Hi Bill: I agree–a lot of work the sole purpose of these days is to keep down the ranks of ham operators, so the air waves don’t get too cluttered (a noble cause no doubt). For talking to Herb Hilgenberg on SSB, fax, etc., personal radio operator permits are not required in the US–although some other countries do require licenses. Good Luck–Steve Dashew

From our past e-mail conversations you seem to have some aviation background, perhaps you can steer me in the right direction with this one. I am a commercial pilot with a restricted radio-telephone operators license that all pilots receive. It allows us to use our HF equipment for flights beyond the VHF limits (land). This equipment is essentially the same as the SSB / Ham radios on our boats. How can I find out if I need a Ham license for operations on a boat, and if so, how does one go about getting licensed?

My aviation experience is limited to gliders (I fly an SZD59 in aerobatic competition and do some cross country). Any marine electronics store can give you a heads up on the license situation. My understanding is that for a US vessel, currently no VHF license is required for the boat or operator. An SSB license is required for the boat, but not the radio operator. For Ham, it is the operator and not the boat that requires a license. There are now no code licenses for technician class which gives you some voice privileges. However, for all around communications you would want a General ham license–which I think still requires 13 words per minute of morse code. There are a number of people who give courses commercially, amongst which is Gordon West on the W. Coast. Also, a lot of ham clubs give courses. Regards–Steve

Another Reader had this to say:

Steve I was just reading your FAQ on Radio Licenses on SetSail.com and I am afraid you don’t have things QUITE correct:

A vessel that has only VHF, Radar and EPIRB and does NOT communicate in or travel to foreign ports does not need a Ship Station License.

A vessel that has the above and communicates/travels to foreign ports, OR has SSB on board, must have a Ship Station License. Either of these two conditions also makes it a requirement for the operator of the radio to have a Restricted Radiotelephone Operators Permit. Also, re: your Global Star review–Inmarsat Mini-M systems are below $5000 street price–currently $4400, not $6000/$7000. Since calls are a flat $2.50/minute with no monthly charges, for voice calls, it may not be much, if any, more expensive to operate than Global Star outside the US Global Star coverage where the rate structure is different–and confusing!

Considering what we know about the financial health of Inmarsat, and the financial problems of Globalstar–Minim might be a safer bet. I sell both–because unlike Mr Bowden–I don’t believe there is only one solution for everyone’s needs. Don M

Another Reader had this to say:

Steve, I noticed that the Radio Licenses section of Q&A talks about the 13 words per minute Morse code requirement of a General License. The requirement was relaxed relatively recently, in 2001 perhaps. The current requirement for Morse code for a general license is 5 words per minute. http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/classes.html is the link to the Amateur Relay Radio League for confirmation.

My recent experience with intensive license courses on the East Coast was excellent. My wife, 12-year-old daughter, and I all completed our technician licenses and the written requirements for the general license in two intensive days (with some book reading beforehand). With a little more study we’ll get the Morse code behind us. Best wishes on your trip into the Pacific. John John Bell B-K Medical Systems, Inc. 800-876-7226

Another Reader had this to say:

Noticed in your Cruising Central section you mention that the U.S. Amateur General Class had a 13WPM morse code requirement. This has been dropped to 5WPM for ALL license classes requiring code. The recommendation of General Class is still a good one, although if you don’t mind the study Extra is great. The question pools are freely available for study from the ARRL (www.arrl.org) and other.