VHF course - am I missing summat?

[kilkerr1]

Wanting to do the old VHF day course, sent off for prospectus thingy from local adult ed. centre as they do it. I've searched around for the course and found that at all training centres the day course costs about £80 plus about £20 quid for the certificate. This price tends to be the same everywhere. Except here. This is what the course blurb is:

<font color=blue>VHF/SRC Navigation
9.30-5.30

This course will enable students to make effective use of radio communication equipment for distress and safety at sea and includes procedures for the operation of global marine distress safety systems for semi-automatic alerting. The assessment for certification is for the Department of Trade and Industry short range certificate. Please bring passport photograph, cheque payable to RYA £22/£35 (updating/new) for licence fee.</font color=blue>

The course fee is £26 squids only, as opposed to 80. Is this the course I think it is? Does the 'semi-automatic' mean it won't cover DSC maybe, so it's cheaper? Wos goin on? Or am I just missing something really obvious. It wouldn't be the first time...

Confused!



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[powerskipper]

Yes that the DSC course. but very cheep , see how many will be in class, and how many simulatore per student. good 2-1 not so good 5-1, hope helps

<hr width=100% size=1>Julie ,
IMOSHO of course,

 

[snowleopard]

is this an LEA course? local adult education courses tend to be much cheaper than sailing schools. Check that you get an SRC at the end of it but i reckon you're on a winner.

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[kilkerr1]

Wow. Result!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Dayskipper/Coastal sk./YM shorebased are all £120, as opposed to the more usual 200-300 squids...

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[powerskipper]

who are you doing it though

<hr width=100% size=1>Julie ,
IMOSHO of course,

 

[GeorgeP]

RYA Courses

Hi Kilker1

I did all my courses at local education authority schools. They are closer to where I live as well as considerably cheaper.

I did the DSC course last year (gave up trying to find a conversion course). It was about £30 plus exam fee. About 2-1 on the PC simulators too.

Hope it goes well.

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[petery]

One you've been on a VHF course you'll wonder how they have the nerve to charge even the lower price. Ypu'll probably watch two videos; recite the phonetic alphabet a couple of times and sit at a simulator for a few minutes.

I've always felt that you get more value from the PBO sheets that you fill in and stick up by your radio. There appears to be absolutley no quality control on the lecturers skills and knowledge. The guy who gave my course never bothers with written exams. The RYA weren't bothered when I complained.

... of course , I moght just have been unlucky. There undoubtedly will be exceptions - like the schools who also teach the Long Range Certificate where they are regularly monitored by MCA staff.

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[powerskipper]

Not on my courses you do not

<hr width=100% size=1>Julie ,
IMOSHO of course,

 

[Fill]

Mrs mate & I did radio courses at an Adult Ed on the south coast (conversion for me, full monty for her). While it was great fun playing with the computer simulator the instructor didn't add much value (he actually got some of the detail wrong) and I ended up going through the RYA booklet with Mrs mate. The RYA really do seem to be getting their booklets user friendly compared with the way they were. (IMHO).

Net result: listen to VHF any summer weekend to see how well the course has got over the purposes of a radio. "Radio check please-over; you're loud and clear, just as you were 10 minutes ago, sir." and so on.

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[Cornishman]

Come to Cornwall where you will not only get expert tuition (sic!) but pay the lowest fees of all at Caradon AEC in Liskeard.
Full GMDSS course £8 + £20 assessment fee
GMDSS Conversion £6 + £20 assessment fee
23 weeks Co Sk/YM Offshore Theory Full fee £46 Over 60s £32 Concessionary £10
Ditto for a 23 weeks Day Skipper Theory
Too late for this winter, though
Special discount if you pay with bezants!! Mighty surcharge if you pay in Euros

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[kilkerr1]

Northbrook College, Shoreham and Southwick Adult Education Centre.

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[BlueSkyNick]

My experience was much the same as yours.

The instructor explained that no formal test would be required as he would assess each of us during the day, through verbal dialogue. Everybody passed which was quite remarkable considering some people didn't answer any of his questions or ask any of their own.

Apart from picking up one or two useful hints, the only value was to get the certificate.

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