Pmr Licence Free Radio On The Broads

[Thiswan]

I hear that the above system is in use on the broads does anyone know if it's being used for communication/chats between boaters? and if so what Channel or frequencies are used .

Thanks in advance for any possible replies.

[BroadAmbition]

Yes pmr is used.  Normally CH4 but you can of course change channel to a less used one once you have established comms

Griff

[Cockatoo]

I must admit I take ours every time we go and the only other person I have spoken to is Griff on a couple of occasions.

[MauriceMynah]

I still think that the greater range CB offers would be of more use. There are still muppets on the 27/81 system, but CEPT (fm) is reasonably clear of them.  (CEPT is the set of frequencies that used to be used in the old illegal AM days).

No license needed and 4 watts would probably cover most of the broads.

[BroadAmbition]

We have a set of at least four PMR's onboard 'B.A' - Handy for when cruising in company and a must on the Lads Week.

A couple of years ago I had just watched a live streaming on FB of Robin onboard a cruiser coming down the Bure so I knew he was between Horning and the river Ant underway.  He knew I was onboard 'B.A' but not where.  I called him up on CH4 telling him I was just approaching Reedham and could he hear me? - He could! (I was nowhere near to Reedham of course)

We had a five minute conversation where Robin proclaimed that he was well chuffed at the performance / clarity / range of the latest PMR's we were using (Robin had researched and ordered them as he does).  The look on his dish however as he came round a bend in the river and met 'B.A' head on coming the other way was a picture and gave both of us a good laugh.

That's what it's all about though, enjoying yersens on the rivers.  For further range we have a vhf onboard, sometimes just turned on as a listening watch on the local channels. We can tx but there is rarely a need although we have used it to request Somerleyton bridge to open before now during high tide when it's been persisting it down and of course on the odd occasion when transiting through Mutford.

Years n years ago when my now departed Dad used to organise the lads week, before mobile phones came into use, we had three hand held C.B's for use during the lads week.  They weren't small and cost a fortune in non-rechargable batteries and from memory weren't that good either although they did work to a fashion

Griff

[Thiswan]

I'm actually a licenced Radio Amateur but the bands are so quiet (at least in my neck of the woods) I thought it might be nice to  talk boat to boat to someone with a simular interest I'll put in the frequency channels and scan during my tea breaks

Great response btw this Forum's really good!

[MauriceMynah]

What hoops does one have to jump through to get an amateur radio licence? Ans for which frequencies?

Somewhere I have or had a radio that could do from 26 to 30 Mz

[BroadAmbition]

No hoops for the vhf license. Primarily you money and a noddy course

Griff

[Thiswan]

Griffs right !All changed since I started, contact your local club I think you can even take the RAE  Radio exam there these day's and morse no longer requiered for the HF Bands

I've lost interest a bit (Maybe just got old) so not very active I used to like a chat when I was working as a mobile service engineer but since I retired don't get around much. and strangely seem to have less time.

Never mind a week on the Southern Rivers in March God willing!

GW4 RXO      Peter,

 

[ChrisB]

Remember Marine VHF is a comms tool. It is mean't to be just that, for communicating. Not having a jaw about the weather or where do you fancy going for lunch.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Back in the summer,back home from the boat.I was running down the battery. Some yo yo had got hold of a radio and was swearing for Britain.Was told to only use the radio for what it was intended for.I am fairly close to the Thames sure boats/Ships were impressed with that yoyo. 

[JennyMorgan]

3 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

No hoops for the vhf license. Primarily you money and a noddy course

Griff

When I was in the Coastguard I did six hour radio watches on VHF, did it for years as an auxiliary. I never did have a licence, just did as the CG told me. However I did have to lash out and do a test in order to use my own VHF, that rankled! 

[Thiswan]

ChrisB- Fair enough Chris but I wouldn't dream of using the Marine Band VHF but having listerned to the local fishing boats they do natter about everything ! X-rated some of it!! I can do The Free licence PMR analog channels or have a Rig for Two Meters and 70 cm  FM Hamband only to Hams  on that one of course.

[Vaughan]

I have a VHF radio operator's licence which goes back to when I was on the North Sea rigs, but I have always understood that your boat must also be licensed, with a registered call sign, before you are allowed to use it to transmit?

[Guest]

Have just registered my onboard/fixed radio VHF DSC to my boat ...it was needed for the mmsi set up for the radio and radio call sign .

Simple enough to register through Ofcom as a 'Ships Radio' and it states that a copy of the licence relating to the radio should be kept onboard the registered vessel.

[woodwose]

You can get information about Ham Radio from the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) website: https://rsgb.org/

To obtain a license you have to go on a course which is normally done via a local radio club and then take an exam. There are various levels of license you can obtain by working your way up.

Frequency bands are many. For shorter distances and point to point stuff we tend to use the 2m band (144MHz) or 70cms (432MHz). There are various repeater stations you can use to get coverage all over the Broads. The Norfolk Broads repeater GB3NB covers the whole area and well beyond. You can hear it on 145.025MHz

Hope this helps

Nigel, Ham Radio Station G4AXA, Ludham

[BroadAmbition]

Hey Nigel - Need input from you on t'other thread please mate,

Tks

Griff

[FairTmiddlin]

I am just about to start my Foundation course with Dover Amateur Radio Club.

9 weeks and Exam on 24th of March

Cost £40.00

Foundation book £4.95

Hopefully be live beginning of April

Something I've wanted to do since I was about 28 but things always got in the way like marriage and kids

[MauriceMynah]

Hmmm, that puts me back onto the CB side. No licence, inexpensive equipment and adequate range. Disadvantages, system sometimes abused by  pratts, can be subject to foreign interference, and some frequencies very busy with road traffic users.

In my book it scores over PMR just on it's range. I lost contact with someone I was talking to when both boats were on Breydon!, distance apart just under one mile.

Note to Griff, Generally speaking, Hand sets can be pretty useless, normally because of the aerials used. Mobile units(car) are what I'm thinking of.  

[unclemike]

8 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

 Mobile units(car) are what I'm thinking of.  

only problem there , getting a good ground plane for the aerial

[Thiswan]

7 hours ago, chameleon said:

only problem there , getting a good ground plane for the aerial

Good point! metal tray (But a fixing problem for that), folded dipole or Co-linear would possibly be more expensive than the rig.

I'll have a think on this one,  probably put up with the limited range of the handheld.

 

[grendel]

I know the ground plane issue was a problem when I had a CB rig on my motorcycle, I had as large a plate as I could fit inside the top box the aerial was mounted to, and earthed it to the chassis of the bike, but it was still very directional.

[stumpy]

14 hours ago, chameleon said:

only problem there , getting a good ground plane for the aerial

I used to run a GRP Bond Bug with the twig on the roof. I papered the inside of the roof with earthed Bacofoil - sort of worked. 

[ChrisB]

1 hour ago, stumpy said:

I used to run a GRP Bond Bug with the twig on the roof. I papered the inside of the roof with earthed Bacofoil - sort of worked. 

I went to a Classic auction nearly four years ago. A concours Late Bug so probably Reliant built fetched just under £10K.  The concours GT6 and TR5 that I was interested in both went for double their estimate and way out of my league.