SSB license?

Ssb

You have been ill advised. The testing and Morse code is no longer necessary to operate Marine channels.

Not totally correct. You may listen all you want, but need a ham license to transmit on frequencies designated and allowed by your license class

John

Ssb

Maybe you should re-read above. I never said a license wasn't necessary but only that morse code knowledge and testing isn't required anymore to operate on Marine channels. FYI

Do you have to insert the license into the radio to make it work? When you key the mic, does it put out signal? That's the REAL story. Your Restricted Operator license is all you need to run a marine SSB on the channels provided to you by it. It is NOT a HAM rig and requires no HAM license. HAM is about Amateur Radio, and marine SSB is not Amateur. That's why commercial vessels have to buy SSB radios instead of Ham sets for much less.

Amen. Thank you for clarifying. Marine channels do not need morse code or testing. Just buy (not by) the license.

the old requirements are not longer required.
However, ahem, shall we assume that from the time CTDave posted his inquiry until today, he has made whatever arrangements he needed to ?

Perhaps I am wrong, but always thought a license was required to use a SSB outside of the US...Or am I thinking of the Ship's Station license?

I took a short written test to get a Marine Radio Operators Permit in case it would come in handy later:

http://wireless.fcc.gov/commoperators/index.htm?job=mp

Nobody ever asked me to see it...

Correct-a- mundo..... for example,to operate in Bahamian waters, one needs a Bahamian license. the license, FYI, costs $25.00.

a license for every country you visit is not needed as long as you have a license for the country of registration of the set (normally the same as vessel). and you are not going to be permenant in that OS port.

well this is what i have found from doing a rallies here in asia and the Pacific islands, when ever the safety / license check is done it all relates to your port of registration.

Thanks
Happy Sailing

WOW...this is an old thread!!!

OK...there are bits and pieces of fact throughout all of these posts. I am an installer, a ham and have cruised the Eastern Caribbean so I have some props. Here are the facts as I know them:

1. The ICOM 802 is both a marine SSB and a ham radio (and a **** fine one at that!).
2. The FCC does not require any license to operate the MSSB in US waters.
3. The FCC requires both a operator's license AND a ship license for the MSSB and ALL rf radiating equipment if the equipment is going to be operated in another country's waters.
4. To use the ham function of the ICOM 802 in a non-emergency situation, there must be a control operator properly licensed with an amature radio license of at least General Class, in control of the radio. (There are some portions of the 10m band that allow Technician Class operation, but that band is essentially dead now in this part of the sunspot cycle.
5. To gain rf privleges on the amature bands an applicant must take the Technician test and the General test. There are NO Morse code requirements for either of these tests.
6. In a true, life or death emergency, a non-ham can use the ham bands to summon help.
7. Amature license reciprocity between nations only exists if the nations have entered into a treaty agreement allowing this. Some countries do not require any additional endoresement by them; some countries do.