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Nothing comes close to a Cobra
®
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English
Recommendations for
Marine Communication
FCC Information
Recommendations for Marine Communication
•
The frequencies your radio uses are set aside to enhance safety afloat and for vessel
navigation and operational messages over a range suitable for nearshore voyages.
If the two (2) watt maximum output of your radio isn’t sufficient for the distances
you travel from the coast, consider grabbing a Cobra
®
hand held radio with up to five
(5) watts of output power or installing a Cobra
®
fixed mount radio with up to 25 watts
of output power. (Visit www.cobra.com or your local dealer for model availability.)
If you will be going far offshore, you should consider adding even more powerful
radio equipment such as HF Single Sideband or Satellite Radio for your vessel.
The U.S. Coast Guard does not endorse cellular telephones as substitutes for marine
radios. They generally cannot communicate with rescue vessels and, if you make a
distress call on a cellular telephone, only the party you call will be able to hear you.
Additionally, cellular telephones may have limited coverage over water and can be
hard to locate. If you don’t know where you are, the Coast Guard will have difficulty
finding you if you’re using a cellular telephone.
However, cellular phones can have a place on board — to allow social conversations
and keep the marine frequencies uncluttered and available for their intended uses.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: FCC LICENSING INFORMATION
•
CobraMarine
™
VHF radios comply with the FCC (Federal Communication
Commission) requirements that regulate the Maritime Radio Service.
Station License
An FCC ship station license is no longer required for any vessel traveling in U.S.A.
waters which uses a VHF marine radio, RADAR, or EPIRB (Emergency Position
Indicating Radio Beacon), and which is not required to carry radio equipment.
However, any vessel required to carry a marine radio on an international voyage,
carrying a HF single side band radiotelephone, or carrying a marine satellite
terminal must obtain a station license.
FCC license forms and applications for ship and land stations can be downloaded
through the internet at www.fcc.gov/forms. Forms can also be obtained by calling
the FCC at 888-225-5322.
Radio Call Sign
Currently, the FCC does not require recreational boaters to have a license.
The United States Coast Guard recommends that the boat’s registration
number and state of registry (e.g. Illinois AB 1234) be used as a call sign
and be clearly visible on the vessel.
Canadian Ship Station License
You may need a license if your vessel is operated in sovereign waters of a country
other than the U.S.A. If you are going to operate in Canadian waters, please contact
the nearest field office or write: Industry of Canada, Radio Regulatory Branch,
Attn: DOSP, 300 Slater Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C8.
User Responsibility and Operating Locations
All users are responsible for observing domestic and foreign government regulations
and are subject to severe penalties for violations. The VHF frequencies on your radio
are reserved for marine use and require a special license to operate from land,
including when your boat is on its trailer.
NOTE
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
FCC Warnings: Replacement or substitution of transistors, regular diodes,
or other parts of a unique nature, with parts other than those recommended
by Cobra
®
may cause a violation of the technical regulations of part 95 of the
FCC Rules, or violation of type acceptance requirements of part 2 of the Rules.
VHF Marine Radio Protocols
VHF Marine Radio Protocols
Introduction
