MMSI for Portable VHF in international waters

[jac]

Just bear one thing in mind if it's main reason is emergency use. A HH transmits on 5 or 6 W, from a stubby aerial mounted a couple of feet above the water. It's range will be tiny - 3-5 miles maybe for PRACTICAL purposes. Of course, good coastguards, decent, high aerials and good conditions will extend that but it's best to consider is as emergency comms in the dinghy if in the harbour or in a local bay only.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Just bear one thing in mind if it's main reason is emergency use. A HH transmits on 5 or 6 W, from a stubby aerial mounted a couple of feet above the water. It's range will be tiny - 3-5 miles maybe for PRACTICAL purposes. Of course, good coastguards, decent, high aerials and good conditions will extend that but it's best to consider is as emergency comms in the dinghy if in the harbour or in a local bay only.

One of the reasons I purchased mine was to strap it to my life jacket when on a night watch alone so I could mainly call the boat I fell of if I went over the side. Hopefully they wont be more than 3-5 miles away before I press the red button.

 

[jac]

One of the reasons I purchased mine was to strap it to my life jacket when on a night watch alone so I could mainly call the boat I fell of if I went over the side. Hopefully they wont be more than 3-5 miles away before I press the red button.

Ditto.

I think it's great for that and in somewhere like the solent where to be 1/3 mile from another boat is unusual but I wouldn't want someone to think of one as a replacement for a PLB or Epirb.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Ditto.

I think it's great for that and in somewhere like the solent where to be 1/3 mile from another boat is unusual but I wouldn't want someone to think of one as a replacement for a PLB or Epirb.

I agree. This is where a combines PLB and DSC would be so useful as it would alert the closest asset first and if no response the PLB could be set off to alert asserts further afield.

 

[MikeCC]

My DSC HH and my DSC fixed radios have the same MMSI number ...

Our authorities do not know what they are doing and see this as yet another opportunity to make money from the general public.

Not wanting to drift OP but there's a very practical reason for having a different MMSI for handheld and fixed units. If a DSC alert is received from a handheld, hopefully coastguard/RNLI will realise they may be looking for a man overboard or very small vessel. If the MMSI is set the same as a fixed unit, you will lose that advantage. And what happens if the handheld were to be used somewhere completely different?

I don't think there's any money being made by Ofcom here - license and MMSI are free!

In reply to original question, I think MartynG in #17 has it - just act as if it had been taken with you from UK.

Also, not sure there's any airline restriction on lithium batteries in hand luggage otherwise tablets, laptops etc would all be banned.

 

[Blue Sunray]

Forget it, go outside and argue with a seagull instead.

:encouragement:

He's patently a bored old man with too much time on his hands (no mates) and a screw a bit loose.

 

[RichardS]

:encouragement:

He's patently a bored old man with too much time on his hands (no mates) and a screw a bit loose.

Brilliant.

That Elecglitch knife just gets blunter and blunter. :encouragement:

Richard

 

[PaulRainbow]

Brilliant.

That Elecglitch knife just gets blunter and blunter. :encouragement:

Richard

I thought you were a whining old man, not a boring old man, which is it ?

 

[prv]

I don't think there's any money being made by Ofcom here - license and MMSI are free!

True - but I suspect their counterparts in South Africa where Roger is charge a nice fee

In reply to original question, I think MartynG in #17 has it - just act as if it had been taken with you from UK.

Well, y-e-e-s-s, but only in the sense that you'd have to ignore the inconvenient license term in both cases. Whether you carry it on board from the UK or not makes absolutely no difference to this question.

Also, not sure there's any airline restriction on lithium batteries in hand luggage otherwise tablets, laptops etc would all be banned.

Unless you happen to have a Samsung Galaxy Note, of course

Pete

 

[RichardS]

I thought you were a whining old man, not a boring old man, which is it ?

The one common factor is ................. OLD!

Richard

 

[rogerthebodger]

True - but I suspect their counterparts in South Africa where Roger is charge a nice fee

Pete

So true Pete you don't know half of what money making schemes the local authorities cone up with

 

[GHA]

Just had a look on ofcom, my non DSC handheld has been given the same mmsi as the boat Vhf.

 

[RichardS]

Just had a look on ofcom, my non DSC handheld has been given the same mmsi as the boat Vhf.

Genuine question .... do non-DSC VHFs have an MMSI at all? Why would they need it?

Richard

 

[Momac]

Genuine question .... do non-DSC VHFs have an MMSI at all? Why would they need it?

Richard

You may not be surprised to learn that you can't put a mmsi number in a non DSC radio regardless of whether it is fixed or portable.
I do not presently own a DSC radio. But my boat does have a mmsi number , which I obtained because I have AIS.
A fixed DSC radio is on my shopping list.

 

[GHA]

You may not be surprised to learn that you can't put a mmsi number in a non DSC radio regardless of whether it is fixed or portable.
.

Kind of knew that already which was why it was a bit surprising to see an MMSI number next to the VHF portable on the ships license.

Edit, ah, wrong again, it's only on the "equipment type" on the web page, downloading the actual license license itself and it's not there.

 

[CMonster]

Thanks for all the discussion. You've helped me to see the issue more clearly. I'll 'pretend' I'm still in the UK, request a separate MMSI number for the portable DSC, and act as if I sailed away from the UK like that.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Edit, ah, wrong again, it's only on the "equipment type" on the web page, downloading the actual license license itself and it's not there.

You can't put a HH DSC on the ship radio license, it's a separate license. A non-DSC handheld can go on the ship radio license. I have a "Ship Radio License" and a "Ship Portable Radio License".

 

[RichardS]

You may not be surprised to learn that you can't put a mmsi number in a non DSC radio regardless of whether it is fixed or portable.
I do not presently own a DSC radio. But my boat does have a mmsi number , which I obtained because I have AIS.
A fixed DSC radio is on my shopping list.

It was a genuine question Martyn. I've only ever owned or even used 2 VHF radios in my life. One is the Raymarine DSC on my boat when I bought her and the other is a handheld Standard Horizon DSC which I bought 2 years ago. I've zero experience with non-DSC.

Richard

 

[chanelyacht]

One of the reasons I purchased mine was to strap it to my life jacket when on a night watch alone so I could mainly call the boat I fell of if I went over the side. Hopefully they wont be more than 3-5 miles away before I press the red button.

Which assumes, of course, that you're conscious when you go over.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Which assumes, of course, that you're conscious when you go over.

True but this is why a correctly designed combined DSC VHF, PLB and MOBi device is needed that can be water activated to send a DSC call to all ships and if no response to initiate an EPIRB message. A correctly designed MOBi would also alert any crew on the boat of a MOB also.

Unfortunately no one has come up with a corrected derignrd device yet only some bits needed but not all the required design elements.