DSC VHF Licence

Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:21 pm

Hi All,
I am hoping to collect my new boat from UK on Friday.
It was advertised with a DSC VHF radio "WITH LICENCE", my question is:
Are the UK licences accepted in the Ireland (is it any use)?
Is the radio Paired with the boat (e.g. call sign)?
What would I need to do to be able to use in Ireland? :roll:

Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:36 pm

http://www.comreg.ie

Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:41 pm

You'll need to do a course here in Ireland. It is not mandatry, but you can be fined for broadcasting without a Licence. The comment from most seem to be that this would be "the least of your worries if you ever needed to call the coastguard".

Kev

Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:45 pm

Just something you might wanna check on that radio mate, on some VHF/DSC sets you can only enter the licence number (mmsi number) once, thats it. Meaning if you were going to get your own VHF/DSC licence you may have to replace the radio as you won't be able to enter your own licence number into it. Just got the radio operaters licence in the door a week ago , have to apply for a ships licence from COMREG next! arghh, more money! gud luck wit the new boat!

Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:51 am

Thanks lads,
It's a NASA radio and i've just called them in the UK, and they said if I had the new MMSI No. they could talk me through changing it (over the phone) with the unit powered on. So I guess i'll have to think about doing the course and getting the licence.

Bracken, did it take you long to do the course? cost? where? it it a requirement to get the licence? how much is the licence?

Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:14 pm

I did the course ,Short Range Cert Modules 1&2 with DMG Sailsports in Malahide, great course very well run, it took one evening from from 19.30-10pm, and then one full day from 9-16.30pm, then the exam written and aural straight after the course. Its a long day but once you've passed it you have it for life. It cost me E250 all in including the cert, but shop around, you might get it a bit cheaper elsewhere. when you get your cert you can then apply to Comreg who will issue you a ships radio licence
for E100, they then pass your boats info eg. size, max people etc onto the coasgaurd etc, who then have most of the info they need in the event that you make a distress call. Its not a requirement to have , but what price safety, no point sayin' should've done it, when yer up to your neck in water like! :(