine repeaters in the mid 1980s. However, there are places on the Aus coast where long range VHF coverage doesn't exist. Vessels that frequent those waters need long range HF, satellite phone, Inmarsat or a combination for voice communications.

    There are requirements for commercial vessels that operate in those remoter areas. Those requirements usually also extend to EPIRBs for distress alerting purposes.

  4. #34

    Re: Marine Radio - Do You Need One

    Thanks Ronje1... good explanation.

    safety at sea does have " grey areas ", like the MSQ Life jacket requirement. In the list of Standard Safety Equipment for boats... it does not mention the size of the life jacket or even say " life jacket suitable .... it merely states Life jacket levels. We all know you can't fit an adult sized jacket to a 6 year old........... but our common sense tells us we fit & carry jackets appropriately.

    Similar with radios..... I have 2 x VHF's in my big boat and have completed my competency, just because I could, not because I had to.

    Should the safety items for Qld waters be re-jigged to include VHF's ? Probably........... should users be certified or do a small course ? maybe ? It would help the VMR's and Coast Guards with log on / log off protocols ( Phonetic alphabet ) for one.............. I recently bough a set of UHF's ( hand held ) and wrote to supplier suggesting they include the Phonetic Alphabet within their instruction manual. Seconds or minutes can be lost calling in an emergency with either party not understanding the other. Lives could be lost, but for the simple knowledge and radio use " how to ".

    Someone mentioned above about getting the once over from police ( water ? )....... and i had simialr experience. In a 4.1mtr tinnie some 2 k's offshore and local Water Police pulled me up and wanted to see my EPIRB.... told them I didn't need one out here and they looked confused................ so as many of us that don;t know the rules, the people policing the rules are not 100% across them either, particularity the Qld CRFF and Tidal species big and size limits.

    All this means you follow the rules to the best of your ability and knowledge and you'll be safe and enjoy your fishing.

    cheers LP
    Kingfisher Painting Solutions:- Domestic and Commercial.

    For further information, contact details, quotes or advice - Click Here





  5. #35

    Re: Marine Radio - Do You Need One

    I guess put simply, call it a license or qualification, is there really a difference?

  6. #36

    Re: Marine Radio - Do You Need One

    Yes there is.

    A licence is what you need from the Fed Govt to possess a piece of radiocommunications equipment. Some licences you need to buy.

    A qualification refers to a Certificate of Competency that you may need to also possess (depending on the type od radio equipment) by undergoing an approved type of competency test.

    The Fed Govt has "given" you a licence in respect of a VHF marine radio and it also "gives" you a licences to possess a 27mhz radio as well as an EPIRB. The licences that you are "given" at no fee are called Class licences.

    However, you still need to demonstrate that you are competent to operate a VHF marine radio.

    There's nothing complicated about operating an EPIRB. Just turn it on so no certificate of competency is needed.

    27mhz marine radio is NOT international maritime communications. Its simply domestic to Aus and was introduced years ago to provide cheap maritime communications locally. So again...no qualification certificate is needed.

    VHF marine IS indeed an international maritime mobile system and a certificate of competency MUST be held by the user.

    You pay to register your car and must also have a certificate of competency to drive it.

    Same with some types of radio eqpt. But they mixed up the terms a bit, didn't they? But that's the principle.

  7. #37

    Re: Marine Radio - Do You Need One

    I have 2 x VHF's in my big boat and have completed my competency, just because I could, not because I had to.

    Phill, you DID and DO have to hold a certificate of competency if they were VHF marine radios. Its a international law and federal govt law about VHF marine radios.

    The lists that you see on the Qld MSQ website are simple summations of what the maritime safety law in respect of recreational vessels actually says.

    If you want to see what the Qld marine safety law actually says about lifejackets:

    Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulations:

    https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/v...016-0154#sec.8

    Part 5Provisions about lifejackets for Queensland regulated ships

    21 Application of part
    This part applies if, under this regulation, a Queensland regulated ship is required to be equipped with a required lifejacket for each individual on board who is 1 year or more.

    22 What is the required lifejacket for a ship
    The required lifejacket for an individual on board a ship is a lifejacket of an appropriate size for the individual of the following type—

    (a)for a ship, other than a personal watercraft, operating in smooth waters—a lifejacket level 100, 50 or 50S or a compliant inflatable diver’s jacket;

    (b)for a ship, other than a personal watercraft, operating in partially smooth waters or beyond—
    (i)if the ship is operating in partially smooth waters—a lifejacket level 100 or 50 or a compliant inflatable diver’s jacket; or
    (ii)if the ship is operating beyond partially smooth waters—a lifejacket level 100 or a compliant inflatable diver’s jacket;

    (c)for a personal watercraft—
    (i)if the personal watercraft is operating in smooth waters—a lifejacket level 50 or 50S; or
    (ii)if the personal watercraft is operating in partially smooth waters or beyond—a lifejacket level 50.


    Note the use of the words in the legislation that are missing from the MSQ: " lifejacket of an appropriate size for the individual ".

    Always be wary of the summation of any public servant. In the case of lifejackets (an important item of safety gear), they created confusion by omitting something important. I guess that having some public servant decide on what should or shouldn't be contained in any summation has its drawbacks.

    Follow that link. It'll take you to the actual legislation.

    The solution? Read the legislation yourself then you aren't relying on what anybody else says.

    Qld Dept of Transport (Maritime Safety Qld) handed over management of the commercial fleet in Qld to Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) a couple of years ago but retained the management of recreational sector.

    Dept of Fisheries Qld only check out the recreational boating sector for safety gear and navigation matters under an arrangement with MSQ. MSQ didn't have boats so relied on DAF (who DID have boats) to do work on their behalf.

    Now there are surplus MSQ people to look at the recreational sector who never really had much to do with the rec sector before.

    MSQ didn't get extra staff but they DID get some new boats.

    So expect a surge in compliance activities by MSQ all enthusiastic about having a different role and out to impress.

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