VHF Radio licence

[Puffin10032]

Are you sure about that?

According to Ofcom:

My emphasis and asterisk.

*Ship Radio Licence and Ship Portable Radio Licence.

It takes quite a bit of digging about but this document

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets...hip-licence-terms-and-conditions.pdf?v=325993

10 The Licensee must ensure that the radio equipment is used only by persons:
(a) who have been authorised by the Licensee to do so and who have been made
aware of, and comply with, the terms of the Licence; and
(b) who hold, or are under the direct personal supervision of a person who holds, a
relevant Maritime Radio Operator’s Certificate of Competence and valid Authority
to Operate.
11 Clause 10 (b) shall not apply to persons using channels M (157.850 MHz) and M2 (161.425
MHz).

I think that's what's being referred to.

 

[Greemble]

It takes quite a bit of digging about but this document

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets...hip-licence-terms-and-conditions.pdf?v=325993



I think that's what's being referred to.

That would still suggest that the radio is licensed by someone.

The confusion here may be conflating the radio licence with the certificate of competence.

 

[st599]

Are you sure about that?

According to Ofcom:

My emphasis and asterisk.

*Ship Radio Licence and Ship Portable Radio Licence.

A Coastal Radio Station licence covers a club and all of it's volunteers for running racing on M1 or M2 without SRCs being needed.

 

[Laser310]

One has to wonder whether the cost to the government of administering the license for recreational boaters justifies whatever benefit might be gained.

It might not be much money..., but they could spend it elsewhere.

add to that, the cost to boaters who take the class...

A 5 page PDF could probably contain all the information needed for a recreational boater to use a VHF. Just recommend that they read it.

Sure, some won't.., but so what?

 

[Greemble]

A Coastal Radio Station licence covers a club and all of its volunteers for running racing on M1 or M2 without SRCs being needed.

Indeed, the club would (should) have its radios covered by its own licence.

However, if a member/volunteer/helper were to be using their own device at an event organised by the club, the club may want to know if the person does have their own licence. As having a SRC* is a condition of the Ships Radio licence (at least to use the radio), then the licence holder would be in breech if they didn't have a SRC as well.

Somehow, if an enforcement officer / Ofcom inspector were to arrive at the event and start asking for paperwork, I doubt they'd be very impressed by the rib/boat owner (not the club) producing their own licence and then saying that they "only use ever the M channels and so don't require any additional certification for it" especially if the office/inspector had already heard the rib owner using their radio.

Reason for the club asking might be for insurance cover and/or as suggested in #134, the club is worried about enforcement action.

*An SRC is not a licence.

 

[Mark-1]

The confusion here may be conflating the radio licence with the certificate of competence.

No, I was very specific that I was referring to the SRC licence, not the installation licence.

It was also crystal clear from the context, here's what I said:

"I think that means a license for the installation rather than SRC License. So presumably it was because you were using your own RIB, not a club boat. As you'll know, M2 doesn't require an SRC Licence."

No scope for conflation there.

 

[winch2]

What is a 'wizzer'? Do I need one?

Haha... not unless you can find a couple of bean cans and some string. As kids its what we used to call them. Bit tricky tho over miles of open ocean!

 

[capnsensible]

Haha... not unless you can find a couple of bean cans and some string. As kids its what we used to call them. Bit tricky tho over miles of open ocean!

Yeah you are probably better off with a vhf radio.

 

[Greemble]

No, I was very specific that I was referring to the SRC licence, not the installation licence.

It was also crystal clear from the context, here's what I said:

"I think that means a license for the installation rather than SRC License. So presumably it was because you were using your own RIB, not a club boat. As you'll know, M2 doesn't require an SRC Licence."

No scope for conflation there.

Yes, there is.
The SRC is not a licence.

 

[Mark-1]

Yes, there is.
The SRC is not a licence.

As far as I can tell it is:

Licence: "A permit from an authority to own or use something, do a particular thing."


It's a permit from an Authority(RYA/Ofcom) that allows people to use a VHF.

It was still very clear from the context there was no conflation becaise the context was me spelling out the distinction between the license to use SRC/VHF and the installation license. So no room for misunderstanding. I can't imagine you thought I was claiming the instalation license was different to the installation license.

 

[Greemble]

As far as I can tell it is:

Licence: "A permit from an authority to own or use something, do a particular thing."


