CONTINUOUSWAVE

[The Federal Communications Commissions] needs to allow handheld radios with DSC and GPS to have more than one MMSI number. I have two boats and take mine on the boat I'm using.

Hoosier I was able to register my handheld Standard Horizon HX870 as a portable handheld VHF w/DSC/GPS with its own unique MMSI and describe the two Boston Whalers I will most likely use it between.

Both of the boats have their own fixed VHF radios with unique MMSI.

In the remarks section for registering the portable when describing the two Whalers I included their State registration numbers, which the CG could look up to see what hull I might be on.
If your boat sank (not our Whalers) there wouldn't be any hull to look for anyway.
Chuck

I didn't know that, but I registered my handheld VHF Marine Band radio four years ago and I had to tie it to a particular boat. Now that it's been programmed I can't change it, I'll have to send it in to get reset. The cost for resetting the MMSI number is going to be $60; add the cost of shipping and I can get a new radio for not much more than that.

There is already in place a mechanism for MMSI assignment for hand-held radios that are NOT ASSOCIATED with a particular ship. Unfortunately the FCC has not implemented this method of assignment of identities. For more on proper MMSI assignments, see the thread on that topic at

MMSI NUMBER SCHEME
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1951&p=11396#p11381