testing VHF

[Nicolas]

never used mine (recent buy)

it is receiving OK, but I would like to test if it emits alright
Boat out of the water
Is there a classic message to send on channel 16 or shall I improvise?
Thanks
Nicolas

 

[Guest]

Have you not done the course? if you have they will have taught you, if not why are you using it without a certificate?

"You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know"

 

[JerryHawkins]

Also...

...do you have a licence for the radio itself? Don't leave yourself open to a big fine!

- Licence needed just for having the radio installed.
- Operator certificate needed if wishing to transmit (except in an emergency)

Cheers,

Jerry

 

[Cornishman]

Re: Also...part 2

You should not transmit if boat is out of the water.

DO THE COURSE AND GET ASSESSED

 

[RTB]

Re: Also...part 2

I am intrigued. - I would like to "do the course" but can't find anywhere to do it. i.e. nowhere close by, or within short driving distance. Since we are talking about a communication course, why can't it be done " over the air ?

Ssgoodthis....intit?

 

[Guest]

Re: Also...part 2

Maybe, just maybe if you joined the RYA you would get the support you obviously need, if they answer the phone that is. I did the course yesterday, there was an older guy who had been using one for 7 years!! without training, he thought that what he learned was great and wished he had done it years ago, so there is some hope for you yet /forums/images/icons/wink.gif Beware and check the costs out, also the quality of the trainer, as this can make a big difference, a reference from someone else would be good, but it seems you will have to atke what you get, if there are not that may places about.

Well done for considering it, you are half way to being better informed, better equiped to deal with emergencies and legal.



"You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know"

 

[Twister_Ken]

From a book.

Despite what the training lobby will tell you, you don't need to take a course, you only need to pass the exam. Having swotted up beforehand, I felt the course I took to be a waste of a sunny Saturday, and was confident that if I'd just turned up for the exam, I'd have passed it.

 

[dickh]

Re: Also...part 2

Most colleges run VHF courses in the evenings with a test at the end. Sailing Clubs often do them as well. Get a booklet on VHF - the Sarah Hopkinson one is good, and I believe the RYA do one.
BUT - get the set licensed - can be done on the web, I think its the Radio Communications Agency and you'll have to get a license youself sooner or later.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[RTB]

Re: From a book.

Which book ?

Ssgoodthis....intit?

 

[qsiv]

Re: From a book.

I'd agree to alrage extent. If you've never been in and around boats the course might be paced correctly - for someone who has always been close to the water (I was born on 26ft boat) it all seemed atrifle slow paced.

I did find the gmdss (sorry SRC) upgrade course useful - if only to realise how long winded and pedantic the user interface of most GMDSS radios is. Although I have one, and have the MMSI of local coast staions programmed in, it is so much quicker to raise them the 'old fashioned way', rather than scrolling down the list picking the entry, select the type of call etc, etc.

 

[Guest]

Re: From a book.

Ken, funny that! I had the very same feeling /forums/images/icons/wink.gif BUT there were some bits, e.g. handling the equipment and being able to practice the calls that were useful. My wife and father in law never opened a book before they went, they passed. I read every book possible I passsed, there must be a good in between somewhere so sensible people can get the practical hands on bit and do the test. £25 should be enough to cover that in an hour or so.

What about a mobile training van which turns up at marinas, has the kit on board, does 1 hour arrive and learn sessions including the test and Bobs your uncle.

Easy.

"You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know"

 

[Nicolas]

Thanks all.
Sound like everybody agree for that: DO NOT DO IT FULL STOP

I plan to do the course before putting the boat on the water (actually very shortly), so I'll learn the do's and dont, and yes we have got the new radio licence for the boat.

On the other hand, I would prefer knowing now if the VHF emits or not, and not when the boat is in the middle of the channel. From what you say this is purely impossible then? Any reason why? Boatyard facing the marina. Can at least someone certified test it for me once in the marina boat?

Cheers
Nicolas

 

[chriscallender]

Re: From a book.

There is some booklet/course notes published by the RYA which you get when you do the course that has all the info in it. I'm not sure if you can order this booklet on its own or if you need to do the course to get a copy.

Main things you need to learn as far as I can remember from the course are the phonetic alphabet, how to make mayday/pan-pan/securite calls, why only certain channels can be used as ship-ship channels and some stuff on DSC that I've mainly forgotten as I've never used a DSC radio since.

