PacketRat
New member
How do I go about getting a VHF licence?
Robin
Robin
VHF Licence
- Thread starter PacketRat
- Start date
lenseman
Active member
- Joined
- 3 Jun 2006
- Messages
- 7,077
- Location
- South East Coast - United Kingdom
Gargleblaster
Well-known member
There are two different VHF licences. One for the boat and one for the individual using the boat.
See hear for details of the boat's radio licence:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/licensing/classes/maritime/
Can be a bit hard to find your way around and when I tried to get a more direct link for you it told me the site is being maintained until 27/1/09.
Your individual licence is obtainable through one of the RYA accredited schools as indicated by the previous poster. I did mine [a GMDSS conversion] through one of the local adult education colleges. Which was convenient as I don't live near the water and was economical as in the old days it was subsidised by the govt, but I believe those subsidies have now been removed. The RYA site lists all the local colleges providing the training as well as the sea schools.
See hear for details of the boat's radio licence:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/licensing/classes/maritime/
Can be a bit hard to find your way around and when I tried to get a more direct link for you it told me the site is being maintained until 27/1/09.
Your individual licence is obtainable through one of the RYA accredited schools as indicated by the previous poster. I did mine [a GMDSS conversion] through one of the local adult education colleges. Which was convenient as I don't live near the water and was economical as in the old days it was subsidised by the govt, but I believe those subsidies have now been removed. The RYA site lists all the local colleges providing the training as well as the sea schools.
PacketRat
New member
Thanks very much. I was hoping to find a way of avoiding going on (paying for!) a course. Between the inscrutable ofcom site and the RYA marketing, I can't figure out if training is effectively mandatory. Robin.
Wunja
Active member
Just to clarify, the personal licence is gained by passing a test held at the end of the course. Theoretically it is possible to do the test independently, but I have no idea where you could do that.
The course is fairly painless.
The course is fairly painless.
Gargleblaster
Well-known member
[ QUOTE ]
I was hoping to find a way of avoiding going on (paying for!) a course.
[/ QUOTE ]
A sea or bush lawyer will possibly be along shortly to correct me but my understanding is that you do not need an operator's licence if you do not intend to transmit. So if you carry a VHF radio that you use to listen to fishermen chat about the size of their catch on Channel 16 or to listen to the weather but never intend to use it, you don't require a VHF operator's licence. If in an emergency you used the VHF to transmit a Mayday or PanPan message and it was never your intention to do so before you set out you would be covered. This is all my understanding and may of course be completely wrong. I am fairly new to Marine VHF radios as where I come from the preferred communication method is Marine CB for small boats, which requires no licensing. For a few years in the UK I did not hold an operator's licence for the VHF radio that was fitted to my first boat. Interestingly enough I never transmitted on it until the Dutch authorities sent a boat out to talk to me about 0300 one morning as they didn't like where I was anchored off Schiermonikoog [not sure how to spell it] for a couple of hours for a quick sleep. Having then used the radio I thought I had better get an operator's licence.
No-one has ever asked me for my licence or even asked whether I have one. And I'm not sure what the law is about having a VHF licence in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Although I do leave mine turned off as it uses too much power unless I see a ship or another yacht when I turn it on in case they want to talk to me.
If you carry a VHF transceiver you will still require a licence to have a VHF on board, which is the one where you apply online through Ofcom and is now renewed free if done online. I'm not sure if you have to pay if you are obtaining a boat radio licence for the first time.
One other quick thought the VHF operator's licence is either issued in perpetuity or else it last for a very long time [say ten or twenty years] I can't remember which but it does tend to be a bit of a one off cost to obtain one.
I was hoping to find a way of avoiding going on (paying for!) a course.
[/ QUOTE ]
A sea or bush lawyer will possibly be along shortly to correct me but my understanding is that you do not need an operator's licence if you do not intend to transmit. So if you carry a VHF radio that you use to listen to fishermen chat about the size of their catch on Channel 16 or to listen to the weather but never intend to use it, you don't require a VHF operator's licence. If in an emergency you used the VHF to transmit a Mayday or PanPan message and it was never your intention to do so before you set out you would be covered. This is all my understanding and may of course be completely wrong. I am fairly new to Marine VHF radios as where I come from the preferred communication method is Marine CB for small boats, which requires no licensing. For a few years in the UK I did not hold an operator's licence for the VHF radio that was fitted to my first boat. Interestingly enough I never transmitted on it until the Dutch authorities sent a boat out to talk to me about 0300 one morning as they didn't like where I was anchored off Schiermonikoog [not sure how to spell it] for a couple of hours for a quick sleep. Having then used the radio I thought I had better get an operator's licence.
No-one has ever asked me for my licence or even asked whether I have one. And I'm not sure what the law is about having a VHF licence in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Although I do leave mine turned off as it uses too much power unless I see a ship or another yacht when I turn it on in case they want to talk to me.
If you carry a VHF transceiver you will still require a licence to have a VHF on board, which is the one where you apply online through Ofcom and is now renewed free if done online. I'm not sure if you have to pay if you are obtaining a boat radio licence for the first time.
One other quick thought the VHF operator's licence is either issued in perpetuity or else it last for a very long time [say ten or twenty years] I can't remember which but it does tend to be a bit of a one off cost to obtain one.
PacketRat
New member
As there's no well-trodden route for getting a VHF licence without training, I'm going to pay up and be cheerful about it. I've had an unlicensed handheld for years, but want a proper registered VHF partly for the coastguard's peace of mind for when I'm not in the middle of the Atlantic. So thanks for the helpful links and sound advice.
Robin.
Robin.
VicS
Well-known member
I think all the centres that run courses and do the test are supposed to accept candidates for just the test. The RYA should be able to confirm that if I am right.
I took the old test pre GMDSS/DSC without attending a course, just used the two booklets G22 and G26 from the RYA.
A doddle!
I cannot believe that the new test including GMDSS can be much more difficult.
There's another RYA book available now (RYA VHF Handbook, G31) that is more detailed than G22 so it might with the help of that be even easier. G26 sets out the sylabus and includes sample questions.
Getting G26 and either G22 or G31 or both would be a wise first step what ever you do.
I took the old test pre GMDSS/DSC without attending a course, just used the two booklets G22 and G26 from the RYA.
A doddle!
I cannot believe that the new test including GMDSS can be much more difficult.
There's another RYA book available now (RYA VHF Handbook, G31) that is more detailed than G22 so it might with the help of that be even easier. G26 sets out the sylabus and includes sample questions.
Getting G26 and either G22 or G31 or both would be a wise first step what ever you do.
Solitaire
Active member
[ QUOTE ]
I think all the centres that run courses and do the test are supposed to accept candidates for just the test. The RYA should be able to confirm that if I am right.
[/ QUOTE ]
You are right. The cost of doing the exam only is £65 and if you want to do the DSC conversion exam it's £40.00.
I think all the centres that run courses and do the test are supposed to accept candidates for just the test. The RYA should be able to confirm that if I am right.
[/ QUOTE ]
You are right. The cost of doing the exam only is £65 and if you want to do the DSC conversion exam it's £40.00.
PacketRat
New member
Footnote:
The nearest course provider who replied quoted me:
Full course £70 tuition and £25 RYA Certification fee.
Conversion course £55 plus RYA Certification fee £25.
Test only £65 this includes the RYA fee.
Can't fault the quality advice on this forum!
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The nearest course provider who replied quoted me:
Full course £70 tuition and £25 RYA Certification fee.
Conversion course £55 plus RYA Certification fee £25.
Test only £65 this includes the RYA fee.
Can't fault the quality advice on this forum!
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif