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christopherc

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Have spent a couple of hours or more over two days trying to get this to work to get licence for my new DSC radio. Got all the way through until the last page showing terms and conditions and there is no way of getting any further!! Should be some tick boxes appear but they dont, have tried two pc's so far, no joy. Anyone else had this problem? Frankly, after the hassle of registering (you have to wait a couple of weeks for username by post!!!) and plugging through the site to be defeated by faulty website, I wouldnt bother, but I would quite like an MMSI, might have to defer to reliable old snail mail
 
I had the same problem. TRied 3 PC's with different setting in Internet Explorer. I think it's something to do with Java. Anyway, I eventually got past the terms and conditions page by using Firefox as a browser. It's free to download, give it a try.
 
It took several hours of my time and four phone calls to OFCOM to make this wretched thing work! It did in the end but no-one was quite sure what they had done to make it work. It is one of the worst websites I have ever come across and I sent a letter of complaint to the CEO of OFCOM. This was acknowledged but I have not had a reply to the specific points I raised. It is dire!
 
You click on "save licence details" to progress to the next section. Daft innit!

Here is the text of my post made back in Dec which appears in This thread
[ QUOTE ]
Quote:
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I am totally defeated by what to do once the form has been completed


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Quite it took me several hours to get beyond that point!

I have had another look at it this morning and gone over it again with an application for a "T" licence number although I cancelled it at the last moment as I don't actually want one.

For the benefit of anyone struggling with the beginning bits:

>Log in
>Click on "Ship licences" in the "View licences" box
>Click on " Apply" for either a "Ships Portable Radio Licence" for a "T" number or other equipment not licenced to a particular vessel, or a "Ships radio licence" for a fixed radio or other equipment to be licenced to a particular vessel, including normal (non"T") portables.
>Click "Continue application"
>Click "Add licence details"
>Now complete all mandatory fields on the form. Use your displacement if you do not have a Gross tonnage figure. Enter the quantity and click "Add item" for each type of equipment you have to include in the licence.
There are 9 pages for a Ships Radio licence but only 3 for a portable ("T") licence


NOW when you have got all 9 (or3) pages complete

>Click "Save licence details"
>In the next window click "Continue application"
> In the "Select mailing address" window click on "Select" (or "New" if you want to put in a new address)
> Click on "Accept licence"

It should be straightforward from here on but at first I had difficulty with agreeing to the terms. There may be a time delay or it may make you scroll all through them before it allows you to accept them.

Best idea is to save the licence to your PC and print it later, I think. That way you can print a duplicate/replacement at any time without going into the Ofcom site.

The licence is 13 pages long so you might want to print the odd pages first and then the even pages on the backs of them.

I hope this helps but I am still not guaranteeing 100% accuracy.

The procedure is only for NEW licences. If you want to resurrect an old callsign from an expired licence you will have to make a postal application and pay £20. I'm not sure what will happen if you answer "yes" to the question about a previous licence and enter the callsign if it is only recently expired and still on the data base. It just rejects very old ones that are no longer on the data base.

Make sure you keep your user name and password safe and secure in case you need to make any additions or amendments in the future or indeed apply for a licence for your new boat. Remember these licences are not transferaable to new owners or to new boats.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope that helps.
 
Just read your posts - my blood is still boiling from trying to use their site too. If ANYTHING is going to prompt people to use an unlicensed radio, then the Ofcom site will surely do it. Having been made to wait ages for a username by post, it actually doesn't work and no one seems to really care! I think it is a deliberate tactic by Ofcom to get people to apply for a license by post wherby they can charge them an administration fee. Shall go ' illegal' this season. b***ocks to them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
After reading these and other threads on this matter I have decide to wait and see . Mine expires end of May,feel that Ive paid enough in 30 years for them to do it the dear way ,by post the DD will be canceled for the due day, see what happens. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
After reading these and other threads on this matter I have decide to wait and see . Mine expires end of May,feel that Ive paid enough in 30 years for them to do it the dear way ,by post the DD will be canceled for the due day, see what happens. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe I still don't understand the new system - my licence expires in May, I was under the impression that they will simply send me a new 'free' lifetime licence without me having to do anything? Is this not the case?
 
I ordered a VHF DSC Radio at 2004 LIBS.Strolled to Ofcom stand and gave the staff my details,MMSI number was issued straight away went back to Radio supplier and asked him to enter the number in to the set before despatch and to test it was working.Installed the set myself and it all works.At this years show I was told at Ofcom stand that lifetime licences will be issued in Feb/March.Can't help with registering for a new licence though.
 
[ QUOTE ]
expires end of May

[/ QUOTE ]
Pampas and Alldownwind.

If you have a valid licence at the moment you do not need to do anything. It will automatically be replaced with a lifetime licence, free of charge, before it expires. It is all on the main part of the Ofcom website although it is not as prominent as it was back in December
This page says:

[ QUOTE ]
If you already hold a valid annual licence you willl automatically receive a new "lifetime" licence by post free of charge. You will not be required to pay for this licence.

If you have previously set up an automatic payment for your ship radio licence (such as a Direct Debit or Standing Order for example) this fee will not be collected and we urge you to cancel any such arrangements.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you wish to add any equipment, apply for additional licences or make any changes then you will be able to do it via the online service but I would not register to use it until at least after you get your new licence which will then appear on there. Make a note of my guide to using it though in case they have not got round to improving its user friendliness.

Everybody who finds this new application form difficult should email their complaints to Ofcom. I did but apart from an automatic acknowledgement I have not had a reply.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Got all the way through until the last page showing terms and conditions and there is no way of getting any further!!

[/ QUOTE ] Had the same problem - Internet Explorer 7 they say is the problem!!!!

This whole procedure is a waste of Tax-payers money. I complained to Head of Communications who responded by saying - "Yes we are having a few problems with the site."
 
Your registration was successful I take it. Now you have to wait for your user name to arrive by post. I did not think it was as long as two weeks I thought it was supposed to be one week when I did mine but it took a few days longer than they said!
It won't be obvious from the letter you get what your user name is though, but the heading on the letter is :

REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION: USERNAME

In the meantime do not forget your password.
 
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