Do all of us actually need a vhf license or are we exempt?

spring fever

spring fever

Well-Known Member
I am getting a headache reading this stuff-Am I reading this section right about exemptions http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst...h_sf01775.html. I followed through and looked at the schedule of frequencies and I think most of us are exempt. I'm not saying that you shouldn't take the course but it may explain why no tickets if you have an ordinary vhf mobile unit on your boat. Just want to clarify what I'm reading.
 
There is a difference between a radio license and an operators certificate. Most recreational boaters do not require a marine radio license for the VHF radio on their boats. However, recreational boaters ALL require an Operators' Certificate if they are going to use their VHF radio.
Following is from the reference posted above:

Certification

Do I still require a Radio Operator Certificate?

Yes. The Radio Operator Certificate is still a requirement for anyone who may be operating the maritime radio equipment, regardless of whether a radio licence is required.

How do I obtain a certificate?

Candidates for the Radio Operator Certificate must successfully complete an examination. The exam can be written in any Industry Canada office or with an examiner accredited by Industry Canada. Your local boating association may be able to provide you with more information, or you can contact your local Industry Canada office RIC-66.
 
Thank you-I was getting confused between operators certificate and Radio lic-. We start to use them interchangeably and they aren't -obviously!!
 
I understand how easy it is to confuse the two as well - in an earlier post I referred to an operators' license when I should have said operators' certificate.
 
According to what I was told at the course:-


(1) Just turning a VHF on and listening is legally considered "operating" the radio.

(2) If you want to turn on the VHF and listen......or......talk on it:- you need a ROC-M.
 
Alright, so this part is new to me. I've done some research and see that the Power and Sail Squadron offer both in house courses and it appears a take-home package, which are then followed by an exam. It would seem the Squadron is the only one offering this course, not like the Pleasure Craft Operator Course, offered by many. I got that from the following Industry Canada quote:

"Note: The Restricted Operator Certificate - Maritime (ROC-M) was delegated to the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons in 2000."
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/h_sf09937.html

I found the info on the take home course or in house course from the Squadron at the following link:
http://www.cps-ecp.ca/public/public...eshT=234680|RefreshS=LeftNav|RefreshD=2346806

But what I can't figure out or see on their site is where I would write the exam - and the IC site on accredited examiners has nothing on ROC-M, presumably because those exams are also issued by the Squadron. So I can call the squadron during working hours, but if anyone has any other details I may have overlooked, please do share! Thanks.
 
There is no C.P.S.S. near me.
I went online and found the course offered through Sheridan College. The course comes with a book and a DVD, when finished, you just need to get an accredited invigilator to oversee the exam, in my case, it was as easy as having the secretary of the nearby school swear and sign for me.
 
Radio License and Operator Certificate are different things. Most recreational boaters will not require a radio license but all require an Operators Certificate. From the Transport Canada website:



Certification



Do I still require a Radio Operator Certificate?



Yes. The Radio Operator Certificate is still a requirement for anyone who may be operating the maritime radio equipment, regardless of whether a radio licence is required.



How do I obtain a certificate?



Candidates for the Radio Operator Certificate must successfully complete an examination. The exam can be written in any Industry Canada office or with an examiner accredited by Industry Canada. Your local boating association may be able to provide you with more information, or you can contact your local Industry Canada office RIC-66.
Click to expand...



Big Bruce is right and the TC website makes this stuff pretty clear. The laws regarding motor vehicles offer an analogy that simplifies things. Everybody who wants to drive a motor vehicle on public roads needs a license to do so, whether they own the motor vehicle or not. Same with the VHF radio.



If you own a motor vehicle and want to drive it, it needs to be registered/licensed. Same with the VHF radio. This is the "station license" for which most recreational boaters are exempt as long as the VHF radio is only going to be used in Canada's domestic waters.



Firearms are regulated in a similar way and offer another analogy. The person needs a license to acquire and own firearms. Certain firearms (used to be all of them) need to be registered.



Both the "user" and the "thing being used" need to be registered, licensed, or in some way authorized by the state, for use to be lawful. Motor vehicles, firearms, VHF radios.



Using the VHF requires the operator to be licensed. The radio itself is exempt from the licensing requirement (for most recrational boaters) if you only use it in Canadian waters.
 
If you are going DSI with MMSI number...I think you need a station license for the radio as well as a ROC-M to use it.
 
If you are are commercial operator or travel to US waters you will need a STATION LICENCE. If you operate any FIXED 25 WATT VHF you need a VHF MARINE OPERATORS LICENCE (ROM)

beemer
 
Seafever said:
If you are going DSI with MMSI number...I think you need a station license for the radio as well as a ROC-M to use it.
Click to expand...

I think you mean DSC (Digital Selective Calling). No station license or operator's license is required to get an MMSI for most recreational boaters operating their boats Canada. Different MMSI application forms are involved depending on whether the radio is licensed, a shore station etc. See this link: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sd-sd.nsf/eng/00009.html

As explained by others, use of the radio requires a license, and in some circumstances the radio itself must be licensed.
 
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So if im going to buy a vhf radio and only staying in canadian waters what do i need? And where can i get it?
 
Don't want to disrail this thread, but you don't necessarily need to take a course before you drive a car, you just need to prove that you can do it in a car with a driving examiner. To operate a boat you don't necessarily need a PCOC. You can also provide "Proof of Competency" which is as simple as a copy of your Power squadron certificate or other boating course. I have queried about this many times to coast guard and they have confirmed that proof of competency is an acceptable qualification to operate a pleasure craft.
 
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Magspec said:
So if im going to buy a vhf radio and only staying in canadian waters what do i need? And where can i get it?
Click to expand...

Easy, you need 2 things, one for safety and the other to operate the radio lawfully.

1. To take full advantage of the safety features offered by Digital Selective Calling, get an MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) number that you program into your VHF radio. They are free and you apply to get one through Industry Canada. Here is a link that explains how to apply: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf01032.html#p7.2

The MMSI is a valuable safety feature because it provides search and rescue officials with detailed information about you and your vessel, so that if you press the red button and send out a DSC distress call, this information will be instantly available to the authorities, which will make it easier to locate you. If your radio is connected to a GPS/chartplotter, this distress signal will also provide your precise GPS coordinates, which is even more important for locating you in an emergency. Finally, it allows you to call others (who have MMSI's) in a very automated way without hailing them on channel 16, but I don't believe many people take advantage of that feature.

2. To operate the VHF lawfully, you need the ROC-M, which is the operator's license. It is good for life. Courses are offered though Power Squadrons and others. I got the materials from Bruce Stott who operates the Gulf Islands Cruising School, studied on my own and he administered the exam. So there are a number of ways to go about it; they all cost money, but very little compared to what gets spent on boating. Not a difficult exam, but it requires some time and preparation. It is very helpful in that it fully explains all operating protocols and rules, the phonetic alphabet, and the safety features of DSC and MMSI.

If someone spends a lot of time on the water, I do not understand why they would not get the license, an MMSI number, and connect their VHF to a GPS. VHF and its proper use are vital to safety on the water.
 
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