Marine Radio

[embis]

I am looking into getting a Marine radio and about to do the RYA short range radio course. From the reading I have done so far it looks like I will need to get a Ship Radio Licence? Is this right, or have I misunderstood something? the licence is free so its no problem getting it... just feels like its a bit OTT! which makes me wonder if I have misunderstood.

[Alan de Enfield]

If you have a 'hand held' set then the ship does not need licensing, the radio licence is enough (the radio is licenced in addition to the operator)

If you are having a 'fixed' installation (ie connected to the boat power supply) then it requires a 'boat licence'.

[embis]

Thanks Alan, thats one form I dont need to fill in then!

Edited March 3, 2017 by embis

[Chewbacka]

Just to be clear you need an operators licence which you pay extra for upon completing your course to transmit on marine radio.

[Alan de Enfield]

From memory, it is the same 'form' you just tick the 'handheld' or 'ship' option.

To summarise you need to be 'licenced', and your radio needs to be licenced as either :

a) A hand held

b ) A ships radio.

[mross]

It's worth looking for second-hand radios.  I got a pair for £75.  And a clip-on microphone means the radio can go in an inside pocket where it won't catch on anything.  We use a pair of UHFs on a business license for communicating when my wife is off the boat but the principle's the same.

Edited March 3, 2017 by mross

[larryjc]

Out of interest - what do you want it for?  The Tidal Thames, Manchester Ship Canal and some other rivers - not sure exactly which, are the only time you'll need it.  I bought mine for the Thames some years ago for £50 - the cheapest hand set I could get and it was fine but after that I flogged it for £50 as I really couldn't see the need for it after that (I do have a licence by the way).  And technically you do need the licences mentioned but I have to wonder how many people use them without one - in 45 years boating I've never heard of anyone being caught/prosecuted.  If you go into a busy area like the Solent and listen on Channel 16 one has to wonder if anyone has had any training at all!

[embis]

12 minutes ago, larryjc said:

Out of interest - what do you want it for?  

I am based near the Trent and expect to be travelling up and down there fairly frequently, and whilst I know I could easily manage without one, having one will make life a bit easier. The cost isnt really an issue....and its fun learning something new!

[frangar]

I've used mine a fair bit on the Trent....ribble link...glos & sharpness...Severn...Manchester Ship canal etc....it's also good fun listening in to VTS when moored up in Liverpool.

Its true it's not something you will you use everyday but I've found it worthwhile to have aboard

[embis]

23 minutes ago, larryjc said:

 

Edited March 3, 2017 by embis
Duplicate Post

[larryjc]

Actually thats a good point as I want to do Ribble this year - might just have to hit Ebay again.

 

Edited March 3, 2017 by larryjc

[Martin Megson]

Actually you do need both.  
An operators "licence" which is issued on completion of the RYA Short Radio Course and included in the fee.  
A ships radio licence which is issued free by OFCOM - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your-licence/radiocommunication-licences/ships-radio 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, embis said:

I am based near the Trent and expect to be travelling up and down there fairly frequently, and whilst I know I could easily manage without one, having one will make life a bit easier. The cost isnt really an issue....and its fun learning something new!

We are on the Trent and it is used multiple times every day we are cruising.

Simply call up the Lockie 10 minutes before arrival and he will make sure the lock is in your favour, or advise 'speed up, or slow down' to suit any boats waiting.

They can advise which side to approach the lock if other boats are already in, or if one of the gates is broken etc etc.

Apparently some boaters have difficulty getting the lockies to answer them - I have obviously been fortunate in that I have never failed to get an answer during 'working hours'.

 

It is also a lot easier to call up a vessel and ask his intentions rather than expecting them to respond to 'official' sound signals.

 

If you are planning a 'hand-held' radio then get an external aerial mounted onto the boat.

VHF range is a function of power and aerial height, hand held radios are very low powered and obviously with a short 'rubber-duck' aerial have limited range.

Remember on the River you are set very low down and trees, buildings, banks etc will all reduce your power further.

A 'ships-radio' (fixed) is many more times more powerful (normally 5 times) and will give you a much better (and safer) experience.

 

Edit to add :

Handheld radios are limited to a maximum of 6 watts, with most of the cheap ones being 1 watt - 3 watts. A 'fixed' radio is limited to 25 watts.

A 25 watt radio on 'small boats at sea' with unrestricted 'sight' will have a range of around 5 miles, ones with aerials at the 'top of the mast' will have a range in excess of 60 miles.

