Protocol for testing newly installed VHF ?

[Bardy]

Howdy folks..

Just wondering what the protocol is for testing a newly installed VHF radio ?

I've heard traffic on CH 16 whilst just listening in, but would obviously like to know my TX is working.

Is there a protocol to do so ?   Needless to say, no I haven't been in the vicinity of another mates boat at the time to simply call out to them over the radio.

Cheers ... 

[Berleyguts]

Can you pick up Marine Rescue from your home? Fortunately I can and I just call them following the normal procedures on 16. E.g.:

”Marine Rescue Port Stephens, Marine Rescue Port Stephens, Marine Rescue Port Stephens. This is Sea Miner, Sea Miner, Sea Miner, requesting radio check. Over.”

They’ll then respond and either ask me to go to another channel (usually 71) and give me the answer, hopefully “Reading you loud and clear on both channels”. If it’s a quiet day with not much traffic, they sometimes respond in full on 16.

On your initial call, you should repeat the call sign of the boat or station you are calling 3 times and repeat your call sign 3 times.

[noelm]

Technically you need a license, even though it's not called a license, but, ch16 should be left clear, a simple "radio check"  message should get a response, try it on the water, or at least at the ramp, most get very little when not near the water.

[kingie chaser]

https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/using-waterways/navigation-communication/radio-network-services.html

 

Personally, I think $288 for a licence is BS!

[Bardy]

6 hours ago, Berleyguts said:

Can you pick up Marine Rescue from your home? Fortunately I can and I just call them following the normal procedures on 16. E.g.:

”Marine Rescue Port Stephens, Marine Rescue Port Stephens, Marine Rescue Port Stephens. This is Sea Miner, Sea Miner, Sea Miner, requesting radio check. Over.”

They’ll then respond and either ask me to go to another channel (usually 71) and give me the answer, hopefully “Reading you loud and clear on both channels”. If it’s a quiet day with not much traffic, they sometimes respond in full on 16.

On your initial call, you should repeat the call sign of the boat or station you are calling 3 times and repeat your call sign 3 times.

Wonderful... thank you and will do

Cheers

[tryhard]

4 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/using-waterways/navigation-communication/radio-network-services.html

 

Personally, I think $288 for a licence is BS!

With due respect, there needs to be some form of control over the airwaves.

RANT....

The licence comes after sitting a course on the use of the radio and may just enable you to get help efficiently using proper procedures learnt in the course.

Five minutes listening to channel 16 on a busy day in Sydney harbour demonstrates the disregard that many unlicensed operators have for what is a very important communication tool.

I just shake my head sometimes and wonder what these people would do in a real emergency.

RANT OVER..........

I  recomend doing the course and getting your permit.

Pretty sure you will find in the course, the rules about using marine vhf from the shore.

Look into it - you will benefit from it.

 

 

[kingie chaser]

1 hour ago, tryhard said:

With due respect, there needs to be some form of control over the airwaves.

RANT....

The licence comes after sitting a course on the use of the radio and may just enable you to get help efficiently using proper procedures learnt in the course.

Five minutes listening to channel 16 on a busy day in Sydney harbour demonstrates the disregard that many unlicensed operators have for what is a very important communication tool.

I just shake my head sometimes and wonder what these people would do in a real emergency.

RANT OVER..........

I  recomend doing the course and getting your permit.

Pretty sure you will find in the course, the rules about using marine vhf from the shore.

Look into it - you will benefit from it.

 

 

We use non commercial 80 channels of UHF unlicenced(even though amca want to change that to) freely and without cost so I don't get what the difference is.

If it's not commercial why does it need to be licenced?

Just another way government body trying to push agendas & make it more difficult for people to afford freedoms.

I get why having the radio is a must & knowing how to use it but imo to say you can't use without doing a course & llicence @ $288 is ridiculous!!

You can just read a manual & get the result for the required needs if the every day boater.

There's enough unnecessary rules in the world, we don't need more!

Won't be long & it will be a 50 point check before you get your boat off the trailer.

Edited July 13, 2020 by kingie chaser

[Bardy]

3 minutes ago, kingie chaser said:

We use non commercial 80 channels of UHF unlicenced(even though amca want to change that to) freely and without cost so I don't get what the difference is.

If it's not commercial why does it need to be licenced?

Just another way government body trying to push agendas & make it more difficult for people to afford freedoms.

I get why having the radio is a must & knowing how to use it but imo to say you can't use without doing a course & llicence @ $288 

You can just read a manual & get the result.

There's enough unnecessary rules in the world, we don't need more!

Won't be long & it will be a 50 point check before you get your boat off the trailer.

agreed

[kingie chaser]

Over regulation. 

Governments love it!!

[JonD]

Recently had to update my vhf licence due to coxswain requirements, both myself and daughter did it through marine rescue who offer free training. Total cost was $89, both of passed over 90% and both have our new licences which are very simular to a car licence with your photo etc. My old licence was more like a passport.

[wrxhoon1]

Burleyguts got it right but you don't call on the hour or on the half hour.

I would suggest you do the course, then you will learn how to use it. If you are going a long way offshore and log on with marine  Rescue when you go out, you never know it could save your life .

The money you pay is spent on facilities just like your fishing license money.

If you look at it way do we pay tax? I know nobody likes paying tax but what would happen if we don't? 3rd world country? A few rich people and every one else  starving? No running water, electricity, sewage, roads, transport etc..

