Radio Licence: Why?

Re: mmmmm!!!!!

Wot the hell has that to do with a marine licence?
Nothing IMHO

The same could be said for a TV , you still need a licence for them.
The same could be said for cars again you need road fund for them.
The same could be said for a light aircraft again you still need a radio licence for one of them!!

VAT has nothing at all to do with you licence to own a transmitting radio.

All Hams have to have a licence and pay far more for their radio licence.
I never hear them complaining about it.
And yes I do speak to many of them on a daily basis.

If you can't afford £20 a year for a marine radio licence what other "safety" equipment are you skimping on?
By the way that is not directed at anyone!
After all it is a safety of life service.

At the end of the day you have to have it, you have to pay for it.
Its the law
No amount of griping, moaning and wining is going to change it.
This subject gets done to death on a almost monthly basis on here.
The same asnwers are given by the people in the know time and time again.

Don't you think it is time to worry about someting more important?
Like getting out on your baot and enjoying the summer or
How to make a cheap fender from some strange fruit or a washing up liquid bottle.

Kind regards

<hr width=100% size=1>Jon Brooks
Marine Dealer Manager
Icom UK Ltd.
01227 741741
 
Steady Jon!

Go easy Jon I know these posts come up with amazing frequency but it appears to me that your starting to loose that cool collected calm of yours<s>.

BTW thanks for "doing" our CRS its working a treat?

Peter.

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Re: Steady Jon!

Peter

No still just under boiling here he he he he!
"right who wants a fight"! he he he

Sorry to all if it seemd a bit harsh but am sure many others had the same thoughts.

Anyway back to some serious fun on the water :0))))))

Glad it is all working.

Had some fun in your area the other weekend with the power boats.
We laid on one of the safety boat teams.

Regards



<hr width=100% size=1>Jon Brooks
Marine Dealer Manager
Icom UK Ltd.
01227 741741
 
There will always be discussion on topics such as this. Maybe a metaphorical shrug of the shoulders is OK but a bit more tolerance of folks who want to discuss old topics is called for.

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This subject seems to raise its ugly head every couple of weeks. The main problem would seem to be that we always cover the same ground. The arguments are the same every time & even some of the same posters come back with exactly the same arguments(Including me).

I can well understand that it gets tedious.

I'd rather be sailing.

Martin

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What we really need is a VHF licence objecters forum, with, of course, Mike Martins contribution pegged at the top. That way those who object to the licence fee can post their reasons and argue their case and the rest of us need never go near it.

In fact it could be extended to cover other topics like RNLI projects and the RYA and include the "Stinkies v Raggies" conflict

Let's call it the Protester's Forum

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple>Ne te confundant illegitimi.</font color=purple>
 
Now, now! - Look what you get for your money ... I'd managed to keep my young daughter from being exposed to the F word and the likes for a long time. Thankfully, paying my 20 quid a year means she can hear it freely on the VHF along with other traditional fishermens terms every time she's in the cockpit! - where else can you get all of that heritage for 20 quid a year?

"Protected service"? Please stop it, my sides hurt!


<hr width=100% size=1>http://members.lycos.co.uk/boaty1965/index.htm
 
Re: mmmmm!!!!!

Jon

Just to clarify a couple of things in your post which I believe are misleading.

It is misleading to say that the licence in the USA, for those undertaking an international voyage (ie they enter territorial waters of a country other than USA or Canada), is USD200 without clarifying that licence is a 10 year one ie equivalent to USD20/annum if annualised. Your response gives the impression that they pay USD200 per year if going international.

It is also incorrect, in my opinion, to say that it is hard not to leave UK waters, referring to going international as a justification. While that argument does perhaps correctly drive some of the unique UK marine legislation for big commercial vessels (eg the UK/EU application of IMO HSC 2000 to all High Speed Craft, which is actually only intended to apply to vessels undertaking international voyages) it is not an applicable argument for pleasure vessels. In western maritime countries somewhere around 90% of all pleasure vessels are under 6-7 m length so while it may be that in numbers terms quite a number of pleasure vessels in the UK undertake international voyages the fact will be that most do not. Furthermore, most pleasure vessels are operated predominantly in their immediate local waters (many hardly ever actually going in the water /forums/images/icons/smile.gif).

