VHF License for handheld.

[ShinyShoe]

What does the club have in the office? A HH or a 25W base unit?

[Rokraider]

The club has numerous base units and all the relevant licences to cover them. It is the radios on the RIBs that have raised the question. We were told by a local sea school instructor that the laws had changed and that anyone using a VHF now needed a license, hence the questions. Looks as though he may be wrong. I have sent an e mail to Ofcom to confirm everything. I will post their reply when I get one.

[ShinyShoe]

"Coastal Station Radio (UK)
These licences allow organisations to communicate with their vessels on commercial matters using an individually assigned maritime channel. The channels assigned to this service are UK maritime mobile channels rather than international channels and do not require users to hold a Maritime Radio Operator's Certificate and Authority to Operate.

The licence covers the base stations and any number of associated mobiles being used from ship stations, within a 4km radius of the base station. Individual vessels need not hold a ship radio licence, unless they are fitted with a radio which uses international maritime mobile channels.

At present, the fee for this licence is calculated according to the number of base stations and channels. Channels are assigned subject to availability and to regional conditions."

So as SPR has said you don't need an operators licence to use M1 or M2 ever.

But the sets need licenced in addition to the Bases *IF* they are used more than 4km from base OR have access to other channels. You almost certainly have access so they should be T numbers allocated.

(But I suspect your bases have those channels too [illegally] - in which case you'd have been better never asking and pleading ignorance if caught! )

[SPR]

this is the model of your base station

http://www.icomuk.co.uk/IC-F5022M/Mo...C_Marine_Radio


www.firstaidatsea.co.uk
www.SPRmarine.co.uk

[Rokraider]

The users manning and operating the base stations have individual VHF licenses and all the VHF equipment has the relevant paperwork.
My only area of concern was whether there had been changes made recently to the M1 & M2 channels that affected the RIB drivers on the water requiring individual VHF licenses. It will be interesting to see what Ofcom comes back with.

[WDI]

the RIB drivers on the water requiring individual VHF licenses

I guess in this case that you're referring to the operators' certificate, rather than an equipment licence?
In which case, you're clear. No operators' certificate is required and this should be written in the terms of your licence.

The following wording is directly quoted from my recent Ship Portable licence but should be very similar (if not identical) for your CSR licence.

10 The Licensee must ensure that the radio equipment is used only by persons:

(a) who have been authorised by the Licensee to do so and who have been made aware of, and comply with, the terms of the licence; and

(b) who hold, or are under the direct supervision of a person who holds a relevant Maritime Radio Operator's Certificate of Competence and a valid Authority to Operate.

11 Clause 10 (b) shall not apply to persons using channels M (157.850 MHz) and M2 (161.425 MHz).

12 Notwithstanding the terms of set out in Clause 10 above, in the event of an emergency where there is a risk to life, the radio equipment may be used be any person to summon assistance.