Radio Checks

[Poly]

Originally Posted by mikehhogg

you can argue all you wish. a courtesy call is just that, you are letting the coast guard know you are out, what you are in, radio checked and where you are going and when you expect to return. You may be needed to rush to a scene or simply relay a vhf call.its common courtesy and it makes sense.

I think you are getting rather animated (perhaps it’s cabin fever) by conflating two different things:

1. A radio check. Is a specific call to another station, which expects a response in a particular format and which is intended only to confirm the effectiveness of communication. The CG specifically ask people in busy areas not to call them for a radio check, where there are alternatives available.

2. Your courtesy call (what I call a Traffic Report). Is a call to the coastguard to advise them of your intended passage. This takes longer than a radio check, but includes more information from your side which may be useful. Unless there is a clear problem the CG will not comment on the clarity or strength of your signal.

In very busy areas, for short trips (a mile round to the next bay, or 1/2 mile out the marina to pull a donut round in circles), in good conditions I don’t think it’s necessarily common sense to clog the airwaves or tie up CGs time, even with routine traffic reports never mind radio checks. In some areas you would need to call the HM or VTS to go out anyway - in which case repeating the conversation with another person might be excessive. If each call takes 90 seconds, with 30 secs quiet time between calls you can only fit perhaps 100-150 calls in during the time most people on a busy sunny day would launch and the CGs would need someone just responding to those calls full time - for each mast.

If you use your boat regularly and carry a handheld as well as a fixed radio the risk you mitigate by radio checking is minimal. How often has your check revealed a problem? If you need to do it daily, why not after lunch too, etc.

Has anyone ever been specifically called by the CG to respond to another vessel in trouble because they “knew you were out” from the passage plan you logged? I’ve only ever heard calls for “any vessel in the area”.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

Aye, but radio checking with Belfast as you leave Oban doesn't mean you are any more likely to reach them ticking in the shelter of a cliff round Mull than radio checking on a working channel with another boat or the marina does it?



It's not like you are working a mast in Belfast. You will be working a nearby relay mast which is several hundred meters up and can talk back to you on 100W or more.

That was my point. Although if you call Belfast as you leave Oban you shouldn’t expect a response at all... ...cos it’s Stornoway’s patch!

But around headlands, narrow sea lochs, estuaries, or close to cliffs getting reception may be more of an aspiration than a reality especially with a handheld.

[GuyC]

In the Solent and generally only after I've been fiddling, I'll do a radio check with either a local marina or NCI.

In the Outer Hebrides, I'll do a courtesy call / traffic report with the CG (Stornoway rather than Solent although fortunately they answer to both), which also tests the radio.

Would utilising the DSC function for a routine radio check be a way forward? Whilst I covered DSC routine calls in my VHF course, it's not something that I've used since. I always think of it as sending a marine related text which must clutter up the airways a lot less than doing it verbally. Obviously it would still need to meet the same criteria as a VHF call and not the inane rubbish that fills up my phone.

[ShinyShoe]

There is a dsc test function which is automated and adds virtually no clutter.

It doesn't prove your microphone works (but a low power call to anyone proves that if in doubt)

[Obsidian]

Originally Posted by Poly

Has anyone ever been specifically called by the CG to respond to another vessel in trouble because they “knew you were out” from the passage plan you logged? I’ve only ever heard calls for “any vessel in the area”.

I have in the Channel Islands outside of the Summer months, possibly a slightly different scale/volume to most sea areas.

Certainly AIS targets get singled out by the Coastguard when they are in a useful location. Thats routine in both practice and training.

[mikehhogg]

POLY show me a post from the coast guard advising people not to contact them for a radio check,its absolutely preposterous , I don't have cabin fever as I am part of an essential service. A large percentage of callouts by the coast guard are to idiots who run out of fuel.
Equipment checks are conducive to good seamanship and the coast guard promotes good seamanship.We can get all we have to say in about 30 seconds, we get an accurate report and the coastguard has flagged our location.DSC self test is no substitute for picking up the microphone and making a call. I am also a diver and the coastguard has advised to do as I stated as another large proportion of callouts are for divers who fail to return due to engine failure etc ,but they told the wife where they were going but not the service that was tasked with finding them and towing them home .

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by mikehhogg

POLY show me a post from the coast guard advising people not to contact them for a radio check,its absolutely preposterous

https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/vhf...ould-you-call/

“The MCA have confirmed that radio checks should primarily be conducted with local marinas and nearby vessels. Radio checks with HMCG should not be a first resort as it ties up the air and increases operator workload.”

That’s one example, but there are plenty more. It should be common knowledge that calling the coastguard for a radio check is not appropriate, especially in busy areas.

[John Kennett]

NCI Coastwatch on channel 65 is a good option for a radio check if they cover your area.

https://www.nci.org.uk

[Lee argyle]

Originally Posted by John Kennett

https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/vhf...ould-you-call/

“The MCA have confirmed that radio checks should primarily be conducted with local marinas and nearby vessels. Radio checks with HMCG should not be a first resort as it ties up the air and increases operator workload.”

That’s one example, but there are plenty more. It should be common knowledge that calling the coastguard for a radio check is not appropriate, especially in busy areas.

+1

I’m Solent based - lost count of time’s radio checks are requested on 16 while CG are dealing with an incident, makes you wonder what percentage are actually trained and have a licence..........
https://forums.ybw.com/index.php?thr...n-ch16.501539/

[mikehhogg]

Lee Argyle .. that might be one of the reasons why we differ here.We strive to act responsibly and professionally .There are idiots in every corner of the globe but our coastguard has no problems with radio checks and in fact encourages them,that followed by a quick report does no one any harm in fact quite the contrary. I have been on boats where we gave the mic to one of the youngest passengers to call up the coast guard to say hello,this you may say is irresponsible but if that person is the only one that can call for help in the event of an emergency do you want him \ her to be afraid of the coast guard.