You can imagine the range of a 1 watt radio, 6 foot above the water line, below the river bank and surrounded by trees.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Alan de Enfield

[rusty69]

7 minutes ago, Martin Megson said:

Actually you do need both.  
An operators "licence" which is issued on completion of the RYA Short Radio Course and included in the fee.  
A ships radio licence which is issued free by OFCOM - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your-licence/radiocommunication-licences/ships-radio 

See first reply above

[Martin Megson]

2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

See first reply above

Ships Radio licence for a fixed radio.  Ships Portable Licence for hand held. 

See OFCOM page I bothered to search and provide link. 

 

[ditchcrawler]

12 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Edit to add :

Handheld radios are limited to a maximum of 6 watts, with most of the cheap ones being 1 watt - 3 watts. A 'fixed' radio is limited to 25 watts.

A 25 watt radio on 'small boats at sea' with unrestricted 'sight' will have a range of around 5 miles, ones with aerials at the 'top of the mast' will have a range in excess of 60 miles.

You can imagine the range of a 1 watt radio, 6 foot above the water line, below the river bank and surrounded by trees.

And a 5 watt one on the top of a drilling rig its over 60 miles 

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

And a 5 watt one on the top of a drilling rig its over 60 miles 

I can well imagine that is the case.

I expect (!!!!) that the top of a drilling rig is a wee-bit higher than a 50-60 foot boat mast.

Line of sight - its just the curvature of the Earth that stops you (unless you can start using the skip off the ionosphere)

 

Alan

Ex- G3LCR

[WotEver]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Line of sight - its just the curvature of the Earth that stops you (unless you can start using the skip off the ionosphere)

When I used to play with SW radios as a kid why could I always find loads more stations after dark? What happens to the atmosphere when it's not lit?

[ditchcrawler]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I can well imagine that is the case.

I expect (!!!!) that the top of a drilling rig is a wee-bit higher than a 50-60 foot boat mast.

Line of sight - its just the curvature of the Earth that stops you (unless you can start using the skip off the ionosphere)

 

Alan

Ex- G3LCR

It didn't help them being an American rig renting portable radios in the UK for on board communication that just happened to be set on a private channel the Lifeboat uses. It would never have come to light if the derrick man didn't have one.

 

Its also funny what weather conditions can do, I have now of radio interference 30 miles offshore from Taxi radios in some conditions.

 

So there is a reason behind the regulations on what you can do with radio transmitters in the UK

[GUMPY]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I can well imagine that is the case.

I expect (!!!!) that the top of a drilling rig is a wee-bit higher than a 50-60 foot boat mast.

Line of sight - its just the curvature of the Earth that stops you (unless you can start using the skip off the ionosphere)

 

Alan

Ex- G3LCR

Technical point VHF is line of sight and does not "skip" off the ionosphere.

Tropospheric ducting is another matter

Julian G6LOH 

Easily worked 1000 miles on 2m from home and bounced signals off the moon

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

 

 

Its also funny what weather conditions can do, I have now of radio interference 30 miles offshore from Taxi radios in some conditions.

 

So there is a reason behind the regulations on what you can do with radio transmitters in the UK

When I was very naughty and was DXing on 27Mhz Sideband (the old CB) I was 'mobile' with a 400w amplifier, it was so powerful that it amplified the 2nd and 3rd harmonics so much I was cutting off the '999' frequencies on the local mast.

[rusty69]

24 minutes ago, Martin Megson said:

Ships Radio licence for a fixed radio.  Ships Portable Licence for hand held. 

See OFCOM page I bothered to search and provide link. 

 

Sorry, maybe I misunderstood. Your last post suggested you needed both a operators license and a ships radio licence. I didn't read the link you posted.

[embis]

4 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Tropospheric ducting is another matter

I was worried this might turn into a thread about tropospheric ducting.

Thanks for all your replies, 

[Alan de Enfield]

5 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Sorry, maybe I misunderstood. Your last post suggested you needed both a operators license and a ships radio licence. I didn't read the link you posted.

You do need 'both'

1) An operators licence (correctly called "A certificate of Competence")

AND

2) Either a 'Ship Radio Licence OR a 'Ships Portable radio Licence'

 

The OFCOM website link is purely concerned with 'Ship Radio Licensing' and not the 'Operators Certificate' hence there being no mention of it.

If applicable you also need a licence for a Radar, EPIRB, or any other 'transmitting' device.

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You do need 'both'

1) An operators licence (correctly called "A certificate of Competence")

AND

2) Either a 'Ship Radio Licence OR a 'Ships Portable radio Licence'

 

The OFCOM website link is purely concerned with 'Ship Radio Licensing' and not the 'Operators Certificate' hence there being no mention of it.

If applicable you also need a licence for a Radar, EPIRB, or any other 'transmitting' device.

Thats how I understand it.But the word either was missing, and suggested you needed a ship radio license as well as an operators license, which clearly isn't the case.