VHF Marine Radio
Marine radio operators must have an appropriate Certificate of Proficiency. This may be obtained through the Office of Marine Communications that is part of the Australian Maritime College in Launceston, Tasmania. There are training courses available in Victoria and it can also be done remotely. http://www.amc.edu.au/industry/omc
Following are just some of the topics covered in the VHF marine radio course.
How the VHF frequency works by relying on “line of sight” meaning that higher antennas result in increased ranges: –
Repeater stations may provide greater range.
Who is listening?
Why a VHF marine radio.
Procedures for using VHF marine radio.
PRIORITY of Calls
Remember, marine radio operators must have a Certificate of Proficiency to ensure that the service is used efficiently to ensure the distress frequencies are available when needed in an emergency. Without a VHF certificate of proficiency, a marine radio is still a very important part of your boats safety equipment. If you go boating more than 2 nautical miles from the coast, a VHF marine radio is required and the operator should be registered with an MMSI for the radio DSC feature and for the EPIRB.
Safe boating
John Sanders