Boatist
Rear Admiral
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2002
- Messages
- 4,552
Re: VHF Antennas
I was not going to comment on the installing antenna Licence issue but guess I will. I have not read the regulations cover to cover since the days when you had to have a ship's station licence and a radio operator licence to even have the radio on board. Back then every new radio came with a application for licence or the shop would hand you the application. Some even help you fill it out. At that time there was no licence required to install an antenna or the transceiver. Even repairing the radio required no licence unless your working on the transmiter. At that time there was only two places to get a transmiter repaired in Sacramento. One guy who made his living repairing in warranty radio for all the brands of radio's. He also repaired radio's and did tune up for the california Hwy Patrol. The other guy was at a local Ham radio shop but license to repair Ham radios and Vhf and Single Sideband marine radio's. At that time an today there are 25 or more places that will install your antenna and your radio on the boat.
Reg VCD listed was talking about some thing other than VHF Marine. It was talking about 250 watts transmiters, well Your VHF radio is limited to 25 watts of power and must also have a 1 watt position. Anything that boost the power above 25 watts is illegal. Antenna Gain Like a 6DB gain is legal and has a 100 watt effective radiated power (ERP)output. If the antenna had a to be installed by a person holding a licence it would have a warning telling you that. Adjusting anything that would effect the power out, frequency or modulation does require a licence.
I prefered the day when a licence was required but when the FCC changed the licence from being $5 for 10 years to over $300 everyone stopped getting licences. People were removing antenna and hiding radios and it was not long before Coast Guard and FCC and Congress saw what a SAFTEY issue they had created and did away with the licence requirement. I still wish they had set it back to the $5 for 10 years. You can still get a licence if you want to pay the price. That licence is not to repair the transmiter.
I was not going to comment on the installing antenna Licence issue but guess I will. I have not read the regulations cover to cover since the days when you had to have a ship's station licence and a radio operator licence to even have the radio on board. Back then every new radio came with a application for licence or the shop would hand you the application. Some even help you fill it out. At that time there was no licence required to install an antenna or the transceiver. Even repairing the radio required no licence unless your working on the transmiter. At that time there was only two places to get a transmiter repaired in Sacramento. One guy who made his living repairing in warranty radio for all the brands of radio's. He also repaired radio's and did tune up for the california Hwy Patrol. The other guy was at a local Ham radio shop but license to repair Ham radios and Vhf and Single Sideband marine radio's. At that time an today there are 25 or more places that will install your antenna and your radio on the boat.
Reg VCD listed was talking about some thing other than VHF Marine. It was talking about 250 watts transmiters, well Your VHF radio is limited to 25 watts of power and must also have a 1 watt position. Anything that boost the power above 25 watts is illegal. Antenna Gain Like a 6DB gain is legal and has a 100 watt effective radiated power (ERP)output. If the antenna had a to be installed by a person holding a licence it would have a warning telling you that. Adjusting anything that would effect the power out, frequency or modulation does require a licence.
I prefered the day when a licence was required but when the FCC changed the licence from being $5 for 10 years to over $300 everyone stopped getting licences. People were removing antenna and hiding radios and it was not long before Coast Guard and FCC and Congress saw what a SAFTEY issue they had created and did away with the licence requirement. I still wish they had set it back to the $5 for 10 years. You can still get a licence if you want to pay the price. That licence is not to repair the transmiter.
