Did you know there are actually 3 types of Marine Radio Licences?
Throughout our website we have continuously stated there are only 2 Marine Radio Licences. There are actually 3 types of Marine Radio Licences but the 3rd one is not actively promoted. The reason for this is the authorities, in an endeavour to get people to obtain a marine radio licence, introduced the ‘Australian Waters Qualification’ (AWQ) quite some years ago. This marine radio licence has a number of limitations that really do not give the licence any value. Please see item 3 below.
- The Long Range Operators Certificate of Proficiency (LROCP) is the preferred licence and is for operating both VHF radios (short range radios) and Medium Frequency/High Frequency (MF/HF) Radios (which are designed for long range transmission) and
- The Short Range Operators Certificate of Proficiency (SROCP) is required for those who are only carrying and/or operating a Very High Frequency (VHF) (Short Range) radio.
- The Australian Waters Qualification (AWQ). The AWQ certificate is of a lower grade to those in 1 and 2 above and therefore we do not recommend it. The cost for all 3 certificates is basically the same however the major limitations are that the AWQ is only valid in Australia (SROCP and LROCP are internationally recognised) and is limited only up to 12 nautical miles to sea (There is no distance limit on the SROCP and LROCP). On this basis the AWQ is not applicable to any marine qualification such as a Coxswain or Master <24 certificate. AWQ will not be accepted overseas unlike the SROCP and LROCP.
Are you unsure how to get a Marine Radio Licence or an MMSI number? Our short 3 minute video above will show you how easy it is and what to do!
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Who should have a Marine Radio Licence
The requirement to hold a Marine Radio Licence is not new. A Marine Radio Licence is required if you are operating Marine VHF and/or MF/HF Radios. This applies to Skippers and Masters of both recreational and commercial vessels. If you intend obtaining a commercial qualification such as a Coxswain, Master <24 or Master <35 marine qualification you need to have a Marine Radio Licence anyway. The requirement to hold a Marine Radio Licence is simply to ensure marine radio operators have the knowledge to correctly operate Marine VHF and/or MF/HF Radios.
If you currently have a Marine VHF and/or MF/HF Radio on board your vessel and you do not have a Marine Radio Licence you will find that it will be necessary to obtain a licence if you intend to up grade your radio to the popular and much preferred Digital Selective Calling (DSC) type of radio. To access the full features of these radios requires the radio to be registered and the issue of a Maritime Mobile Service Identity number (MMSI). To obtain an MMSI you need to provide your Marine Radio Licence number.
You can enroll in this course at any time from the enrollment link on this page and includes the following:
- A FREE downloaded version of the Marine Radio Handbook and/or the VHF Radio Handbook,
- Access to additional training material and resources related to Marine Radio knowledge and operation,
- Unlimited access to over 350 questions of a similar nature to the final exam and
- Access to our Senior Trainer/Exam Supervisor via phone and email.
- Access to our FREE Simulator for demonstrating competency
- Complete the process (takes about 20 minutes) by sitting the final exam online via Zoom.
- The cost for the complete Marine Radio Licence course is $279.00. (Please note: This includes the the government charge of $89.00 for the exam papers.)
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Thanks Peter for your help. I was studying at TAFE and failed the Radio exam twice. I really needed to get it finished to sit my Coxswain’s ticket and this really helped me a lot. Thanks heaps!
Thanks so much for having this online. It was much easier than I thought and it didn’t take that long either, just a couple of hours of study and good value as well.
Types of Marine Radio Certificates
There are essentially 2 types of certificates:
- The Long Range Operators Certificate of Proficiency (LROCP) which is for operating both VHF radios (short range radios) and Medium Frequency/High Frequency (MF/HF) Radios (which are designed for long range transmission) and
- The Short Range Operators Certificate of Proficiency for VHF Only (SROCP) is designed for those who are only carrying and/or operating a Very High Frequency (VHF) (Short Range) radio.
Basically if you intend travelling on offshore coastal voyages, are part of a yacht race crew, or applying for commercial qualifications such as a Coxswain’s or Master V certificate, you should obtain an LROCP Certificate. THIS IS THE PREFERRED CERTIFICATE TO OBTAIN.
If you are operating small recreational vessels in harbours and bays or staying near the coast then an SROCP (VHF Only) Certificate will be sufficient.
NOTE: We do not receive many applications for the SROCP (VHF Only) and we do not generally recommend that applicants obtain this certificate. The simple reason is the cost to obtain the 2 certificates is the same.
However the problem occurs if you wish to upgrade the certificate. In the past we have had applicants with VHF only radio certificates who have sought to upgrade to the LROCP due to a number of reasons (required on a yacht in an official yacht race, to obtain a commercial certificate or even joining a Marine Rescue organisation as a volunteer etc). Unfortunately the OMC do not have an upgrade process. You simply have to do it all again with all the time and costs involved.
Regardless of which certificate you wish to apply for if you are a Boat Owner and you wish to upgrade your MF/HF or VHF Radio to a Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Radio, which is now the preferred type of radio to have on board, you will NOT be able to complete the radio registration process with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and obtain a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number for the radio unless you obtain your Marine Radio Operators Licence first.
Knowledge Required for a Marine Radio Certificate
It is important to understand that the knowledge required to obtain a Marine Radio Certificate is not extensive and it is not difficult to obtain a Marine Radio Certificate. The level of knowledge required to pass the final exam (70% pass required) includes the following subjects:
- Knowledge of MF/HF and VHF marine radios
- Identify the difference between Ship Stations, Coast Radio Stations and Limited Coast Stations
- Understand and use the ‘Phonetic Alphabet’
- Use correct operating procedures and channels when operating a marine radio
- Understand Distress, Urgency and Safety Communications
- Understand Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Communications
- Understand the use of 406 MHz EPIRBS
- Understand the use of SART’s
- Understand Search and Rescue in Australia
- Identify the different types of radio equipment, their application and limitations
- Identify the components of a marine radio and the care and maintenance required with radio equipment and power sources
How long will it take to obtain a Marine Radio Operators Certificate?
We estimate that to complete the online component will take approximately 4-5 hours of self study. The online assignments are open book and take between 4 to 10 minutes each to complete.
When the assignments are completed an email response is sent to your inbox advising you of your results and sections that need to be reviewed. When candidates are consistently achieving 80-85% in the online components then we send information on providing a demonstration of competency using our simulator.
Finally, we order exam papers from the Office of Maritime communications (OMC) and, when received, we then Skype or Zoom for approximately 20 minutes to complete the final exam. There are 25 multiple choice questions for SROCP and 50 multiple choice questions for LROCP. A pass mark of 70% is required for both licences. After completion of the final exam we send the documents to the OMC for marking. This is the longest part of the process as it can take up to 15 working days to get a result back.
How long does a Marine Radio Operators Certificate last?
The Marine Radio Operators Certificate is one of those very rare certificates in that, when obtained, it has no expiry date and there are no renewal fees!
Hey Peter, just wanted to tell you I passed my radio exam first time. Working on a boat out of Darwin I don’t have time to go to TAFE at night so I was really glad I found your webpage to help me get my Radio Licence.
Peter, I just want to say one word ‘Brilliant’. I needed to obtain my marine radio licence quickly to be part of the crew in a yacht race. With your help I completed the whole process in 1 week and achieved 96% pass.
