Marine transceiver for monitoring only ? Help!

[Castlekingside]

I live near the ocean, is it legal to use a marine transceiver for monitoring only without a license?

 

[Grog]

I live near the ocean, is it legal to use a marine transceiver for monitoring only without a license?

In the US, sure. As long as you do not transmit you should be ok.

 

[n9mxq]

As long as you don't transmit you can own any radio listen with it. Provided the comms are not encrypted.

Just put the microphone in a closet, and listen to your hearts content.

 

[n8emr]

You dont even need a license in most cases in the US to even transmit. That is if your on a boat. Off a boat is pretty much illegal to transmit.

Unless you already have the marine radio, you might find a low end scanner will do just as good and allow you to listen to even more than ship traffic.

 

[Castlekingside]

That is right, but I'm only interested in "standard" marine and weather monitoring because a live near a busy marina and for the price of a low end all-band scanner I can get an Icom marine transciver. My concerns are legal only. I ASSUME that if ownership of the unit is legal using it in rerceiving mode only must also be legal. It's unbelievable that nowhere in the net you can find a straight legal answer to my question by an expert, needless to say the Coast Guard or FCC websites. Where are the FAQs when we need them?

 

[N_Jay]

It's unbelievable that nowhere in the net you can find a straight legal answer to my question by an expert, needless to say the Coast Guard or FCC websites. Where are the FAQs when we need them?

Most laws are written to the negative.

What is illegal is written into law, what is not included is usually legal. (Would you want it any other way?)

I am surprised that so many people expect "someone" to answer all their questions with an FAQ on the web?:roll: :roll:

 

[Grog]

Goold ole N_Jay, while correct on the first two sentences, he just has to toss in a jab with the last to prove how wonderful he is :lol:

 

[N_Jay]

Goold ole N_Jay, while correct on the first two sentences, he just has to toss in a jab with the last to prove how wonderful he is :lol:

Sometimes common sense does not sink in without a good "slap up side the head"!:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Castlekingside]

Thank You all for your feedbacks! Keep posting please, don't let this thread die before we get a "clear cut" answer to my question. Humorous answers are also welcome. "A bad day of Dxing is better than a good day at work"

 

[N_Jay]

Hello!!!!!!

What part of "YES it is legal" is not "clear cut".

If you want a legally binding answer I can refer you to a lawyer expert in the field, but I am sure he charges for his time.

 

[Castlekingside]

A few months ago I found several links mentioning that the new transcievers when turned on can emit a signal exposing their location to the Coast Guard and consequently to the FCC, sort of how cells phones work when you dial 911 if I recall correctly is like an electronic I.D encrypted in the unit. It might be pure expeculation, I don't know and that's why I'm here investing my time asking for your help DSC-capable transcievers (all the new ones are) can be easily tracked on specific channels through GPS technology, I'm quite positive about that. Of course am not an expert but I'm simply curious to know. Well if all this is true then I'll have no choice other than buying a cheap scanner. I just felt in love with the Icom IC-M72 and would like to get it for monitoring purposes only providing I will not be breaking the law. Thanks again.

 

[N_Jay]

A few months ago I found several links mentioning that the new transcievers when turned on can emit a signal exposing their location to the Coast Guard and consequently to the FCC, sort of how cells phones work when you dial 911 if I recall correctly is like an electronic I.D encrypted in the unit. It might be pure expeculation, I don't know and that's why I'm here investing my time asking for your help DSC-capable transcievers (all the new ones are) can be easily tracked on specific channels through GPS technology, I'm quite positive about that. Of course am not an expert but I'm simply curious to know. Well if all this is true then I'll have no choice other than buying a cheap scanner. I just felt in love with the Icom IC-M72 and would like to get it for monitoring purposes only providing I will not be breaking the law. Thanks again.

I had not read up on DSC. Makes for an interesting question. I would hope that it could be disabled as if you had more then one radio on board, you would not want them all squawking.

From what I can tell, they only seem to send DSC messages when you have them hooked to a GPS unit.
Anyone know for sure?

 

[nd5y]

Don't confuse DSC with AIS

 

[OceanaRadio]

A few months ago I found several links mentioning that the new transcievers when turned on can emit a signal exposing their location to the Coast Guard and consequently to the FCC, sort of how cells phones work when you dial 911 if I recall correctly is like an electronic I.D encrypted in the unit. It might be pure expeculation, I don't know and that's why I'm here investing my time asking for your help DSC-capable transcievers (all the new ones are) can be easily tracked on specific channels through GPS technology, I'm quite positive about that. Of course am not an expert but I'm simply curious to know. Well if all this is true then I'll have no choice other than buying a cheap scanner. I just felt in love with the Icom IC-M72 and would like to get it for monitoring purposes only providing I will not be breaking the law. Thanks again.

