It took us a while to get our heads around the full complexity of communications available on a yacht. So many frequencies. So many services. So many courses.
We currently use a marine VHF set. We have a ships license, and did our operators license many years ago, as part of our dive courses. VHF is fine for short distance communications, around 30 miles or so.
Using our short wave receiver, we were also able to receive transmissions from further afield, as detailed earlier
http://ishtaryacht.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/receiving-weather-information-using.html
but we wanted to go further. We looked at the Long Range Certificate for marine use, and will probably do this next year (it costs around £300 each, and is a four day course plus the exam). Many, many sailors, though, use the amateurs radio bands, also known as HAM radio. There are a great many people out there who specialise in communicating long distance via amateur radio, and many 'cruisers nets' in various parts of the world who discuss weather, routing and other information in their part of the world.
We looked at the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) website and, through them, contacted Jerry, at Pencoed Amateur Radio club.
http://www.rsgb.org/clubsandtraining/
http://www.mw0prg.co.uk
They were very friendly, and, through them we found out the following information.
There are three levels to the RSGB exams in the UK. Foundation, Intermediate and Full. Pencoed club were prepared to help us to train for each of the exams, and, if we passed, we'd get a certificate to present to Offcom to gain our amateur radio license.
To use an Amateur Radio on board a yacht, in tidal waters in the UK, one needs to gain a full license. Louise and I talked about it and decided that we'd like to do it. We bagan studying for the foundation license immediately. Each week we would attend the club, have a lecture (with a fine gentleman caled Don) about frequencies, antennas, transceivers and so on, and do some sample questions for the exam. After about 6 weeks, we both turned up at the club, were shown into a prepared room with a clock, the exam papers from the RSGB were removed from sealed envelopes and we worked our way through 26 multiple choice exam questions, with the pass mark at 19 questions answered correctly.
We both passed first time. Although delighted, the Foundation level is quite easy. Indeed, someone at the club was telling me that the youngest person to pass it was aged 5! we started the Intermediate level straight away afterwards - Don tells us it should be around 12 weeks or so before we are ready for the exam.
The intermediate level course is far more in depth. As well as the theory of different types of radio, Single side band, FM, morse code, antenna theory and so on, we have to study basic electronics and, even, build simple receivers and transmitters using resistors, inductors, capacitors, diodes and so on.
All going well, we should be ready for the Intermediate examination in a few weeks. After that, we expect to spend the winter preparing for the Full license examination. With a bit of luck and a following wind, we will be able to use an amateur radio set aboard Ishtar, and talk to people all over the world, by the time we start sailing next season.
We're currently looking at buying our first HF (High Frequency) transceiver, which, although we won't be able to install aboard Ishtar until we have our full license, we will be able to use at home, getting used to all th efrequencies, settings and calling people over long distances.
