VHF DSC

G

gianenrico

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 Dec 2003
Messages
510
Location
Northern Tyrrenian sea
Visit site
I'd like to know what are the obligation for a UK pleasure boat in order to radio equipment. Am I correct in thinking that the obligation for radio equipment exist for boats over 45 feet? And that this obligation only requires an appropriate radio (e.g.: VHF without DSC? Or HF SSB without DSC?).
Please bear in mind I'm referring only to legally binding obligations, not to good seamanship practices!
Cheers!
 
There is no legal requirment for a small pleasure vessel (ie one that is not being used commercially) to have DSC Radio. However I believe that all fixed VHF radios offered for sale in the shops have to either be DSC radios or have the facility for DSC capable of being added to them (perhaps by adding a DSC 'box as an additional cost).

There is a second hand market for non-DSC fixed VHF radios which are perfectly legal on small craft which are not used for commercial gain.
 
IMO SOLAS requires you to have a maritime radio capable of transmitting and receiving, appropriate to the area of operation. In coastal waters a VHF radio suffices.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Pleasure craft of less than 13.7 metres in length are not covered by any statutory requirements as far as life saving or fire fighting equipment is concerned.

At 13.7 metres in length and over they are, however, obliged to comply with the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances for ships other than ships of Classes III to VI (A)) Regulations 1999 and the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998 respectively. These vessels are classified as being Class XII in these Regulations.

details here, it's not just a VHF you need, complete list from the link below

http://www.rya.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/08320...ngEquipment.pdf
 
I wouldent buy a DSC VHF.

If you want one and want to order it from the UK then you will need a credit card and care when comparing prices.A good UK supplier:

http://www.jgtech.com/index.htm

They reply to email have a skype phone and sell a large range,if you find it at a lower price you could let them know they might match the price???Worth a try!

I bought a VHF from the "for sale" forum hear first class set and the vendor after checking the post price and being quoted a high price took a lot of time and trouble to have it sent at a correct price.

Its really worth looking at the for sale hear.

I was very very pleased the set was as described well packed!You can trust the people selling hear.

Ive been useing the VHF for about 4 years now great for harbours or when at anchor to save phone costs!

That you cant do with DSC yet as i dont know another boat that has one.In the med at least most small (under 12m) still have the old VHF some might have added a DSC but still "use" the old VHF

For security im not convinced ships have there DSC on always?? Ive heard the alarm can go off in error!.Id go for an SSB.

Hope you had a good start to the new year and are enjoying sailing your new boat before the masses arrive for the hot season!

(I posted before untill i realised i was useing someone elses laptop!Im borrowing this one as it is,sooner i get a new one for myself the better! Life of the economicaly challenged can be frought with hardship)
 
I use VHF DSC and find it invaluable. A great advance on 'normal' VHF. It appears to me that few people know either what DSC can do for you, or how to use it. Maybe they are concerned they will activate a full scale search and rescue whilst practicing....but its DSC for me.
 
I read the original question as:
What equipement is required by law, not what is required to legally operate it.
For small private boats there is no legal requirement to have a radio.
If a radio is fitted then requirements are as stated by "Bumblefish".
 
[ QUOTE ]
As far as I am aware Bumblefish gave you the correct (and concise) answer.

Alan.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, WRONG ANSWER. Correct one here

IMO SOLAS requires for boats over 45 feet to have a maritime radio capable of transmitting and receiving, appropriate to the area of operation. In coastal waters a VHF radio suffices.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Pleasure craft of less than 13.7 metres in length are not covered by any statutory requirements as far as life saving or fire fighting equipment is concerned.

At 13.7 metres in length and over they are, however, obliged to comply with the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances for ships other than ships of Classes III to VI (A)) Regulations 1999 and the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998 respectively. These vessels are classified as being Class XII in these Regulations.

details here, it's not just a VHF you need, complete list from the link below

RYA 2007 Information on Life Saving Equipment SOLAS exemption


Trouville, it is irresponsible to recommend a non DSC VHF.

All coastal waters are fully covered by DSC VHF monitoring, also, all ships governed by GMDSS will monitor DSC VHF channel 70. Further, all yachts with DSC VHF automatically monitor DSC when the unit is turned on. Digital DSC signal has a lot better range than audio transmission on ch16. For example on Baltic with a mast head antenna there pretty much are no areas where a DSC signal would not be picked up. New DSC VHF units can be bought really cheap, there is no sense in fitting a non-DSC VHF nowadays.

http://www.ukho.gov.uk/amd/wnm%5C2004%5Cweek30_3307-3408%5Cnp289-wk30-04-page81.pdf
 
Umm for me there expensive!

However haveing just looked at the price i wouldent buy "a cheap one" when ive had the money ive bought Icom when i havent secondhand simrad

Today (i just looked) a DSC vhf costs around £200/£300 thats Icom or Raymarine.

