Radio check.

[Tigerthomson]

My new boat is equipped with a vhf radio. first one I’ve had with vhf radio.
My question is when do I do a radio check?
I’ve heard conflicting stories in the boat yard about this, going from never doing a radio check to every time you set sail?
I’m based in the inner sea lochs of the west coast of Scotland.

 

[Sandy]

You can do a 'radio check' whenever you want.

If you want to do it with the Coast Guard make sure there is an antenna nearby. If another boat make sure it is some distance from you.

 

[Bristolfashion]

If you're in the Solent you should do a radio check, to the coastguard and on ch 16,

1. Every time you leave the marina,
2. Every time someone new takes the tiller
3. Every hour, on the hour
4. Dawn,
5. Dusk,
6. Midday
7. In the marina after drinkies
8. When passing any navigation aid
9. Whenever there is a ship in sight
10. When you see a dolphin

And, don't forget to leave the AIS on when

a) in a marina
b) on the hard
c) when the AIS system is in your hotel room at Ocean Village

 

[VicS]

My new boat is equipped with a vhf radio. first one I’ve had with vhf radio.
My question is when do I do a radio check?
I’ve heard conflicting stories in the boat yard about this, going from never doing a radio check to every time you set sail?
I’m based in the inner sea lochs of the west coast of Scotland.

Somewhere between never and every time you set sail would be about right. Personally never done one nor has anyone else I have sailed with.

Do you have a Ship radio licence for your boat and do you personally have a certificate of competence.

 

[Sandy]

c) when the AIS system is in your hotel room at Ocean Village

Or in the bar on the top of the hotel.

 

[TwoFish]

If you're in the Solent you should do a radio check, to the coastguard and on ch 16,

1. Every time you leave the marina,
2. Every time someone new takes the tiller
3. Every hour, on the hour
4. Dawn,
5. Dusk,
6. Midday
7. In the marina after drinkies
8. When passing any navigation aid
9. Whenever there is a ship in sight
10. When you see a dolphin

And, don't forget to leave the AIS on when

a) in a marina
b) on the hard
c) when the AIS system is in your hotel room at Ocean Village

But you forgot

11. Whenever Coastguard is coordinating responses to a Mayday situation.

 

[Tigerthomson]

Somewhere between never and every time you set sail would be about right. Personally never done one nor has anyone else I have sailed with.

Do you have a Ship radio licence for your boat and do you personally have a certificate of competence

Somewhere between never and every time you set sail would be about right. Personally never done one nor has anyone else I have sailed with.

Do you have a Ship radio licence for your boat and do you personally have a certificate of competence.

helpfull

 

[neil_s]

I would suggest once, at the beginning of your sailing season.

 

[PeterBoater]

My new boat is equipped with a vhf radio. first one I’ve had with vhf radio.
My question is when do I do a radio check?
I’ve heard conflicting stories in the boat yard about this, going from never doing a radio check to every time you set sail?
I’m based in the inner sea lochs of the west coast of Scotland.

Depends on how often you set sail, but perhaps every week or so until you're confident of the radio's reliability, then less often. Switch it on every time to check the receiver at least.

 

[Bobc]

I would suggest once, at the beginning of your sailing season.

Spoilsport

 

[stuartwineberg]

If you have one in your area coastwatch on ch65 is a better bet than taking up the coastguards time

 

[Lucky Duck]

If you're in the Solent you should do a radio check, to the coastguard and on ch 16,

1. Every time you leave the marina,
2. Every time someone new takes the tiller
3. Every hour, on the hour
4. Dawn,
5. Dusk,
6. Midday
7. In the marina after drinkies
8. When passing any navigation aid
9. Whenever there is a ship in sight
10. When you see a dolphin

And, don't forget to leave the AIS on when

a) in a marina
b) on the hard
c) when the AIS system is in your hotel room at Ocean Village

Leaving aside the AIS bit, I’ve noticed a lot less VHF chat of late.

Presumably the people who used to discuss the minutiae of their social lives on the internship channels are now doing so on WhatsApp or Snapchat

 

[TwoFish]

TT. I'm conscious that you asked a genuine question and in return are getting some slightly snarky replies largely based around poor radio practice on the south coast of England (sorry).

In my view, it would be a very good idea to do a radio check with a new boat. If I had been more diligent in doing so with ours I would have been quicker to identify a defective antenna. Around the south coast of England (end elsewhere), we have the excellent National Coastwatch Institution who will glady respond to radio check requests to take pressure of the (very busy) coastguard. I'm not sure they operate up your way though, and anyway I would imagine you would not be burdening Coasty, given there's much less radio traffic up there (and HMCG are invariably courteous and professional even when being interrupted by thoughtless Solent folk).

 

[onesea]

I would suggest once, at the beginning of your sailing season.

If/ when you change update equipment,
mast down Mast up,
have drenched your radio and died it out.
Or get new radio and hit wrong button doing all ships broadcast instead of canceling the menu. The coastguard call you.
When you fit your new mastheadlight to find it blocks recieving DSC signals. When I resolve recieving issue I will do a check with someone to make sure it's all good.

If in doubt but not just because you turned it on.

Come sailing in the Solent learn why people are being sparky. I like Falmouth coastguard they are still polite and professional but can take a certain tone.

 

[Bristolfashion]

TT. I'm conscious that you asked a genuine question and in return are getting some slightly snarky replies largely based around poor radio practice on the south coast of England (sorry).

It wasn't intended to be snarky, just a bit of levity.

In low safety critical situations, I'd only check if I suspected a fault (no/poor reception, no response to a call)

In other situations of higher risk, I'd use NCI, another boat or my own handheld to check.

If non of the above available & a safety radio check is deemed necessary, coastguard

 

[TwoFish]

It wasn't intended to be snarky, just a bit of levity.

I know. I enjoyed your response, it gave me a good giggle and I joined in.

 

[TwoFish]

In other situations of higher risk, I'd use . . . . . . my own handheld to check.

That's what I'd done, but it failed to show up that our transmissions could not be picked up over longer distances. It is still worth doing, but I also learned it's important to do a 'proper' check with a distant station. In my case, that was (subsequently) an NCI station.

 

[Graham_Wright]

National Coastwatch have told me they welcome the radio check traffic. Contact on channel 65.

 

[ylop]

If you have one in your area coastwatch on ch65 is a better bet than taking up the coastguards time

No NCI coastwatch in Scotland. You can do one with a marina/boatyard/harbour/otherboat - but the usefulness of the response may be limited compared to a professional response from CG

probably worth doing with a new-to-you radio, but beware it may not get any signal up a sea loch. If you do it every time or every week then all the locals will be smirking at you - do it if in doubt or if you’ve refitted mast etc.

 

[Alicatt]

New to the inland waterways of Europe, set the radio to the calling channel 9, didn't hear anything all day, that evening commented on it and got an "Oh we don't use channel 9, we are all on the commercial channel 10 bridge to bridge" a lot more activity on that!