SG-2000 MANUAL
24
The SGC Building, 13737 S.E. 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005 USA
©1995, SGC, Inc.
TEL: (206) 746-6310 FAX: (206) 746-6384
If you do not plan to operate aboard a ship, but have a need to communicate with
vessels on a regular commercial basis, you may qualify for a private coast station
license. The U.S. F.C.C. also has licenses available for specialized needs such as long
distance aviation communication.
In the United States the use of a commercial SSB station on land to communicate with
vessels is not allowed without proper licensing. To make application for a U.S. shore
station, you will need to complete F.C.C. forms 503, 155, and 753. The filing fee as of
1995 for form 503 is $120 while the filing fee for form 753 is $45. There is no charge for
form 155, which is a form to list your filing fees. This type of license is recommended
for marinas and fisheries services.
If you have a touch-tone telephone, you may order the appropriate license application
forms from the F.C.C.'s automated telephone forms request service through your local
office. The telephone number to call in the United States for current fee information is
(202) 418-0220.
A current printed copy of rules and regulations governing commercial marine
operations is available from Fair Press Services, P.O. Box 19352, 20th Street Station,
Washington, D.C., 20036-0352. Their phone number is (202) 463-7323. There is a charge
for this publication.
Amateur (ham) radio may not be used for the conduct of business and the operator of
the radio station is also licensed to repair the equipment. A test must be passed in order
to secure a ham radio license. Commercial stations may be serviced only by a person
holding the appropriate class of commercial radio license.
8.2
Operator Licenses
In the U.S., a radio operator license is required. The person operating a commercial
station aboard a pleasure craft, or any ocean going vessel under a certain tonnage, must
have at least an "Operator Permit" to use the radio of an appropriately licensed vessel.
It is simple to obtain the commercial Operator Permit document. It constitutes an
agreement to use the radio properly, use no profanity and to use the radio for no illegal
purposes. You sign your name, give your mailing address, and a few weeks later, an
operator license arrives.
If you intend repairing commercial radio equipment, the requirements become
stringent very quickly. A General Class Radiotelephone License is required to make
adjustments of equipment used in commercial service.
The F.C.C. has reduced the Morse Code requirements of a ham radio license and the
SG-2000 may be operated in the 10 meter amateur band with the new "Code Free"
license. Information about becoming a ham radio operator in the U.S. is available by
calling the National Amateur Radio Association, NARA, which maintains a toll-free
(800) telephone number.