MMSI confusion

[Lochlomond]

As I continue to prepare to move to the sea from my wee loch I am trying to clarify how to check and confirm my new boats call sign and mmsi number, I have my SR vhf test this weekend and then intend to apply to ofcom for my ships radio licience.

The boat was previously down in the Solent area and has radar, simrad dsc vhf, chartplotter all talking to each other and ready to go so I would assume once upon a time she had call signs, mmsi etc.

I checked the Simrad radio and got the Mmsi number, so far so good, I even spent an hour reading previous posts in the forum before starting yet another thread to find some answers lol. The general opinion was to apply for a ships licience and enter the existing mmsi!

But before that check the MARS database for previous details so I did using only the mmsi number and got details of a call sign, boat name and surname of who had registered said number, last updated November 2010 but I didn't recognize boat name or surname as I have all the previous bill of sales.

Time for good old Google, in goes boat name and his/her surname and there appears to be a moody 336 down Southampton matching boat name and surname in some RSYC race results 2014/5.

So now very confused is this his number or mine? Is it still valid or could it be expired?

Am I just easier getting new number and reluctantly sending radio away to have new number installed?

Just confused as all the navigation gear was installed 2008 and commissioned when I assume mmsi number was imputed and although the boat is now in the Loch this has only been the last few years and was in the sea up until then!

 

[prv]

Definitely sounds like there's been a cockup somewhere along the way. If he's listed in MARS then he must have had a license issued with that number. I don't think they expire and reuse them (maybe they'll have to in future when they run out of numbers, but not yet), so the only possibilities I can think of are that either Ofcom screwed up and issued the same number twice, or whoever set up your kit made up a random number instead of applying for a license.

Might be worth having a word with the Spectrum Licensing department at Ofcom if you want to find out what happened, but unfortunately whatever happens I think fixing it is going to involve you having to have the radio reprogrammed. They can't knowingly keep two boats with the same number, and since the other guy's the one currently in the database I think he probably has priority.

Pete

 

[Lochlomond]

Definitely sounds like there's been a cockup somewhere along the way. If he's listed in MARS then he must have had a license issued with that number. I don't think they expire and reuse them (maybe they'll have to in future when they run out of numbers, but not yet), so the only possibilities I can think of are that either Ofcom screwed up and issued the same number twice, or whoever set up your kit made up a random number instead of applying for a license.



Might be worth having a word with the Spectrum Licensing department at Ofcom if you want to find out what happened, but unfortunately whatever happens I think fixing it is going to involve you having to have the radio reprogrammed. They can't knowingly keep two boats with the same number, and since the other guy's the one currently in the database I think he probably has priority.

Pete

Cheers Pete at least I know I'm not losing it, well not yet anyway! as you seem to agree something not right here, I'll try calling Spectrum tomorrow to see if they can shed some light on it.