VHF Channel Changes to 19, 20, 78, and 79 in 2017

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adamlang

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I've been trying to draft an up-to-date list of marine VHF channels to print off and keep on the boat. I know that the MSI channels changed in September last year, but has anyone come across the changes to the duplex channels 19, 20, 78, and 78, these seem to have become simplex with new channels being created - 1019, 2019, 1020, 2020, 1078, 2078, 1079, and 2079? Apparently this came into affect on 1 Jan 2017, to create more channels for commercial shipping.

This will obviously require an update to the VHF sets.
See: http://www.icomuk.co.uk/News_Article/3508/19370/

The MSI changes were so well notified and these changes seem much more important given the requirement for an update - my guess is that this is an International change that the UK is yet to formally adopt. I can find nothing on Ofcom, HMCG websites.

As I understand it we use an international standard for our channels I think managed by the ITU that allow some flexibility e.g. different private channel usage such as 00, M2 etc. but whether a channel is Duplex or Simplex seems quite a big deal. Does the UK even control the channels or is it all by international agreement, which does make sense? Let's not get on to Brexit.

I'll post my table of VHF channels when I've completed it, might be useful to others.
 
The ITU ref is https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-r/opb/act/R-ACT-WRC.11-2015-PDF-E.pdf annexe 18.

The really new thing is digital modulation, the specification of which is well advanced but the services to be offered less so! That's why we had to move off the channels previously used for the MSI broadcasts. Anything you can compile on these future services would be v. welcome.

For the others being changed, I shouldn't worry overmuch about re-assignment of channels already forbidden us: we actually are allowed to use only a small number. For me in the last decade it's only 6, 9 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 65, 72, 77, & 80 plus occasional use of 15 or 17 with the hand-held. I'll add listen-only on ch 62, 63 and 64. I don't think any of these are due for imminent change.
 
Thanks jcd,

I'll take a look at that document, it looks quite useful.

In terms of digital modulation, there seems to be a few channels set aside for VDSMS (VHF Digital Short Message Service) presumably some form of text message through a shore provider. I've included these in my list but as you say I don't think anyone actually offering this service - or any devices capable of using it. There also seem to be a couple of channels being used for new AIS services.

Anyway here's where I've got to with the table: View attachment UK Marine VHF Channels.doc
Usual disclaimer apply, before using it you are advised to check its correct for your purposes.
 
Just following up on these changes. I asked Ofcom about whether/when they would be thinking about adopting these changes, and according to their Maritime Spectrum Policy specialist there is going to be a review of GMDSS in around six years time, and they'll be looking at these changes along with that - so maybe other changes too. My guess is that any changes might not come into affect for ten years then.

I also asked Standard Horizon about updating their radios to adopt these changes. Not really relevant to me but anyone travelling to the states might need to be aware. Apparently older versons of their handheld HX300E can't be updated to cope with the new four digital channels. Something to think/ask about for anyone buying a new radio that they want to use for more then ten years then.
 
Is 5 months too old to resurrect?

I was sending my m603 back to icom to fix the lugs which lock the mic in place and asked them about re-programming for the new frequencies. They seemed puzzled and asked which ones I wanted. When referring them to their own news article they said this could only be done with custom channel names as their older radios only supported 2 character channel names. I'm guessing that would apply to several manufacturers' older products. If people do ever bother with this I wonder if there'll be a standard non-standard naming convention
 
LadyInBed said:
Does this mean that I am eventually going to have to buy a DSC VHF?
Click to expand...

No. Don't use the duplex channels 19/20/78/79 (you didn't anyway and aren't supposed to).

Or if you really want to, ask Icom to reprogram your radio. (Or if you really want to get techie, buy the USB programming cable and software off eBay or Amazon and do it yourself!)

When the OP's link first came out a year or so ago I was surprised that other manufacturers didn't seem to be alerting to this issue.
 
prv said:
Don't know, but they could easily have software in them that will support 4-digit channels even if none are currently programmed.

Pete
Click to expand...

