Amateur Radio License?? Ham??

crankcall

crankcall

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Forum Sponsor
Anybody have one? and how do you get one? As some of you know by now I have a boat fetish and I'd like to get an amateur radio license , the HAM thing. I have zero interest in being a radio shack geek and talking to some guy in Norway on a clear night. Just the ability to make radio calls a long way away.
Looking for advice on how to get one in Canada
 
Last edited:
Are you going to get v3x xxx plates and put a big antenna on your truck? How's your Morse code? The last time I looked into it, that was required.
 
GreyGhost said:
Are you going to get v3x xxx plates and put a big antenna on your truck? How's your Morse code? The last time I looked into it, that was required.
Click to expand...
There is also some other things required for HAM operation: hair cut with a Brylcreemed part, canvas multipocketed vest, vinyl pocket protector with at least 2 pens, 2 pencils and a Sharpie.
 
@madmike & @mimico , thanks for those links that's what I need. I have a marine license ROC(m) for VHF radio and the DSC endorsement, I'm adding a SSB (single side band) radio to the boat because they have capacity to send emails using a PACOR modem and the modern ones are connected to weather data.
I've been using one for years on other peoples boats, this one being mine I'd like the permit.

@GreyGhost , morse code exactly... the US license for 'ham' marine doesn't need morse, Canadian seems to want it however nobody has had a telegraph key on a boat since the second world war. Sometimes we are so far behind the world.
 
One of my girls has her ROC-MC license..
She's in the marine/ferry industry on the west coast.

She tells me that yes... there was a morse code component to the course, but they were never actually rested on it.
 
crankcall said:
@GreyGhost , morse code exactly... the US license for 'ham' marine doesn't need morse, Canadian seems to want it however nobody has had a telegraph key on a boat since the second world war. Sometimes we are so far behind the world.
Click to expand...
The upside to morse is it is possible to get a message through on a terrible connection that would be unintelligible with voice. The downside is, I doubt most people are proficient enough for that to work. Technology is good enough now that something like TTY/TTD or repeated data burst probably makes more sense for terrible connections than morse.
 
Semaphore-flag-signals.jpg


Flag Semaphore - Online Decoder, Encoder, Translator <- cheat codes ;)


"nobody has had a telegraph key on a boat since the second world war. Sometimes we are so far behind the world."
You can send morse code using light just as easy as using sound.
 
Last edited:
Trials said:
Semaphore-flag-signals.jpg


Flag Semaphore - Online Decoder, Encoder, Translator <- cheat codes ;)


"nobody has had a telegraph key on a boat since the second world war. Sometimes we are so far behind the world."
You can send morse code using light just as easy as using sound.
Click to expand...
If someone can see my light, I am not that concerned with messaging. Flashing like a madman should get their attention. Sos is food enough to get help (or not if they are bastards, but in that case, being able to send "please help, taking on water, engine dead" wouldnt help either.)
 
working on current world technology here boys. This is to transmit 1000+km , not wave a flag at anybody or dick around with the flashlight LOL. If its an emergency you just push the big red button on the EPIRB and the coast guard has your exactly location in 3 mins or less. In the Great Lakes you push the small red button on the DSC VHF boat radio, and the coast guard knows your exact location, boat name, home phone and emergency contact number in 1 min or less.
 
crankcall said:
working on current world technology here boys. This is to transmit 1000+km , not wave a flag at anybody or dick around with the flashlight LOL. If its an emergency you just push the big red button on the EPIRB and the coast guard has your exactly location in 3 mins or less. In the Great Lakes you push the small red button on the DSC VHF boat radio, and the coast guard knows your exact location, boat name, home phone and emergency contact number in 1 min or less.
Click to expand...

Until the power goes out.
 
What if you’re standing on the bow of your sunken boat and all you can see is a little motorcycle on the beach climbing over rocks and driftwood logs?

Those semaphores would come in handy.
 
Hack said:
Until the power goes out.
Click to expand...


That's fair, usually you'll have an EPIRB ( emergency locator beacon) and they are on a replaceable battery that lasts about 5yrs, VHF and SSB are on board the 12V house batteries, there will likely be an onboard SPOT beacon as backup, its pretty unusual to lose 3 different power systems on the same day, not saying it cant happen LOL

If I'm close enough to shore to see some guy riding over driftwood logs , the canister goes over the side, and we row the self inflating life boat over to ask for a ride, we wont need flags

I'm just wanting to get a Amatuer radio license for weather routing and email use, hopefully not an emergency tool. Turns out the US can get you a license after a fairly basic exam, Canada needs you to join a 'radio club' and be mentored before you can take an exam. I'm sure that's great but I really don't need a VE3 car plate or a special hat.
 
Is ham radio even relevant in today’s day and age? Outside of the application in this thread?
 
crankcall said:
working on current world technology here boys....
Click to expand...
So why not buy an iPhone :unsure: or if you are going somewhere truly remote enough to need one, a satellite phone.
 
@mimico_polak , outside of some odd applications , like I have , I suspect ham radio may be as people envision , a fringe bunch of dudes dialing some one they never met in Stockholm for an awkward conversation and to keep a log book. I think its largely a hobby.

@Trials, yes remote enough that an iphone is pretty useless, once your 75?kms away from a cell tower a phone is not very handy. We have a satellite phone , but it wont send an email , a ham radio can, and the ham can be programed to download weather reporting. In a lot of anchorages there will be a "cruising net" of other equipped boats that will have a daily brief of what's going on, and you can often get that in english. And sadly the Sat phone is only a phone, a really good phone, but its also $3.00US a minute, so sending an email can save a LOT of beer money.

We could go to more modern sattelite link with full internet like cruise ships have, or billionaires yachts, but sadly I am not a billionaire, its well outside the budget of the average sailor.
 
Trials said:
So why not buy an iPhone :unsure: or if you are going somewhere truly remote enough to need one, a satellite phone.
Click to expand...
Satellite phone has periods of the day where it is useless in Canada, not sure if that improves as you near the equator. Having hours a day where you cant call for help is not great.

As much as people mock the amateur radio nerds, if civilization takes a dump, they will still be able to chat with far away contacts without relying on any public (or corporately-owned private) infrastructure.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom