Simon Tillyer

BroadcastShow is a monthly live chat show. From our Newbury Studios invited guests discuss technology, new kit and industry news with regular reviews and a monthly challenge!

VHF School was developed after I undertook a VHF DSC radio course (required for legally operating a marine radio at sea) at a South Coast RYA training centre. During the day I did not see or touch real radios and listened only to the instructor give his words of advice for what we must do to pass the DSC conversion exam. We did see a graphic "simulator" on a big screen but nothing that remotely resembled what I had on board my boat.

Following on from this I chatted to a friend who runs a… Show more

VHF School was developed after I undertook a VHF DSC radio course (required for legally operating a marine radio at sea) at a South Coast RYA training centre. During the day I did not see or touch real radios and listened only to the instructor give his words of advice for what we must do to pass the DSC conversion exam. We did see a graphic "simulator" on a big screen but nothing that remotely resembled what I had on board my boat.

Following on from this I chatted to a friend who runs a respected sea school in Lymington who was facing a challenge in that with 12 students it was often hard to get around them all when they were sharing a VHF radio between 2. He would go from one couple to the next explaining what menus to select and by the time he was around the class it was time to start again on the next menu feature!

The ideal solution is of course to have real radios, and computer technology should not change this, it can help though and this is how VHFSCHOOL.COM was born.

A training room with a laptop and projector (or maybe 40" tv with PC input) connected to the internet. The instructor simply logs in to VHFSCHOOL.COM, selects the radio simulator required that the students are using. He can then simply use his mouse to show, step by step, each menu command. Everything covered in the RYA requirements is implemented on the simulators from entering your position to making a distress call.

After the course the students have access to the site to remind them of the key points and to test out the functions without alerting the Coastguard!

VHFSCHOOL was acquired by an RYA approved training establishment in 2013. Show less

With an interest in sailing and motorboating I saw an opportunity to create an online chart navigation system where boaters could plot their passage from point to point. With motor boats it provided an engine specification section where users could also calculate fuel consumptions and cost. Local points of interest (mariners, ports, fuel barges etc) we added by users paying a director subscription.
The nautical charts were licensed from SeaZone, cut up into tiny parts (remember download… Show more

With an interest in sailing and motorboating I saw an opportunity to create an online chart navigation system where boaters could plot their passage from point to point. With motor boats it provided an engine specification section where users could also calculate fuel consumptions and cost. Local points of interest (mariners, ports, fuel barges etc) we added by users paying a director subscription.
The nautical charts were licensed from SeaZone, cut up into tiny parts (remember download speeds were mainly dial up and very slow in 2004) and digitized - it was a masterpiece of web design consuming many many hours. The site is now off line. Show less