MMSI - now I'm confused!

[greeny]

Don't know if anyone one shed some light on this subject for me. After spending the last 2 hours on the net "reading all about it" it's left me more confused than when I started.
Situation is this:
The boat I sold last year had a dsc radio and epirb onboard. both registered and with the same mmsi number allocated. I left the radio on the boat and took the epirb with me to the "new" boat.
The new boat has a dsc radio already fitted.
I notified the authorities of the changes and received the relevant paperwork back with the mmsi listed the same as the last boat.
Ok, now all I do is enter the mmsi into the new boat's radio, but, the new radio already has an mmsi entered and you can't over write it.
So now i have a radio with one mmsi, an epirb with another mmsi.
When you try to unravel this on the net, some pages say that epirbs are not actually programmed with the mmsi - they only have a hex code in them. Other sites offer a reprogramming service to enter mmsi numbers into beacons??
I have also read that the mmsi must stay with the radio(and vessel) and is not transferrable.
I'm confused about my next course of action to put this right.
Sorry for the length of post - just trying to explain the situation and get some help.
Greeny

 

[agurney]

Do you have a mobile phone?
- Your SIM card contains your IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber ID), and identifies you (typically for billing purposes).
- If you have more than one mobile phone you will have more than one SIM/IMSI, but each will still identify you.
- If you are roaming with your mobile, then the network operator will give you a TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber ID) though you'll never see it, but it can be tracked back to you.

Similarly, with a DSC radio you can have an MMSI (Maritime Mobile Subscriber[or Service] ID), which, again, identifies you (or more accurately your ship station).

So, as I understand it, you can have multiple MMSIs for the same ship station, and these should be on the correct ship station - the bottom line is that if you have to hit that red button the rescue services can identify who and what to look for.

 

[Twister_Ken]

My understanding, which I have spent not one second researching or confirming, is that the MMSI is ship specific, not radio specific. Therefore the new ship's MMSI should be entered into the radio or epirb. Generally, the owner cannot do this and the kit needs to be returned to a dealer.

Therefore you'll have to get the radio in your new boat re MMSI'd, as will the owner of your old boat.

 

[emandvee44]

MMSI

I hope I can help!

The MMSI number is not in an EPIRB. The hex ID code is the number transmitted by the EPIRB in the case of activation, (along with the GPS position, if applicable).
If the EPIRB has been registered, then the MRCC will "see" the hex ID on screen and their computer knows it belongs to a particular MMSI number.

I bought a new EPIRB in April and duly informed Falmouth of the new hex ID (there was a form in the box for this purpose). There was space on the form to enter the OLD hex ID, and thus this was deleted from their database.

I have now sold the old EPIRB, and to make things easy for the buyer, there was even a form provided in the original handbook for the buyer to complete (with his MMSI etc., and send to Falmouth).

During the process of registering my new EPIRB I found that the MMSI assigned to my yacht had been changed some years previously by Falmouth, reason unknown! This has been corrected, although not by me as the ICOM VHF set does not allow user intervention.

I have had occasion to call Falmouth on several occasions during this process and I can say that they were extremely helpful.

Good luck,

Michael.

 

[greeny]

Thanks Michael, sounds like a call to falmouth may be the best course of action. i think that I need to get the mmsi out of the radio, use that to get the ship's call sign, and inform them that that mmsi should now be assigned to my details and my new boat and my epirb hex address. it just makes you wonder what these people are charging for when they are offering to programme mmsi's into epirbs? that's partly what was confusing me.
Dave

 

[PaulJS]

A suggestion...

Would the buyer of your old boat maybe be willing to swap radios?
If so would you then be able to put your original radio in your new boat as you have informed the authorities?

Or am I also lost and confused?

 

[Gin]

The 'new' Regulations since 2001 assign an MMSI number to a specific DSC radio unit and this stays with the radio thereafter

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/ra/publication/press/2001/15mar01.htm

Since you left the radio with the boat when you sold it then Bristol simply needed to be told that a change of ownership had occurred, similarly with the new radio you acquired when purchasing the next boat.

It sounds to me like Bristol has got that around their ear somehow and a further dialogue is necessary , as no new numbers were needed from your version of what occurred.

EPIRB and PLB's as already stated have a Hex number for transmission and no MMSI, these are never changed. the registration agency at Falmouth, keeps precise details of the owner's name, the ship on which it is used, and land addresses, next of kin etc for obvious reasons. So the change of usage viz a viz the boat name, type, SSR registration details etc needs to be advised in return for which a new self adhesive label will be issued to affix to the unit.

http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-406registrationform.pdf

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

They've cocked up - or you might be getting confused.

The old number stays with the old boat and you should have registered the epirb against the MMSI of the new boat. Unlike your radio, your epirb doesnt have the MMSI programmed into it - its simply recorded as a cross reference in the Epirb database against the actual ID number that is programmed into the epirb from birth.

However the epirb registry used to be seperate from Ofcom. When I last registered my epirb I did it with an outfit on the south coast. So it could be that you need to re-register the epirb with someone else to get the mmsi / hex number cross reference changed.

 

[Blue5]

A lot of different information on this one.

I have just sold my boat and my enquiries suggested all I need to do was to go to the Ofcom site and surrender the radio licence for that boat. When I get a new boat I just apply for a new licence quoting the MMSI number that is allocated to the radio on the new boat. All seemed quite plausible and easy so I will let you know if I have a problem

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

yes NDH thats quite right and as it worked for me when I last changed in February.

to clarify further the epirb registry is http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-406registrationform.pdf and not ofcom

 

[Bilgediver]

The 'new' Regulations since 2001 assign an MMSI number to a specific DSC radio unit and this stays with the radio thereafter

Please read the ofcom circular AGAIN.

This only refers to portable radios.

The ship station MMSI which is in the short wave as well as the VHF also the sat comms has nothing to do with the radio but is a SHIP SPECIFIC number in all DSC equipment etc used for GMDSS.

Even some Ofcom staff get confused.

Your old boat retains its MMSI number and our new boat retains its MMSI number so you have to program any radio you fit in the new boat with the existing MMSI number.


DO you think proper ships get a new MMSI number every time they swap radios????? The rules were made for them, we just tag along.
The MMSI number is a means of identifying a ship and in many countries it s in the Epirbs also and all epirbs have the space in memory for this info.Pity we dont use it.

 

[Gin]

Please read the ofcom circular AGAIN.

QUOTE]

Ahem"!

For the purposes of ship radio licensing, the term "portable" includes both transportable and handportable radio equipment

 

[Seafort]

Please read the ofcom circular AGAIN.

QUOTE]

Ahem"!

For the purposes of ship radio licensing, the term "portable" includes both transportable and handportable radio equipment

Yep.
If you have a transportable it will be assigned a "T" number and the MMSI will stay with the set.

If you have a H/H most people use them under the ships liscence BUT if it is to be used on different vessels (deliveries etc) then that too should be assigned a "T" number. An MMSI can be assigned to this "T" number, this seems rather pointless at the moment as dsc handportables are not really out there.

Dave.