VHF Handheld - License Explained?

conks01

conks01

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Hi,

I was hoping somebody could explain in layman's terms what I need to do to obtain a VHF license.

I've seen various sites on the Web which aren't clear and it's confusing.

I have a handheld and would believe I need a SRC. If this is correct I think to gain the SRC I have to pay for the training and then sit an exam?

Do I have this right?

Thanks
 
Hi conks,

Yes you are correct, if you have a VHF marine radio - fixed or handheld - then you need to complete a course. You will also need to apply to ofcom for a licence for it, which is actually free.

You may find the following of interest, which in parts, will tell you what's required.

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...tors-licence&p=5219271&highlight=#post5219271

Some local Councils list these courses in their Adult Education brochures. Mine does, ind the fees are much cheaper than registering with some of the Schools.
 
Whether hand-held or fixed, you need a license to transmit, or to be using it under the supervision of someone licensed I believe. If you already own one, there is nothing to stop you using it to listen, and while waiting for a licence, it can be useful to hear the use and often abuse of procedures.

A training course and exam are nothing to be worried about, and everyone I know has enjoyed the experience, even if much of the course is rather straightforward.
 
Appledore said:
Yes you are correct, if you have a VHF marine radio - fixed or handheld - then you need to complete a course. You will also need to apply to ofcom for a licence for it, which is actually free.
Click to expand...

The first point isn't quite true, as jonalison points out in post #5. The mere possession of a VHF does not require an operator's licence. Nor does the use of it for emergency calls, or for any calls made under the supervision of a qualified operator. True, very few sailors use a VHF in this limited way, but should anyone wish to, it's perfectly legitimate.

Equally, you don't actually need to do the Short-Range course, although it's wise to do so. You can just take the test.

As said, the OP would also need a ship/ship portable licence from Ofcom, available free on-line (or for £20 the old-fashioned way): https://services.ofcom.org.uk/
 
conks01 said:
Hi,

I was hoping somebody could explain in layman's terms what I need to do to obtain a VHF license.

I've seen various sites on the Web which aren't clear and it's confusing.

I have a handheld and would believe I need a SRC. If this is correct I think to gain the SRC I have to pay for the training and then sit an exam?

Do I have this right?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Yes.

If you use a radio transmitter you need a licence, there is a lot of waffle in the thread saying this and that, to get a licence you need to do a course and pass the exam - simples.
 
Camelia said:
.........to get a licence you need to do a course and pass the exam - simples.
Click to expand...

You do not need to do the course! The exam is separate from the course, has its own fee (£60) and is invigilated by someone independent of the course. Whether this is a good idea is up to you. The syllabus and sample questions cost £6.49 from the RYA.
Incontinent Crew, Dazed Kipper, YM shore-based, etc. are course completion certificates; Yachtmaster practical , SRC radio, etc. are certificates of competency and do not demand course completion.
 
macd said:
+1
Camelia contribited to the the "waffle" of which he writes.
(I wasn't going to shove it in before, I but I speak as an RYA SRC assessor.)
Click to expand...
I stand corrected, but can't see any places offering one without the other - and would challenge anybody who had not received some form of training to pass the exam.

I learned radio procedures in a Mountain Rescue environment and while the basics are the same there are a few differences between the two ways of doing things that tripped me up on the course - had I gone straight into the exam I strongly suspect I would have failed - should you ever hear a reference to boxes of Mars bars being delivered to a OS grid point on the mountain on the air then be assured that it has nothing to do with chocolate bars and an undertaker needs to be called!
 
It appears to be similar to a couple of radio exams that I am an examiner for (not VHF SRC although perhaps I should look into that). In these the course is separate to the exam and the exam is classified as a public exam so ANYONE can register and attend. The exam date and venue have to be published in advance for this purpose.

This is backed up by a look at this online provider http://www.seavoice-training.co.uk/course_details.asp?course_id=24 who seems to attach you onto a local examination being run by other schools when you need the exam.
 
Mr Camelia, no one has ever failed a vhf exam.

I think we've lost sight of the purpose of vhf competence, which is: Could I do ok in the case of your emergency? And could you do ok in the case of mine?

For me frequent practice is the thing. Not a piece of paper.

I did hear a mayday once where the skipper reported, well, once understood by CG, a taking on water situation. The skipper was jabbering. CG asked him to repeat everything and slow down the delivery.
 
I thought the reason for the SRC was to reduce/avoid misuse of radio transmitters and make sure the operators know the basic legal requirements on them.
Consequently, a short course and separate exam make good sense.
 
RAI said:
I thought the reason for the SRC was to reduce/avoid misuse of radio transmitters and make sure the operators know the basic legal requirements on them.
Consequently, a short course and separate exam make good sense.
Click to expand...

And I thought the Germans objected to a half day course completion certificate when they were taking the qualification seriously. The result was a beefing up of the course content and separation of course and exam.
 
my problem is---i could probably afford the course and exam or buy a vhf but not both---i am one of the few people in the country who doesn t have or want a mobile phone or tv so when i am at sea i am incommudicado(spelling?)----for safety sake i was thinking of buying a vhf---the only use would be a mayday---surely i could manage that without a course
 
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