YachtCom Logo
YachtCom & SailCom
Marine Training & Communications Equipment
Phone: 01489 565100 overseas +44 1489 565100

..HOME page

Amateur Radio: maritime mobile

Amateur radio is not the same as marine radio!
The frequencies allocated for amateur radio are different to those allocated for marine radio.
Marine radio as a safety and distress element where amateur radio should be considered as a hobby.
However, having amateur radio onboard along side marine radio does allow for more communications freedom.

Having an amateur radio licence allows you to operate two-way radio from your home, car or yacht.
You can communicate by voice or computers (email) with other amateur radio stations all over the world. You can send emails via HF and VHF amateur radio, through the global amateur radio network, visit www.winlink.org for details. You can also send your position and have it displayed on the Internet so that anyone with access to the Internet can see where you are, click here to see position reports.

Using amateur radio you are not permitted to transmit any business type information. In the UK amateurs are allowed to transmit third party greeting messages.

It has never been easier to obtain an amateur radio licence, here in the U.K. there are 3 classes of licence, fundamental licence, Intermediate licence and full licence.

A Fundamental licence is the allows you to operate on most amateurs frequencies, but with restrictions. Unfortunately with a fundamental licence you are not permitted to operate from a vessel at sea. To obtain a fundamental licence you need to pass a short fundamental licence paper. Many amateur radio clubs run foundation licence cources and exams over a weekend.

Intermediate licence allows you to operate of all amateur bands.

The full licence offer all privileges, you can operate on all ham bands, even from your yacht. To obtain a full licence you need to pass the City and Guilds Amateur Exam which is held twice a year .

Click here for more information on obtaining a UK amateur radio licence.
Since 26 July 2003 radio amateurs in the UK no longer have to do a morse test.

For more information on amateur radio visit the Radio Society of Great Britain web site at httm://www.rsgb.org or the American Radio Realy League at http://www.arrl.org


Marine Radio Courses from YachtCom:-
GMDSS Short Range Certificate - RYA VHF Radio Course
GMDSS Long Range Certificate for SSB (MF/HF), VHF and GMDSS INMARSAT.

UK maritime mobile net

There are many amateur radio nets on the HF amateur bands. Here in the UK we have the UK maritime mobile net on 14303 kHz at 0800 and 1800 GMT.
On this net you can receive weather information, exchange messages and give your passage plan details to someone ashore.
It is a very good service and operates throughout the summer months.

Amateur Radio Marine Frequencies

Net Station UK maritime mobile net European maritime mobile net Pacific Seafarer's net South African Maritime Net Transatlantic Maritime Net Maritime Mobile Service Network INTERMAR
German Net
Time 08:00 & 19:00 UTC 19:00 UTC 03:25 UTC 06:30 & 11:30 UTC 1300 UTC 16:00 to 02:00 UTC 16:30 UTC
Frequency 14303 kHz 14297.5 kHz 14313 kHz 14316 & 7120 kHz 21400 kHz 14300 kHz 14313 kHz

For more information on amateur radio maritime mobile nets vist www.eu-mmsn.org

Amateur Radio Bands and Frequencies

Amateur Radio Bands and Frequencies
Band Morse Data Phone SSTV
160 1810 - 1838 1838 - 1842 kHz 1842 -2000 LSB  
80 3500 - 3580 3580 - 3600 kHz 3620 - 3800 LSB 3730 - 3740
40 7000 - 7035 7035 - 7045 kHz 7045 - 7200 LSB  
30 10100 - 10140 10140 - 10150    
20 14000 - 14070 14070 - 14112 14112 - 14350 USB 14225 - 14235
17 18068 - 18100 18100 - 18109 18111 - 18168 USB  
15 21000 - 21080 21080 - 21120 21151 - 21450 USB 21335 - 21345
12 24890 - 24920 24920 - 24929 24931 - 24990 USB  
10 28000 - 28199 28050 - 28150 28200 - 29200 USB 28675 - 28685

Morse = Morse Code
Data = email and other data modes
Phone = SSB radio telephone
SSTV = Slow Scan Television Pictures

Yacht Communications


YachtCom

YachtCom provides high quality radio and radar training for crew and skippers of non-SOLAS vessels:
GMDSS Long Range Certificate (GMDSS LRC)
GMDSS Short Range Certificate - RYA VHF Radio Course
RYA Radar Course

SailCom

SailCom Marine supplied HF comminucation equipment including pactor modems and anatennas:
Marine HF transceivers
SCS pactor modems for email via HF radio
Marine antenna, grounding and accessories
Communication Receivers