hello i have a handheld marine radio and?

[James]

It's yours. . . No problems. You don't need any license for land or sea. You just need to follow the rules and of course stay of channel 16 and the other USCG channels in your area.

Between me, my dad, my girlfriend, and a few others, we use them all the time, everywhere. I live on and use my boat in my work, and when ashore, my girlfriend/business partner takes it shopping and everywhere else when getting supplies and stuff. We actually probably use them more when we go separate directions on shore than any other time.

However - don't feel too secure with them, as they do work on VHF which utilizes a (wide) but still, line of sight communication technology. So while we often can communicate for about a mile or so on land, the hand held's short antenna limits your distance. I can however talk to the hand held from up to about 16 miles from my sailboat which has its antenna 60 feet atop the mast.

 

[cruiz3r]

hello i have a handheld marine radio and i know i can use it on a boat but i was curious if i could use it on land legally during bad storms and emergancies n so on, i was told as of a few years ago i dont need a lisence now to use on land, is that true now in 2012 do i need a lisence to use the radio on land? i am in a wheelchair and we had bad tornados here and times i get scared it will hit here then i will get traped in a building ect and if so i could use my marine rado for that and camping ect. if ya like email me at [email protected] ty.

 

[adaviel]

That depends on jurisdiction.

I am sure I am not allowed to use my marine VHF on land in Canada, even to call a boat, but if there was a disaster like a big earthquake I'll use it if I need to and I don't suppose anyone will care. As I live within a few miles of the sea, I can get the coast guard who have good antennae.

A ham radio would be better in emergencies - the ham radio community often are part of the official disaster plan - but I don't have a licence or the equipment.