Radio Licence

Fantasie 19

Fantasie 19

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While searching through an old drawer in my new (to me) boat I found a document titled "Radio Licence" with a UK car style road tax disc on it... the document was (of course) three or four years out of date.

Now I have a (working) VHF radio on board but I rarely turn it on, and have never transmitted - do I still need a licence?

I note on the Ofcom website that it states

"Failure to hold a valid licence is a criminal office and Ofcom's enforcement team can impose on-the-spot fines. The maximum penalty on conviction is a £5,000 fine and/or a six month prison sentence. Those convicted may also be ordered to forfeit any radio apparatus used illegally."

..now while the 'holiday' might be appreciated the fine is worth more than the boat and I'm keen to avoid any unpleasantness... thoughts anyone??
 
You need a licence for the radio... and you need a licence to operate the radio as well..... Go to the Offcom website and get the boat licence... it is free!

If you dont have a Short Range Certificate it is well worth while to take the 1 day course and you get a nice shiny licence with your picture on it!!

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
The operative word I think is "use" meaning transmit, listening is not a crime and neither is possession of a working set. I have one I never "use", and actually I use it daily on a cruise but only for the intercom facility linked to speakers in fore and main cabins. Listening can be done on any set without a transmit facility, and regulations are framed around transmissions, frequency, procedures, max wattage allowed, channel bleed-over, tvi etc. The regs appear all designed to avoid causing interference to emergency services, disrupt military use or other licensed private use, and are based on any governments unwillingness to allow its citizenry free and un-monitored communications which they do not control!
 
"and are based on any governments unwillingness to allow its citizenry free and un-monitored communications which they do not control! "

10-4 good buddy!.........10-10 till we do it again! Yeeeee-Haaaaaaw! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Yep license the radio via the Ofcom site.(or more strictly license the boat) Free if done on line and "for life" now. The licence discs were discontinued when the new system was introduced in late 2006.

But to re-license the boat retaining the old callsign (which theoretically is what you should do) I'd suggest getting in touch with Ofcom by phone as the online system is really aimed at new licences.


Also get yourself "licensed". The test is easy enough for anyone with a couple of functional brain cells. You could even easily mug up for it with the aid of RYA booklets G26 and G22, the newer VHF Handbook G31 in place of G22 perhaps. There's also a DVD, DVD9.
 
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The operative word I think is "use" meaning transmit, listening is not a crime and neither is possession of a working set...

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The operative word is "installed". If it is installed you need a ship's radio licence and can be fined if you don't have one. They can be obtained free.

It is only the operators licence you don't have to have. You only need the operators licence to transmit, although you can transmit in an emergency or on M/M2(/80?) without one or under the supervision of someone who does have one.
 
i think you are being a little unfair on your government. The regulations come from a history of international radio operations on SW bands. Here people could really stuff up vital communications over huge areas. Hence international committees were set up to control what were very finite band resources. It was internationly agreed that operators must be licensed and stations must be licensed.
We are now much more into VHF where effect is much less widespread and equipment is easier to operate. Still the international agreement hold for station license and operator licence for Marine radios.

Here in Oz the government got around one part of the agreement by declaring a class license. One license suits all pleasure vessels. ie no license required for the station. However an operators license is still required. It will take international agreement to remove that requirement.
olewill
 
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Since when has the license been free?

[/ QUOTE ] They have free since October 2006 IIRC, if you apply on line.

Go to http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing/olc/ and register to use the online system. You will then be able to make the application online also make any future alterations without incurring any fee.
 
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The operative word I think is "use" meaning transmit, listening is not a crime and neither is possession of a working set.


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Listening on a frequency for which you are not licensed is a criminal offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act.
 
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