New VHF Licensing rules from May 1st 2021

Bilgediver said:
Ofcom in this instance are interested in the safe installation in relation to the public and so they know you have a radio as they showed this by sending you the message. They may be visiting marinas as in the old days to give at least spot checks that your installation complies. They have yet to advise exactly how but it will probably involve reference to the placing of antennas and how close the public are allowed to them when operating and with suitable signage in place. If you are for instance operating on a RIB where the antenna is on an arch at the stern then there will possibly be a no go area within about 1.6 metres of the antenna if the radio is in use. Strangely it seems this relates to the public and not the licensees who can sizzle their brains as much as they like. Some small motor boats have an antenna on the pilothouse roof also in close proximity to the helmsman however this can be mitigated by the use of foil in the head lining if Ofcom accept such precautions.

These measures affect everyone with a radio transmitting licence from the mighty Vodafone BBC ITV etc down to ships hams and boat owners . Unfortunately everyone seems to have got the same message regardless of the power of their transmitters.

No wonder I am typing such nonsense....... I have been sizzling my brain for 60 years or more on ships...Oil rigs.. Shore Bases in the Egyptian desert and Cairo and around the house and afloat in various boats. :)
Click to expand...
I am going to start a new venture - the manufacturing of tin foil helmsman hats !
(y)
 
Bilgediver said:
Ofcom in this instance are interested in the safe installation in relation to the public .................................They may be visiting marinas as in the old days to give at least spot checks that your installation complies.
Click to expand...

The public aren't (except perhaps exceptionally) anywhere near leisure boats while they are operating radio/radar so why would they be any concern to Ofcom ?
A ferry or other commercially operated vessel that takes passengers should be a different matter .
 
MartynG said:
The public aren't (except perhaps exceptionally) anywhere near leisure boats while they are operating radio/radar so why would they be any concern to Ofcom ?
A ferry or other commercially operated vessel that takes passengers should be a different matter .
Click to expand...
The Ofcom definition of public is anyone who isn't a licensee or commercial crew. So on a boat, all of the family crew count as public.
 
st599 said:
The Ofcom definition of public is anyone who isn't a licensee or commercial crew. So on a boat, all of the family crew count as public.
Click to expand...
Okay got that .
I am still not worried about an Ofcom inspection.
I would have though commercial crew should be their primary concern due to the greater chance of exposure over time.
 
westernman said:
I don´t think so. If they were public your boat would need to be MCA coded!
Click to expand...
I'm afraid it's true. OFCOM have clearly defined what they mean by general public in their guidance documentation.

"When we say “general public”, we mean anyone who isn’t:
• the licensee, owner, operator or installer of the radio equipment, or
• a worker who is already protected from EMF exposure under pre-existing health and safety legislation.
The general public can therefore include family, friends, visitors and paying customers as well as other members of the general public of all ages."
 
Last edited:
Bilgediver said:
... They may be visiting marinas as in the old days to give at least spot checks that your installation complies.
Click to expand...
The thing is, as long as you formally assess the installation and declare that the radio is for emergency use only, the installation and EMF exposure distances become null and void.
For this reason, Ofcom wandering around marinas trying to catch people out is a bit of a pointless task as without speaking with the licensee, how could they possibly know the intended use?
Personally, my radio is for emergency use only from now on. Officially, if I want to converse with port control or other skippers, I just use my handheld.
 
Ross Young said:
How can you work out the EIRP of a 2kw Radar, not sure how that's calculated?
Click to expand...

I think the only answer would be to ask the manufacturer - the Ofcom EIRP is the average power in 6mins, so you need to know the transmitter power (presumably 2kW), Antenna gain and the worst case percentge of time it transmits.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top