You are not violating any U.S. (federal) law or regulation to use an unlicensed marine transceiver for monitoring purposes only from a land-mobile or fixed-land location.

All marine transceivers built in the last decade must by law have Digital Selective Calling (DSC) features including a DISTRESS feature. This cannot be disabled and does not require connecting a GPS unit to the radio. While that is the intention of the system to use a GPS, the DISTRESS feature will go active when the red plastic shield is lifted and the EMER button is depressed and held for at least three seconds. This will send a DSC MAYDAY which all DSC-capable marine radios will pick up and go into alarm-condition, and every radio that receives the DISTRESS call will be electrically commanded to Ch-16. They will continue to alarm until the Distress message is acknowledged by a USCG station OR the receiving unit is powered-off.

Thus leaving the microphone to your prospective monitoring-station transceiver disconnected will not protect you from severe liability should a child or other unkowledgeable person choose to activate the DSC Distress feature on your radio. It does not matter if there is no Maritime Mobile Service Identifier (MMSI) progreammed in the new radio, or whether a GPS is connected or not, the Distress feature will work if used.

Programming features of DSC transceivers make it possible to auto-reply to a position request, polling request and other features designed for convenience of marine communications. Thus programming these features without a thorough understanding of them could also result in undesired emissions from your radio even if it is unattended.

The Icom will go into alarm condition if it receives a DSC DISTRESS call and the range of that signal on Ch-70 greatly exceeds the range that voice can be heard. The Icom and all modern DSC radios have a separate Ch-70 receiver that is on whenever the radio is powered on. Indiscrminately pressing buttons to try to get the very loud alarm to silence may well result in the inadvertent acknowledgement or relay of the DISTRESS call alarm you were trying to silence. So be careful.

As to whether a scanner will do an equivalent job of monitoring the marine bands, my experience is they will absolutely not. While the scanner is generally much faster in scan-mode than marine transceivers can scan, the front ends of all scanners are designed to reject nothing, and they will be plagued by interference from pager-systems that affect all U.S. coastal areas.

Brgds,

Jack Painter
Fifth Coast Guard District-Sr
Communications Officer
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

 

[Castlekingside]

As to whether a scanner will do an equivalent job of monitoring the marine bands, my experience is they will absolutely not. While the scanner is generally much faster in scan-mode than marine transceivers can scan, the front ends of all scanners are designed to reject nothing, and they will be plagued by interference from pager-systems that affect all U.S. coastal areas. .............................................................................................

Can't agree more with you Jack!!! Thanks for your help!!! Your answer to my legal question is also appreciated.

 

[Grog]

If you absolutely do not want to worry about DSC, you can always get an older marine radio or a commerical radio programmed as you see fit with TX disabled. A ham radio might do well also, but I would vote for one of those as a 2nd place after a marine or commercial radio. One issue with using a commercial radio would be having it programmed, and being able to have all the marine frequencies programmed in it. If you only need a certain number of channels, that might not be an issue.

If you have kids/stupid friends that might start pressing every button you see, then you could always mount the radio in such a way that the "oh hell" button is blocked. Maybe in an enclosure behind Plexiglas or some other cool material

That might be overkill, might not, only you can answer that :lol:

 

[Castlekingside]

Nothing of that nature, I'll have total control of the unit. What Jack probably overlooked in his answer is that portable units DO NOT have a destress switch hooked to channel 70, in other words I think they are not DSC capable. Jack if you're still out there could you please clarify this for us? I'm in the market for a portable unit NOT a base/mobil 13.5 volt rig with a distress switch on the front panel and a separate mic.

 

[Grog]

As far as a handheld marine band radio, the standard horizon HX370S can be set (using the software and cable) to disable TX on any and/or all channels. Just a thought for a simple, foolproof marine RX radio.

 

[Castlekingside]

You hit the nail right on the head, according to my web seach (extensive) the Horizon is the only DSC capable portable unit out there!!! My reseach is based on the Icom ic-m72 and as far as I know it DOES NOT have DSC.

 

[kc8gpd]

Buy an old maxtrac off ebay and have it programmed for your channels of interest. if you get your hands on a 99ch maxtrac you can have all the marine channels in the radio and it can be programmed not to Tx. Maxtrac's have one of the hottest receivers available which is why 2 meter ham's love em for repeater receivers.