Radio Callsign

[NB Willawaw]

We plan to spend some time on the tideways this summer (probably Thames and Severn) and I was thinking about getting a VHF Radio, as mobiles are fine up to a point, but theres nothing like being able to talk bridge-to-bridge in certain situations.

 

Has anybody applied for a UK radio licence recently and got a callsign allocated for their boat ? If so, what letters are currently being allocated ? British vessels always used to be G--- or M---, but I believe these were exhausted and other combinations with numbers in the sequence were provided.

 

Also did you get an MMSI number (9-digit) allocated as well ? its like a digital callsign and is used mainly for Digital Selective Calling ?

 

Best Regards

 

Mark

 

NB Willawaw

Weybridge, River Wey

[DHutch]

I havnt, but i know someone who might, or would certainly know.

 

- I'll asking him next time he's online.

 

Daniel

[NB Willawaw]

I finally succumbed and caught the train up to London today to buy myself a VHF.

I didn't want to buy a toy yacht one as the buttons are too small and the ones I have seen make annoying beep noises when you turn the dials. Instead got a commercial grade one (Sailor RT2048) from Kelvin Hughes and spent all evening jigsawing the panel out and wiring up.

 

Decided to flush console-mount it in the bulkhead as you go down the stairwell below from the stern. That way, it can be reached by anybody sitting on the jockey seat in the hatchway, I can hear it clearly from the tiller and the hatch can be partly closed to keep the weather off it.

 

I've got it hooked up to the 12V. Now, I just need to get myself a small emergency aerial that can be temporarily rigged on the hatch cover when the VHF is needed - I don't want to ruin the boats lines with a permanent aerial !

 

....and before anybody says it, I know theres nobody to talk to on the cut, but it'll come into its own later in the year and its best to get it sorted while we're near London.

 

Best Regards

 

Mark

 

NB Willawaw

Edited April 5, 2005 by NB Willawaw

[John Orentas]

Lots of people used to have CB radios on their boats, I still use mine when I am out with friends boat. Don't know why they fell from favour, I suppose the foul mouthed truck drivers on nearby motorways didn't help but I don't think many of truckers use them anymore.

[NB Willawaw]

We use the little PMR licence-free walkie-talkies that you can buy in most electrcal shops these days. They're great for short range stuff (up to 2Km) when travelling in convoy or even working locks if one person is setting the locks up ahead.

 

I used to have a 27MHz FM CB for the car about 20 years ago, but so many people got them in the end, the channels were blocked and the range came right down as a result.

 

Can normally get about 20-25 miles range on marine VHF for communicating with coastguard, commercial ships, etc but suspect that would fall on the canals due to the hills and other obstructions. Mind you, a lot of the bridgekeepers have VHF, as do the commercial operators on the larger navigations and some of the marinas.

 

Mark

[Alastair]

It is essential on some rivers - on the tidal ouse, you are expected to have and use a vhf. BW will then direct you through the correct bridge arches - sometimes, it isn't the obvious one, due to shipping coming the other way.

 

The handhelds are ok - I have an 80 quid Silva, and that worked when coming in to the humber - was ok up to about 3 miles range. VHF is always line-of-sight.

 

Register with Oscom - I think they allocated us a callsign, think it was something like 'MVSARA'.

 

In theory, you are suposed to have an operator's cert as well - a one day course. hotel alpha victor echo yankee oscar uniform golf oscar tango yankee oscar uniform romeo sierra

[NB Willawaw]

yankee echo sierra tango kilo sierra

 

 

It is essential on some rivers - on the tidal ouse, you are expected to have and use a vhf. BW will then direct you through the correct bridge arches - sometimes, it isn't the obvious one, due to shipping coming the other way.

 

The handhelds are ok - I have an 80 quid Silva, and that worked when coming in to the humber - was ok up to about 3 miles range.  VHF is always line-of-sight.

 

Register with Oscom - I think they allocated us a callsign, think it was something like 'MVSARA'.

 

In theory, you are suposed to have an operator's cert as well - a one day course.  hotel alpha victor echo yankee oscar uniform golf oscar tango yankee oscar uniform romeo sierra

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[NB Willawaw]

or -.-- . ... - .... .- -. -.- ... (morse)

 

yankee echo sierra tango kilo sierra

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[NB Willawaw]

Have uploaded picture of fixed set on gallery. I think you mean ofcom.

The radio Licence for a fixed set is currently £20 P.A and £15 for a portable.

 

However, there are moves afoot to shake the licencing system up and provide a licence free-of-charge for the life of the vessel if its purchased on the internet.

 

Current system is:

 

http://www.radiolicenceforms.co.uk/

 

New proposals covered on:

 

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/src/

 

Best Regards

 

Mark

 

It is essential on some rivers - on the tidal ouse, you are expected to have and use a vhf. BW will then direct you through the correct bridge arches - sometimes, it isn't the obvious one, due to shipping coming the other way.

 

The handhelds are ok - I have an 80 quid Silva, and that worked when coming in to the humber - was ok up to about 3 miles range.  VHF is always line-of-sight.

 

Register with Oscom - I think they allocated us a callsign, think it was something like 'MVSARA'.

 

In theory, you are suposed to have an operator's cert as well - a one day course.  hotel alpha victor echo yankee oscar uniform golf oscar tango yankee oscar uniform romeo sierra

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[paulf]

K=-.- btw . If u want decent range comms nowadays , and incidentaly VHF isnt just line of sight despite what the books tell you. I would recommend taking an M3 licence which allows the use of all but 10metre amateur bands . If u wish to communicate with lockie or harbour then u need the proper vhf radio which you have bought. If you just wish to communicate with anyone else for communications pleasure then M3 licence is a few evenings tuition with a multi-choice exam at the end. [my 13 yr old passed it]. I do speak to the odd boat on 2metres now and again.

