Ref94

Credit to the Author #

Title: Marine Radio Operators Handbook
Author: Australian Maritime College
Year: 2024

My Reference Notes #

Marine Radio Operators Handbook Online Viewer

Chapter 1 General #

Section 1 - Ship Station Operators

• Australia is a member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• Operators of ship stations, other than those operating exclusively in the 27 MHz marine band, must possess a certificate of proficiency issued in accordance with ITU regulations and the Australian Radiocommunications Act 1992.
• Provided the ship radio station is under the control of a person holding a relevant certificate, persons other than the holder or the certificate may operate the equipment.
• Marine radio certificates are now issued under the following new names:
  • Short Range Operator Certificate of Proficiency - SROCP (replaces MROVCP)
  • Long Range Operator Certificate of Proficiency - LROCP (replaces MROCP)
• Office of Maritime Communications (OMC).
• Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
• Australian Maritime College (AMC).

Section 2 - Use of Ship Radio Stations

• A ship radio station and the service it provides is placed under the authority of the master, skipper, or the person responsible for the safety of the vessel.
• ACMA officers may ask that a ship radio station be made available for inspection to ascertain that licence conditions are being met.
• Under the International Radio Regulations, an operator and any other person who becomes acquainted with the contents of a radiotelegram, radiotelephone call or radiotelex call is placed under an obligation to preserve the secrecy of such information.
• Secrecy restrictions do not apply to distress, urgency or safety alerts or messages, or any message that is addressed to ‘all stations’.
• In addition to the station licence (for a MF/HF system) and operator’s certificate, a copy of this handbook and material suitable for use as a radio log book should be held aboard a vessel.
• Operators should keep a record of all distress alerts and messages transmitted or received. Particulars should include the station or stations with which the messages were exchanged, the frequencies used, and the date and times of transmission and reception.
• Transmissions without identification are forbidden.
• A MF/HF ship station must be identified either by the use of the official international call sign allocated by ACMA or by the ship’s name or, preferably, by a combination of both. If using digital selective calling, the vessel’s MMSI will automatically be inserted into the transmission.
• Ship stations operating exclusively on 27 MHz and/or VHF marine bands may use the vessel’s name or other suitable identification. Vessels which were licensed prior to 1 July 2001 may continue to use the call sign issued by ACMA while the ownership of the vessel, licensee contact and vessel details remain unchanged.

Section 3 - Monitoring of Radiotelephony Frequencies (Watchkeeping) Nil.

Section 4 - Frequencies - General Information

• All testing signals should be kept to a minimum, particularly on frequencies used for distress, urgency and safety purposes.
• The requirement to minimise testing does not prevent a ship station from making a brief transmission to a local Limited Coast Station to confirm correct equipment operation before the vessel puts to sea.
• Ship station licences authorise the use of radio equipment aboard vessels at sea or on inland waters only.
• However, if a vessel is anchored or moored, the use of the ship’s radio station to communicate with the nearest Maritime Communication Station, Coast Radio Station or Limited Coast Station is permitted, providing the lowest practicable transmitting power is used.

Chapter 2 Radio Propagation #

Section 5 - Frequency Characteristics

• The radio spectrum has been divided into frequency bands. Marine radio equipment operates mostly in the Medium Frequency (MF), High Frequency (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) bands.

Type	Frequency Range
Medium Frequency (MF)	300 - 3000 kHz
High Frequency (HF)	3 - 30 MHz
Very High Frequency (VHF)	30 - 300 MHz

