Folks, for the benefit of us reading the digest version, please consider trimming quoted text to the bare minimum. Thanks!
> This is because the equipment they purchase, like Icom rigs, operates in Ham > bands. The radio buoys also are programmable to Ham bands. > 73 Tom Tom, this is news to me. Maritime equipment is manufactured to extremely strict type acceptance. Can you give me an example of an Icom MF/HF maritime rig that can be used or reprogrammed onto the ham bands? It seems to me that some incredible redesigning of such a radio would have to be done. Also, I don't see how the maritime channelization design could be defeated to give the frequency agility we enjoy in the amateur radio service (the only service to be given such a privilege). There are maritime channels set aside specifically for "chit-chat" among vessels at sea, so I see no reason for a vessel owner to go through the incredible effort of getting a maritime-only rig operating on the ham bands. I suspect, instead, that the vessel owner has purchased a ham band transceiver (which is about half the price of a maritime transceiver). Note that maritime frequencies are channelized. See for example, our website: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov 73, Jeff KH6O Senior Chief, US Coast Guard _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
