VHF course help

[barca nova]

No, bored that every time the question of the internationally recognised qualification comes up the same people have the same opinion based rant and lay the blame squarely at the RYA’s door but in the meantime do nothing to lobby the RYA, MCA, Offcom, their MP etc to actually get the change they claim to crave (or at least to understand the true facts about what is or is not possible). It tells me you enjoy moaning more than you actually want the issue solved.

No. It tells you that mostly we recognise that there are organisations such as the MCA who are all about control of the general public rather than assistance to them. Its the old civil service view that Joe Public cant be left to decide thibgs for himself. A view that you see all the time in petty rules and regulations.
Trying to lobby for change is pi**ing into the wind.

 

[capnsensible]

It is a rip off. And not needed.

I have had mine for 20 years and sailed abroad to Turkish waters and never once been asked to show it.

I organised the exam. 20 people, done in much less than a day, and the examiner went off as happy as Larry with his takings. I seem to remember only 3 or 4 training rigs. Most of us never touched them. Didn't do us any harm.

Being out of date and out of touch shouldn't really be something to boast about, should it.....

 

[dgadee]

Being out of date and out of touch shouldn't really be something to boast about, should it.....

?

 

[capnsensible]

?

The coouse and test has improved dramatically since 20 years ago. Every candidate learns much more about the requirements, rules, safety equipment, dsc, yadda yadda. They must also demonstrate their ability to actually make a transmission.

There are always some that will moan but there are sufficient people out there who want to learn and use the equipment properly. Hoorah for common sense.

I posted a link up thread that you may find interesting and topical.

 

[lustyd]

Doing a course isn’t the only way to be up to date and not retaking a course doesn’t make you out of date.
The course is there to get qualified, and as this thread has shown is priced too high to be sensibly used as a refresher. I won’t be re-doing the course as I’d prefer to keep the money. I will read her book, and doubt I’ll learn anything new in the process as I tend to stay up to date with such things.

 

[capnsensible]

Doing a course isn’t the only way to be up to date and not retaking a course doesn’t make you out of date.
The course is there to get qualified, and as this thread has shown is priced too high to be sensibly used as a refresher. I won’t be re-doing the course as I’d prefer to keep the money. I will read her book, and doubt I’ll learn anything new in the process as I tend to stay up to date with such things.

Does if it was pre DSC. And modern signalling equipment for safety at sea.

 

[lustyd]

careful, you’ll wake up the anti-dsc crowd. Not sure what signalling equipment needs a license? I certainly wasn't asked for PLB or EPIRB

 

[st599]

You obviously know the official rules and regs, though why the RYA stick to them I do not know. It would have been easy for them to run a simplified syllabus, and issue their own "radio ticket".

Because that would put the UK in breach at ITU and with the UK gov needing international agreement on an allocation for their new satellite firm, they won't be risking that for a minor user like leisure maritime

As for propogation - Any low pressure ducting or solar flare can increase the range 10 fold. I think the longest reported in the technical press this summer was 1200km at 146MHz. The SRC teaches the median ground wave equation without talking about other propogation modes.

 

[dgadee]

The coouse and test has improved dramatically since 20 years ago. Every candidate learns much more about the requirements, rules, safety equipment, dsc, yadda yadda. They must also demonstrate their ability to actually make a transmission.

There are always some that will moan but there are sufficient people out there who want to learn and use the equipment properly. Hoorah for common sense.

I posted a link up thread that you may find interesting and topical.

My certificate is from 2008, I note. I would have used VHF onboard from the 1980s. The course may have changed but the practical usage has not. I am not sure if you are saying that because I haven't done a later course I don't use the VHF "properly". That is just rubbish.

 

[dgadee]

Because that would put the UK in breach at ITU and with the UK gov needing international agreement on an allocation for their new satellite firm, they won't be risking that for a minor user like leisure maritime

If that really mattered the UK would be investigating all those who have no licence and who have no intention of paying £200 or so to get one. They don't, so it must not matter.

 

[capnsensible]

careful, you’ll wake up the anti-dsc crowd. Not sure what signalling equipment needs a license? I certainly wasn't asked for PLB or EPIRB

• the basics of radio operation
• the correct frequencies (channels) to be used
• distress, emergency and medical assistance procedures
• making ship to shore telephone calls
• Digital Selective Calling (DSC) using simulators
• Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB)
• Search and Rescue (SART)

 

[capnsensible]

My certificate is from 2008, I note. I would have used VHF onboard from the 1980s. The course may have changed but the practical usage has not. I am not sure if you are saying that because I haven't done a later course I don't use the VHF "properly". That is just rubbish.

How would you make a ship to ship dsc call?

 

[dgadee]

How would you make a ship to ship dsc call?

I would use the AIS facility on my VHF. As I have done in the past and no doubt will do in the future. I don't tend to connect with other yachts.

All that is in the VHF manual. No course needed.

 

[lustyd]

making ship to shore telephone calls

Good luck with that in the UK. Discontinued years ago.

 

[seeSimon]

Does if it was pre DSC. And modern signalling equipment for safety at sea.

AFAIK...the VHF/short range course cert does not have a restricted period of validity, and no requirement for refresher training nor re validation?

Mine dates from the days pre sat nav, nevermind DSC, GMDSS etc...

 

[capnsensible]

Good luck with that in the UK. Discontinued years ago.

Why did you change it from ship to ship? Bit odd....

 

[capnsensible]

AFAIK...the VHF/short range course cert does not have a restricted period of validity, and no requirement for refresher training nor re validation?

Mine dates from the days pre sat nav, nevermind DSC, GMDSS etc...

So did mine. So I got myself up to speed with the latest stuff. But it's entirely voluntary. Some people, I suppose, have more enquiring minds.

 

[capnsensible]

I would use the AIS facility on my VHF. As I have done in the past and no doubt will do in the future. I don't tend to connect with other yachts.

All that is in the VHF manual. No course needed.

Good for you. As I mentioned before, plenty of other people want to be trained and tested to ensure they understand vhf/dsc operation.

I did the update course for professional reasons. Most don't need that. But plenty want the knowledge. Good for them.