It's a permit from an Authority(RYA/Ofcom) that allows people to use a VHF.

It was still very clear from the context there was no conflation becaise the context was me spelling out the distinction between the license to use SRC/VHF and the installation license. So no room for misunderstanding. I can't imagine you thought I was claiming the instalation license was different to the installation license.

To be clear. Yes, your definition of licence is correct AFAIK, no argument there.

However...
Short Range Certificate.

Certificate:
a qualification that you receive when you are successful in an examination, or have done a course of training.
Not a permit, a qualification.

And from the context, #138, the post that sparked your reply, I took as referring to being asked if he had a licence (as in the title of the thread), not a certificate.

Yes, not for a yacht but for a rib: asked to confirm possession ahead of providing safety cover at a large junior regatta at Weymouth in 2015.

 

[Middie H.]

Yes. Dutch police off Ijmuiden. Pre-pandemic, but not too long before. Both ship's and operator's licence.

Do you have RYA SRC, don’t you? Not the Dutch one?

 

[Middie H.]

What nonsense, this is just lazy stereotyping.

In my experience, France are much stricter about this stuff. My wife and I both did our French VHF licences when we bought our boat here. As joint owners we were required to provide ANPR with our operators licences to be able to transfer the MMSI number and installed equipment to our names.

FWIW, we both felt that the one day course we did with Les Glenans was worthwhile. The course was far more in-depth than the one when I did my uk licence back in the early 80s, and as none of the modern technology existed at that time it was useful to get up to speed on DSC etc.

Have I understood correctly, French certificate was needed because you are both moved to France, right?
As visitor from the UK or EU countries, it is not necessary to get a local SRC, I hope

 

[Alicatt]

I'm curious. Has anyone on here ever been asked for their vhf license? in 40-odd years, I've never been asked, either in the UK or elsewhere in the world.

Yes, last year, Vlaamse Waterway police came to check the boat equipment and licences, UK SRC was fine for use on a Belgian flagged boat and that the radio had been modified to the new rainwat channels, only thing we got picked up on was the fire extinguisher was too small, new rules state that a 2kg extinguisher is minimum and must be within 1m of the helm.

 

[Alicatt]

Have I understood correctly, French certificate was needed because you are both moved to France, right?
As visitor from the UK or EU countries, it is not necessary to get a local SRC, I hope

My UK SRC is accepted for use on a Belgian flagged boat, I am a resident in Belgium, the police said as long as the UK is a member of the International Telecoms Union then it is not a problem.

 

[Pye_End]

Do you have RYA SRC, don’t you? Not the Dutch one?

Yes indeed. UK flagged, GB citizen etc. - all paperwork UK based.

 

[Middie H.]

My UK SRC is accepted for use on a Belgian flagged boat, I am a resident in Belgium, the police said as long as the UK is a member of the International Telecoms Union then it is not a problem.

I want to get SRC this year, but I’m wondering whether I go with German one or better with RYA. Actually, I prefer RYA course, but some German sailors insisted I have to get German certificate, because our boat is registered in Germany and our radio too.

You are Belgian, your boat and your radio is Belgian licensed but you have RYA SRC, and the Belgian marine police was fine with it, right?

 

[dgadee]

The UK requires a one day course and then an exam (RYA money making scheme?). It looks as though the German exam is just an exam (though probably a long and proper one) and costs less. Is that the case?

I organised one years ago for about 20 people. The instructor must have made a fortune that day.

It's all overkill. And radio protocol is observed by it's absence.

 

[st599]

The UK requires a one day course and then an exam (RYA money making scheme?). It looks as though the German exam is just an exam (though probably a long and proper one) and costs less. Is that the case?

I organised one years ago for about 20 people. The instructor must have made a fortune that day.

It's all overkill. And radio protocol is observed by it's absence.

The UK requires a course and an exam because the German government complained to the ITU that the RYA course missed the fundamentals required.

 

[dgadee]

The UK requires a course and an exam because the German government complained to the ITU that the RYA course missed the fundamentals required.

Why was the German government concerned about UK standards? Seems bizarre, unless to do with the EU political project. Have you a citation to this?

Do the Germans complain about every member country of the ITU which doesn't meet their expectations?

Anyway, it hasn't worked. Just listen to VHF Comms