handheld vhf radio licence

[uny1965]

hi all, could anybody tell me whether i need a vhf radio licence.
i'm thinking of getting a handheld for my sib just for emergencies /monitoring the channels for dolphin sitings etc.
we would not be transmitting except in an emergency and we always take a mobile phone with us.
have been told that you can go to the ofcom website and apply for a paperless licence free of charge or pay £20 and get one through the post.
could anyone clarify.
many thanks in advance

[martini]

"Failure to hold a valid licence is a criminal offence and Ofcom's enforcement team can impose on-the-spot fines. The maximum penalty on conviction is a £5,000 fine and/or a six month prison sentence. Those convicted may also be ordered to forfeit any radio apparatus used illegally."

Taken from OFCOM website

[Poly]

There are two bits of paper required to legally operate a VHF Marine Radio. The first is a license for the radio which is what you refer to at the Ofcom site - its free and so theres probably no reason not to (and stiff penalties for not bothering if you are caught).

The second is an operators license. You need this to actually use the VHF. In a genuine emergency I think there is an exemption; even if there wasn't it is extremely unlikely that any action would be taken against you for using it to summons help. HOWEVER the time to be working out how to use the radio, and discovering that you don't have the range (or it doesn't work at all) or some other problem - so you should be using it before you need to. That requires you to take the 1 day RYA course and pay the fee for your "test".

[hadd]

Originally Posted by uny1965

hi all, could anybody tell me whether i need a vhf radio licence.
i'm thinking of getting a handheld for my sib just for emergencies /monitoring the channels for dolphin sitings etc.
we would not be transmitting except in an emergency and we always take a mobile phone with us.
have been told that you can go to the ofcom website and apply for a paperless licence free of charge or pay £20 and get one through the post.
could anyone clarify.
many thanks in advance

Hi uny they do the short range certificate at debdale park manchester go on there website £90 all in you,ll get all the info there,thats just up the road from you.

[markg]

have a read http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archi.../ra385gn.htm#a

[uny1965]

hi and many thanks everyone for your speedy responses, have been on the debdale park website and will be booking a course in the near future (cheers hadd)

[kerny]

I did mine at Debdale last year, don't forget your passport size photos everything else is all in with the price .Good luck .