[Berleyguts]

1 hour ago, JonD said:

Recently had to update my vhf licence due to coxswain requirements, both myself and daughter did it through marine rescue who offer free training. Total cost was $89, both of passed over 90% and both have our new licences which are very simular to a car licence with your photo etc. My old licence was more like a passport.

Yes, I thought it was a lot cheaper through Marine Rescue. Whenever they’ve done one I’ve been working. They always seem to be on weekends. I’d prefer nights. 🤷‍♂️ Courses have been suspended due to COVID anyway. My first job out of school (a long time ago) I manned the radio base for an elevator company, so I was taught correct protocols, I learnt the phonetic alphabet and read up on procedures. It’s not hard but some people using the VHF or 27meg networks are just rude idiots. 🤷‍♂️

[kingie chaser]

8 hours ago, JonD said:

Recently had to update my vhf licence due to coxswain requirements, both myself and daughter did it through marine rescue who offer free training. Total cost was $89, both of passed over 90% and both have our new licences which are very simular to a car licence with your photo etc. My old licence was more like a passport.

Thanks Jon.

I've been trying to get onto tre MR site over the last week to check but every time it goes to an error page.

https://www.marinerescuensw.com.au/component/content?id=72/

Edited July 13, 2020 by kingie chaser

[noelm]

You also need to remember that the permit/license/certificate is a one off, it's not a yearly fee, so, just do it once and be all legal.

[JonD]

9 hours ago, Berleyguts said:

Yes, I thought it was a lot cheaper through Marine Rescue. Whenever they’ve done one I’ve been working. They always seem to be on weekends. I’d prefer nights. 🤷‍♂️ Courses have been suspended due to COVID anyway. My first job out of school (a long time ago) I manned the radio base for an elevator company, so I was taught correct protocols, I learnt the phonetic alphabet and read up on procedures. It’s not hard but some people using the VHF or 27meg networks are just rude idiots. 🤷‍♂️

 

2 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

Thanks Jon.

I've been trying to get onto tre MR site over the last week to check but every time it goes to an error page.

https://www.marinerescuensw.com.au/component/content?id=72/

 

If you give them a call they might be able to arrange to go through it over a couple of evenings. How it worked for us was, once they had five people interested in  getting their licence the head radio operator volunteer then arranged what evenings suited us. For three evenings we sat at the rescue headquarters to go through the book ( parts we needed to know ). We did a simple test to make sure we were all on track before the instructor sent off for the proper test. The test arrived with questions to tick abcd boxes. At the end of the exam all of the paperwork goes into an envelope with a passport style photo, which is sent off by them to be marked. Just over one week later I had my credit card sized licence ( certificate ). 

For the record, they have not had anyone fail. If they don't believe you are up to passing they continue to train you untill they believe you are ready. Marine rescue are greatly pushing the radio certification at the moment and handing out leaflets to all boaties at the ramps down here.

 

[tryhard]

22 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

We use non commercial 80 channels of UHF unlicenced(even though amca want to change that to) freely and without cost so I don't get what the difference is.

If it's not commercial why does it need to be licenced?

Just another way government body trying to push agendas & make it more difficult for people to afford freedoms.

I get why having the radio is a must & knowing how to use it but imo to say you can't use without doing a course & llicence @ $288 is ridiculous!!

You can just read a manual & get the result for the required needs if the every day boater.

There's enough unnecessary rules in the world, we don't need more!

Won't be long & it will be a 50 point check before you get your boat off the trailer.

 Have you spent any time on UHF CB recently?

The repeaters are generally taken over by Dheads with high powered units and directional antenna's who have no respect for other users.

When it is free, it is abused.

The difference is that whilst not commercial, it is a telecomunication with internationally recognised protocols.

If it is free, why would anyone bother to read a manual before jumping on air and pretend to know what they are doing?

A lot of people who think that rules are unnecessary generally won't apply them and end up being the problem. I use UHF CB as the classic example...have a listen to channel 5, the designated emergency channel, some days you would be lucky to get a word in edgeways, but its free and its not actively policed by ACMCA, so who cares, right?

AND, some people may benefit from having a 50 point check before getting their boat off the trailer!

😁

[Muzza6411]

Is the 27mhz radio still used, And does the same principle applies, it uses ch 88...

[tryhard]

15 hours ago, Muzza6411 said:

Is the 27mhz radio still used, And does the same principle applies, it uses ch 88...

27meg is still used but seemingly far less than VHF these days.

No operator permit required for 27 meg.

Marine rescue still monitor 27 meg.

27meg is only 5 watt output whereas VHF is up to 25watts - so subject to atmospheric conditions  VHF has a far better range.

Same principals/ protocols apply when making a call. 

 

Trust that helps

 

[dmck]

3 hours ago, tryhard said:

27meg is still used but seemingly far less than VHF these days.

No operator permit required for 27 meg.

Marine rescue still monitor 27 meg.

27meg is only 5 watt output whereas VHF is up to 25watts - so subject to atmospheric conditions  VHF has a far better range.

Same principals/ protocols apply when making a call. 

 

Trust that helps

 

27Mhz is AM that is why it is subject to atmospheric conditions, including 'skip'.. I have sat in my boat off shore Adelaide and could not talk to a mate that I could see a few Km away.  I could however talk to people on Moreton Bay....

I tossed my 27M away.

 

VHF is FM and reliable.

[Smobaby]

The radio course is ultimately about common courtesy and survival. Which channels to use when and why if in a distress  situation which will be understood completely helping to save lives money well spent. The training is invaluable when required.