[amsat-bb] Re: Ham Radios on Cruises

[John Heath]

I didn't expect to be contributing to this thread, but Bob WB4APR's posting 
suggested another idea.

Permission to operate is always at the discretion of the captain or master of 
the vessel. But how about keeping a list of operations from cruise ships with 
the first three items on Bob's list together with dates, name of vessel, name of 
cruise company. That way anyone wishing to do this has a precident for the 
captain. There may be less reason to say no if the captain knows its been done 
before and the vessel didn't sink or all the navigation aids crash. Worth noting 
that with all of the automated comms and navigation on cruise ships these days 
there probably isn't a wireless operator, so no potentialy friendly professional 
to put a in a good word.

Just a thought.

73 all John G7HIA


 



________________________________
From: Bob Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu>
To: amsat-bb at amsat.org
Sent: Tuesday, 1 March, 2011 22:11:02
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Ham Radios on Cruises

> I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something.
> Wouldn't it be much easier to say ... 
> that you must check with the ships
> Captain and/or communications officer

Yes, exactly the point.  But that is no where near good enough advice.  So
that we don’t have to address this for each 4000 of us that might eventually
take a cruise and have piecemeal responses from a dozen different people
offering portions of the answer that then we have to assemble each time from
a dozen emails, the AMSAT web page should also address these points (and
more).

The web page should also suggest:

1) In your (1 page or less) written request to the captain include:
2) What frequencies and bands and power level
3) Description of your antenna and power source
4) Copy of your license
5) Copy of appropriate language in ITU Radio Rules
6) Copy of appropriate language in Maritime Law
7) Copy of whatever else.

Lets nail down the above list once and for all, post it.  And then we don’t
have to hash it everytime with only pieces of the answer coming in from a
dozen different folks, but one answer that accumulates all that info in one
place.

Something like that is what I was proposing.

Bob, WB4APR
-----Original Message-----
From: Donald Jacob [mailto:wb5eku at gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 4:41 PM
To: Bob Bruninga
Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: Ham Radios on Cruises

I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something.
Wouldn't it be much easier to say (on web page or what ever since this topic
has been address MANY MANY times) that you must check with the ships
Captain and/or communications officer. Forget FCC or any other
nation's communications
authority, since once at sea the ship is totally under the authority
of the Captain -- Maritime Law.

Just seems much more logical to me than beating a dead horse!

73
Don  WB5EKU


On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 12:51 PM, Bob Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:
> OK, the web page could say:
>
> 1) "The following have written policy prohibiting all "radio"
operations...
>   <big list>
>
> 2) "The following have written policy prohibiting "amateur radio"
operations
>   <big list>
>
> 3) "On the following lines no one has yet found a written prohibition, but
> the captian of the ship should always be informed as to any radio
operation
> (usually via the Comm officer).
> Good luck.
>   <list>
>
> 4) In all categories above.  There are known examples of individuals
> obtaining permission.  These cruise lines AND ships have supported amateur
> operations.
>
> * Then each amateur that has been successful should submit a simple
sentence
> of what he did (May request his call be removed before posting on the web
> page so he is not burdened by continuously answering the same question for
> the next 20 years.)  But properly formatting your sentence to answer all
the
> proper questions in the first place will usually avoid that kind of
bother.
> Examples:
>
> Wrote letter advance to ____.  Got written permission
> Asked Bursar on arrival to speak to commo...  Got permission
> Slipped note under door of comm. shack with my cabin number.. got
> permission... etc..
>
> Etc...
>
> Bob
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: n0jy at lavabit.com [mailto:n0jy at lavabit.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 1:17 PM
> To: Bob Bruninga
> Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: Ham Radios on Cruises
>
> For what it's worth, you may not be as forward as I am...
>
> On our last cruise (in 2008) I just took my HT and Arrow with me, called
> the Purser and asked to speak with the Radio Officer for permission to
> operate.  I believe it was the next day that I spoke with them and
> described what I was using and what bands, they gave me permission and I
> went to work making satellite contacts.
>
> At that time, their primary concern was power, frequency, and whether my
> antenna would bother any other passengers.  Princess Cruise Lines.
>
> 73,
> Jerry
> NØJY
>
>> Can we nail down all the cruise ships that prohibit it and those that
>> allow
>> it into a single document.  Then provide a link to it on the AMSAT web
>> page?
>>
>> This topic comes up over and over, and someday when I retire, I too am
>> going
>> to want to go on cruise, AND take ham radio along, and so I too will be
>> asking this question.
>>
>> So this is a good INFO topic that we need to collectively nail down, and
>> then get it permanently posted on the AMSAT web page...
>>
>> Thanks...
>> Then we can UPDATE it as new info comes in (everyone write their cruise
>> ship
>> and indicate you're not taking their cruise if you cannot bring your
>> radio)...
>>
>> Bob
>
>
>
>
>
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