mmsi rant

[adornato]

Last weekend, someone accidentally (?) hit their DSC button and there was immediately a notice on my VHF radio with a blare and their lat/long. THe USCG immediately came on the air and inquired about the emergency. Very impressive.
Reminded me that I had not changed the MMSI on my VHF 2017 Raymarine radio since I bought the boat 6 months ago. I have a MMSI from my previous boat.
Here is the rant. My 2017 radio has the MMSI from previous owner. To change to my MMSI with my info, I NEED TO REMOVE THE RADIO AND MAIL IT TO RAYMARINE for $75. plus shipping and insurance. WHY IS THIS? Why cant there be a little procedure to change the number? I can change the user id and password on my Vanguard account or my bank without mailing anything to them.
This is nuts. Do all VHF radios require removing the radio and mailing it away for a couple of weeks and $$$?

 

[sdowney717]

Last weekend, someone accidentally (?) hit their DSC button and there was immediately a notice on my VHF radio with a blare and their lat/long. THe USCG immediately came on the air and inquired about the emergency. Very impressive.
Reminded me that I had not changed the MMSI on my VHF 2017 Raymarine radio since I bought the boat 6 months ago. I have a MMSI from my previous boat.
Here is the rant. My 2017 radio has the MMSI from previous owner. To change to my MMSI with my info, I NEED TO REMOVE THE RADIO AND MAIL IT TO RAYMARINE for $75. plus shipping and insurance. WHY IS THIS? Why cant there be a little procedure to change the number? I can change the user id and password on my Vanguard account or my bank without mailing anything to them.
This is nuts. Do all VHF radios require removing the radio and mailing it away for a couple of weeks and $$$?

Most do make you mail it, some wont charge a fee, some you can do, some companies can email you a code and let you change it. Standard Horizon you can change it.
The inability to change it without the manufacturers involvement was written into the regulation.

It certainly cant hurt sales of new radios, but could make people switch brands how a company deals with the problem.

 

[menzies]

You can have the previous owner release the MMSI to you, then you keep the number and update the details behind the MMSI.

Check your AIS, you may have the same issue.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

When I bought my AIS transceiver and uploaded the the unit, the instructions had two sections. U.S. customers and all other customers.

U.S. customers had to take the unit to an authorized dealer and have the MMSI inputted into the unit.

Then there was all other customers. They could enter enter their own MMSI.

Is Alaska part of the U.S. or all others?

 

[adornato]

oh my.
hopefully the AIS wil switch automatically if i input myMMSI into the Ragmarine.

Someone tell me how computers have enhanced my day to day living.
I used to have a travel agent, a bank teller, someone who fixed my rotary black telephone, and no one knew what i was thinking. ha ha

 

[Wxx3]

When I bought my AIS transceiver and uploaded the the unit, the instructions had two sections. U.S. customers and all other customers.

U.S. customers had to take the unit to an authorized dealer and have the MMSI inputted into the unit.

Then there was all other customers. They could enter enter their own MMSI.

Is Alaska part of the U.S. or all others?

But if you read between the lines, you can input it yourself. I was able to in my Digital Yacht AIS. but it is a one time procedure that can not be corrected.

 

[menzies]

But if you read between the lines, you can input it yourself. I was able to in my Digital Yacht AIS. but it is a one time procedure that can not be corrected.

Correct, it can be user input once. After that, back to the manufacturer.

However I did read somewhere that brand authorized electronics guys could receive a code where they could do it on site.

BTW, some VHF models do allow a second user update. Check.

 

[Martin610]

I bought a used Cutwater 28 last year. I was able to update the MMSI for the Garmin VHF, no problem. I added a digital yacht AIS, the MMSI for that had to be done by the dealer.

 

[twistedtree]

Part of the problem is that the MMSI is supposed to stay with the boat, not the owner. It’s like a HIN. But in practice people don’t handle it that way, making it much more complicated.

The US rules requiring dealer programming and preventing reprogramming of static data may seem cumbersome, but after you have spent some time in areas where owners do all the programming, you will come to appreciate the rule. I have seen MMSI of zero, regularly see dimensions entered in feet rather than meters, and the way the dimensions are entered seems to confound many. You don’t directly enter length and width, but rather the gps antenna’s distance from each side and from bow and stern. Length and width are derived. Oh, and boat name is often missing too.

 

[menzies]

I would have thought the rule was to prevent criminal activity - someone putting in MMSIs that are not linked to their data.

 

[Bigsfish]

It’s gettingway to complicated to be a boater.

 

[Comodave]

It’s gettingway to complicated to be a boater.

No more so than most anything in today’s world. Everything is more complex.

 

[Bigsfish]

Exactly Dave, I prefer a simpler world.

 

[JadePanama]

To be clear the rule that the mmsi can only be changed once is a US rule (I believe fcc). A little hunting will find you the software that the rest of the world freely uses to update it yourself.