As others have suggested, it is one of the easier RYA courses and I'm pretty sure most people could pass the exam by self study if they spent a couple of evenings reading up. I seem to remember the multichoice "exam" questions were something like

VHF radio may be used for
A) Swearing and obscene language, jokes, music etc.
B) Communicating on matters of marine safety and navagation
C) Ordering takeaway
D) To save mobile phone bills and chat with your mates

To be fair there is some useful information which people should know before using VHF and an exam is probably the only way of checking that they have read the notes even if it is dead easy.

Chris

 

[Twister_Ken]

Which book

RYA publication G22 'VHF Radio inc GMDSS'

 

[Guest]

If you're reasonably intelligent and a reasonable student, there is no problem in getting the RYA book mentioned, studying it thoroughly, and then finding an examiner (some will come to your home for a modest fee). It will save you lots of dosh this way by avoiding a slow and boring course. I do recommend getting the audio cassettes - I think there is one from RYA and one put out by YM as a freebe maybe four years ago, and possibly still available at cost from YBW. Listen to them in the car or on the boat. Also great for teaching and entertaining inexperienced crew - whiles away the time on boring passages.

 

[vyv_cox]

Re: From a book.

I agree. Can't speak for the new courses but so far as the old VHF course was concerned, the distribution of marking was such that if you knew the Mayday procedure perfectly you could not fail. This must take all of 10 minutes to commit to memory.

 

[chriscallender]

If you have a licence for the boat, someone certified supervises you and the boat is in the water then it is all legal.

If the boat is out the water, and you are supervised then its not strictly legal, but since all you are wanting to do is check the radio is working prior to launching and there is a safety argument for doing this, then I cannot see that this is going to cause too much trouble.

If you do not have a certified operator "supervising" then you could call your marina office on the marina calling channel (possibly channel 80, check from almanac) with little risk of causing anyone trouble/getting caught. There is the very slim (tiny) possibility of a big fine. VHF procedure isn't too formal on marina channels. For information the procedure is something like

"blah blah marina, blah blah marina, this is boatname, boat name. Radio check please. Over"
"boatname, this is blah blah marina, receiving you loud and clear, over"
"blah blah marina this is boat name, thanks. Out"

Key points are that you identify yourself in every transmission you make, and you end with over, meaning that you expect a response, or out, meaning that you are finished talking. "Over and out" is reserved for B&W world war two movies etc. If you don't get a response, leave it a few minutes and try again. Use commonsense.

If you want to hear examples of the way of asking for a radio check, just listen on channel 16/67 in the Solent for 10 seconds at a weekend in summer, on second thoughts maybe that will teach you how not to do it, as they will usually be doing it whilst the coastguard is dealing with a live mayday!!!!

To put this in perspective, you will hear misuse of VHF all the time when its busy and I'm sure we've all experienced idiots transmitting music on channel 16 before now. Personally I'd consider this much more serious than you calling a marina for a radio check without an operator certificate.


Chris

 

[Twister_Ken]

Loads of common sense in what Chris says.

You could argue though that any Ch80 test ought to be followed by a Ch16 test as that's the one you want when it all goes titzup. But you could wait until in the water to do this, because if something's broke you don't need to be on dry land to get it fixed. Also the liklihood of a modern set tx'ing on Ch 80 but not on Ch16 is miniscule.

 

[Cornishman]

Re: From a book.

You won't be able to raise the CG the "old fashioned" way soon as they will no longer have anybody dedicated to listening on Ch 16 24/7 - which is partly the reason why we will be having DSC as the only means of initial distress alert soon. The Chief CG has been putting off the evil day for years, God Bless him, but it will come soon.
And don't try calling them on a small craft safety channel unless within the Solent CG area.

 

[Guest]

Re: From a book.

Hate to say it, but without DSC the best way to raise the CG will be by mobile phone to ask them to call you on their working channel.....
Incidentally, last year when weather bound while anchored in Portland Harbour en route to the Exe from Lymington, I called Portland Coastguard by mobile phone and had an extremely useful conversation with them regarding weather, local conditions around Portland Bill, etc. Would recommend it when you need local knowledge and opinions - a much friendlier and less formal method of communication compared to VHF with the world listening.