VHF Radio Check?

CaptainBob

CaptainBob

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www.yacht-forum.co.uk
Continuing the VHF theme in popular demand at the mo...

I know some people frown on the "radio check" call, especially on CH16, but my yacht is out of the water and apart from a successful test by my surveyor some months ago - I've not heard a peep from it since... I'm sure it's fine, but I'd like to know now if it's not so I can sort it before getting on the water again.

Boat is 5 miles inland right now, so I think the only people likely to hear me are the CG.

Is it OK to call out a radio check on CH16?

What's the correct full verbage for it?

Thanks!
 
Do you not have a HH Vhf? you could do your own check with a mate ... on a quiet channel ...

technically speaking you shouldn't transmit on the land, unless you have a base station licence ...
 
Depends where you are. In the Solent area CG doesn't like boats calling for a radio check on 16. They prefer it if you use the safety channel, which is 67 (I think) for the Solent, don't know about other CG but its in the almanac. Or you could try a marina. But as Fireball suggests, a HH VHF would work.
 
um, Hand Held...

In the solent it's nothing but radio checks on 67 on sunny weekends - maybe someone could do us all a favour and set up a radio check service on an obscure working channel somewhere. Of course it'd need to be free... Or maybe we could arrange a radio-check-a-friend service:-)
 
Yeah sorry, HH is Hand Held. A hand held VHF radio, like a walkie talkie. If you don't have one you may be able to borrow one, then take a walk down the street with it and have a friend your boat use the VHF. If all is fine you will here him and visa versa.
 
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Why not do a radio check with your local marina, I'm sure they won't mind.

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And if you call the marina on Ch 16 the Coastguard will reply and tell you off, so you then know that Ch 16 works OK. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
In the face of a lot of self righteous sermonisers telling be it was evil to ask the CG for a radio check, I called up Thames Coastguard by phone and asked if it was OK to call for a radio check. The woman I spoke to said that they were more than happy to help and it was perfectly OK. They have always been unwaveringly helpful. At the beginning of the season I when I do three tests in a row (Main vhf with masthead antenna, main with emergency antenna and then handheld) I do it with the marina. They to are helpful too. I do wait for a quiet spell.
 
....and if there was no reply, do you think it would stop most people carrying on regardless? Would they turn back to their berth?

Unlikely IMO, so why bother with the check in the first place ?
 
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In the face of a lot of self righteous sermonisers telling be it was evil to ask the CG for a radio check, I called up Thames Coastguard by phone and asked if it was OK to call for a radio check. The woman I spoke to said that they were more than happy to help and it was perfectly OK. They have always been unwaveringly helpful. ................ I do wait for a quiet spell.................

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One Saturday morning last year the air-waves in Thames were gradually filling up with these calls. Then suddenly Thames CG started asking each caller for their International Callsign. The traffic quickly died down and all was quiet again.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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Do you call "On arrival" /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

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They don't go looking for you if you don't. They only worry if someone else contacts them to say you're overdue.......
 
At the beginning of season, might be OK, but when you are out in busy periods, and the calls are coming in left right and centre, you can hear the exasperation in the coastguards response in busier boating areas, and they start broadcasting announcements that radio checks direct to working channel not Ch16, and await response.
 
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