Relief from Radio Checks on 16

[Boz]

Learnt something new today from the CA Magazine.....

The National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) will take Radio Check calls on Channel 65, they also will report AIS reception (Course and Speed) if they have the equipment. As there is a Station at Felixstowe https://www.nci.org.uk/felixstowe it might help prevent all those annoying radio checks on 16

 

[johnalison]

It might do, if the weekend sailors get to know about it.

 

[Poignard]

I have just had a month's sailing on the French coast and never heard a request for a "radio check". (My VHF does work because I heard announcements of weather forecasts on CH16)

What is the matter with British sailors that they feel the need for these radio checks?

 

[pvb]

What is the matter with British sailors that they feel the need for these radio checks?

It's a fine old British tradition; the radio check request must also be spoken very s l o w l y and always with the name of the boat repeated 3 times, and of course always ending the call with "over and out".

Other British traditions include always taking the boat out of the water every year, always antifouling every year, always failing to look behind when sailing, having the depth sounder set to read in feet, etc.

 

[Leighb]

I do not do radio checks, other than routine use calling marinas etc, and listening to the local VTS and 16. However I do have personal experience of a radio failure when certain Channels received OK, and some could transmit and receive, and some including Ch 16 could transmit but not receive. Seems weird but was apparently due to a failed “filter”.
This could justify the incessant radio checks I suppose, but that failure could happen at any time not just when you first start a trip so you will still not know that your VHF has developed a fault.

 

[johnalison]

It's a fine old British tradition; the radio check request must also be spoken very s l o w l y and always with the name of the boat repeated 3 times, and of course always ending the call with "over and out".

Other British traditions include always taking the boat out of the water every year, always antifouling every year, always failing to look behind when sailing, having the depth sounder set to read in feet, etc.

What sort of idiot wastes energy in looking behind when he has 'right of way'?

 

[maby]

I've always used NCI if they are somewhere near or a DSC test call if there is no NCI within range.

NCI love to help and can be trusted to come up with a recent weather forecast and quick summary of anything else local that you should be aware of - why does anyone bother the coastguard if there is an NCI nearby?

 

[johnalison]

I've always used NCI if they are somewhere near or a DSC test call if there is no NCI within range.

NCI love to help and can be trusted to come up with a recent weather forecast and quick summary of anything else local that you should be aware of - why does anyone bother the coastguard if there is an NCI nearby?

I have not had the occasion to call them myself but just out of interest, what name do they answer to? National Coastwatch Institution is a bit of a mouthful.

 

[Boz]

I understand it is "Felixstowe NC!"

 

[maby]

I understand it is "Felixstowe NC!"

For example. From our home base I would call "NCI Gosport". They are very helpful.

 

[johnalison]

Now I know. Thanks.

 

[Black Sheep]

Useful info, thanks.
And for ref, here is the map of NCI stations - click a station name to get its operational capabilities:
https://www.nci.org.uk/content/station-map-and-list

 

[Daydream believer]

I've always used NCI if they are somewhere near or a DSC test call if there is no NCI within range.

NCI love to help and can be trusted to come up with a recent weather forecast and quick summary of anything else local that you should be aware of - why does anyone bother the coastguard if there is an NCI nearby?

So what do you do? Call them up on 16 , then ask for an RC, wasting the same amount of air space, or do you call them on another channel

 

[PaulRainbow]

So what do you do? Call them up on 16 , then ask for an RC, wasting the same amount of air space, or do you call them on another channel

If you click the link in post #12, then click on a station, you will see the channels that they use. The ones i clicked on seemed to use ch 65 and said not to call them on 16.

Useful thread, as i was also unaware of this (not that i routinely do radios checks), they also seem to give weather information too..

 

[Hadenough]

Or even better real-time sea state. Portland NCI is particularly good for conditions before you head for the Bill.

 

[maby]

If you click the link in post #12, then click on a station, you will see the channels that they use. The ones i clicked on seemed to use ch 65 and said not to call them on 16.

Useful thread, as i was also unaware of this (not that i routinely do radios checks), they also seem to give weather information too..

Exactly - channel 65 has been allocated, at least informally, to the NCI. They have pretty good coverage at least round the southern half of the country and they love to help.

 

[Cantata]

Having recently installed an AIS transceiver I experienced a new sort of radio check yesterday. Passing Whitstable and about 2 miles off, I had a call from Dover CG asking me for a radio check. Well, really.
However a couple of minutes later they called Whitstable lifeboat just launched on exercise, so I guess the CG picked on me to ensure comms with the lifeboat should be OK.