Gadgets from the States???

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Wot we need is someone in Canada who has nothing to do during the long dark winters who can package up electronics in plain cardboard boxes and post them to the UK.


Pete

Yeah but the time I've added my percentage for handling fee.......

[Mike Martin]

Originally Posted by TIM

everything is the same exept for VHFs ...... But you even can get them to work over here too.

I'm just going to amplify what Jon has already mentioned you can get them to work partially over here.

One of the biggest problems is communication with coast stations, in the UK they use Duplex operation, this means 2 frequencies in 1 channel (example the Marina channel C80 you talk on 157.025MHz the Marina talks back on 161.625MHz) a Euro radio knows this but a US one doesn't as they operate on simplex ie you're both using the same frequency. As Jon will remember, we witnessed a fantastic illustration at a fuel pontoon in the Solent during SIBS. The RIB helmed by a friend called up for some fuel and kept on calling, getting increasingly narked, until the window opened and the man inside shouted so you can't F'ing hear me then, does it help like this? Both were on C80, one however, was using a radio with US channels.

Take the time to visit my signature link and have a look at the Ship Radio Information booklet where you will find the VHF frequency table to see just how much of a problem you could end up with.

Mike

[Rene]

VHF Channel differences

Well I guess that's why most VHF radios, have the posibility of changing between USA and Europe Channels.

If you go and by a VHF in the US, just make sure that the Radio have the posibility to change between US and International Radio channels, then you should be fine

Rene

[Jon Brooks]

Originally Posted by Rene

VHF Channel differences

Well I guess that's why most VHF radios, have the posibility of changing between USA and Europe Channels.

If you go and by a VHF in the US, just make sure that the Radio have the posibility to change between US and International Radio channels, then you should be fine

Rene

You will still have bits missing.
Prime example is M1 and M2 (Marina channels) the we use here.
They are only programmed into UK sets.

One EU country uses Ch31a as a marina channel, over here it is the RNLI channel.

These to most boater are important channels.

We (Icom UK) will not work on radio's other than thoe supplied by us in thew UK.
All other Icom agents are the same.
We will not reporgramme US sets for use in the UK.
We feel, as a responsible manufacturer, that we can not encourage people to break the law.

As for saying "you will be fine" you wont, your breaking the law!

Regards

[Mike Martin]

Originally Posted by Rene

VHF Channel differences
If you go and by a VHF in the US, just make sure that the Radio have the posibility to change between US and International Radio channels, then you should be fine
Rene

If only life were that simple! The only US manufacturers' radios that are compliant with EU laws are sold here in Europe not in the US apart that is from SOLAS compliant (commercial radios) that would sink most RIBs if you tried to fit them.
Mike

[ozz]

With regard to import duties, I have just taken delivery of some expensive electronics from the states and no duty was charged. The sender had put content value at $20 - I did not ask them to do this by the way!

Depends if the supplyer is willing to do this. Will still be a gamble but worth the risk in my opinion as the savings are pretty huge. Worst case, if it gets picked up then will still be similar price to UK

Regards

Ozz

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Jon Brooks

We (Icom UK) will not work on radio's other than thoe supplied by us in thew UK.
All other Icom agents are the same.
We will not reporgramme US sets for use in the UK.
We feel, as a responsible manufacturer, that we can not encourage people to break the law.

Regards

Jon
Which law is it that says you (the manufacturer) may not reprogram a US radio to make it legal in Europe?
I would have thought that if I bought a US radio, imported it correctly and paid duty etc. and then did not use it until it's channels were Europe-ised, this would be perfectly legal?
Where would I be breaking the law here?

[Jon Brooks]

Originally Posted by Brian

Jon
Which law is it that says you (the manufacturer) may not reprogram a US radio to make it legal in Europe?
I would have thought that if I bought a US radio, imported it correctly and paid duty etc. and then did not use it until it's channels were Europe-ised, this would be perfectly legal?
Where would I be breaking the law here?

That is not the case I am afraid.
US sets can not be made legal over in any way shape or form.
Most are class SC101 DSC, which is not allowed over here.
We have to have Class D.
The Class DSC sets in the US are not approved for EU use.
Each product has to approved for use in each country.
No US product, certainly from us, has not been put through approval here.
Also no US kit has to be CE marked.

We have different line ups of kit for the US and EU market place.

Hope that helps.
Mike Martin will be able to tell you what laws and rules you would be breaking.

Regards

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally Posted by Jon Brooks

What we need is the government to drop tax,duty and all that so as to make UK sellers better matched to the good old US of A. IMHO

Regards

Oh no not that one again! How about the manufacturers and the resellers settling for a little less profit, bit like they do in the US of A.

