Lots of interesting interpretations here. I recently spent part of a day navigating the morass of FCC application processes, so I'll add mine ;-)
1) It is not at *
all* clear from the FCC licensing page which license(s) one should get. The best information I found was at offshoreblue.com
http://www.offshoreblue.com/communic...o-operator.php
http://www.offshoreblue.com/communic...io-station.php
This is about the best info on the FCC site
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/ind...=ship_stations
In broad terms, a pleasure boat (less than 300 tons, no commercial use, no passengers for hire) is not required to have a radio onboard … unless it will be visiting foreign ports and/or communicating with foreign stations, in which case it is
required to have an FCC-licensed “station”.
AND, if you have a station license you are
required to have an “operator’s permit” in order to operate that licensed station. That’s two separate licenses. The “station” license is associated with the boat and is good for 10 years, the "operator" license is associated with a person and is good for life
2)The FCC requires that you have an “FRN” (Federal Registration Number) in their “CORES” (Common Registration System) before you can do anything else. Fairly painless, and you get your FRN instantly
https://apps.fcc.gov/coresWeb/publicHome.do
3) Once you have your FRN, you can start applying for your licenses. The website is a hodge-podge of mixed messages – telling you which forms to use, and then encouraging you to use the ULS (“Universal License System”) paperless/online process.
*
IF* you want to file on paper, the forms you’ll need are
-- 159, which is the authorization to process payments
-- 605 (main), which is the main form for all ship- and aviation licenses
-- 605 (supplemental), which gathers additional information (emergency contacts, etc)
-- Schedule B, which is the application for the Ship Station license
-- Schedule E, which is the application for the Restricted Radiotelephone Operator license
-- Schedule F, which is the application for a “temporary permit” – you don’t send this one in, you fill it out and sign it, and it serves as your “permit” (with temporary call-sign) for 90 days.
Based on advice from a friend, I printed out the paper copies of all the forms (and associated instructions) and filled them all out, just to make sure I knew which choices were appropriate and where I needed more information. It was a fairly useful exercise, if a bit mind-numbing.
4) BUT, the online (ULS) system is *
much* less painful than the paper forms. Basically it walks you through the information-gathering and doesn’t make you fill in things that are not relevant to the kind(s) of license(s) you are applying for. With your FRN (and the information you need from the forms) in hand, go here
http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=home
… log into ULS, pick “online filing”, and select “apply for a new license” from the left nav-bar
5) One of the weirdnesses I encountered in the license process was the request for my boat’s “gross tonnage” – which in government terms has absolutely nothing to do with the boat’s weight or displacement. It’s a crude calculation of total volume (supposedly originating from a requirement to know how much cargo a vessel can carry), and is relatively simple math. There’s an online calculator at the USCG site I can point you to if you need it. My 32' 9800-lb sailboat worked out to something like 8 gross tons, 7 net tons.
6) I ended up having to go thru the online application process twice. Once for my station license application (service code SA “Ship, recreational or voluntarily equipped”, application purpose NE for “new”) and then a second time to apply for my “Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit” (service code "RR", application purpose "NE")
In each pass, when I was done with the application I was offered the option to make payment online, with a link to info about sending in a check if I preferred. The online payment was easy enough, and avoids having to fill out form 159, a truly horrendous form authorizing them to receive your payment. Total cost ended up being $280 (more than the cost of a good radio!). That breaks down as $65 for the station application, $65 for the operator application, and $150 “regulatory fee”.
7) I received both licenses (with associated call-sign and MMSI number) the next night, via email. Less-than-48-hour turnaround *
seriously* surprised me, and, yes, you have to print them out yourself.
Note, no course was required for either of these licenses.
One key learning I’d add to this: If you have a DSC-capable radio and don’t already have the MMSI number required to enable that functionality, you have two choices – you can get your MMSI through the FCC as part of the “station” license, or you can get the MMSI assigned by Boat-US. The Boat-US process is easier (and undoubtedly cheaper), *
BUT* - the MMSI number you get through Boat-US is *
not* valid for international use, and
cannot be converted to an FCC-recognized MMSI.
If you purchase an AIS unit, you *must* have your MMSI already so the AIS unit can be programmed by the manufacturer/dealer before it ships to you. My understanding is that because this is an FCC registration, only an FCC-issued MMSI will be accepted, but this is only anecdotal; I don't have a cite.
If you want an MMSI that is valid internationally, you’ll have to get it from the FCC. The likelihood of getting “caught” using a domestic-only MMSI while on a trip to the Gulf Islands (or whatever) is probably low, but… you should know there is a difference.
I have all my notes from going through this – if anyone gets bogged down in the process, let me know…happy to share how I ended up making the choices I made.
Bruce