UK licence for Handheld VHF

Sticky Fingers

Sticky Fingers

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I don't currently have a handheld VHF but intend to purchase one, so I've been looking into what license is needed (ie for the radio, not me, I've got the SRC).

Reading Ofcom's website tells me that their licence for a handheld VHF ("ship portable radio") licences the handheld in British waters. It says that you should apply for this type of licence if you intend to use a handheld radio on more than one vessel. The licence is then issued with a ‘T’ (reference) number rather than a vessel call sign and so the vessel name is used as an identifier. The T (reference) number is not a callsign recognised internationally and licensing details are not sent to the ITU. All fair enough.

So my question is this - what is the licensing position if you then take the radio abroad? Examples might be a foreign cruise on your own boat, or a charter or flotilla holiday and you use the radio on the charter boat. Is the licence valid? Anyone experienced any problems with being challenged by officialdom in foreign lands on this point?
 
I've added my handheld to my ships licence.

My ITU listing is

VHFDSC - VHF Radio with DSC

VHFP - VHF Personal ?

AISTRN - AIS

RADAR - Radar
 
AIUI, ( and I don't work for OFCOM) - the HH should be used using the boats name to call, the same as using a fixed VHF. the exception to this is if you're off in the tender and are calling then you should use the identifier Boats Name Mobile. You can also of course use the Ships call sign if required - assuming that the portable is on the main ships license

DSC is different - that needs it's own license as it needs it's own MMSI number.

I believe that technically you can't use the DSC function abroad but I suspect that in practice - it will make little difference to the authorities.
 
TonyBuckley said:
Slightly different question...

If I were to get a job in a marina would I be required to have an operators licence for a handheld VHF used at work?
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Working on the basis that our sailing club has a lot of mobiles working on 2-3 fixed channels - m1 m2 & a private channel & that they all get used by various users off one licence i would guess not as your marina would possibly operate on a restricted frequency range as well
 
Daydream believer said:
Working on the basis that our sailing club has a lot of mobiles working on 2-3 fixed channels - m1 m2 & a private channel & that they all get used by various users off one licence i would guess not as your marina would possibly operate on a restricted frequency range as well
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Different licence.

To use a vhf the equipment needs to be licensed (by a portable or ships licence) AND the operator also needs to be licensed.

If you are exclusively using frequencies not used by anyone else ( I.e, the short range walkie talkie type units seen even in certain bars and restaurants ) then nothing needed but for any channels that anyone can use it is required.

Your employer should surely know the regs though and put you through the course. One day plus a bit of study before hand is fine.
 
jac said:
Different licence.

To use a vhf the equipment needs to be licensed (by a portable or ships licence) AND the operator also needs to be licensed.

If you are exclusively using frequencies not used by anyone else ( I.e, the short range walkie talkie type units seen even in certain bars and restaurants ) then nothing needed but for any channels that anyone can use it is required.

Your employer should surely know the regs though and put you through the course. One day plus a bit of study before hand is fine.
Click to expand...
But m1 is not an exclusive channel you should have it on your vhf as 37 i believe so that kind of contradicts the theme of your reply i would suspect
 
Daydream believer said:
But m1 is not an exclusive channel you should have it on your vhf as 37 i believe so that kind of contradicts the theme of your reply i would suspect
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Well not really.

What i'm saying is that if you ONLY use private channels then you're ok.

IF you need to use any public channels ( e.g. M1, 80, 16) then you should be a licensed operator
 
TonyBuckley said:
If I were to get a job in a marina would I be required to have an operators licence for a handheld VHF used at work?
Click to expand...

Depends entirely on what's written in the station license that allows the marina to use the channel.

You need an operator's certificate (not license) on your boat because (unless you are very unusual :) ) clause 10 of your station license says that you do. There's a copy of the terms of your license here.

Daydream believer said:
But m1 is not an exclusive channel you should have it on your vhf as 37 i believe so that kind of contradicts the theme of your reply i would suspect
Click to expand...

When Ofcom give a shore station a license to use M1 and/or M2, they generally don't include a requirement for an operator's certificate of competence. These are UK-specific channels, and my understanding is that this is why Ofcom feels free to issue such licenses. For the international channels, I believe they've entered into international agreements which say they must require a certificate of competence as a condition of the license.

The "walkie talkies" that Jac mentions will most likely be on a Business Radio license, which is a completely different regime and doesn't AFAIK require any kind of operator qualification. Some kinds of business license are shared, some give exclusive use of a frequency in a given area, but again, the requirements are all down to what's in the license, not whether the use is shared or exclusive per se.

Pete
 
Do any officials in UK actually give rats ass? If your hand held is licenced or not. For use by pleasure boats.
DSC to get MMSI no you would need a licence.


For work place radios. The authorities usually do give a rats ass. Licences and certification required. Usually the employer probably has to have a licence for restricted hand held and show they have provided a minimum level of training for employees using the radios.
 
jac said:
What i'm saying is that if you ONLY use private channels then you're ok.
Click to expand...

Not really. Unless you're on a license-free band like PMR446 (cheap 8-channel walkie-talkies) or 2.4GHz (digital stuff), then a station license is needed. The station license will say what the operator certification, if any, is needed.

There might be some correlation with whether a channel is "public" or "private", but that's not what drives the need for an operator's certificate.

And, specifically, any of the normal licenses giving access to M1 don't need a certificate.

Pete
 
Indeed. My original q was about licence validity in overseas waters. So the risk of a nosy foreign official taking offence with a UK-only licence exists, if remotely. Ofcom say that they expect the fixed Ships Licence to be endorsed to include a handheld, easy enough for your own boat but not if its a charter boat. Or your own and you don't have fixed radio.

So so this looks like a loophole.
 
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