"Steve (another one)" wrote:

John Howell wrote:

Steve wrote:

Does anyone know if it is possible to modify the IC-M800 to operate on Ham freqs ?
snip
These are good bomb proof radios and all though not ideal for ham
operation work very well though you will get the odd snipe about being
off frequency


Hope this helps

John

Thanks that's very helpful, but prompts another question....

I also have responsibility for a boat with an M700, it is annoying that
it cannot receive down to 518KHz for Navtex. It had not ocured to me
that this could be easily 'fixed' do you know of a way to allow that ??

Thanks

Steve


Sorry Steve...I got this info from Icom UK who are very helpfull..They
also gave me info on modifying other rigs so maybe they could give
this...I shall see.


Regards John

John Howell wrote:

Steve wrote:

Does anyone know if it is possible to modify the IC-M800 to operate on Ham freqs ?

Any pointers to instructions ?




Yes Steve it can be modified.....and also Icom have an eprom at less
than 20 uk pounds that adds lsb so you get the works

To modify the radio it is the old fashioned way of cutting links and not
button pushing...this is OLD technology.


Find the logic unit which I believe is one of the circuit boards
underneath.

about mid point along on one of the short sides are 4 links and
these are marked w1 w3 w5 w6

cutting w1 gives free TX on all frequencies

The radio will not transmit below 2 mhz or above 24 mhz


To increase the frequency coverage

find the RF unit.


In one corner and running along the short edge is a row of diodes

could be as many as 10 You need to cut D25 to go over 24 mhz
you need to cut D24 to go below 2 mhz

D24 is nearest the corner and D25 is at the opposite end of the row!


the eprom is product code 119.o2 and gives USB and LSb however if it is
a USA radio this may already be fitted.

These are good bomb proof radios and all though not ideal for ham
operation work very well though you will get the odd snipe about being
off frequency


Hope this helps

John

Thanks that's very helpful, but prompts another question....

I also have responsibility for a boat with an M700, it is annoying that
it cannot receive down to 518KHz for Navtex. It had not ocured to me
that this could be easily 'fixed' do you know of a way to allow that ??

Thanks

Steve

Larry W4CSC wrote:

To operate GMDSS/DSC, you are required to be a licensed GMDSS OPERATOR,
having passed elements 1 and 7 of the General Radio Operator's License
examinations (GROL).

http://wireless.fcc.gov/commoperators/do.html

(I'll probably get slammed for pointing this out, but you can read it for
yourself on the webpages.) Radio salesmen selling GMDSS equipment to
yachties never mention any of this, of course, as it would stop sales of
expensive equipment. It's NOT a cellphone.

Larry, where do you get the stuff you post? Is there an exhaust leak on
your old bread truck or something?

For American recreational vessels under 20 meters operating only in
American waters, no license of any sort is required to operate a DSC
equipped VHF radio. For those who travel abroad a simple no test
Restricted ticket and a ship station license is still all that is needed.

Just because a VHF with DSC is part of the suite of equipment that makes
up a GMDSS installation does not mean that a GMDSS operator's ticket is
needed to own or use one. Perhaps you should read your own links.Those
radio salesmen know more than you do about their customers and their needs.

There is not even a requirement for a ship station license for that
vessel. The MMSI will be issued without a station or operators license.

I am sure we are all impressed to no end that you hold GMDSS operator
and maintainer tickets but that obviously has no bearing on how much you
know about the rules for using them. Besides, 99.999 percent of small
boaters probably could care less about "maintaining" their DSC radios.

Rick

"Rick" wrote
Larry W4CSC wrote:

To operate GMDSS/DSC, you are required to be a licensed GMDSS OPERATOR,
having passed elements 1 and 7 of the General Radio Operator's License
examinations (GROL).

http://wireless.fcc.gov/commoperators/do.html


Just because a VHF with DSC is part of the suite of equipment that makes
up a GMDSS installation does not mean that a GMDSS operator's ticket is
needed to own or use one. Perhaps you should read your own links.Those
radio salesmen know more than you do about their customers and their
needs.

There is not even a requirement for a ship station license for that
vessel. The MMSI will be issued without a station or operators license.

Rick

I believe the thread has been dealing only with HF, where a license is
required. I operate under NTIA not FCC so I haven't had that issue come
up...but Larry certainly would on a sail yacht with licensed equipment. I
can say that the equipment is certainly different where HF is concerned, but
not as much fun as pinging your buddy's GPS with your position and channel
on VHF-DSC.

