Is it required to attend a radar renewal course to renew your license? I am currently working and using Radar every day, and also have the ARPA endorsement? I was under the impression that when you turn in your seatime and it is current (within the past 6 months) and are actively working under your license that you don’t have to attend a radar renewal course.
Thanks
It’s required every 5 years for your license to be valid on vessels required to have radar.
[QUOTE=Reidl23;123375]Is it required to attend a radar renewal course to renew your license? I am currently working and using Radar every day, and also have the ARPA endorsement? I was under the impression that when you turn in your seatime and it is current (within the past 6 months) and are actively working under your license that you don’t have to attend a radar renewal course.
Thanks[/QUOTE]
You can renew your license without being current on radar observer, but you won’t get the radar observer endorsemnent and without that endorsement, you are not qualified for radar, even if you take the course later, to become qualified for radar (Iagain) you will need to apply to have the endorsement added back. Shoirt answer, yes you can renew, but if you are going tio use your license on a vessel with radar, take the course before you renew.
During my last renewal I noticed that RADAR wasn’t on the USCG renewal checklist for my license. I contacted Boston REC for clarification. They told me to just take the damn class ahead of time and forget about it. I did. A friend of mine didn’t and it cost him a permanent CM gig. Take the class.
MEBA’S Calhoun school offers an online radar refresher course…it makes it a lot more convenient for those of us not near a traditional school…you can take it on your own schedule and you don’t need to be a union member to take it.
[QUOTE=tradsailor;123767]MEBA’S Calhoun school offers an online radar refresher course…it makes it a lot more convenient for those of us not near a traditional school…you can take it on your own schedule and you don’t need to be a union member to take it.[/QUOTE]
You still need to take the final exam live at either the Calhoon MEBA school, or one of their contractor testing centers. So even with this course, you are goping to have to go to a school’s facility for at least half a day.
I sure wish the USCG would authorize full Internet/ distance learning classes. The technology is there to assure that the person is legitimately taking the course.
[QUOTE=jdcavo;123776]You still need to take the final exam live at either the Calhoon MEBA school, or one of their contractor testing centers. So even with this course, you are goping to have to go to a school’s facility for at least half a day.[/QUOTE]
I just finished the MEBA Calhoon renewal, and it turned out to be a very good experience. There were online tutorials, videos, and study materials that allowed me the freedom of studying at my own pace, even while I was offshore. When I was ready, I found the nearest testing facility was only 30 minutes from my house. Once I passed the final exam, they printed off the certificate of completion right there and I was on my way back home. FYI- it’s cheaper than most of the brick and mortar schools, and there are no added expenses like travel, hotels, food, etc…