Foundation licence and Marine VHF DSC Licence

[Geoffwales]

I am taking both licences in next few weeks and aware that i will get a Marine vhf call sign, will i also get a different amateur radio call sign.

[Soong]

Yes, except you won't get a marine VHF call sign - you should use the boat name of the vessel you are on. With marine VHF there are to licences, the operator's and the boat's.

Boats that are properly registered will also have an MMSI number, as well as an International Callsign, but again these are both the boat's and not the operator's.

In your lesson you will be taught to use both the vessel name and MMSI number when making a mayday or urgent call, but in general usage you would use the boat name for example:

"Harbour Master, this is Puffin, over"

"Puffin, this is Harbour Master, go ahead, over"

The only call sign you can have issued to you personally for maritime use is an MMSI for a handheld radio.

[Geoffwales]

Brill thank you for that, as il be programming up a Baofeng which isnt DSC so i wont need the MMSI but it will obviously be issued with one anyway.

Cheers again

[Geoffwales]

Did the marine vhf yesterday and passed, got the foundation practical and assessment tonight and then hopefully the test in a couple of weeks

[Soong]

Congrats

Was the GDMSS all you expected? Any surprises?

[Geoffwales]

Nope it was straight forward, not to taxing but focuses more on the correct useage of marine dsc equipment rather than any actual setting up.

[Windy_Miller]

Nope it was straight forward, not to taxing but focuses more on the correct useage of marine dsc equipment rather than any actual setting up.

Came upon this thread whilst carrying out a general search for topics on Marine VHF.

You are right that the marine courses focus very much on operation. Marine VHF equipment is built to a class of its own, and is designed to be as easy to install and use as possible. Long gone are the days when ships carried radio operators who, as well as being expert in useage, also did all the repairs and setting up. Marine radio, especially VHF, these days is designed to be used by non technical people, who only need to be trained in using it.

Buy a marine VHF radio and antenna, take it home (or to your boat), open it up, and it has detailed instructions on how to set up both in your boat, for a successful installation. No training on that side is needed. Its all quite easy. Training is only needed on how to operate it correctly, as you have found out.

Now that you have completed your course, you'll have a better understanding of when marine call signs are allocated, and when they are used - In day to day operation, thats pretty rare!

[radio_ryan]

I have know been informed that the Training for the Marine VHF is over 2 days now and not just 1 has it has been.

I also have my Marine call, and ham radio call m3, 2e0 and hopefully one day the M0.

I feel with all the changers that are coming to the marine in a year or 2 there may be need to resit due to changers in the channel band plan and the use of DSC and not voice.

It was a good days training and having a understanding of ham radio helped it was not so much what he could teach me it was what I could teach him which he was open to, has I have trained with him many times before.

[Windy_Miller]

I doubt there will be much need for significant retraining for VHF. Any changes to channel allocation goes largely over the heads of most VHF users. There are channel numbers, end of story. Most users have little recollection of what frequencies the channels relate to. Just the same as your typical Sky TV viewer has no knowledge of what frequency they watch movies on. And if Sky juggle the channels around, the average user is able to find and watch the programmes on the new channel allocations.

VHF DSC has been laregly the same dead duck as things like AM/SSB CB. Despite everything supposed to have gone DSC nearly decades ago now, the uptake has been very slow indeed. At most, DSC (in these parts at least) is limited in use to the "red button" for a distress call initiation. I have never heard of anyone initiating a ship to ship DSC call using an MMSI number. Its just too much hassle, and vessels continue to call each other up on 16 or whatever other pre-arranged channel they have agreed to hang out on.

[mattltm]

I also have my Marine call

An issued callsign? How did you get that?

[radio_ryan]

I also have my Marine call

An issued callsign? How did you get that?

It on the paperwork it MP***, how I got it was to site the training and applied to Ofcom for the licence

but anyone can have a Ofcom licence for a fix base or a hand held, you just have to do the training before you can use it your self. and is say only applies to the ship (fix radio) but if you are lucky and have a boat on the rivers more so LONDON you HAVE to have a radio.

the other in hams turns is to have a full licence and sign /MM

[mattltm]

So you applied for a ship licence. Do you have a boat?

[radio_ryan]

So you applied for a ship licence. Do you have a boat?

No was looking to get one. Went has far has getting the training on the boat and the radio. but thing happen which mean that gone on to a back burner.

[Windy_Miller]

I suspect then that you do not actually have a marine call sign.

You will only be issued with a callsign and MMSI number once you have applied for a ship licence. For that, you need a ship. In exceptional circumstances, for example, you are a port authority or a shipping agent, you can apply for a shore station licence, and get a shore station call sign.

The exception is if you apply for a hand portable licence. Then, you will be issued with a singular MMSI number. You would be expected to operate the hand portable under the ships licence, and depending on the ship you were on, or near, at the time, use its callsign / name.

Operators are not issued with call signs. If 3 people on the same ship used the radio, they would use different call signs. It just doesn't happen.

[mattltm]

I suspect then that you do not actually have a marine call sign.

You will only be issued with a callsign and MMSI number once you have applied for a ship licence. For that, you need a ship. In exceptional circumstances, for example, you are a port authority or a shipping agent, you can apply for a shore station licence, and get a shore station call sign.

The exception is if you apply for a hand portable licence. Then, you will be issued with a singular MMSI number. You would be expected to operate the hand portable under the ships licence, and depending on the ship you were on, or near, at the time, use its callsign / name.

Operators are not issued with call signs. If 3 people on the same ship used the radio, they would use different call signs. It just doesn't happen.

That's what I suspected. Checked my licence which is a standard SRC and I don't have a callsign.