Jack

"Larry W4CSC" wrote

To operate GMDSS/DSC, you are required to be a licensed GMDSS OPERATOR,
having passed elements 1 and 7 of the General Radio Operator's License
examinations (GROL).

http://wireless.fcc.gov/commoperators/do.html



Larry, all I could find was information regarding compulsory GMDSS ships. Is
there a listing you are aware of for voluntary-equipped GMDSS? HF is the
issue, of course ;-)

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

Jack

Jack Painter wrote:


I believe the thread has been dealing only with HF, where a license is
required. I operate under NTIA not FCC so I haven't had that issue come
up...but Larry certainly would on a sail yacht with licensed equipment. I
can say that the equipment is certainly different where HF is concerned, but
not as much fun as pinging your buddy's GPS with your position and channel
on VHF-DSC.

There is no requirement for a commercial radio operator's license to
carry or use an HF or a VHF set on a US recreational vessel. In the US a
restricted radio operator's permit and a ship station license is all
that is required to operate HF. If the recreational vessel makes no
international voyages then no license of any sort is required for
VHF/DSC installations or use.

Like I wrote earlier, just because a radio incorporates one of the
features that comprise part of a GMDSS suite does not mean that the
operator hold a GMDSS license.

Rick

Jack Painter wrote:

Larry, all I could find was information regarding compulsory GMDSS ships. Is
there a listing you are aware of for voluntary-equipped GMDSS? HF is the
issue, of course ;-)

Unless Larry holds, and is required to hold, a current USCG license as a
merchant marine officer with an STCW certificate endorsed as a radio
operator he only holds the GMDSS tickets for ego purposes. No one else
needs one unless they work for a shorebased maintenance firm doing work
on GMDSS equipment on ships. He obviously doesn't understand the GMDSS
system concept and is posting nonsense.

If you want reliable information that applies to you and your particular
circumstances just Google "gmdss voluntary station operator license"

There are plenty of pages. Here is a link that pretty much states what
Larry would have known if he had any training and held the license for
anything other than some kind of redneck ham radio bragging rights:

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/gmdss/cvib-2.doc

Training, Licensing and Certification

The Master and all Mates on SOLAS vessels are now required to hold the
FCC GMDSS Radio Operator?s License (GOC) for Sea Areas A2, A3 (Inmarsat
coverage), and A4 (polar regions) or the Restricted GMDSS Radio
Operator?s License (ROC) for operations in Sea Area A1. They must also
hold a Coast Guard STCW 95 GMDSS endorsement. The STCW endorsement
requires mandatory training and demonstrated ability to operate all
GMDSS systems. Most small commercial vessels are not required to be STCW
compliant, however, and are permitted to use any GMDSS equipment without
mandated GMDSS training. Small commercial vessels mandated to carry
radio for safety reasons are required to hold a radio station license
and the appropriate operator permits. Vessels subject to the
Bridge-to-Bridge act are also required to hold a radio station license.

Rick

Larry W4CSC wrote:

To repair GMDSS equipment, there's a repairman's license, too. I hold both
so have an operator/maintainer's license (elements 1,3,7 and 9) called a DB
license.

Really? The FCC ULS database must have missed you somehow. All they have
is your ham license. Maybe you changed your name?

Rick

"Rick" wrote

If you want reliable information that applies to you and your particular
circumstances just Google "gmdss voluntary station operator license"
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/gmdss/cvib-2.doc

Thanks. I used the search-engine inside the FCC pages, and it had the same
info, except the part about voluntary equipped stations, which we now know
is open to any owner/operator etc.

Jack

"Jack Painter" wrote in
news:_nKGc.8282$pY2.8013@lakeread01:



I believe the thread has been dealing only with HF, where a license is
required. I operate under NTIA not FCC so I haven't had that issue
come up...but Larry certainly would on a sail yacht with licensed
equipment. I can say that the equipment is certainly different where
HF is concerned, but not as much fun as pinging your buddy's GPS with
your position and channel on VHF-DSC.

Jack


I was referring to the HF GMDSS system, which goes along with the Icom M800
HF/SSB rig of this thread, although it does not have GMDSS.....

NOT UNLICENSED VHF....

To operate HF GMDSS aboard your sailboat, a GMDSS OPERATORS license IS
required, no matter what the Waste Marine salesman told you...

Larry