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Southern GU cruising advice


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On 04/03/2021 at 15:58, Loddon said:

It wasn't incomprehensible just a bit complicated. In effect it means that under possible new rules if VHF is running 25watts  no one should be allowed within about 1.6metres of the aerial when transmitting, if they are you have to work out exposure levels to see if they are in danger.

I first thought it was to do with my Amateur licence rather than VHF, glad it's not as that would get complicated.

We will see what happens after the consultation ?

 

 

I think it applies to both ...

 

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On 04/03/2021 at 13:54, Scholar Gypsy said:

Yes, that's the one. My technical adviser will let me know if I need to replace my radios ....

 

http://cfl.xmpxes.com/Res/58285286/7619109944/ca76ec83-1da5-48eb-84a2-71563cc03af0_ofcom_publication_logo_rgb_72dpi.jpg

 

 

Licensee:

SIMON JUDGE

Customer Reference:

XXXXXXXX

 

Dear Licence Holder,

We are writing to make you aware of some important changes that we are proposing to make to your Wireless Telegraphy Act licence(s) issued by Ofcom.

In February and October last year, we issued two public consultations on our proposal to formally require licensees to comply with the internationally agreed levels in the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) Guidelines for the protection of the general public from electromagnetic fields (EMF). We refer to these levels as the ICNIRP general public limits. In October, we also issued a Statement setting out our decision to formally require licensees to comply with the ICNIRP general public limits and we recently published an update on how we propose to implement that decision.  

We are now writing to you to inform you of our proposal to vary the terms and conditions of your licence(s) to require you to comply with the ICNIRP general public limits. In accordance with the Wireless Telegraphy Act and your licence(s), we are giving you notice of our proposal by publishing a General Notice on our website. 

We’ve put all the relevant information about our proposal including the General Notice on a dedicated EMF webpage ofcom.org.uk/emf. Here you will find details of the licence variation process alongside the background to the changes and lots of FAQs to help you understand what our proposal means for you. 

If, after reading the above information, you wish to make a representation to Ofcom in relation to our proposal to vary your licence(s), you have up until the 18 April 2021 to do so. However, if you do not wish to make a representation you do not need to take any action at this time. More information on the representation process can be found by visiting the Ofcom EMF webpage.

We will consider all representations before coming to a final decision on the variation of your licence(s). We will publish our final decision on the EMF page of our website by 18 May 2021. We will explain whether we have decided to vary your licence(s) to include the EMF condition. If your licence(s) has been varied we will send you an update of it or information on where a new version can be obtained from. 

In future we intend to make greater use of General Notices published on our website and may not individually contact you to inform you that we have published one. We would therefore urge all licensees to regularly check the Ofcom website or subscribe to email spectrum updates by going to the following page on our website ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/email-updates.

If you have any questions about this change and what it means for you, further information can be found on the dedicated EMF webpage using the address provided above.

Yours faithfully, 

Ofcom

http://7cpbhc9r.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/I0/01020177f8621433-f627f621-efa6-4bdd-ad12-f17c352c81de-000000/43qIv2mc99bsIWqZUrbXQodpYEc=204

Interesting! I didn’t get an email either. I wonder if that’s because I just have a handheld in my name...if so that’s worse than a CRT survey considering I can use a 25w unit! 

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2 hours ago, frangar said:

Interesting! I didn’t get an email either. I wonder if that’s because I just have a handheld in my name...if so that’s worse than a CRT survey considering I can use a 25w unit! 

 

But you can only use a 25w set if it is a fixed unit with a remote aerial.

A handheld is limited to 4 or 5 watts (cannot remember which) as the aerial is alongside your cranium.

 

I did used to have a Zetagi 400w amplifier on my DXing rig, but could only use it with the engine running.

I used to DX 'mobile' on the top of a local hill, which unfortunately was also used by an emergency services antenna, unfortunatley my harmonics caused a bit of interference to which the Police and Ambulance services were not best pleased.

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9 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

But you can only use a 25w set if it is a fixed unit with a remote aerial.

A handheld is limited to 4 or 5 watts (cannot remember which) as the aerial is alongside your cranium.

 

I did used to have a Zetagi 400w amplifier on my DXing rig, but could only use it with the engine running.

I used to DX 'mobile' on the top of a local hill, which unfortunately was also used by an emergency services antenna, unfortunatley my harmonics caused a bit of interference to which the Police and Ambulance services were not best pleased.

I know that but you would have thought a consultation would be sent to all registered VHF users. My HH is 6w nominal. I do use an mag mount Antenna tho to increase the range slightly. 

