UHF/VHF radio regulations

aly1969

Member
ill be fishing in nootka sound this summer for a few days. im wondering if its the law that i require a VHF radio?? thanks
 
Not law but a good idea. VHF that is. If you're going off shore it's essential for your safety.
 
ok thanks. i was told by a few people it was law. coast guard or fish cops could give a ticket or send you back in. ill probably get a hand held anyway.
 
You do not need a license to HAVE a VHF ,but you legally need a licence to talk on it. get the license when you can but get a VHF , it is a must on the water.

beemer
 
For pleasure craft, it's not mandatory to have one onboard, but as others have said if you have one you need an ROC-M or ROC-MC to talk on there (Industry Canada regulation). Thus there's no ticketable offense for not having a VHF on a pleasure craft, even though it's a great thing to have onboard. However, there is a catch-all ticket they can write under the Small Vessel Regulations sec. 201 for "failing to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of all those onboard". They being the RCMP, Municipal Police, CO Service, Parks Rangers in a BC Park, DFO Fishery Officers,- but not Coast Guard- Coast Guard don't have enforcement power for any boating safety items, just for failing to respond to pollution incident- i.e. you spill diesel and don't report it or don't try to mop it up with spill pads/boom, and it's not the search and rescue guys who would ticket for that).

So if the RCMP find you say 10 miles offshore in an open tinny and no communication device onboard and other things that lead them to believe you don't care for the safety of those onboard, they could write that catch all ticket and direct you back to shore.

For commercial it is mandatory to have a VHF onboard. Commercial regs state:

Every vessel shall be equipped with one non-portable VHF radiotelephone if the ship is of closed construction, more than 8 metres in length or carrying passengers engaged on a voyage of which any part is in a VHF coverage area, or is more than five miles from shore, or is a tow-boat.


Unless the vessel is equipped with two VHF radiotelephones, the VHF radiotelephone shall have dual watch capability if it was installed after April 28, 1996.

A VHF radiotelephone on a vessel shall be capable of transmitting and receiving communications on:

The distress and safety frequency of 156.8 MHZ (channel 16);


The primary inter-ship safety communication frequency of 156.3 MHZ (channel 6);

The bridge-to-bridge communication frequency of 156.65 MHZ (channel 13);

The public correspondence frequency specifically assigned for the area in which the ship is navigating; and

Any other VHF frequencies that is necessary for safety purposes in the area in which the ship is navigating.

A vessel other than a closed construction vessel that does not carry more than six passengers may carry a portable VHF radiotelephone provided that it has a source of energy sufficient for the duration of the voyage.
 
there are no shortage of marine regulations . The U.S .manages quite nicely with no Radio Operators Licence.

Get a VHF ,wear a pdf and your chance of survival has just increased by 50% in case of a mishap.

beemer
 
Thx. lots of info there. im gonna be fishing in the nootka sound area, staying at critter cove, what band do most people monitor on the radio?
 
Keep in mind that without a ROC-M license you're not legally allowed to use the radio. The definition of use has changed over the years too. Currently "use" is defined as *powering on* a radio. In the past "use" was defied as transmitting.

So, technically, you're not legally allowed to power on a VHF without your ROC-M.

Also as ericl mentions, beware the range. A non-handheld VHF is going to trasmit with 20w of power. A handheld VHF typically transmits at 1, 3, or 6w.
 
Thx. lots of info there. im gonna be fishing in the nootka sound area, staying at critter cove, what band do most people monitor on the radio?

Best to monitor channel 16. That is the distress frequency and hailing. If hailing, move to another channel when you have reached your intended caller.

A good note for all is that most military aircraft (Sea King, Aurora, Cormorant as well as Buffalo) monitor Ch 16, as well as the Coast Guard.
 
Does anybody know if the ROC-M course is available online? I can't seem to find anything.
Thanks,
 
You can study for the test online but the test has to be written in person, I believe. Usually through the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron. It is probably better to take the entire course in person to get the most out of it. After all, it is intended as a life-saving safety device not simply a money grab from licence fees. The course is offered frequently, once a week, somewhere near you. check the Power Squadron web site. The new course includes MMSI endorsement which gives you an even higher level of safety for use of units that have GPS. Even Handhelds should have this feature. I wouldn't buy one without it.
 
Do not do a online ROC-M if offered. It doesn't take that long to do course. The oral exam is definitely worth it, and if you don't know it really shows. I wish it was required by law to have it. Its dangerous to not know what you are doing on a radio.
 
Does anybody know if the ROC-M course is available online? I can't seem to find anything.
Thanks,
On the island...camosun, western maritime insitute, north island college, Datum marine http://marinetrainingbc.com/course-calendar , local power squadrons (early spring) all offer regular courses in spring and fall. Funny though, the majority of courses dry up in summer time during peak boating season due to lack of demand as the biggest customer base for the non-squadron courses are small commercial boat operators and they are all off to work in the summer... the ROC-M is usually paired same week as the other required small commercial vessel operator courses- SVOP, MEDA3 courses.
 
After all these years decided I better get an ROC(M) but courses are hard to come by. You cannot get it on- line so I contacted the Lazo power squadron and discovered Spring and fall only. I asked if I could challenge the exam-they tried hard to dissuade me but said it was possible. Got the books and CD and even though I have an aeronautical VHF/HF lic; flown " for 30+ years and was a SAR pilot some of the stuff was very challenging. My wife was laughing at me for how much time I was spending studying but as I told her-- It would make me look and feel really bad if I failed!! Long story short-did the exam ,and the oral and got the certificate last thurs. I wouldn't recommend doing it the way I did unless you have a really strong (proper) radio background! Guess I'd better get a DSC radio now!! LOL
 
I did mine over 25 years ago. I've never been asked to produce it. It is so faded and mildewed now I doubt if it is even legible. Way to go on challenging the test, the class time is pointless. It's just a matter of committing to memory the proper way to use the radio.
 
The DSC part was very interesting never had anything like that in 67 when I took my initial one but not unlike the selcal we had in transports on the HF frequencies so we didn't have to monitor all freq's
 
If you are from out of the country visiting Canada is a person required to have the VHF license? Guess I was not ever aware that you needed to have a license in Canada as here in Washington you are not required.
 
No you don't need a certificate visiting Canada as long as there is a reciprocal agreement and you are good to go in your own country. Much like car lic. and the ability to drive a US pleasure craft in Canadian waters.
 
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