Ofcom made their decision

[lustyd]

Anyone care to read an explain what the latest comms from Ofcom mean? It's in relation to the baffling radiation email of March, apparently it's all now finalised. I can't be arsed to decypher this one and the links didn't work anyway, but I'd quite like to be compliant so hopefully someone here has read and understood

 

[Buck Turgidson]

lol!
Just tried it myself.
The calculator works but the compliance flow chart doesn't.
As far as I can work out my fixed VHF antenna needs to be 1.6m away from anyone when transmitting at 25w power continuously.

A 2w hand held appears to need .4m which is tricky ????

 

[penfold]

Just hold it at arms length and shout.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Anyone care to read an explain what the latest comms from Ofcom mean? It's in relation to the baffling radiation email of March, apparently it's all now finalised. I can't be arsed to decypher this one and the links didn't work anyway, but I'd quite like to be compliant so hopefully someone here has read and understood

Glad I'm not the only one so just doesn't understand the waffle.

 

[mattonthesea]

As far as I can see we have to document that we keep the mast aerial away from anyone. As you say the handheld is trickier; perhaps document that it is always held at arm's length and ignore your document!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Since both my VHF nor my AIS have an average broadcast power in mW, I only have to note this with my licence.

 

[lustyd]

Glad I'm not the only one so just doesn't understand the waffle.

After the last time I didn't even try - there are smarter people on here than me who will explain it for us normal people

As far as I can see we have to document that we keep the mast aerial away from anyone. As you say the handheld is trickier; perhaps document that it is always held at arm's length and ignore your document!

Hmmm sounds like pushpit antenas might be troublesome though?

 

[lustyd]

Since both my VHF nor my AIS have an average broadcast power in mW, I only have to note this with my licence.

Is it just me, or after looking at the "simple flowchart" are others thinking of just paying the fine? ?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Is it just me, or after looking at the "simple flowchart" are others thinking of just paying the fine? ?

It'll probably be enforced as vigorously as RCD status, VAT compliance or whether we carry pictures of distress signals with us.

 

[goeasy123]

The germane part of the ruling is not that your emissions must be of a certain state, but that you calculate it a keep a record with your license.

We pay people to make up this load of salty old 'emissions'!!

 

[lustyd]

It'll probably be enforced as vigorously as RCD status, VAT compliance or whether we carry pictures of distress signals with us.

Where can I buy pictures of distress signals?! I don't have any so this is kind of urgent...

 

[DJE]

Where can I buy pictures of distress signals?! I don't have any so this is kind of urgent...

They're in Reeds and on the back of some of the Admiralty Leisure chart folios.

 

[RichardS]

I read the first line of the Ofcom email a couple of hours ago ..... and immediately deleted it.

Nanny State nonsense.

Richard

 

[PetiteFleur]

I tried to understand it but no idea what they are talking about - links didn't work, even went to Ofcom website but no wiser. My fixed vhf currently uses the aerial on a post at the stern as the masthead one fell off a couple of years ago and I don't climb the mast nowadays - just have to wait for a younger person to help me out. Who is going to check all this stuff anyway? Both my fixed and h/h vhf are only 3 years old so presumably are compliant?

 

[prv]

They will apparently be producing some specific guidance for us seagoing types, but haven’t quite finished writing it yet.

Pete

 

[Never Grumble]

lol!
Just tried it myself.
The calculator works but the compliance flow chart doesn't.
As far as I can work out my fixed VHF antenna needs to be 1.6m away from anyone when transmitting at 25w power continuously.

A 2w hand held appears to need .4m which is tricky ????

You don't have to worry about the handheld? do you? as far as I see with most having maximum power of 5W it sits beneath the 10W EIRP or 6.1W ERP

Mind I dont understand what the 5W max power equates to in EIRP or ERP.

And then cycling ... not as in bicycles ... now if I have a pushpit AIS aerial it only transmits once every 30 seconds at a power of 5W can I ignore as it falls under the threshold too?

 

[Deleted member 36384]

... Nanny State nonsense.

Richard

That’s what Winston Smith thought and look where it got him!

 

[Mark-1]

Mind I dont understand what the 5W max power equates to in EIRP or ERP.

Yeah seemingly you have to measure it:

ERP & EIRP Calculator – M0UKD – Amateur Radio Blog

Personally, I'd rather pay a fine than buy kit and spend half a day measuring my output.

Unless there's a rule of thumb, but I CBA to find out.

 

[JumbleDuck]

And then cycling ... not as in bicycles ... now if I have a pushpit AIS aerial it only transmits once every 30 seconds at a power of 5W can I ignore as it falls under the threshold too?

Yup. They are only concerned with average power.

 

[Never Grumble]

Yup. They are only concerned with average power.

So if I use my VHF once every few weeks or months it should be fine. I really ought to do a radio check at least.

Yeah seemingly you have to measure it:

ERP & EIRP Calculator – M0UKD – Amateur Radio Blog

Personally, I'd rather pay a fine than buy kit and spend half a day measuring my output.

Unless there's a rule of thumb, but I CBA to find out.

I looked at that link ... antenna gain ... how does the average sailor measure that then?