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7 minutes ago, frangar said:

you would have thought a consultation would be sent to all registered VHF users.

 

Agreed.

Maybe it is just a 'sample size' consultation, much as C&RT send out to 1/3 of boaters each year.

 

 

9 minutes ago, frangar said:

I do use an mag mount Antenna tho to increase the range slightly. 

 

I did the same on the NB, (but it was on the 25w 'base station') so it only came out on the rivers and tucked away on the canals.

1/4 wave but worked well enough.

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_20140428_124250.jpg

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13 minutes ago, frangar said:

I know that but you would have thought a consultation would be sent to all registered VHF users. My HH is 6w nominal. I do use an mag mount Antenna tho to increase the range slightly. 

Even with an external antenna your handheld won't give the EIRP that comes near the level that is of concern.

Bung the figures into the calculator on the ofcom page and you will see.

Thus I suspect all handheld only owners might well have been excluded from the consultation as it won't affect them

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On 04/03/2021 at 17:08, Tim Lewis said:

 

To be honest there is not a lot to stop for between Paddington and Limehouse except for Camden ... Kings Cross ....

A little harsh IMHO. Assuming when Dora gets to London a lot of the hospitality industry has reopened,mooring to the east of Islington Tunnel either above or below City Road Lock will give good access several fine pubs close by (Wenlock Arms being my favourite) as well as Upper Street in Islington which has many small live music venues and pub theatres.

 

Broadway Market is worth a visit ,has a good Sunday market,small ethnic food oulets,The Dove PH and is hipster central . Rings at the long visitor moorings below Acton's Lock .

 

The Olympic Park is worth a walk around and the bars of the "Hackney Riviera" alongside the Lee Navigation are also hipster hangouts.

 

Boating down to London without carrying on down the Regents means you will miss out on quite a bit.A voyage around the Bow Back Rivers is also well worth doing,although passage through Carpenters Road and City Mill Locks will have to be booked with CRT in advance. I know folk may be reluctant to breast up as it's fairly unique to London ,but it's a way to avoiding missing out on some very interesting places.

Edited by Quaffer
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3 minutes ago, Quaffer said:

I know folk may be reluctant to breast up as it fairly unique to London

 

It is quite widely 'done' but it becomes a real pain when the ones on your outside come back from the pub in the 'middle of the night' singing and tramping over your roof.

 

Etiquette is to pass over the bows, but few seem to bother.

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3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It is quite widely 'done' but it becomes a real pain when the ones on your outside come back from the pub in the 'middle of the night' singing and tramping over your roof.

 

Etiquette is to pass over the bows, but few seem to bother.

There are downsides and you maybe unlucky with your boating neighbours .... possibly I've been fortunate over the years.The towpaths will also be busy when you are moored in areas where there is a vibrant night time economy but that maybe your reason for mooring there.

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Also, when I was down in London, I didn't plan to navigate the Rivers Lea and Stort, but ended up doing all of them, up to Hertford via Ware, and up to Bishops Stortford. Someone very nicely told me they were worth doing on my way down to London,  near Ivinghoe Lock, and I'm glad I did.

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30 minutes ago, Jonkx said:

Also, when I was down in London, I didn't plan to navigate the Rivers Lea and Stort, but ended up doing all of them, up to Hertford via Ware, and up to Bishops Stortford. Someone very nicely told me they were worth doing on my way down to London,  near Ivinghoe Lock, and I'm glad I did.

Absolutely, I was lucky enough to do them before the lower half became filled up with boats.

The only congestion I saw was badly moored British Waterways boats on lock landings and blind corners....one tug and pan was actually moored in a lock, they had gone to the local tea room and didnt think anybody would be moving early March.

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1 hour ago, Lady C said:

It is my understanding that, traditionally, etiquette was to pass over the stern.  Also to call out 'coming across' before stepping onto the boat.

 

It has always been 'common courtesy' to cross 'forward of the mast' to maximise privacy for the boat you are crossing. Most people will sit on the stern of their boat eating, drinking, socialising etc. It is frowned upon to walk thru the middle of them.

 

If anyone is aboard the boat you need to cross, it is better to ask "is it OK to come across" rather than saying "Coming across".

 

You should always tie to the bank (and just loosely to the other boat) so the load of your boat is not applied to the other boats fittings, or, doubling the load on his mooring lines.

 

All common sense really.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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10 minutes ago, Lady C said:

I think it is different for narrowboats.  