Regards Paul

[NB Willawaw]

-.- is what I typed ?

 

10m wavelength = 30 Mhz ?

 

Ex ships RO - can only think in frequency terms (bit like trying to think in metres; still convert to feet when I want to visualise sizes).

 

TUSU OM

 

K=-.- btw . If u want decent range comms nowadays , and incidentaly VHF isnt just line of sight despite what the books tell you. I would recommend taking an M3 licence which allows the use of all but 10metre amateur bands . If u wish to communicate with lockie or harbour then u need the proper vhf radio which you have bought. If you just wish to communicate with anyone else for communications pleasure then M3 licence is a few evenings tuition with a multi-choice exam at the end. [my 13 yr old passed it]. I do speak to the odd boat on 2metres now and again.

                                          Regards Paul

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[paulf]

sorry Mark , my cw is a bit rusty, is says yes thanks ?

 

regards Paul

[NB Willawaw]

Yes correct.

 

 

Used to be able to do 20wpm + in the good old days but VERY rusty now.

 

Got the VHF in and tidied up now.

Have managed to find a VHF mobile aerial with coil loading cut for 150MHz, complete with a mag mount for the coachroof. Will collect from Reading in a week or so.

 

Mark

Edited April 7, 2005 by NB Willawaw

[Richard Lacy]

If you are on the Severn or adjoining canals you will find a lot of the local narrow boats have VHF radios fitted so you would have someone to talk to . Most use Channel 74 as do the Severn locks and some of the bridges that are on the Gloucester Sharpness Canal. No one uses call signs - just the name of the craft.

[NB Willawaw]

Thanks Richard.

Thats where we are heading. We're ultimately heading for Avonmouth, the tidal Severn and Sharpness and thats really why we have bothered to get one.

Thanks for the info. Ch74 it is.

 

Mark

 

If you are on the Severn or adjoining canals you will find a lot of the local narrow boats have VHF radios fitted so you would have someone to talk to . Most use Channel 74 as do the Severn locks and some of the bridges that are on the Gloucester Sharpness Canal. No one uses call signs - just the name of the craft.

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[Guest]

We're ultimately heading for Avonmouth, the tidal Severn and Sharpness

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Mark

Will you need to do your homework fiirst?

 

Homework for tidal areas

 

[NB Willawaw]

Thanks.

 

Its funny you should mention it but I've got British Admiralty chart 1166

spread out on the table as I'm typing this.

The weather's so grotty we're laid over for the weekend on the Wey and I'm planning ahead.

 

Mark

 

 

Mark

Will you need to do your homework fiirst? 

 

Homework for tidal areas

 

   

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[Guest st170dw]

Mark

Will you need to do your homework fiirst? 

 

Homework for tidal areas

 

   

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I'm confused. The homework you are suggesting is about boating in the USA.

 

If he turns right at Avonmouth he will stay in the U.K. and eventually reach Sharpness and the relative safety of non-tidal waters.

 

A left turn would mean problems long before he reached America!

[NB Willawaw]

Having seen the amount of rocks just outside the main channel on the chart, I can understand why a pilot is necessary.

[ChrisPy]

If he turns right at Avonmouth he will stay in the U.K.

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......only if he can buck the tide.

 

........ and he may stay in the Severn (on the bottom) if he gets caught in the Bore.

 

I remember chasing a Uniflote Pontoon up the Dee in a speedboat as it rode the bore from Connah's Quay towards Chester. When I caught up with it there was little I could do except nudge it into the bank where it started revolving in an alarming way as it bounced off the bank.

 

TAKE CARE !!

 

(from the Bristle Boy).

[NB Willawaw]

Its o.k. The boat is well fitted out (or will be by the time we get to Avonmouth) e.g. VHF, GPS, anchor, chart, tidal atlas, plywood protection on cratch, bungs on discharge pipes not in use, etc, etc and we'll take a pilot up to Sharpness. I have no problem with the seamanship, timing and navigation part of it - we just need to find some high pressure weather.

 

Its a way off yet, we're still in rural Surrey - just keeping myself busy until the spring comes back.

 

Mark

[ChrisPy]

Its o.k. The boat is well fitted out (or will be by the time we get to Avonmouth) e.g. VHF, GPS, anchor, chart, tidal atlas, plywood protection on cratch, bungs on discharge pipes not in use, etc, etc and we'll take a pilot up to Sharpness. I have no problem with the seamanship, timing and navigation part of it - we just need to find some high pressure weather.

 

Its a way off yet, we're still in rural Surrey - just keeping myself busy until the spring comes back.

 

Mark

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I'd love to help, if I'm in the area at the time. I need the experience, because I expect to make the same journey myself one day. I live within spitting distance of the Clifton suspension bridge. Keep your hatches closed as you go under the bridge (spitting ? students used to jump before they put the preventers on the bridge ) and keep in touch

[NB Willawaw]

Its a way away yet, but will keep you updated.

The wife is not keen and wants to meet me at Gloucester, but I've got a string of male boaty mates who want to come. It must be a man-thing.

 

Mark

[Sam]

Cool!!!

 

I have my veru own call sign - although it is for lifeguarding and not narrowboats but still!!

 

On Weymouth im generally called on the radio as "Lifeguard 10"

[DHutch]

My mate who is into all this radio ham stuff has the call sign of "M3TRJ"

- I was trying to explan the diffrent prefixs to me at lunch, but i cant remember a bit of what he sayed. except the that he got to choose the "TRJ" bit (his initails)

 

 

Daniel