As for the Baltic no one has a VHF!! Those that do never have it on!And are quite clear they go sailing to "get away"No "chatter" up there!I was very glad i had my SSB up there!
 
What a load of old cobblers
A DSC radio will transmit a distress call in 5 seconds.Giving position and boat identity.The ch 70 data burst carries a lot further than a voice transmission.

If you want a radio to chat on then use whatever you like but if it is safety that you worry about should the worst happen buy a proper radio and instead of chatting on the forum go on a radio operator's course and read some books about it.
 
Thank You to all!
FWIW, on my italian-flagged boat I have a VHF-DSC. Being the administrative process of getting a SRC in Italy somewhat of an (very expensive) marass, I got my SRC in France, of course with exam.

My question arose from a 3d we have on our italian forum, discussing various european regulations.

So, IF one has a VHF in UK, he needs a simple Operators Licence, whereas if he has a DSC, he needs a SRC.
And if he operates a non-DSC HF SSB? For a HF SSB DSC he needs a LRC, correct? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
As far as I am aware Bumblefish gave you the correct (and concise) answer.

Alan.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, WRONG ANSWER. Correct one here

IMO SOLAS requires for boats over 45 feet to have a maritime radio capable of transmitting and receiving, appropriate to the area of operation. In coastal waters a VHF radio suffices.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Pleasure craft of less than 13.7 metres in length are not covered by any statutory requirements as far as life saving or fire fighting equipment is concerned.

At 13.7 metres in length and over they are, however, obliged to comply with the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances for ships other than ships of Classes III to VI (A)) Regulations 1999 and the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998 respectively. These vessels are classified as being Class XII in these Regulations.

details here, it's not just a VHF you need, complete list from the link below

RYA 2007 Information on Life Saving Equipment SOLAS exemption


Trouville, it is irresponsible to recommend a non DSC VHF.

All coastal waters are fully covered by DSC VHF monitoring, also, all ships governed by GMDSS will monitor DSC VHF channel 70. Further, all yachts with DSC VHF automatically monitor DSC when the unit is turned on. Digital DSC signal has a lot better range than audio transmission on ch16. For example on Baltic with a mast head antenna there pretty much are no areas where a DSC signal would not be picked up. New DSC VHF units can be bought really cheap, there is no sense in fitting a non-DSC VHF nowadays.

http://www.ukho.gov.uk/amd/wnm%5C2004%5Cweek30_3307-3408%5Cnp289-wk30-04-page81.pdf

[/ QUOTE ]

if you take a yacht of over 45 feet to A2 sea area, i.e. more than 30-40 NM from the shore, you effectively need to have an MF radio on board to satisfy the requirement for "a maritime radio capable of transmitting and receiving, appropriate to the area of operation."
 
[ QUOTE ]


As for the Baltic no one has a VHF!! Those that do never have it on!And are quite clear they go sailing to "get away"No "chatter" up there!I was very glad i had my SSB up there!

[/ QUOTE ]

Bollocks. First of all the Baltic is covered by DSC monitoring , that officially covers almost everything, and in practice does it 100%

Second of all, majority of yachts on Baltic are members of local yacht clubs. Membership requires passing of local voluntary inspection. In practice most boats capable of going offshore have been voluntarily inspected to offshore category, and this requires a VHF.

Thirdly, radio discipline is very high on Baltic, and it is very true that there is very little chatter going on between yachts on VHF. Think of mobile phones for anything else than distress calling.
 
I think you may be right about the intention of the question, bit early in the morning for me at the time after late night in local undertaking early birthday celebration. I hope I at least got the licensing rules correct, just like the landlord last night!
 
I thought the missing word was operate, hence my agreement with your reply but ........ I have no excuse, wasn't in the pub last night !!!


Alan.
 
Just be careful

<<Think of mobile phones for anything else than distress calling. >>
All ships on my Nokia? Pan pan on the iphone? Have a bit of a think before you post. Same applies to <bollocks> epithet. It may not be obvious after your 27 posts Trouville is very popular on here and you will alienate everyone by being rude to the old darling. Keep reading and he will reduce you to helpless mirth, I promise.
 
Re: piers

Have all the annoying "false" alarms stopped yet? I replaced my radio with a new ICOM non DSC set at the beginning of 2007 as I had heard so many complaints from DSC users that the alarm was going off at all times of the day and night for no better reason than someone in Belgium was broadcasting a local weather report and everyone all the way down to the Scillies was automatically informed. I have passed the Radio Operators Exam including DSC so I do know what it can do.
 
Re: piers

We do not seem to get the "alarms" on DSC VHF on the East Coast(Anglia) that other areas have had.My friends on S coast say that alarms have reduced in that area.I was not a DSC fan but having fitted one & done the upgrade course I think that they are excellent.You can get an Icom for £130/140 now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top