How many have a ham radio onboard?

[Bilgediver]

Ok I just wanted to gloat, it was that last glass of wine Just heard today that I actually scraped through the advanced exam, lot harder than the other 2!
Now M0PDD

So anyone else have a ham radio onboard? More a cruising thing, and even then I think most go for marine ssb.

Glad I went for it though, already have winlink working so free email anywhere, pretty much. Free, as in probably spent a chunk over a grand, those backstay isolators ain´t cheap Licenses probably cost maybe another hundred for the 3 of them, and a fair bit of studying. But I know loads more now

73
M0PDD

Wel done......The latest version of Winlink makes getting weather forcasts world wide and grib files a doddle....also posting position reports though these might tell the wrong folk you are away from home

 

[Conachair]

I thought UK callsigns modified depending where you used them.

Thus M0... In England, MM0... In Scotland, MU0... In Guernsey.

Think I´m possibly sometimes wrong about the MM. Call sign is actually MM0PDD, so now in London onboard (behind a lock) I am M0PDD\M . Moored up in Wales I would be MW0PDD\M

So if I was in coastal waters down here I wouldn´t be in scotland so the extra "M" would get dropped... But offshore?....

Might nip off to a ham forum for this one...

 

[AHoy2]

Well done M0PDD, from comments I have heard the exam you sat was reckoned to be on the "difficult" side as questions varied a bit from recent papers.

Re. callsigns when afloat, in addition to the /mm suffix it is recommended that operators working in a UK coastal region use the regional identifier for that area but when offshore just use their standard callsign (per licence) with the /mm.
e.g. M0XXX when cruising the Devon coast but MW0XXX when cruising around the Welsh coast. M0XXX when offshore in international waters.

e.g. MW0XXX when in home Welsh waters but ME0XXX when off Devon but reverting to MW0XXX when offshore in international waters.

When operating from say France (French waters) then F/M0XXX or F/MW0XXX and subject to French licencing conditions.
(BTW anyone know if there are restrictions in Cherbourg, naval port etc. ?)

Boat amateur radios are Yaesu VX-8 handheld (fully waterproof/submersible) and Yaesu FT857D, but no permanent aerials yet, probably going for whip(s) at HF and use the spare marine VHF whip for amateur via switch.

I am currently experimenting with position reporting using APRS via 2m (HH with TNC inbuilt) when inshore and via HF with a Kantronics TNC for offshore.

73s

Alan
M0HOC

 

[Conachair]

Well done M0PDD, from comments I have heard the exam you sat was reckoned to be on the "difficult" side as questions varied a bit from recent papers.

Re. callsigns when afloat, in addition to the /mm suffix it is recommended that operators working in a UK coastal region use the regional identifier for that area but when offshore just use their standard callsign (per licence) with the /mm.
e.g. M0XXX when cruising the Devon coast but MW0XXX when cruising around the Welsh coast. M0XXX when offshore in international waters.

e.g. MW0XXX when in home Welsh waters but ME0XXX when off Devon but reverting to MW0XXX when offshore in international waters.

When operating from say France (French waters) then F/M0XXX or F/MW0XXX and subject to French licencing conditions.
(BTW anyone know if there are restrictions in Cherbourg, naval port etc. ?)

Boat amateur radios are Yaesu VX-8 handheld (fully waterproof/submersible) and Yaesu FT857D, but no permanent aerials yet, probably going for whip(s) at HF and use the spare marine VHF whip for amateur via switch.

I am currently experimenting with position reporting using APRS via 2m (HH with TNC inbuilt) when inshore and via HF with a Kantronics TNC for offshore.

73s

Alan
M0HOC

Ta for that, not immediately obvious from the license conditions. Do you need the extra "E" in ME0XXX, not just M0XXX?


I have a ic7000 onboard, great for downloading weatherfax as well if you don´t mind the one and a bit amps. Winlink seems to work well for position, once a day or so plenty for me http://www.winlink.org/userPositions I´m still logged on with the foundation call sign, M6BKQ.

I´ve been follow Jeanne Soctrates on and off, http://synereida.livejournal.com/ , she seems to use ham a lot, not something satphone is suited to, though think she has one of those as well.

Can´t wait to get offshore, surrounded by tall buildings here, reception ain´t great.

 

[Conachair]

Wel done......The latest version of Winlink makes getting weather forcasts world wide and grib files a doddle....also posting position reports though these might tell the wrong folk you are away from home

Been on winlink for a while now, registered with foundation callsign.

Living on the boat so *not* posting position reports might mean I´m away from home

 

[ProDave]

Is´nt that a full license in Scotland? Then so long as you are beyond the low water line and have permission from the captain of the vessel you can be G0CAD/MM, I think

Yes it's a full licence in Scotland dating from many many years ago. I seem to recall you had to apply for a variation go get a MM licence.

Are you saying that's now included as standard?

 

[Conachair]

Yes it's a full licence in Scotland dating from many many years ago. I seem to recall you had to apply for a variation go get a MM licence.