I get between 25 & 30% Discount on Icom, and as much as 35% off Garmin, and I'm not even buying direct from the manufacturer. All this for shifting what are in effect cardboard boxes.

My wholesaler is also making a substantial profit on each item, and no doubt the manufacturer does as well, So Jon, if you really want to lower the vat on an item, why not reduce the retail price.

[Mike Martin]

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

Oh no not that one again! How about the manufacturers and the resellers settling for a little less profit, bit like they do in the US of A.

Now that's a tad unfair!

A few words In defence of ALL European radio manufacturers.

It's true that US dealers have a smaller profit margin per unit but that is only due to the fact that their "overall" profit is immense. This is one of the perks of manufacturing to a national market of well in excess of 16 million pleasure craft and only to national approval standards.

Mike

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally Posted by Mike Martin

A few words In defence of ALL European radio manufacturers.
This is one of the perks of manufacturing to a national market of well in excess of 16 million......
Mike

Oh really, so are you saying that the costs of manufacturing a USA spec radio is less than a European one..

Surely it's just a case of pricing at what the market will stand for, which in our case is an expensive one!

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for high prices, I work on percentages so a higher price gives me a larger profit, (although I'm cheaper than most!!!!! ).

It's just that it really annoys me when manufacturer's or their representatives blame import duty and vat as the reason for the high cost of items, when we all know that high profit margins are the biggest cause.

Out of interest, I've enclosed a pic of a USA spec and Euro spec Icom M1, the one on the right is the "legal" one.

Now are you really going to tell me that the manufacturing costs are any different, the shipping costs from Japan aren't similar, so Why is the yankie one half price?????

All IMHO of course!!!

Oh, and before you ask, I only use the "illegal" one when I'm overseas!!!!!! Yeh right!

[Alan]

Bet they are manufactured in China / Far East anyway. Landed cost in Europe is moreless identical to landed cost in US. However they will clearly price to what the market will bear as do everyone else from Sony to Levi jeans!

[Zippy]

Hummmm.....

I hadnt intended this to slip into the usual debate about why things are cheaper in the US and how hard done by we brits are paying through the nose!

It all falls down because the vast majority of people in the uk are still prepared to pay UK prices. Price is determed by market forces retailers have every right to charge what they can get away with and the customer always has the choice to go else where.

Thanks for all the replies. it would seem there is money to be saved by buying on the net but as for me, think i will be going to the boat show to get my gadgets from there. Prices may be higher than on the web but i can try them back to back and actually talk to people about the product to get the one thats right for me. Personally i think you cant put a value on that!

Thanks
Howard.

[Ian Austin]

hi
Was listening to radio 2 (i know but i am over 40) the other day and there was a chap on there saying about buying from the Web, 1 thing i didn't know is that you have more rights if you buy from the web than you do from a shop.

If you buy somthing from the web and for any or no reason you can return it for a full refund no questions to be answered.

HTH

[John Kennett]

This is covered by the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000. It's not specific to web sales -- it applies to any sort of mail order.

Key features:

• the consumer must be given clear information about the goods or services offered
• after making a purchase the consumer must be sent confirmation
• consumer has a cooling-off period of 7 working days

John

[Simon B]

Bringing this back to bits of kit can anyone fill me in on the "E" or "e" suffix to some gear sold in the states that according to them is fully compliant to EU legislation.

I spoke to a US supplier who basically said we stock both models as we sell alot on the internet so we can sell you either just choose the one with an "e" after it if you're going to use it over here.

I did once wonder if prices did go down would volume go up and would I like the fact that "hey this stuff is cheap" and fill my boots with handhelds and gpss et al coming out of my ears to the point where my annual spend might actually be a lot more than it is now due to value for money going up.

Then some guys in a mini hit me with a fish before I could hit them first.

[Ian Austin]

Originally Posted by John Kennett

This is covered by the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000. It's not specific to web sales -- it applies to any sort of mail order.

Key features:

• the consumer must be given clear information about the goods or services offered
• after making a purchase the consumer must be sent confirmation
• consumer has a cooling-off period of 7 working days

John

Thanks John
Had a mental block last night and for the life of me could not remember what it was called, but i knew that someone with greater intelligence than me would know

[Paul Knowlson]

I bought a Raymarine chartplotter earlier this autumn from www.boatfix.com. No probs at all - all works just fine. Did get stung for VAT & duty but it was still considerably cheaper.

[Neil R]

Paul

Can you remember what the applicable duty rate was? Thanks.

(I'm getting very close to ordering a Garmin plotter).

[tcwozere]

Awaiting delivery of a Garmin 178c Plotter.. It left the USA 2 days ago via a friends address.. £367 as apposed to between £570 and £720 in the UK..