"Leonard" wrote in news:1133107418.196625.3130
@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

A Marine VHF can not be used on land unless you are
in a business that provides a service to boaters.



Er, ah, that's not exactly right, either. To use ANY marine VHF radio,
walkie or not, on land requires a "Marine Utility Station License"
requested on Form 605. As you can see from the text right off the FCC's
website below, you don't qualify...

"MAY I USE MY HAND-HELD MARINE VHF RADIO ON LAND?

You must have a special license, called a marine utility station license,
to operate a hand-held marine radio from land -- a ship station license
IS NOT sufficient. You may apply for this license by filing FCC Form 601
with the FCC. To be eligible for a marine utility station license, you
must generally provide some sort of service to ships or have control over
a bridge or waterway. Additionally, you must show a need to communicate
using hand-held portable equipment from both a ship and from coast
locations. Each unit must be capable of operation while being hand-
carried by an individual. The station operates under the rules applicable
to ship stations when the unit is aboard a ship, and under the rules
applicable to private coast stations when the unit is on land."

http://wireless.fcc.gov/marine/

Using your walkie from the DOCK or from anywhere ashore to call anyone is
illegal, even though thousands do it all the time. FCC has no time for
nitpicking and are way undermanned after all the budget cuts. Unless
someone reports you, and is willing to testify against you in Federal
court, your chances of prosecution are near zero....in reality. The CG
will cuss you out if they hear you telling someone you're on the dock.
I've heard that.

One of our local bigshot boat dealers was using a bunch of Marine VHF
walkies at a local boatshow. He doesn't qualify, no matter how big his
company is, as he's not a bridgetender or waterway controller. When I
pointed this fact out to the bigshot in the suit in the boatshow parking
lot, he told me to go to hell in so many words and that he didn't require
a license. He ****ed me off and I popped open my cell to call FCC's info
line. (It was Friday, they're open on Friday..(c I asked the nice man
in the Enforcement Bureau to explain it to him and handed my cellphone
over to him. FCC guy was unimpressed with his company standing in the
yacht sales community and told him to take all the walkies off the air,
immediately. Channel 72 wasn't his company's private business band
channel, after all. After he stomped off, I gave FCC his name and
address so they could communicate the rules to him further. Scratch
another boat dealer that's not going to give me a great deal on a new
yacht...(c;

I think the rules are stupid on the dock. But, alas, if they didn't have
them, you'd hear Dad calling Mom on the boat from the office like a
telephone.