For Mike Martin, CH16 in the Solent

Deep joy! Thanks to the wonders of modern technology we can now enjoy endless DSC alerts like the ones being blasted out by the "faulty set" on a boat near Poole Buoy, Saturday morning.

Earlier in the year I heard Solent spring in to action to contact a boat broadcasting a spoken mayday. A very embarassed skipper reported that he was teaching crew members VHF procedure and didn't realise that he was transmitting. A very calm CG reminded him to show them how the set transmits when the funny button on the side of the mike is pressed.

There aint no fun like Solent fun!

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Mike,

This could go on for months, but its a good thread, about time "we" told the plebs "over and out" is not correct protocol and that they would fail the DSC exam.

Mike (the Wiss kid at DSC)

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Heap big chief

>By the way Ken, who's Mike Martin?? <

Sort of head honcho, top brass, big chief fellow at GCHQ, or somewhere like that. He's the man who puts your £20 in his Christmas party box, every time you renew your radio licence.

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One of the few things you get in exchange for your licence fee is a call sign - wonder why the CG don't ask for callsigns more often - this might discourage some of the great unlicensed from pestering the CG with radio check requests.


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On the infrequent occasions I sail over to the Solent, I realise just how lucky we are not to suffer the inane radio chit chat that goes on hour after hour. I'm dreading doing some racing over there next year and suffering the noise on a regular basis.

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Perhaps Solent Coastguard could tag on a short pre-recorded 'lesson' on radio procedure to all of their regular inshore weather forecasts - which most people listen to.

The 'lesson' would just remind users of calling procedures, working channels, radio check procedures etc etc. It would take up a minute or so on a couple of lightly used channels.

Clever b*****s like us wot posts here could switch back to CH16 and skip it

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Re: Disagree

Well, I quite like it. Listening in to all the crap means I know I'm in the Solent. I secretly suspect that others do as well. It gives them something to tutt-tutt about and shake their head in disbelief when there's nothing much else going on. I especially like it when the coastguard says "You're weak and feeble!" and hope that someone will come back and say yeah alright but what about the radio?

There's no such thing in Med, by the way. No radio checks, no silliness at all. So nobody listens in to VHF and plays music instead. The harbours monitor ch 9, except over lunchtime of course. Now and again an unintelligible recorded message gives a secuite msg about wx on other channels, ships waffle to identify others on very rare occassions, and that's about it. As a result, panpans in the Balearix go unheeded, and rescue services in Spain quote telephone numbers for making contact. So, further than a few miles out, yer on yer own, it seems.


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Re: Disagree

My favourite
CG 'Are you carrying any passengers?'
Trawler Skipper 'Well some of the crew are lazy but i wouldn't exactly call them passengers'



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Ch67

Perhaps the Coastguard should be more communicative about using 67 for routine traffic. How many times per weekend do you hear 'channel 67 for routine traffic'? If the CG stopped answering all the noddy calls and used 67 as they intend it to then 16 could almost be workable. Perhaps they should (re-?)publish guidance on using 67 and how if your radio works on 67 then there's likely to be a very good chance it will work on 16.

As it is I usually do not listen on 16 because it ruins my enjoyment.

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I think the confusion is that it seems a lot of people have not sat the exam for a users licence. Totally different from a ships licence.

This is obvious from the non-existant knowledge of the correct operating procedures.

Donald

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Heard about 3 years ago in the Solent:

CH16 "I am pissed off"

Silence

3 minutes later....

Ch16 "Now I am really pissed off"

CG "Station calling Solent Coastguard please identify yourself.Over"

Ch16 "I'm not that pissed off. Out".

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I know exactly who that was (and he lurkes around here some times.............Your ears burning John??)

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