Duplicate MMSI & Callsign - what to do?

[jac]

We bought a new to us boat and one of the admin tasks was of course to get a Ships Radio License in my name. This is where the fun starts.

Having got the MMSI and call sign from the boat I filled in the Ofcom form with boat details and mine and the next day received an email saying that the callsign and MMSI were in use. A long phone call established that there was no ships radio license for my boat and that the license with my callsign and MMSI was issued to a boat of a different name in 2010. ITU records show the other boat, AIS records etc show us. Ofcom advise was to get a new one with new callsign and MMSI., I'm not bothered re the callsign but having a fixed VHF and an AIS Transponder i'm faced with the prospect of having both reprogrammed.

The Radio is a fairly old RD68 and has no command mike / speaker in the cockpit so replacement was on the list of things to do anyway - possibly a bit higher on the list now. but the AIS? I can silence the transmit by the installation of a switch so it receives only which may be an idea and then reprogram if a transmitting AIS is required.

What would you do?

 

[PhillM]

Tbh I would start again, get new ones and bite the bullet and buy new radio and reprogram the AIS. I know that’s not the cheapest option but it does get you legal.

 

[Sandy]

Tbh I would start again, get new ones and bite the bullet and buy new radio and reprogram the AIS. I know that’s not the cheapest option but it does get you legal.

What @PhillM said. You might need to contact the manufacturer to get the MMSI number reprogrammed.

When I bought my current boat somebody had transposed two numbers and was listed as a Swedish vessel, an email sorted that out.

 

[DPH]

Just bought a new boat where the previous owner had installed AIS but thought he'd get a new MMSI number to go alongside the existing one one he had on the VHF. Luckily managed to find someone who could change the AIS (Raymarine unit I think) for £50. Also changed the AIS to spell the boat name correctly!

 

[Fimacca]

I had my icom vhf mmsi reprogrammed for £30, its just a cable connection and a laptop by the local dealer. (and it was an old model). Some manufacturers allow 2 mmsi numbers programmed before it locks - icom don't seem to be one of them (I wonder why - selling more units springs to mind) - 1 shot only. I re-registered all online, and that was free,

The mmsi in vhf which came with the boat was the original one for holland, and had never been changed. So now suddenly I am blinking on ais and my wife can track me !

quick - unprogram it !

 

[Stingo]

... So now suddenly I am blinking on ais and my wife can track me !

quick - unprogram it !

There's no need to take your VHF to the strip club, you know!

 

[LadyInBed]

What make of AIS?
My EmTrack is user programmable, probably some other makes are as well.

 

[jac]

What make of AIS?
My EmTrack is user programmable, probably some other makes are as well.

it's a Digital Yacht AIT 1000. The manual says in bold type that the MMSI can only be programmed once and needs to be returned to a dealer to reprogram

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

I managed to reprogram a ray54 by clamping a chip clamp on the eeprom and hunting down the mmsi. Similar may be possible.

Some radios have a magic keypress that will reset them. Worth a Google. My raymarine ais was like that with a reset utility that was easily downloadable.

 

[ylop]

it's a Digital Yacht AIT 1000. The manual says in bold type that the MMSI can only be programmed once and needs to be returned to a dealer to reprogram

I wonder if you were about to splash some cash on new VHF in a Bricks and Mortar marine electronics place if they might be able to help you out with this on the AIS for very low (or no) cost?

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

The digital yacht thingy uses the proais software to configure it. There a suggestion in the link below for resetting it. I would also suggest that the reset utility for the raymarine ais650 might work as that's also built with the proais modules.

AIT1000 Digital Yacht Reset to Factory default - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

Someone on this forum claims to have done the rd68 in the past as well.

Simrad RD68 MMSI reset

YouTube vid here:-

If I had the thing in bits I'd be tempted to try read the eeprom as well.

 

[FulmarJeddo]

Someone on this forum claims to have done the rd68 in the past as well.

Simrad RD68 MMSI reset

YouTube vid here:-

If I had the thing in bits I'd be tempted to try read the eeprom as well.

It was about 12 years ago that I was given a copy of the Simrad document and reset the mmsi on the RD68 I had. It later turned out there were two versions of the RD68, the later not covered in the document. I have just looked on my PC and still have the pdf file.
PM with an email address and I can send a copy. The video above shows the procedure for the later model.

 

[jac]

I wonder if you were about to splash some cash on new VHF in a Bricks and Mortar marine electronics place if they might be able to help you out with this on the AIS for very low (or no) cost?

That’s where my head is at the moment, the RD68 works fine but there is no cockpit speaker or command Mike so one has to go below to use the VHF or use a handheld so for a couple of hundred to upgrade to a more modern radio with command Mike seems sensible anyway. I’m sure that some dealers of both will be happy to do both, especially being Hamble based- not like there isn’t any/choice of dealers!

 

[jac]

As an update.

Been quoted £25 + VAT per item to reprogram each item if i take it into a dealer.

I Hadn't even started thinking about what VHF to replace the RD68 so I think i'll just reprogram both and then replace it when i have researched it a bit more. One of the key requirements is one that will ideally fit into the existing hole to keep it all looking tidy rather than have to fit some sort of mounting plate to obscure the hole or to cut out yet more of the panel!