[Ferryman]

Try the QHM in Portsmouth Harbour, that would brighten up their quiet day!!

[GuyC]

I expect a lot of the difference of opinion on here is down to those located around the Solent against those that aren't. The leisure traffic in the Solent CG area has probably outgrown the capacity of the VHF network to contain it.

[Allye]

Originally Posted by GuyC

I expect a lot of the difference of opinion on here is down to those located around the Solent against those that aren't. The leisure traffic in the Solent CG area has probably outgrown the capacity of the VHF network to contain it.

I agree, I’ve worked professionally with numerous different CG stations, routine ops and emergency, the difference and lack of consistency between them is staggering!

It’s getting better these days with the consolidation of their resources though. Then you throw in the CRT’s and that’s another curve ball!

[Tim M]

Originally Posted by mikehhogg

Lee Argyle .. that might be one of the reasons why we differ here.We strive to act responsibly and professionally .There are idiots in every corner of the globe but our coastguard has no problems with radio checks and in fact encourages them,that followed by a quick report does no one any harm in fact quite the contrary. I have been on boats where we gave the mic to one of the youngest passengers to call up the coast guard to say hello,this you may say is irresponsible but if that person is the only one that can call for help in the event of an emergency do you want him \ her to be afraid of the coast guard.

Interestingly, GMDSS specifically states that daily checks to radio equipment must be made "without radiation of signals".

This is to keep the airwaves (particularly channel 16) free for emergency use. That's not to say you shouldn't test your equipment eg after an equipment change, or for your first outing of the season, but I think the above demonstrates that they'd rather this was kept to a minimum. Can you imagine the chaos on the radio if EVERY vessel was calling up for a radio check every day (or every time they left the dock)?!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by mikehhogg

POLY show me a post from the coast guard advising people not to contact them for a radio check,its absolutely preposterous ,

I assume John’s reply sufficed? It is such common knowledge in the UK I presumed it wouldn’t require a citation. Things may be different in Ireland, but Lees point about calls in the middle of distress working must mean there are times even there when it’s best not to clutter Ch16 with radio checks.

I don't have cabin fever as I am part of an essential service.

perhaps stop blasting everyone who disagrees with you with “it’s just common sense” because the corollary is “if you don’t do what I do you must be stupid”.

A large percentage of callouts by the coast guard are to idiots who run out of fuel.

my radio doesn’t check that!

.We can get all we have to say in about 30 seconds, we get an accurate report and the coastguard has flagged our location.

are you including calling them, changing to their requested working channel, asking for a radio check, then another transmission with the passage information then them acknowledging in 30s? I know the Irish talk quickly but that impressive.

I am also a diver and the coastguard has advised to do as I stated as another large proportion of callouts are for divers who fail to return due to engine failure etc ,but they told the wife where they were going but not the service that was tasked with finding them and towing them home .

And nobody has said you shouldn’t continue to do so. But that is not a radio check.

Out of interest what to the Irish CG do if you say you will be back at 1600, you actually got back a bit early forgot to call in and by 1600 the radio is turned off?

[Ribbed41Pleasure]

Polly and John, I agree.

On my VHF course I was specifically told not to do a radio check on Ch16 unless you really really have to. On my RYA's courses I was told exactly the same. (all in the Solent Area). I recall at SBS boat shows being told the same, I recall in an article in one of the regular well known Boat mags discussing this same them. I also recall the advent of Coast Watch and the new Ch65 was to encourage people away from Ch16 for Radio Checks.

So for me yes, in my leisure boating experience it has always been made clear to me by those who know far more than me or actually speak on behalf of the CG, that using Ch16 for radio checks was considered a poor waste of their resource and thus not advised. Of course, the caveat being unless you really have to.

The point being as I am sure we are all aware, sat in our boat, we do not really know what the CG workload is like due to physical/geographical/kit constraints.

A passage plan, along with a radio check, is a routine message. I believe it best to thus use the CG routine working frequency if known rather than take up band width on the listening channel 16.

Indeed, I am sure I was told or have read that ideally CG do not want routine passage plans passed by radio. They would prefer us to use our own nominated person of responsibility and if that is not available, to ring CG then as last resort call them.

But what do I know, I just do this for fun!

[PinkPanther]

I do a DSC test once a week usually with a vessel in my area after preempting them with a voice call, and as I am usually operating in a VTS controlled area put in a call to them with dep time/POB and destination.

Passage plans are logged and copy and timings left with someone I trust HH Vhf/Uhf held onboard for backup

[willk]

I think mikehogg has complicated this thread by citing Irish CG preferences - they don't roll like HMCG. TBH we don't do things in any way like the UK and long may it be so!

[FoxZulu]

As a private pilot, the first thing you do after engine start, every time, is to request radio check and airfield information from the tower at 'YOUR AIRFIELD', NOT Air Traffic Control. Request your radio check every time you leave port with your 'marina' or a fellow boater. Radio checks are an important part of marine and aviation safety, but please use the correct channels. CH16 is a safety/emergency channel. Would you call the Fire Brigade to let them know that you're about to light your BBQ?

As a Solent based boater I despair at the absolute drivel I hear on CH16 every time we're out on the water. Sometimes I just turn the radio down, or off, which is not conducive to safety.

Please people, think before you key the mic.

[Allye]

Originally Posted by FoxZulu

As a private pilot.

This is all very well and good, but have you requested to buzz the tower?