VHF VIRGIN

[Alistairr]

I AM LOOKING FOR INFORMATION PLEASE,
I AM BUYING A HANDHELD VHF RADIO FOR MY SPORTS BOAT, AND BEING A RELATIVE NEW COMER TO BOATING I AM NOT SURE IF I REQUIRE A LICENCE OR NOT? IF I DO WHAT TYPE/TYPES DO I NEED? AND WHAT IS INVOLVED IN GETTING THEM? DOES IT REQUIRE GOING TO NIGHT SCHOOL?

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

 

[Trevethan]

In order to use the radio you need two licences. One for teh set itself, available for about £20 (I think) from the radio authority, renewable each year, plus an operator's licence.

courses for the operator licence typically take a day. Its not that hard and will likely cost you around £70.

The licence you want is called SRC (Short range certificate (I think))

Check out the RYA website or your local college for courses.

regards,

Nick


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[DavidJ]

yes you do need a licence from www.radiolicencecentre.co.uk they will also issue you with a call sign but prior to that you need to pass an exam. There are many sea schools who will help you with this or buy the video (which is what i did) It's quite a simple exam although people telling you that adds to the stress 'cos you don't want to be the first one to fail.....Incidently has anyone out there ever failed...there must be one??
You can only use your radio on your boat. Not on shore.
best of luck
David


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[Alistairr]

THANKS NICK AND DAVID FOR YOUR REPLIES, ONCE I HAVE THE LICENCES REQUIRED, ARE THESE RADIOS ONLY A MEANS OF COMMUNICATING IN AN EMERGENCY OR IS IT OKAY TO CHAT BETWEEN BOATS?

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

 

[byron]

The VHF certificate is simple to pass, as others have stated.
Before lashing out sums of money see if your local yacht club runs a course, many do and for a lot less than a sea school. i.e. I think the Upper Thames MYC charge £26 and that includes everything including the certificate.
In the meanwhile take the radio with you when out with your boat, believe me no 'body' will nick you if {god forbid} you had to use it to call for help. You will need Form RA385 to apply for a portable ships licence, these are available from the Radiocommunications Agency email radio.licencing.centre@postoffice.com or by phoning them 0870 243 4433



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[byron]

<font color=blue> You can talk to other vessels on the ship-to-ship channels but such messages should be kept to a minimum.
You will learn all this on your course.


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[Happy1]

As everyone has kindly told you, you need a licence for the radio (available for purchase online) & you also need a certificate of competence (obtained by doing the course) to operate it. You can also operate a radio under the control of someone else who holds a certificate of competence.

There are books available to help you available from the RYA bookshop online and chandlery's. The books codes are :-

G22 Course details and all that is required to pass
G26 This book contains the exam questions

AND

I bought Reed's VHF DSC Handbook by Sue Fletcher which explains it all very simply.

Cheers,

Pete


<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Alistairr]

.

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

 

[BarryH]

Don't think you get a call sign unless it is a 'Fixed Set' So with a handheld or Transportable set, no callsign.

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[byron]

going soft

<font color=blue>See, we are all going soft, not one person mentioned that fact that the original posting was in Caps and that is bad form.

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[Happy1]

They give you a call sign begining with 'T' for a transportable, so I am reliably informed. I will let you know in a day or so as I am just waiting for mine to arrive. Just for info a Fixed set also covers the use of a handheld ON THAT BOAT only, so only the fixed set fee of £20 is payable, if you want to use the handheld elsewhere then you need to pay the £15 fee for that as well.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[tcm]

Re: going soft

Mind you, on this occasion, I though it quite appropriate in caps, almost as though he was holed up in an internet caff miles from anywhere and not being allowed to buy vhf without the paperwork STOP ---URGENT---MESSAGE ENDS


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[banus]

Re: going soft

early days of email, (yes I remember it well) it was very rude to use CAPITAL LETTERS as this implied shouting. Using red ink was swearing and using red letters was swearing.

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[Trevor_swfyc]

I know in theory you can use the radio for an emergency even if you have not got a licence and operators licence. Should it be left disconnected as if you were stopped by the RA rib might you not have some explaining to do. Also the RA put reminders on yachts with aerials but no licence displayed. Wouldn't want our VHF virgin shafted.

Trevor

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[byron]

<font color=blue>As its a portable they will not see it because they cannot search your person. Ergo all one does if waylaid is put the thing away. Hardly a cause for concern anyway because if it isn't switched on one would just say "I am in the throes of getting all the required paperwork and merely have aboard for an emergency" Certainly it isn't a situation I would be unduly worried about. Whereas not having one aboard would worry me, not just for my own safety, who knows maybe someone else needs a hand.

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[matt_b]

Don't think you can fail.....

One of our guys (the course was done through our SEA fishing club) when making the Mayday call said he had hit a floating object and was sinking - his position was 10 miles north of Brighton!!!!! He still gets stick for this now. He passed.

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[Alistairr]

I am sorry about the capital letters in the origional posting, but i am not a typist, i am a manual worker who very seldom gets anywhere near a computer, i don't even have one at home, we must be one of the very homes inthis country that doesn't have one. I am still a one finger typer, which takes forever if you try and type properly, i started typing this message 6 hours ago......


Thanks for all your replies.

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

 

[byron]

<font color=blue>Take no notice of us Alistair, it is the custom of this forum to have a dig at everything and everyone. They even have the cheek to poke fun at me because I am so good looking.

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[byron]

<font color=blue> 10 miles North of Brighton is fair enough it just means the Coastguard can send the Landrover instead of a Lifeboat to whatever pond he is on /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[Alistairr]

You can't be that good looking if you're a "Failed Playboy".????

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.