tom52
Well-Known Member
If it wasnt illegal and I wanted to listen to the CG/RNLI radio coms on vhf channel 0 from the comfort of my (seaside) home, which receive only scanner would you recommend.
VHF Channel 0
- Thread starter tom52
- Start date
MM5AHO
Well-Known Member
Is it illegal to listen to VHF Marine channel 0 ?
What law is that?
It is illegal to listen to some things and then pass on what you heard. But illegal to listen?
What law is that?
It is illegal to listen to some things and then pass on what you heard. But illegal to listen?
Seajet
...
I had a chum whose father had secretly modified their VHF to receive Channel Zero; for ever after that he had a fixation on the number of bodies the authorities recovered, and some of the black humour they used to get through it.
So when he did actually find a body while on first day of a holiday in my boat, we naturally didn't believe him...
Sorry no experience with scanners.
So when he did actually find a body while on first day of a holiday in my boat, we naturally didn't believe him...
Sorry no experience with scanners.
toad_oftoadhall
Well-Known Member
Can't help but, FWIW, when I had the same thought I found dozens of scanners on ebay that Rx'd the required frequency. But you probably already know they are available.
SimbaDog
Well-Known Member
prv
Well-Known Member
Wireless Telegraphy Act, I believe. Illegal to listen to any transmission unless it's either intended for general broadcast (eg Radio Two) or you have an appropriate license. The standard response to scanner owners goes on to say that there is no appropriate license for listen-only scanner use, so you're all illegal, ner ner ner. I guess the slight grey area for us sailors is whether our VHF licenses technically permit us to listen to 0, even though we're not supposed to and cannot buy transceivers that will tune to it - I don't know the answer to that question.
In practice, the ancient scanner that I bought from eBay for other purposes ten years ago will happily pick up Channel 0, and I'm prepared to admit to having done so on a couple of occasions. I don't listen as a matter of routine though.
Pete
Reverend Ludd
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised as I understood the act only concerned itself with transmission. Now I'm going to have to check.
bedouin
Well-Known Member
I thought that it was decided some time ago that it was not illegal to receive ANY transmissions (including Police and so on) but acting on (or possibly even repeating) what you hear is illegal.
Mark-1
Well-Known Member
prv
Well-Known Member
Thanks - although perhaps better positioned as a reply to one of the posts it contradicts, rather than mine with which it agrees
The question that is interesting to me relates to "those parts of the radio spectrum which your transmitting licence, if you have one, allows you to use." I do have a transmitting licence, it allows me to listen to marine VHF frequencies. Channel 0 is a marine VHF frequency. I don't know exactly how the small print of my license defines the frequencies I am allowed to use, but it doesn't seem impossible that they might have forgotten to exclude channel 0.
Then you're into the term of your license (I think that's where it's laid down) that says you're not allowed to pass on or act upon information you as a licensed operator hear but which is not intended for you.
Pete
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
Several years back there was a thread about channel 0 and someone said that the Dutch or it might have been Belgian Marina Channel was our channel 0.
So a 'foreign' hand held could be the answer
So a 'foreign' hand held could be the answer
Mark-1
Well-Known Member
If I have the choice of positioning a post to agree or disagree, I'll take agreeing every time.
prv
Well-Known Member
Several years back there was a thread about channel 0 and someone said that the Dutch or it might have been Belgian Marina Channel was our channel 0.
So a 'foreign' hand held could be the answer
Good point - it is always specifically labelled as "UK SAR" in most band plans I've seen.
Pete
Simonpk
Well-Known Member
I use a Commtel Sportscan Dual Turbo for listening in when at home.
There's one here listed on ebay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Commtel-C...quipment_SM&hash=item2c63025aba#ht_568wt_1261
Not my one BTW
There's one here listed on ebay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Commtel-C...quipment_SM&hash=item2c63025aba#ht_568wt_1261
Not my one BTW
JSYmartini
Well-Known Member
To answer the OP's question, Uniden Bearcats are very popular and well thought of scanners. There's a wide range of models available from budget to bells and whistles.
I've got a h/h Bearcat which I probably bought 18-20 years ago & still going strong
I've got a h/h Bearcat which I probably bought 18-20 years ago & still going strong
oldgit
Well-Known Member
Just about any basic scanner will pick up the Marine VHF band.
Around £60 will get you a perfectly usable piece of kit.
Around £60 will get you a perfectly usable piece of kit.
Robin
Well-Known Member
Going back a few years we had a VHF that could have extra private Channels programmed in by the user, a small matter of going to a matrix board and snipping wires at the right point from a formula used to obtain a grid reference, like row 4 across, column 6 down, then snip. We used it to program in Ch15 and Ch17 which are now free to use but were not when the radio was built. We also programmed in Ch0 and could both receive and transmit, we know that because SWMBO forgot which private channel number was Ch15 (I think) for Yarmouth Harbour taxi and she got Solent CG.
I might be wrong as it is so long since we listened in but I got the feeling they also used another private channel other than Ch0 and switched to that for the really private stuff.
I might be wrong as it is so long since we listened in but I got the feeling they also used another private channel other than Ch0 and switched to that for the really private stuff.
JSYmartini
Well-Known Member
The older Sailor VHFs like the RT144 had spare channels which were user programmable
earlybird
Well-Known Member
Haven't some jounalists been jailed recently for illegal interception of telecomms, or is that different somehow?