It is my opinion, and I work in the marine industry (including in the safety of commercial vessels), that having individual licences for which there is a charge and need for regular renewal is counterproductive to the safety of the majority of pleasure vessels as the cost and bureacracy is a discincentive to installation of a VHF in smaller vessels. If one looks at the accident statistics for any western maritime nation it is seen that the vast majority of drownings and other accidents are from vessels under 6-7 meters and those are the ones who benefit most from carrying VHF. The UK seems to be ignoring that by having a licencing system oriented at larger pleasure boats who have a very low frequency of accidents in comparison.

John

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Thanks for a measured response..

Radio licensing in the UK has now been transferred to Ofcom - the regulator for telecommunications.
Official policy is to regulate "with a light touch" in future.
Reading between the lines, I would expect the current radio licence fee to be scrapped.
However the UK, under international law has to ensure the competence of users, and issue call-signs.
I would suspect that in the near future, radio licensing, boat registration, operator/skipper competence and craft seaworthiness to be rolled into one registration and licensing database (in common with most other countries).
Undoubtedly this will be greeted with indignation by our diehards and dismay by the rest as (an allegedly rich minority) are exploited to increase cash-flow into the Treasury.
Would anyone care to guess the level of new fee?

I reckon it will be very similar to UK car-licence fee. But as no-one complains about that and the requirement for drivers to be licenced I'm sure the change will be warmly greeted by this BB.

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Re: mmmmm!!!!!

Some further calrification as I think that Jon may be a victim of hearing me speak too often.

The US licence does last for 10 years, yes, however if you need to amend it's detail you pay $50 for each amendment. So if you move or change fit you pay, if you need a duplicate you pay, these are free on a UK licence. If the vessel changes hands just like the UK it isn't transferrable so a new $200 is required from the new owner. Full details are here http://wireless.fcc.gov/marine/fctsht14.html and if you click on the link to Form FCC1070Y you will find the costs.

I agree that the statement about "not hard to leave the UK" does need addressing. Many pleasure boats around the South, South East and East Coast do actually trip across to the Continent while many on the West Coast are fond of the sail to the RoI. It would be very hard for us to differentiate between who does and doesn't, let's be honest here in fair weather most boats can make a 20 mile passage as opposed to the thousands of miles to go "international" required in the US or NZ. It is also worth remembering that it is NOT just international use that requires a licence, if you fit kit other than Marine VHF (SSB, Inmarsat etc) you must have an FCC licence To sum up what we in the UK have is an equitable system whereby the licence fee is flat and can hardly be realistically described as prohibitive.

I would maintain that my main argument for the retention of the registration is the fact that it supplies invaluable intelligence (about the vessel and owner) to HMCG for SAR purposes. This is intel that HMCG does not wish to lose!! So don't hold your breath if you're waiting to see me defend UK Ship Radio licences on "Bureacracy" terms.

Mike

<hr width=100% size=1>Team Executive,
Maritime & Aeronautical Team, Ofcom
 
I apologise

I am full of apologies for starting this rant/thread. I had not realised it had been thrashed to death previously. I only started as I received a warning of all manner of painful deaths as I had not sent in the form, which started me thinking ----- Not a good idea I admit.

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Re: I apologise

I wouldn't apologise, it's a useful subject and new people to the Forum won't have seen what has gone before. In fact it serves to remind me why I do what I do!

Ah I see you've received the "7th Circle" reminder letter, naughty.

Mike

<hr width=100% size=1>Team Executive,
Maritime & Aeronautical Team, Ofcom<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Mike_Martin on 01/07/2004 13:34 (server time).</FONT></P>
 
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