Are you saying that's now included as standard?

With a full license, yep.

https://services.ofcom.org.uk/amateur-terms.pdf


But as the vessels master you can tell yourself to shutup, stop and must write yourself permission to use the radio.

5(3), 9(4), 9(5)

 

[AHoy2]

Do you need the extra "E" in ME0XXX, not just M0XXX?

For a licence registered to an english location the regional identifier (E) is implicit and not required - the OFCOM licence does not show it, however, for /mm operation it could (should ?) be used to indicate the area of water the operator is afloat in. So I could operate as M0HOC/mm or ME0HOC/mm when cruising off the southwest UK coast.

Good info here:
http://www.electronics-radio.com/articles/ham_radio/call-signs/uk-amateur-radio-callsigns.php

 

[Conachair]

, for /mm operation it could (should ?) be used to indicate the area of water the operator is afloat in. So I could operate as M0HOC/mm or ME0HOC/mm when cruising off the southwest UK coast.

All makes perfect sense, but I can´t find that anywhere in the license conditions, is it in there? Or any mention at all of regional identifiers for MM use. Might be buried in there somewhere though.

 

[MM5AHO]

Well done passing the test.
Another question that comes up sometimes for those with more than one callsign, is which to use when.
I have a TF and a GM callsign, but if I'm in international waters which should I use? As far as I can see, I should use the one that's more readily identifiable as me, but could use either legally?

 

[Beadle]

Doesn´t the "M" after the first G get dropped, he isn´t in Scotland anymore, heś maritime mobile. GM0CAD/MM with a regional identifier doesn´t make any sense.

Err

No

His callsign is GM0CAD

The /MM indicates "maritime mobile"

That will apply wherever in the world he sails

If he had a station in his car he would be GM0CAD/M indicating "mobile"

If however, he moved house and set up his station in England he would become G0CAD and then he would sign G0CAD/MM on his boat.

 

[AHoy2]

All makes perfect sense, but I can´t find that anywhere in the license conditions, is it in there? Or any mention at all of regional identifiers for MM use. Might be buried in there somewhere though.

Some circular references in the licence conditions about location details but not specific to maritime use, however, the "Advance" course book makes reference to this on p.7 under Operation at sea. Not that many /mm experienced instructors around to discuss this with!

 

[ffiill]

Conachair how hard was the exam?-keep doing the first two on Ham tests no problem and plan to do them properly.
The advanced bothers me slightly-not the theory which just needs a bit of reading up on but the advanced practical?
By the way received UK Navtex for first time last night and got a weak US Coastguards navtex as well.
Boston weatherfax recognisable but very fuzzy;New York Volumet non readable.

 

[Reverend Ludd]

Err

No

His callsign is GM0CAD

The /MM indicates "maritime mobile"

That will apply wherever in the world he sails

If he had a station in his car he would be GM0CAD/M indicating "mobile"

If however, he moved house and set up his station in England he would become G0CAD and then he would sign G0CAD/MM on his boat.

This is my understanding as well although there is talk that /MM can be put before the callsign MM/ as can any other suffix. /M etc

 

[AHoy2]

As I understand it the use of a callsign prefix is solely to identify the host country when operating overseas as my example earlier for France.

 

[wotayottie]

any of you lot getting out on 80m from the boat at the moment? I'm not.

 

[Roberto]

Ok I just wanted to gloat, it was that last glass of wine Just heard today that I actually scraped through the advanced exam, lot harder than the other 2!
Now M0PDD

So anyone else have a ham radio onboard? More a cruising thing, and even then I think most go for marine ssb.

73
M0PDD

Congratulations

Personally I think the amateur licence was one of the most useful things I did before leaving for our trip.


M0ITA/MM

 

[MM5AHO]

80m isn't much good in summer during daylight, but yes, I spoke to someone on Shetland from the Clyde Saturday on 80m. (but 10m was much better, spoke to someone in Sicily using 20W).

But on prefixes, my understanding is that while I'm MM5AHO/m in a car in Scotland, passing the border south, I use M5AHO/m. (etc)
If that applies sailing south, changing from MM5AHO/mm to M5AHO/m I unsure. Where is the border?

 

[wotayottie]

mm is now out - it should be /A away from base station . I remember something about using different suffix when abroad but Scotland to England is different regions of the one legal country so not abroad as such. but i have always dropped the WIn my MW callsign when in England.

 

[AHoy2]

mm is now out - it should be /A away from base station . I remember something about using different suffix when abroad but Scotland to England is different regions of the one legal country so not abroad as such. but i have always dropped the WIn my MW callsign when in England.

"mm is now out" - where did you get that from?

/A is an Alternative address - must be a deliverable to UK postal address

/M is mobile

/P portable

/MM maritime mobile

The requirement to add any suffix has been dropped if that is what you are referring to, but if used the definitions are quite specific for /A and /M v. /P

This was hammered home quite hard by my instructor for the Intermediate exam.