Ofcom vhf licence letter

[CalicoJack]

I’ve had a very nice letter from Ofcom, which I have read,twice, and can not make head nor tail of. I’ve visited their website and am still none the wiser. It refers to “important changes we are proposing to make to your Wireless Telegraphy Act licence (s).”

Could somebody, in very simple terms please, because I’m having a more stupid day than normal please explain 1) what it means and 2) what I have to do?

Thanks in advance,
Nigel

 

[pvb]

Do nothing, it's a pointless box-ticking exercise. There's been about a dozen threads on this already.

 

[CalicoJack]

At last instructions that I can understand. And let’s be honest what could be better than “do nothing”.

 

[stevebrassett]

I didn't have a clue, either.

 

[Jamie Dundee]

Keep the user manuals for your transmitting electronics on board, they should contain the info you need to show you’ve done the risk assessment. Job done.

 

[Hoolie]

I don't think the manuals contribute to this at all! As PVB points out there has been much discussion on these forums and the consensus is the new rules have absolutely no impact on boat installations.

 

[Aeolus]

Ofcom also provided a spreadsheet calculator which shows that if you broadcast at 25W, then members of the public must be more that 1.6 metres distant from the antenna. If your antenna is at the top of your (sailing boat) mast, then you're fine.

 

[Jamie Dundee]

I don't think the manuals contribute to this at all! As PVB points out there has been much discussion on these forums and the consensus is the new rules have absolutely no impact on boat installations.

If you look at 12.1c you’ll find they do.

 

[pvb]

If you look at 12.1c you’ll find they do.

Oh, please, who has ever had a visit from Ofcom? In almost 50 years of boating, nobody has ever even asked to look at my radio licence.

 

[Jamie Dundee]

Oh, please, who has ever had a visit from Ofcom? In almost 50 years of boating, nobody has ever even asked to look at my radio licence.

I don’t disagree. As I keep all my user/installation manuals on my phone and the boat tablet for easy reference, in the unlikely eventuality someone does check, I’ve complied. Job done.

 

[st599]

Ofcom also provided a spreadsheet calculator which shows that if you broadcast at 25W, then members of the public must be more that 1.6 metres distant from the antenna. If your antenna is at the top of your (sailing boat) mast, then you're fine.

The EIRP requires the antenna gain and cable loss to be taken account of. The EIRP for a 25W radio is not 25W.

 

[Aeolus]

The EIRP requires the antenna gain and cable loss to be taken account of. The EIRP for a 25W radio is not 25W.

Ummm. No idea what my antenna gain or cable loss are but if you enter 50W into the spreadsheet (i.e. double the transmitter power) then the required distance increases to..........(drum roll).........2.26 metres.

 

[Whiterose]

Another pointless bureaucratic excercise.

 

[William_H]

Just as a matter of interest in Australia the equivalent of OfCom (Spectrum management Authority) have issued a "class " licence for all recreational vessels for VHF. This to comply with international agreements. So all VHF sets on recreational boats are "licenced" but all under one licence. In practice this means just buy a radio and start talking. Of course only approved radios may be used. You do however still need an operators certificate issued to an individual and you must have one such individual on board to use the radio. I wonder how long before Ofcom wake up to this option. ol'will A bit like radio and TV liceners licences were abandoned many years ago as a fruitless exercise..

 

[Hoolie]

If you look at 12.1c you’ll find they do.

You may have a technical point there, but I have just checked my SH GX2000 manual and there is nothing at all in it about EMF exposure!

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

If you look at 12.1c you’ll find they do.
View attachment 111373

"Keeping a record of how it was determined that radio equipment was only ever used in an emergency situation" .....what world are they living in? Have they ever actually monitored VHF traffic in a busy sailing area where racing, sail training, cruising in company etc., takes place?

 

[PaulRainbow]

All suitably filed away.

 

[Jamie Dundee]

You may have a technical point there, but I have just checked my SH GX2000 manual and there is nothing at all in it about EMF exposure!

Various bits of info in my Simrad manuals which may or may not conform, still a better defence than “a bloke on the internet said it was ok”...

 

[PaulRainbow]

I don’t disagree. As I keep all my user/installation manuals on my phone and the boat tablet for easy reference, in the unlikely eventuality someone does check, I’ve complied. Job done.

Considering we all use VHF sets with a maximum output of 25 watts, maximum gain of around 6db and transmit on frequencies of around 156/157mhz, we'll all have a safe distance of less than 3 metres.

So what would be the point of "someone checking" ? Unless of course you have a 2 metre mast with a 0.5m antenna.

Pretty much every mobo will automatically comply too, they are fitted with antennas that, in many cases, would comply if they were mounted at sea level.

It's next to impossible to not comply, so pointless making checks and even more pointless worrying about it.

Even after all of that, if someone did turn up (presumably having arrived on a flying pig), as soon as you tell him you only use it for emergencies, you're automatically exempt.

 

[madabouttheboat]

Pretty much every mobo will automatically comply too, they are fitted with antennas that, in many cases, would comply if they were mounted at sea level.

Can you expand on that statement for me please? I don't think I, or more specifically, my crew, are 3m away from the antenna on either of my MoBos. In fact my small boat is less than 5m long and the helm and antenna are both mounted roughly in the middle.

A serious question: Is it measured from the tip of the antenna, or any part of the antenna? If it's the tip, that helps a lot.