FCC Ship Radar Endorsement study plan
FCC Ship Radar Endorsement · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
FCC rules and licensing requirements for ship radio and radar stations (47 C.F.R. Part 13) & Ship radar transmitter and receiver circuitry, including magnetron and fixed-tune devices
Map each subpart of 47 C.F.R. Part 13 to the license class it governs, and state in writing which endorsement a ship radar operator or technician must hold
List the application, examination, renewal, and posting obligations that Part 13 imposes on commercial radio operators, citing section numbers
Trace the signal path from magnetron through duplexer, mixer, IF amplifier, and detector, labeling each stage on a hand-drawn block diagram
Explain why a magnetron is a fixed-tune device and identify the tuning mechanism and the consequence of operating off-frequency
Your checkpoint
A two-page reference sheet pairing Part 13 citations with license obligations, plus a labeled radar transceiver block diagram with a one-sentence function for each block
FCC rules and licensing requirements for ship radio and radar stations (47 C.F.R. Part 13) & Ship radar transmitter and receiver circuitry, including magnetron and fixed-tune devices
Distinguish the transmitter faults that produce no pulse, weak pulse, or off-frequency output, and name the first measurement to make for each
Describe the receiver protection chain and the failure modes of the duplexer, TR cell, and low-noise front end
Summarize the Part 13 provisions on operator responsibility, logkeeping, and inspection authority in your own words
Compute magnetron peak and average power from pulse width and PRF, showing each step
Your checkpoint
A troubleshooting table of at least eight transmitter and receiver symptoms with probable cause, confirming test point, and corrective action, plus three worked power calculations
Radar fundamentals: propagation, pulse characteristics, range resolution and accuracy & Antenna, waveguide and display subsystems; external controls and interface to navigation equipment
Derive the relationship between pulse width, bandwidth, and range resolution, and calculate resolution for three representative pulse lengths
Explain how atmospheric refraction, ducting, and sea clutter affect effective radar horizon and target detection
Diagram the antenna-to-display chain including waveguide run, rotary joint, and magnetron branch, noting where loss and arcing occur
Identify the external controls on a typical radar console and state the operational effect of each
Your checkpoint
A worked problem set of ten range-resolution and radar-horizon calculations with units shown, plus an annotated antenna and waveguide diagram marking inspection points
Radar fundamentals: propagation, pulse characteristics, range resolution and accuracy & Antenna, waveguide and display subsystems; external controls and interface to navigation equipment
Calculate bearing and range accuracy limits from display resolution, heading source error, and cursor placement
Describe the interface between radar and GPS, gyrocompass, AIS, and ECDIS, and state what happens when each input fails
Explain waveguide pressurization, dehydration, and bend-radius limits, and the symptoms of a water-damaged run
Interpret the display artifacts that indicate magnetron aging, mistuning, or antenna rotation faults
Your checkpoint
A one-page interface and failure-mode matrix covering four navigation inputs, plus a timed 25-question self-test on domains 2 and 4 scored and corrected
Operation, maintenance and repair of ship radar stations; interference, safety and troubleshooting & Ship radar transmitter and receiver circuitry, including magnetron and fixed-tune devices
Outline a preventive maintenance schedule for magnetron hours, waveguide inspection, antenna gearbox, and display cooling
Diagnose radar interference from other radars, weather, and shore stations, and prescribe the correct control response for each
State the RF radiation safety precautions for working near an energized antenna and the lockout steps before service
Explain magnetron replacement, tuning, and burn-in, and the recordkeeping that follows
Your checkpoint
A maintenance checklist with intervals and acceptance criteria, plus a written interference-diagnosis decision tree of at least six branches
Operation, maintenance and repair of ship radar stations; interference, safety and troubleshooting & FCC rules and licensing requirements for ship radio and radar stations (47 C.F.R. Part 13)
Apply a structured troubleshooting sequence to a no-echo, weak-echo, and false-echo scenario, naming the instrument and expected reading at each step
Describe repair-vs-replace judgment for magnetron, modulator, and display faults, including parts and cost considerations
Recite the Part 13 rules that apply when a station is operated by an unlicensed or improperly certificated person
Explain the reporting and documentation duties after a radar failure affecting navigational safety
Your checkpoint
Three written fault scenarios with step-by-step diagnostic logs and a final recommended action for each, plus a one-page Part 13 compliance summary
Radar fundamentals: propagation, pulse characteristics, range resolution and accuracy & Operation, maintenance and repair of ship radar stations; interference, safety and troubleshooting
Recompute range resolution, PRF tradeoffs, and maximum unambiguous range without notes
Explain how pulse length, PRF, and scanner rotation rate interact to set detection performance and display update
Practice safe shutdown, antenna lockout, and waveguide inspection procedures in sequence
Identify the top five causes of radar performance degradation and the measurement that confirms each
Your checkpoint
A closed-book calculation sheet of eight problems scored at 80 percent or better, plus a written lockout and inspection procedure in correct order
FCC rules and licensing requirements for ship radio and radar stations (47 C.F.R. Part 13) & Radar fundamentals: propagation, pulse characteristics, range resolution and accuracy & Ship radar transmitter and receiver circuitry, including magnetron and fixed-tune devices & Antenna, waveguide and display subsystems; external controls and interface to navigation equipment & Operation, maintenance and repair of ship radar stations; interference, safety and troubleshooting
Complete a full-length timed practice examination weighted to the domain percentages and review every missed item
Recite the Part 13 licensing and operator obligations from memory
Redraw the transceiver and antenna block diagrams and label every stage without reference
List the safety, interference, and troubleshooting steps for two randomly chosen fault scenarios
Your checkpoint
A scored full-length practice exam with a written error log categorizing each miss by domain, plus a one-page final review sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Can state, without notes, which license covers ship radar operation and list four Part 13 operator obligations with section numbers, and can label every block of the transceiver signal path
Week 4: Scores 80 percent or better on the 25-question domains 2 and 4 self-test and correctly computes range resolution and radar horizon for three different pulse widths
Week 6: Walks through a no-echo fault from antenna to display naming the test instrument and expected reading at each step, and cites the Part 13 rule for unlicensed operation
Week 8: Scores 85 percent or better on the full-length practice exam with no domain below 70 percent, and reproduces both block diagrams from memory