 

I was talking about NB's (as well as lumpy water boats)

We have NB'd for 30+ years and when breasted up have always done as I suggested, as have any NB's breasted outside of me.

 

Maybe its just another 'modern thing' - showing no respect for others.

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Late to the party as always so probably don't have much to add that hasn't already been said. I cruised the southern GU for a couple of years and never had any issue mooring anywhere from Southall (the closest I ever got in to London) northwards. Even on the popular moorings around Rickmansworth, Watford, Campbell Park, etc. I love it for the variety - you have the big (and surprisingly green) urban area of Milton Keynes, some lovely smaller towns and villages, and some stunning rural stretches too. And it's not at all difficult to find parking if you come with car, and there's also good access to the WCML south of MK.

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1 hour ago, matty40s said:

Absolutely, I was lucky enough to do them before the lower half became filled up with boats.

The only congestion I saw was badly moored British Waterways boats on lock landings and blind corners....one tug and pan was actually moored in a lock, they had gone to the local tea room and didnt think anybody would be moving early March.

Yes, I didn't find them too bad, moored at Tottenham Lock and Ponders End on the lower section, not the most scenic but handy for tube/train, then Broxbourne which was lovely, Ware, and Hertford in the town. For me it was a first experience of being on a proper river, well apart from Consall Forge section of Caldon. Was lovely.

 

River Stort was even more rural, it was like taking the boat up a stream in places. Made it to Bishop's Stortford,  after a wait below the top lock in a stoppage due to water shortages!  Found it trickier to find moorings on the River Stort, seemed few and far between on the river sections, and busy at Harlow Town - had to go to the Mill. Also had my first involuntary swim near Roydon... ?

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25 minutes ago, Jonkx said:

Yes, I didn't find them too bad, moored at Tottenham Lock and Ponders End on the lower section, not the most scenic but handy for tube/train, then Broxbourne which was lovely, Ware, and Hertford in the town. For me it was a first experience of being on a proper river, well apart from Consall Forge section of Caldon. Was lovely.

 

River Stort was even more rural, it was like taking the boat up a stream in places. Made it to Bishop's Stortford,  after a wait below the top lock in a stoppage due to water shortages!  Found it trickier to find moorings on the River Stort, seemed few and far between on the river sections, and busy at Harlow Town - had to go to the Mill. Also had my first involuntary swim near Roydon... ?

Was the water shortage summer 2019 by any chance. We had a terrible time at Stortford Boats at Lock 1 Southmill. The back water, original river course is 9ft deep and we had a job getting on and off boats here. The bottom lock gates at Twyford lock 2 are seriousely leaking, had to keep on going down there to close the top gates even after I stuck notices on the beams to ask folk to, not many did!!!. Those gates have been giving trouble for about 10 years plus, if top gates are left open we have to get up, always about 3am when boats start listing over and go and close them. Those gates were due to be repaired 3 years ago and again this March but cancelled AGAIN. I only hope all the rain we've had will be be enough back up north of us in our catchment area to see us through another dry summer. 

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5 hours ago, Quaffer said:

A little harsh IMHO. Assuming when Dora gets to London a lot of the hospitality industry has reopened,mooring to the east of Islington Tunnel either above or below City Road Lock will give good access several fine pubs close by (Wenlock Arms being my favourite) as well as Upper Street in Islington which has many small live music venues and pub theatres.

 

Broadway Market is worth a visit ,has a good Sunday market,small ethnic food oulets,The Dove PH and is hipster central . Rings at the long visitor moorings below Acton's Lock .

 

The Olympic Park is worth a walk around and the bars of the "Hackney Riviera" alongside the Lee Navigation are also hipster hangouts.

 

Boating down to London without carrying on down the Regents means you will miss out on quite a bit.A voyage around the Bow Back Rivers is also well worth doing,although passage through Carpenters Road and City Mill Locks will have to be booked with CRT in advance. I know folk may be reluctant to breast up as it's fairly unique to London ,but it's a way to avoiding missing out on some very interesting places.

 

For interest this is a timelapse of the Regents Canal taken last October

 

(7) Paddington To Limehouse On Jade 17th October 2020 - YouTube

 

 

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13 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

 

For interest this is a timelapse of the Regents Canal taken last October

 

(7) Paddington To Limehouse On Jade 17th October 2020 - YouTube

 

 

 

Good to see the same lockkeeper at 2:48-2:58 and again at 7:12-7:17. I got some odd looks on the tube, going from Hampstead Rd lock to Mile End lock without taking my lifejacket off. [typo corrected]

Edited by Scholar Gypsy
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