VHF RADIO QUESTION

[GERARDPPM]

Im back with another question, all this boating stuff is new to me.

here we go then.......i am buying a vhf, im looking at the cobra F55EU but i can buy it alot cheaper in the USA, its called just the cobra F55, is there any difference between the USA vhf radios and the ones for over here? It says like it covers all USA, Canadian and international waters?

thanks

[gfkelly1969]

should work fine over here,this might help http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_VHF_radio

[JOHN1]

it will work, but you wont be able to licence it, what kinda bucks are you going to save you should be able to get the 55eu for 115 euro if you look around
plus if it brakes down you can bring it back.

[Mohawk]

John 1 hit the nail on the head!!!

The USA version is not "Type Approved " here, therefore they will not grant you a license or an MMSI number for it... The "EU" means its European spec and displays the CE mark you can pick one up here for small money anyway so the saving isn't worth the hassle, lots of us on these forums got brand new ones from Cobra last year after ours were recalled, after several years in my case good little radio too

[GERARDPPM]

thanks thats great. Now have to get an antenna now too. Its all dosh.

[JimC]

Its all dosh.

Welcome to boating
There's always something!
They say if you have an enemy, buy him a boat

[hugo]

I got an Icom from the US few years ago, lots of preprogrammed (weather etc) channels that you cant use over here. Also EU dealers will not service US items on guarantee in the event of a fault. I agree its best to buy local, prices are now fairly similar.

[GERARDPPM]

bought the Cobra F55EU version, £95 was as resonable as i could get it for over the internet including postage, came today, nice looking unit. Then the antenna and cable and fittings was another £40 including postage on ebay. All in all i done pretty good. I see the license is £20 quid, whats the lay of the land with the license, can you get easily caught without one?

[fergal]

i don't bother with the licience and nobody has ever checked my boat for anything.

[Mohawk]

i don't bother with the licience and nobody has ever checked my boat for anything.

I can only reply to this statement with a quote from a Skipper down here who is now long dead, he used to say

"Those who know not, fear not!"

They don't check you say, but what about the day when you need to call up the coastguard on the VHF and they reply with the following "what is your vessels callsign? which indecently is standard procedure considering every communication is recorded and logged by the coast station. The vessels callsign is your license! You also need a callsign (license) + SRC mod 2 to be granted an MMSI number. Without an MMSI number a DSC radio is a pointless purchase

bought the Cobra F55EU version, £95 was as resonable as i could get it for over the internet including postage, came today, nice looking unit. Then the antenna and cable and fittings was another £40 including postage on ebay. All in all i done pretty good. I see the license is £20 quid, whats the lay of the land with the license, can you get easily caught without one?

It will pay for itself in no time

Before you spend the £20 you will need to be qualified to hold a license, so you will need to complete the "Short Range Certificate" (SRC) course in modules 1 and 2 so to repeat Jim C's statement above welcome to boating, its a big bottomless pit in the sea to throw your money into

[GERARDPPM]

its actually free over the internet, have my license and MMSI number in the flick of a switch

[Mohawk]

its actually free over the internet, have my license and MMSI number in the flick of a switch

If it was only that easy

Think you need to read up a little more... A Maritime mobile service license can only be issued to someone who has passed the relevant qualifications for the type of license required and in your case you will need a license to operate in sea area A1 (up to 30nm from shore) therefore you require VHF only and since you have a DSC VHF transceiver you now also need an MMSI number in order for the radio to work in DSC mode, The minimum qualification you need in order to obtain a VHF license (callsign) is the SRC module 1, what was previously known as "The (VHF) Restricted 0perators Certificate (ROC) pre DSC days.. in addition to that if your require an MMSI number to use DSC you will also need to have obtained the SRC module 2 which covers the digital side of GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) this is about a 3 day course or 5 or 6 evenings with an exam at the end! Because Ireland and the UK are both in the same International Telecommunications Union (ITU the international powers that be) zone both require identical qualifications

The SRC is not difficult but unfortunately it costs a fare bit of cash

So again welcome to boating

[hugo]

I only discovered all this recently. The courses are expensive, time consuming, and hard to get to if you're not near a main centre - and the authorities want to encourage increased safety at sea?
My own personal gripe is that there's no mechanism to automatically grant licences to those who already have much higher qualifications and experience than the basics needed for a VHF licence.

[Mohawk]

My own personal gripe is that there's no mechanism to automatically grant licences to those who already have much higher qualifications and experience than the basics needed for a VHF licence.

They can't really! People compare a maritime mobile service licence qualification with a technical qualification or the likes of an amateur radio qualification unfortunately these qualifications though far more advanced in their own right do not cover the use of maritime radio traffic and especially doesn't teach you how to use or handle emergency traffic or equipment... The SRC is child's play but very necessary to anyone with such qualifications already

My one gripe is that some of the course providers supply a course that is at best Mickey Mouse with Mickey Mouse equipment that's not even GMDSS spec There is only one course provider that I would recommend in ROI and that is BIM either their collages or there coastal training units (CTU). If you are going to spend money on a course why not do a proper one that will teach you some very useful information rather than some guy with a Mickey Mouse course just after your money

[GERARDPPM]

Well i have a license, i have a call sign for my boat on my license and i have been given an MMSl number on my license. I know you need certificates, but you dont need them to monitor the vhf radio and to send a distress signal.

[JOHN1]

its actually free over the internet, have my license and MMSI number in the flick of a switch

hi gerard is there any chance of giving us a link to where you done it.

[JimC]

Well i have a license, i have a call sign for my boat on my license and i have been given an MMSl number on my license. I know you need certificates, but you dont need them to monitor the vhf radio and to send a distress signal.

That's an interesting one. I take it that is an OFCOM issue not a Irl Dept. of Transport issue?

[Mohawk]

Well i have a license, i have a call sign for my boat on my license and i have been given an MMSl number on my license. I know you need certificates, but you dont need them to monitor the vhf radio and to send a distress signal.

Sorry Gerard but you are talking complete and utter nonsense..

It is illegal in all ITU regions ( i.e most of the civilised world) to have in your possession radio telegraphy equipment of any type even for distress purposes with out a license. There is no way on earth you will be issued with an MMSI without having a minimum qualification of SRC modules 1 & 2 as you have not proved to the issuing authorities you know what to do with one and better still what to do to cancel one in the event of a false alarm....what you're saying is the equivalent of saying someone who can't drive a car can just get a free full driving license over the net because they have bought a car....

Anyone on here with a boat and there is a lot of people here with one will tell you the same..

Oh and the callsign is your boats license You yourself would only have "A Short Range Certificate"

[Mohawk]

That's an interesting one. I take it that is an OFCOM issue not a Irl Dept. of Transport issue?

There both the same requirements Jim it is decided by the ITU.. think its a CB license in the UK he's thinking of

[GERARDPPM]

Yes it was ofcom....please see link below

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/ ... /maritime/

It is a ship radio license not a cb license.

there is a 9 digit MMSl number on the license they issued me with.