• Lying between 80 and 350 km above the Earth’s surface are a series of gaseous layers known as the lonosphere. These gaseous layers become energised or ionised by the sun’s rays, e.g. ultra-violet or x-rays.
• There are three ionised layers in the ionosphere. These layers are designated by the letters D, E and F. During the daytime, the ionosphere consists of the D, E, and F layers (the F layer being subdivided into the F1 and F2 layers). At night the important layers are the E and F (or F2) layers, as the D layer becomes de-ionised and less effective.
• Radio propagation at MF (300 - 3000 kHz)
  • During the daytime, at medium frequencies, the sky wave component is not reflected back to earth by the ionosphere. Marine radio communication equipment therefore makes use of the ground wave for communications purposes. Typical ranges are from 100 to 400 nautical miles.
  • At night-time, the sky wave component of the wave is reflected back to earth at a far greater distance than that covered by the ground wave, but only the ground wave can be used for reliable communications.
• Radio propagation at HF (3 - 30 MHz)
  • • HF sky waves reflect back to Earth, with distance determined by the selected frequency.
  • Marine communications equipment offers frequencies in the 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 MHz bands.
  • At night, sky waves reflect at greater distances, requiring lower frequencies for the same range.
  • Higher frequencies enable long-range communication.
  • Operators choose frequencies based on distance, time of day, and conditions.
  • Lower frequencies experience less interference; tropical waters may cause static.
  • Correct frequency selection often relies on experience.
• Radio propagation at VHF (30 - 300 MHz)
  • During the daytime or night-time, any sky wave radio energy transmitted at VHF is not reflected back to earth. Marine communications equipment makes use of the ground wave component at VHF. Under normal conditions, the range at VHF is said to be slightly greater than the visual line of sight, and is determined by the combined height of the transmitting and receiving antennas over an all water path. Range at VHF is therefore said to be only effective for short distances. During certain atmospheric conditions, particularly during the summer months, the ground wave may be refracted round the earth’s surface for a far greater range than would normally be expected at VHF. This phenomenon is known as ‘ducting’ and should not be regarded as normal.
  • Radio energy at VHF, condensed into a beam, may be used to communicate from the earth’s surface to an orbiting satellite.

Chapter 3 Maritime Communication, Coast Radio and Limited Coast Stations #

Section 6 - Maritime Communication Stations Text

Section 7 - State and Northern Territory HF (Coast Radio Stations) and VHF Stations Text

Section 8 - Limited Coast Stations Text

Section 9 - VHF Marine Repeaters Text

Chapter 4 Power Supplies #

Section 10 - Care And Maintenance Of Batteries Text

Chapter 5 Marine Radiocommunications Equipment #

Section 11 - Types Of Marine Radio Equipment Text

Section 12 - Component Parts Of Marine Radio Equipment Text

Section 13 - Transceiver Controls Text

Section 14 - General Care And Maintenance Of Marine Radio Equipment Text

Section 15 - Faults In Marine Radio Equipment Text

Chapter 6 Digital Selective Calling #

Section 16 - General Information Text

Chapter 7 Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) #

Section 17 - Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) Text

Chapter 8 Search And Rescue Transponders (SARTs) #

Section 18 - 121.5 MHz Component of the 406 MHz EPIRB Text

Section 19 - The 406 MHz EPIRB Text

Section 20 - Care And Maintenance Of EPIRBs Text

Chapter 9 Search And Rescue In Australia #

Section 21 - Search And Rescue Transponders Text

Section 22 - Search And Rescue - General Information Text

Chapter 10 Distress, Urgency And Safety Communications Using Radiotelephony #

Section 23 - Priority Calls - General Information Text

Section 24 - Alarm Signals Text

Section 25 - Distress Communications Text

Section 26 - Urgency And Safety Signals Text

Chapter 11 Operating Procedures For Routine #

Section 27 - Routine Calling And Replying Procedures For Radiotelephony Text

Chapter 12 Information For Vessels Proceeding Overseas #

Section 28 - General Information Text

Appendices #

Appendix 1 - Qualifications Examination Syllabi Text

Appendix 2 - Sample Format For A Radio Logbook Page Text

Appendix 3 - Frequencies For Use By Ship Stations Text

Appendix 4 - Table Of Transmitting Frequencies In The VHF Maritime Mobile Band Text

Appendix 5 - Phonetic Alphabet Text

Appendix 6 - Standard Marine Communication Phrases Text

Appendix 7 - Contact Details Text

Appendix 8 - Glossary Of Terms And Abbreviations Text

Index #

Index Text