[Elecraft] KX1 strikes again - Cruise Ship Bootleg Operations (OT)

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

GMDSS divides the world's oceans up into specific area. What must be carried
to meet SOLAS requirements depends upon where the ship sails. Along
coastlines, for example, the biggest ship need not carry more than VHF for
normal communications, since they are within VHF range at all times. Further
away, combinations of VHF and HF are required. 

Of course there are many other requirements and equipment such as a Search
and Rescue Transponder (SART) that reacts to radar signals and Emergency
Positioning Indicating Beacons (EIRB's) that activate when coming in contact
with salt water and alert shore facilities via satellite (1.6 GHz) with the
ship's position and provides a 406 MHz locating beacon. (Sure beats trying
to fly a kite at night and cranking the old "Gibson Girl" transmitter on 500
kHz sitting in a lifeboat - and EPIRB's are practical even on small vessels
signaling for help with their position automatically when they hit salt
water.) 

Yes, I keep my Radiotelegraph license current just for "old time's sake". I
am proud of it. But getting a GMDSS maintainer's license is also a
challenge. It's more like the OLD Ham Extra licenses that required
applicants to find and correct mistakes in schematic diagrams or to describe
the spectrum used by various modulation methods, etc. Add to that the modern
digital age where the exams require applicants to describe various logic
circuits and digital interface protocols, handle arithmetic with various
number bases (hex, binary, decimal, etc.) - just about anything a fellow on
the high seas far from help might encounter when troubleshooting a ship's
local area network, an INMARSAT satellite communications system, an HF SSB
rig a ship's computer driven radar (ARPA), or Navtext automatic weather
printing receivers just to name a few. 

It's one of those jobs where every day you are either a bum or a hero. A bum
if the Captain thinks it has been too long and you're still troubleshooting
and a hero of you fix it quickly. 

And the GMDSS Operator's license isn't exactly simple, thanks to the
regulations. Let's see, my copy of the FCC rules (CFR 80 - Stations in the
Maritime Services) runs about 200 pages. It's the best sleeping aid I ever
owned. 

I'll keep renewing that commercial radiotelegraph license as long as the FCC
recognizes what it is. 

73,  

Ron AC7AC

 


-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Fred Townsend
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 1:51 PM
To: 'Mike Morrow'; elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX1 strikes again - Cruise Ship Bootleg Operations
(OT)

Please see comments below:

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mike Morrow
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 1:22 PM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX1 strikes again - Cruise Ship Bootleg Operations
(OT)

Ron wrote:

> ...ships use SSB on the HF bands for long distance communications
> - both voice and data - on frequencies right in between the bands were 
> us Hams "play" on HF.

> The Safety of Life at Sea protocols never depend solely on satellite 
> communications.

Many hams, even the the days of the commercial Maritime Morse radio officer
(which ended July 12, 1999), exhibit a cavalier attitude towards SOLAS
issues.  In the Morse days, for example, it is NOT likely that most hams
would have recognized an SOS (which is sent as one character ...---..., not
three characters ... --- ..., quite radically different in sound).

Disregarding issues of ham operation upon SOLAS communications, there are
regulatory issues.  At sea, the country of the ship's registry would have
jurisdiction over any ham operations.  Are ANY cruise ships of US registry?
When in port, the host country has jurisdiction.  IIRC, back in the Morse
radio officer era, operation of the ship's Morse station was prohibited in
port.
 
I don't know how MF/HF USB use is controlled today in the GMDSS era.
Obviously use of a ship's VHF-FM is required in foreign ports for SOLAS,
piloting, and docking operations.  (The only foreign country radio operation
that I've ever done has been on VHF-FM as a USN officer of the deck coming
in and out of port.)

Do hams who operate from foreign registry ships use a call sign indicating
the country of ship's registry when at sea, and a call sign of the host
country when in port?  I'd be surprised.

I can't answer your question but I have seen US hams operate /MM when tied
to the dock.

de Fred

Many will see such issues as mere technicalities from olden days that don't
apply any more.

> That's why it's often so difficult to get permission to operate a Ham 
> rig on a ship - they are depending upon clear QRM-free communications 
> on frequencies very close to several Ham bands across the HF and VHF 
> spectrums.

Plus, many QRP rigs have marginal spurious radiation specs, a situation
aggravated by use of a DDS frequency generation scheme without PLL.

Were I ship's master, I'd be reluctant to grant permission, based on the
jurisdictional issues alone.

> Ron AC7AC (Licensed GMDSS Maintainer and Operator). 

Be honest, Ron.  :-)  I suspect your commercial radiotelegraph license is a
source of greater pride for you.  I still regret letting my second class
telegraph license expire more than 15 years ago.  Are you maintaining yours?

73,
Mike / KK5F
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