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Independent study · no certification. Details

Compass Australia is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ACMA, AMSA, the Australian Maritime College, Service NSW, or Australian Sailing. It does not issue a radio qualification or boat licence.

Compass Australia

Find your voice on Australian waters.

Independent marine-radio preparation with distinct AWQ and SROCP routes, plus a free NSW licence-readiness pilot.

Compare AWQ and SROCPTry the NSW readiness pilot

Independent preparation. No qualification or certificate awarded.

Illustrative yacht cockpit with a marine radio overlooking an Australian-style harbour.
  • Separate AWQ and SROCP routes
  • Private call practice
  • Australian source context
Study scope and sources

Keep AWQ Australian-waters preparation distinct from the internationally recognised SROCP VHF and DSC route, with original private call practice and current authority boundaries. Australian English. Nautical miles and knots; metres, litres, Celsius, and hPa. Sources include ACMA, AMSA, Australian Maritime College.

Original content is reviewed against current Australian government and examination-authority sources. State and territory boating requirements remain separate.

Try the learning experience

A small lesson. A clearer next step.

Explore a real sample from Australian Marine Radio Study Companion. Learn the idea, practise a decision, then check your understanding. No account needed for this sample.

Progress in this sample stays in the sample. It does not change your course record or award a qualification.

Explore this companion

Learn · teaching first

Choose from Station, Area, and Supervision

From Qualification Choice and Boundaries

What you will learn

Identify the station, frequency band, operating area and supervision arrangement before selecting an Australian marine-radio qualification.

Explanation

The qualification question is not simply AWQ or SROCP. Start with what station will be operated, where it will be operated, and who will control or supervise that operation.

ACMA says the qualification depends on the type of maritime station being operated. A person operating only 27 MHz ship-station equipment does not need a marine-radio operator qualification. VHF, HF, satellite GMDSS and specified coast or surveyed-vessel stations sit on different branches. Naming the boat or intended course before naming the fitted station can therefore produce the wrong route.

For VHF within the Australian territorial sea, the current class licence permits operation by a person who holds an Australian Waters Qualification or another specified qualification. It also permits operation under the supervision of a suitably qualified person. Supervision is a legal operating condition, not a Compass shortcut, and the responsible qualified person must genuinely control the operation rather than merely be somewhere aboard.

Give the route decision before paying for training

A learner sees several marine-radio courses advertised under similar names.

Common mistake

Choosing by course price or duration before identifying the station and area

Recap

  • Start with station, band, area and supervision.
  • 27 MHz, VHF, HF and satellite branches are not interchangeable.
  • AWQ is a territorial-sea VHF route; specified certificates cover broader branches.
More ways to revise

Flashcards, audio and interactive tools remain optional support inside the module; they do not replace the Learn → Practise → Test route.

Study collection

Choose the preparation that matches your next step

1

Australian Marine Radio Study Companion

Australian marine-radio preparation with separate AWQ and SROCP/DSC tracks and private call rehearsal.

$39.999 modules
View course

AWQ or SROCP

Compare scope, assessment route, DSC, and intended operation.

NSW licence readiness

An original validation diagnostic, not the official test pool.

For training providers

Register interest without an unreviewed public directory.

Independent and source-reviewed

Clear boundaries protect learners and the Compass brand

Original content is reviewed against current Australian government and examination-authority sources. State and territory boating requirements remain separate. Compass Australia is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ACMA, AMSA, the Australian Maritime College, Service NSW, or Australian Sailing. It does not issue a radio qualification or boat licence.