On Tue, 3 Sep 2013, Bill Gunshannon wrote:

In article ,
"Geoffrey S. Mendelson" writes:
rickman wrote:
Yes, I am in the US. The radio will be used to support marine
communications which is legal by my understanding.

Not unless you have a license. Otherwise you risk a $10,000 fine.

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/ind...ship_stations#
Using Hand-Held Marine VHF Radios on Land


Am I the only one who doesn't think a kayak on the Chesapeake would
be considered "a ship" and that none of this is relevant to what
he wants to do? Seems like a task for GMRS to me.

I've looked at kayak magazines from time to time, and I've seen ads for
Marine band walkie talkies in them, so I'd say it's suitable.

This isn't the old days, when "marine band" meant 2 to 3MHz, a long
antenna and expensive and bulky equipment. The addition of the VHF marine
band was to make it more accessible. The commercial ships stayed at HF
(and paid the money to make the transition to SSB), but a lot of pleasure
boaters got radio as a result of the VHF marine band. Now it's even
simpler, you apparently don't need a license. A kayaker might have as
much need for radio as a yacht, and solid state has made it easy, a hand
held so you don't need a permanent installation or high cost.

Yes, other services probably would work here, they don't have restrictions
agains use on the water.

But, I was just near a lock a few weeks ago, and while I don't think the
boats were using radio to contact the lock, I would assume the lock has
marine band radio installed. So a kayaker coming along (and I've seen
taht there) wouldn't have the ability to contact the lock if they had CB
or GMRS or FRS or MURS, but if they had a cheap VHF Marine band handheld,
they could, and the fact that they don't need a license anymore for use in
the boat would seem to indicate this is completely valid.

Michael