VHF operator licence

DanTribe

DanTribe

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My club has just sent a circular email saying that current VHF licenses will become obsolete in 18 months time, and we should all enrol on a course to upgrade.
This sounds like someone has got the facts wrong and a case of a little bit of knowledge being dangerous.
But has anyone heard of this before I have a go?
 
DanTribe said:
My club has just sent a circular email saying that current VHF licenses will become obsolete in 18 months time, and we should all enrol on a course to upgrade.
This sounds like someone has got the facts wrong and a case of a little bit of knowledge being dangerous.
But has anyone heard of this before I have a go?
Click to expand...

Look back a couple of days ..... has already been addressed in detail ....conclusion was, NO, your licence will still be valid.
 
VicMallows said:
Look back a couple of days ..... has already been addressed in detail ....conclusion was, NO, your licence will still be valid.
Click to expand...
Could you point me to the post about this please?
I must have missed it and now can't find anything referring to VHF operators licenses.
 
diapason said:
Thanks for the info - I'm about to arrange to do mine. Can anyone recommend a trainer in or close to West Somerset where I can book the course?
N
Click to expand...

Dunno where west somerset is, but Powerskipper of this forum does these courses.
New forest type area and southampton I think.
 
Thanks for the info, ccscott49. I'm on the Bristol Channel coast, but could go down to Southampton if there's nothing nearer.

Nicholas123, I'm assuming (as I've not yet done the course) that we need the training so as not to b*****r up the VHF channels used by the Coastguard and merchant ships - particularly channel 16. Mobiles are ok in some circumstances, but probably shouldn't be relied upon in an emergency as you may not get a signal offshore.
N
 
diapason said:
Thanks for the info, ccscott49. I'm on the Bristol Channel coast, but could go down to Southampton if there's nothing nearer.

Nicholas123, I'm assuming (as I've not yet done the course) that we need the training so as not to b*****r up the VHF channels used by the Coastguard and merchant ships - particularly channel 16. Mobiles are ok in some circumstances, but probably shouldn't be relied upon in an emergency as you may not get a signal offshore.
N
Click to expand...

I was'nt necessarily thinking of mobiles.I have a pretty deluxe radio fitted to the boat I have just bought & would'nt have thought this was rocket science in this day & age :confused:.Maybe somebody could explain why it is so complicated?
 
I deal with OFCOM re our community radio station and they are pretty hot on rules, both as regards to the setup and operation of the transmitter and the broadcast content. As far as marine vhf is concerned, the actual operation of the set is straightforward, but, as the frequencies are used by commercial shipping as well as small boats, and are often the sole means of communication in an emergency, then OFCOM will need to be certain that users are properly trained and do not, for example, clutter up channel 16 with idle chitchat. I'm guessing that OFCOM have a means of withdrawing a person's licence if the system is abused. I will, of course, know more when I've done the training myself.
N
 
Nicholas123 said:
I was'nt necessarily thinking of mobiles.I have a pretty deluxe radio fitted to the boat I have just bought & would'nt have thought this was rocket science in this day & age :confused:.Maybe somebody could explain why it is so complicated?
Click to expand...
VHF is covered by international treaties that require an operator to have a licence to use it. In practice our licences in this country have been pretty easy to get. You can listen without a licence, but if you want to use the frequencies for communication you need a licence and a certificate that shows you know how to use it in the manner prescribed by the international rules.

Suggest you get the handbook on VHF rules and protocols and take the exam if you want to use it. However, most people find it useful to take the course of instruction as it is easier to learn under instruction rather than doing it on your own. - and you still have to take the exam. All the deatils are on the RYA site.
 
Nicholas123 said:
May I ask why we need a licence at all in a time when most people can communicate with the emergency services by mobile phone quite satisfactorily?
Click to expand...

You need a licence to operate a VHF because that's the law.

just like you need a driving licence if you drive a motor vehicle , a television licence to watch live TV, a firearms licence to keep a gun etc etc

A VHF has much greater range than a mobile phone so useful where you are out of mobile phone range.

We have used a VHF mid channel to alert an approaching cross channel of our predicament ( entangled in fishing gear). A mobile phone would not have been any use what so ever.
As it happened they had seen us but told of our problem stopped and stood by, while we sorted ourselves out, to keep other shipping away.
 
Last edited:
VicS said:
You need a licence to operate a VHF because that's the law.

just like you need a driving licence , a television licence, a firearms licence to keep a gun etc etc

A VHF has much greater range than a mobile phone so useful where you are out of mobile phone range.

We have used a VHF mid channel to alert an approaching cross channel of our predicament ( entangled in fishing gear). A mobile phone would not have been any use what so ever.
As it happened they had seen us but told of our problem stopped and stood by, while we sorted ourselves out, to keep other shipping away.
Click to expand...

Not quite. My son watches my tv all the time and he doesn't have a licence, while I'd expect my wife to call Mayday if I was incapacitated and she doesn't have an operator's certificate.
 
As I understand it (from reading up on the RYA site), there has to be a licence holder onboard who should make the call. S/he can then hand over to an unqualified person to continue the call. In an emergency situation, anyone can use the vhf to make a Mayday call.
N
 
So what if it's handheld in a locker and never switched on? Does someone on board need an operator's licence then?

later:
ps I see you are a new user. Slapped hand for me. No teasing. Sorry. And welcome.
 
diapason said:
Thanks for the welcome - now ...... will I need a firearms licence if I carry flares ;)
N
Click to expand...

Not for flares but you may do if you have a Verey pistol

There was bit of a problem many years ago over Mini flares but overcome by redesigning them IIRC.
 
I would imagine in the not too distant future, it will no longer be required for ships to keep a watch on Ch 16. This was proposed some time ago, because of the introduction of DSC. The arguement against this, is that not all ships registries are signatory to IMO, and there are still a lot of non DSC VHF radios about.
ITU require that ships maintain a watch on Ch16 whenever possible/practical.

So, being able to use DSC, both how to send, and to respond to a DSC, how to prioritise a DSC call etc, is worth knowing. Not knowing, could put lives at risk.
 
diapason said:
As I understand it (from reading up on the RYA site), there has to be a licence holder onboard who should make the call. S/he can then hand over to an unqualified person to continue the call.
Click to expand...

It's not quite as strict as that. The rules only say that anyone using the radio has to be under the "direct supervision" of a license holder. In practice this often means a less-experienced crew using the radio (say, to arrange a marina berth) while the skipper, who has the license, is on the helm.

Pete
 
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