FCC MROP flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

MROP validity period

The Marine Radio Operator Permit is issued for the lifetime of the holder and requires no renewal; it authorizes radiotelephone operation on vessels that are required to carry radio equipment.

Ship station license term

A ship station license is issued by the FCC for a ten-year term and assigns the vessel its call sign, which must be used to identify the station on the air.

Channel 16 frequency

156.800 MHz is designated worldwide for distress, safety, and calling in the maritime VHF band and is monitored continuously by vessels underway.

Channel 9 purpose

156.450 MHz is the secondary calling channel used by recreational vessels for initial contact and for routine radio checks before moving to a working channel.

Channel 13 restricted power

The bridge-to-bridge navigation channel at 156.650 MHz is limited to 1 watt output, except when higher power is necessary for navigational safety.

Part 80

47 CFR Part 80 contains the FCC rules governing the maritime radio services, covering licensing, operator requirements, authorized frequencies, and required operating procedures.

Station identification rule

A station identifies itself with call sign or vessel name at the start and end of each communication and at least every 15 minutes during a lengthy transmission.

Prohibited transmissions

False distress calls, obscene or profane language, advertisements, broadcast programming, and superfluous transmissions are prohibited and can result in fines or license revocation.

MAYDAY meaning

Spoken three times, it announces that a vessel or person is in grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance; it is sent on Channel 16 or 2182 kHz.

PAN-PAN meaning

Spoken three times, it announces an urgent situation concerning the safety of a vessel or person that does not yet involve immediate danger of loss of life.

SÉCURITÉ meaning

Spoken three times, it precedes an important safety message such as a navigational or weather warning, after which stations move to a working channel.

MAYDAY RELAY use

Used when a station retransmits a distress message on behalf of another vessel that cannot itself transmit a distress call or message.

SEELONCE MAYDAY

The proword announcing that distress traffic is in progress and that all stations must maintain radio silence on that frequency until SEELONCE FEENEE is heard.

Channel 70 use

156.525 MHz is reserved exclusively for Digital Selective Calling; voice transmissions are prohibited, so a DSC alert is followed by voice on Channel 16.

Cancelling false alert

Broadcast MAYDAY, ALL STATIONS three times, THIS IS, the vessel name, then a statement that the distress alert is cancelled and no assistance is required.

Distress priority rule

Distress traffic has absolute priority over all other transmissions; any station causing interference must stop transmitting at once when a distress call is heard.

ROGER versus WILCO

ROGER means the message was received correctly; WILCO means received and will be complied with. WILCO already includes ROGER, so the two are not used together.

OVER and OUT

OVER invites the other station to reply; OUT ends the exchange so that no reply is expected. The combination 'over and out' is never used.

Radio log retention

Logs of radiotelephone stations on vessels required to carry radio are kept for at least one year and made available to FCC or Coast Guard inspectors on request.

Figures and I spell

Say 'figures' before sending a group of digits and 'I spell' before spelling a word phonetically, so the receiving operator can copy it without ambiguity.

Radio check channel

Routine radio checks should be made on Channel 9 or a working channel at low power, never on Channel 16 and never on the DSC channel 70.

Intership channel

Channel 6 at 156.300 MHz is the primary ship-to-ship channel; Channels 68, 69, 71, 72, and 78A are also authorized for non-commercial intership use.

Time notation in log

Times are recorded on the 24-hour clock, normally in UTC (Zulu); if local time is used, the time zone must be clearly noted in the entry.

Required log entries

Entries include date and time, station identification, frequencies used, stations worked, and full details of any distress, urgency, safety, or equipment-failure traffic.

Wavelength formula

Wavelength in meters equals 300 divided by frequency in MHz; at 156.8 MHz the wavelength is about 1.9 m, making a quarter-wave whip about 0.48 m.

Marine VHF polarization

Marine VHF communications use frequency modulation with vertical polarization, so transmitting and receiving antennas must both be mounted vertically for best signal.

Duplex channel offset

On duplex VHF channels the ship transmits in the 156–157 MHz range and the coast station in the 161–162 MHz range, a separation of 4.6 MHz.

Maximum VHF power

Fixed marine VHF stations are limited to 25 watts output; Channel 13 and Channels 6, 72, and 77 are restricted to 1 watt.

Ohm's law

E = I × R; combined with the power relationships P = E × I, P = I²R, and P = E²/R, it allows calculation of voltage, current, and power in a circuit.

Acceptable VSWR

A standing wave ratio of 1:1 is a perfect match; a reading above 2:1 indicates a feedline or antenna fault that reflects power and can damage the transmitter.

VHF range estimate

VHF propagation is essentially line-of-sight, so usable range in nautical miles is roughly 1.23 times the square root of antenna height in feet.

SART frequency

A search and rescue transponder replies to 9 GHz (X-band) radar signals, showing up as a line of dots on the rescuing vessel's radar display.