 

[High Wire]

Why can't they just assign an MMSI to a radio at the factory. You then tie that number to your boat with paperwork just like an EPIRB.

 

[menzies]

Why can't they just assign an MMSI to a radio at the factory. You then tie that number to your boat with paperwork just like an EPIRB.

Even if the factory did that you would have to get the previous owner to release the MMSI before you could have it - same as now. There is no guarantee just because you bought the boat that you bought the VHF or ASI.

 

[High Wire]

Even if the factory did that you would have to get the previous owner to release the MMSI before you could have it - same as now. There is no guarantee just because you bought the boat that you bought the VHF or ASI.

Sign it all over at closing? Broker closing checklist item. Having to send radios back to reset mmsi numbers is stupid. I had to do it with mine but because I still had the original purchase receipt they did it for one way postage.

 

[Cheechako]

What if the PO is deceased? I bought my boat from an Estate....and there are two VHF units installed (different manufacturers also).

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

What if the PO is deceased? I bought my boat from an Estate....and there are two VHF units installed (different manufacturers also).

2 new radios!!!

 

[Stillwater]

I would have thought the rule was to prevent criminal activity - someone putting in MMSIs that are not linked to their data.

Nope. Experience indicates it is regular boaters entering incorrect data.

 

[menzies]

Nope. Experience indicates it is regular boaters entering incorrect data.

I was discussing the probable reason for the rule.

 

[rgano]

When I sold the trawler Calypso in a non-brokered sale, I handled all the USCG documentation, state registration, MMSI changeover,etc, etc, and I did not find it daunting in the least. I would expect a broker to at least make the parties aware of the need to properly handle these things.

The MMSI, if from BOATUS, takes one simple email to them with the new owners contact information. USCG documentation, two simple forms. State registration, a simple cancellation here in FL, and new owner did whatever he had to do in Texas.

I don't have an AIS transponder, but I have installed one and dealt with Milltech Marine in doing so. The reason they must install the MMSI is because the unit is now transmitting that number, and somebody with nefarious intentions could steal that identity by placing the same MMSI in another unit were that function available to the public.

 

[Cheechako]

2 new radios!!!

Somehow, I thought you were going to say that !
But actually, they are quite old, analog units with basic functions and I expect I will buy "up" and replace them. I am anticipating a helm station rebuild for the spring and will make room for new radios in the panels then.

 

[Nautica]

To be clear the rule that the mmsi can only be changed once is a US rule (I believe fcc). A little hunting will find you the software that the rest of the world freely uses to update it yourself.

Not so, same rule in Australia where radios must be shipped back to manufacturer. Remember, the MMSI is a world wide system.

 

[markpierce]

Sounds like more trouble than it is worth.

 

[seadragonbahamas]

Last weekend, someone accidentally (?) hit their DSC button and there was immediately a notice on my VHF radio with a blare and their lat/long. THe USCG immediately came on the air and inquired about the emergency. Very impressive.

Reminded me that I had not changed the MMSI on my VHF 2017 Raymarine radio since I bought the boat 6 months ago. I have a MMSI from my previous boat.

Here is the rant. My 2017 radio has the MMSI from previous owner. To change to my MMSI with my info, I NEED TO REMOVE THE RADIO AND MAIL IT TO RAYMARINE for $75. plus shipping and insurance. WHY IS THIS? Why cant there be a little procedure to change the number? I can change the user id and password on my Vanguard account or my bank without mailing anything to them.

This is nuts. Do all VHF radios require removing the radio and mailing it away for a couple of weeks and $$$?

You think the dsc "accidental" call was annoying, well i had to listen to some lady that was using the dsc as a call button to get her friend attention on another boat for a chat. This was in a simi remote part of the Bahamas, but at least a dozen other boats had to listen to the dsc alert. The "lady" got quite irritated at the many replies to her dsc calls asking what the nature of her distress was.

 

[JadePanama]

Not so, same rule in Australia where radios must be shipped back to manufacturer. Remember, the MMSI is a world wide system.

Interesting. I was told it was US only. I know my friends in Europe didn’t have such a law and and had the software to freely change it and said it came with the system from Raymarine. Since it’s an FCC thing in the US the law here is a US thing here. Sounds like you have similar national laws in Australia. However it’s not s global thing.

 

[emilanderson]

oh my.
hopefully the AIS wil switch automatically if i input myMMSI into the Ragmarine.

Someone tell me how computers have enhanced my day to day living.
I used to have a travel agent, a bank teller, someone who fixed my rotary black telephone, and no one knew what i was thinking. ha ha

Adornato, I just went through this with all my Raymarine gear on my swift trawler. If you are on raymarine then you likely have the AIS 650, which is separate from the vhf with regards to the MMSI.In my case the PO never programmed the mmsi into the AIS but he did the vhf. Download the AIS PRO software for free and done... as for the vhf I have the annoying Ray260... Lunde Marine here in seattle can clear mmsi from Ray gear but NOT the 260 because of some special cable. Anyway I had to ship off mine but cost me $125!