The main issue is that many radios use a display like a calculator (is it a dot matrix?) and its only designed to show two digit channels. The old type displays are probably easy on the batteries, particularly for portable units. As the newer units move towards LCD displays there's a lot more flexibility and simple software updates could potentially change the display layout a fair bit.
 
Hi Adam
Did you ever update or put these 4 digit Channels/frequencies on your channel list ?

I have been 'playing' with cheap programmable Beofeng radios recently and have a lot of the frequencies m as a spreadsheet to upload to the radios. They are great little radios and you can put pretty much all the frequencies and name them with up to 5 Characters.

You can even put the PMR licence free walkieTalkie B&Q cheap style two way radio frequencies on them too...though officially they are not legal to use. The reason you cannot legally use them as PMR Walkie Talke radios is odd,it is because the have a removable antenna. I guess that is to stop you connecting to a huge antenna and broadcasting to the world! Think there is power limits too.


I am not 100% sure how fully legal / compliant they are for marine band, so I'd not think of using or recommending one as a main radio..but to program them with say two or three channels, to give the kids when they go ashore in the dinghy or similar.. Not waterproof either ..but at £25-40 each... Beofeng UV-5R BF-F8Hp but there are a multitude of other models.

So if you do have an updated version of the document you posted earlier I'd be interestd to see it.

Many thanks

Neil P
 
NeilPaisnel said:
Hi Adam
Did you ever update or put these 4 digit Channels/frequencies on your channel list ?

I have been 'playing' with cheap programmable Beofeng radios recently and have a lot of the frequencies m as a spreadsheet to upload to the radios. They are great little radios and you can put pretty much all the frequencies and name them with up to 5 Characters.

You can even put the PMR licence free walkieTalkie B&Q cheap style two way radio frequencies on them too...though officially they are not legal to use. The reason you cannot legally use them as PMR Walkie Talke radios is odd,it is because the have a removable antenna. I guess that is to stop you connecting to a huge antenna and broadcasting to the world! Think there is power limits too.


I am not 100% sure how fully legal / compliant they are for marine band, so I'd not think of using or recommending one as a main radio..but to program them with say two or three channels, to give the kids when they go ashore in the dinghy or similar.. Not waterproof either ..but at £25-40 each... Beofeng UV-5R BF-F8Hp but there are a multitude of other models.

So if you do have an updated version of the document you posted earlier I'd be interestd to see it.

Many thanks

Neil P
Click to expand...

I have a couple of low power Cobra Marine HH's as well as a couple of PMR's ...

I would use the PMR's for shore trippers as they have a reasonable range ... I looked at the Multi Freq Boefung ... but my combos worked out cheaper.
 
Hi

Yes I have Chirp and have a selection of img files for it that I am editing at the moment.

There are lots of online sources of the frequencies..but as I have found ..some of them have errors in them.

I am trying to create two Chirp images..one with every channel possible (for UK /Europe waters at least) including the private ones. and another image that just has the basic channel set plus a couple of others (like 31 for some European ports)

I have three different operating system s here ..a Mac , Windows and a Linux machine ...Chirp is refusing to correctly read the image fiels properly if I edit in mac and then send over tot he Linux machine which is a bit annoying.
 
cpedw said:
There's more than anyone could reasonably wish to know about VHF frequencies here on Wikipedia.
Click to expand...
Absolutely..I have a bout 5 tabs open with pages of similar and if you started drilling down them you often find discrepancies between sites.
Since on this post or another I have recently seen on here some one had started to create document with it all more rationalized, I was just seeing if there was any more progress on it to save me re-inventing the wheel and creating a spreadsheet for the §1Chirp program with all the frequencies


Chirp files and csv
 
Apologies for the absolutely diabolical typing on the previous posts, it seems I cannot go back and edit either.

Link on the post two up from here is faulty too.
 
So I can program all the marine and PMR channels into a UV-5R?

What about CH0, aviation and military aviation? If it can do that I can bin my scanner. Although I'd be terrified I might accidentally transmit. 😱

What a time to be alive!

(When I say I, of course I mean my friend.)
 
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