SSB Radio Information

Last Update 10/31/05

Sailboat | Crew | Route | Track | Log | Photos | Weather

Topic	Links and Discussion
USCG Voice WeatherBroadcast Taken directly from the USCG site 10/30/05	Chesapeake(NMN) 4426, 6501, 8764, 13089, 17314 kHz (USB) HF Voice Broadcast Schedule Start (4/6/8mHz)          (6/8/13mHz)          (8/13/17mHz) 0330Z1  0515Z2 0930Z1 1115Z2 1530Z1 2130Z1 2315Z2 1715Z2 1 Offshore Forecasts, hurricane information 2 Highseas Forecast, hurricane information New Orleans(NMG) 4316, 8502, 12788kHz (USB) HF Voice Broadcast Schedule Start Broadcast   0330Z1  0515Z2 0930Z1 1115Z2 1530Z1 1715Z2 2130Z1 2315Z2 1 Offshore Forecasts, hurricane information 2 Highseas Forecast, hurricane information
Chris Parker Carib Wx Weather Net 10/30/05	Frequencies(USB) Watch Times AST Watch Times UTC 8137 kHz 07:00 - 07:30 AST 1100 - 1130 UTC 12359 kHz 07:30 - 08:00 AST 1130 - 1200 UTC 4045 kHz 08:00 - 08:10 AST 1200 - 1210 UTC 6227 kHz 08:10 - 08:30 AST 1210 - 1230 UTC 8104 kHz 08:30 - 09:00 AST 1230 - 1300 UTC 12359 kHz 09:00 - 09:30 AST 1300 - 1330 UTC 16531 kHz On request On request Vessels with emergency, distress, safety or other priority traffic may break into the Net at any time. When TROPICAL systems or other severe weather threatens, we will conduct a Net at about 8pm AST (0000 UTC)...frequency will depend on propagation, and will be announced on the morning Nets. Unless TROPICAL or other severe weather threatens, the Net will NOT be conducted on Sundays. Added earlier 8137 options for those wanting weather earlier in the morning. 4045 Net intended for those within 150 to 500 miles of "Bel Ami" who are too-close to hear us on 8-megs...timing of this Net will vary seasonally. Use 12359 if you are too far away (1200-2000 mi) from "Bel Ami" to hear us on 8-megs.
Herb Hilgenberg Southbound II Ontario, Canada	Herb Hillgenber is a legend in the cruising community. Herb provides a daily ship-routing/weather forecasting service, as a hobby, on marine HF/SSB frequency 12359.0, starting at 2000 UTC until 2200 UTC or until completion of traffic. 8294.0 and 16531.0 are used as alternate frequencies as announced from time to time, subject to propagation Vessels are welcome to , and should then stand by, until contacted again once their area gets covered. New check-ins should provide a short description of their location on checking in for the first time. At 2000 UTC, Herb will acknowledge all readable check-ins. Once on the South Bound II log, stations are encouraged to check in and stay in contact daily, until completion of passage.
Ham/Amateur Nets George Cline St. John	The Maritime Mobile Serive Network (MMSN) serves the amateur radio operator at sea, on either a personal vessel or commercial vessel. They operate out of Florida and offer a wide-range of services from weather information to storing vital information. They broadcast on ham frequency 14.300 mhz (LSB). The Caribbean Maritime Mobile Net operates daily on 7.241 MHz LSB from 1100Z to 1200Z, assisting cruisers in contacting each other, being contacted by land based stations, and enabling them to keep in touch with their home bases, family and others. It also provides good daily weather information, handles emergencies and more. George Cline (KP2G), the Net weatherman from St. John, checks in on 7.241 promptly at 1115 Z daily with direct satellite and other weather reports for the entire Caribbean. Following these reports he moves to 7.086 to give fills, and send weatherfax photos to those who have the capability of receiving them. George also conducts a cocktail hour session at 2030 UTC on 7.086 mhz. The Waterway Radio and Cruising Club WRCC), located in Melbourne, FL, is an association of amateur radio operators who also share an interest in recreational boating. The Waterway Net, which is sponsored by the WRCC, meets on the air every morning of the year for about an hour starting at 0745 EST on a frequency of 7.268 MHz LSB. The main purpose of the Waterway Net is to encourage amateur radio communications to and from boats with an emphasis on safety and weather information. Position Reports help keep live-aboards and cruising boats in touch with families and friends and Float Plans provide a strong measure of safety for off-shore passage makers. AtTheHelm is devoted to amatuer radio in the Virgin Islands. John Ellis (NP2B) and his wife Jeanette (NP2C) operate the site from their home on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. John is also an active member of the Caribbean Mobile Maritime Net. Anne Arundel Amateur Radio Club is the local ham club for Annapolis, MD.
Commercial Services	WLO Radio is the USA's only full service provider of voice, data and e-mail services to ships at sea. Founded in 1947, WLO has been in continuous operation for over 55 years, serving the commercial, military and recreational marine industry. Situated in Mobile, Alabama on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, the WLO signal can be received over most of the globe (Broadcast Schedule). WLO is also called Mobile Coastal Radio. They are located in Mobile Alabama and can be reached at (251) 666-5110.HF Radiotelephone is also available through KLB located in Seattle WA: ITU 417, 805, 1209 and 1624. WLO is affiliated with ShipCom. Idiyachts is the web site of Marti Brown the author of two basic books on SSB and marine radio. SailMail is a non-profit association that operates a private coast station, call sign WRD719, from Palo Alto, Calif. By becoming a member of the association, for a fee of $200, you can send and receive e-mail messages from the station, which operates via SITOR and Pactor II using a software package called AirMail. The SailMail station operates on six HF frequencies and reportedly can handle connections at a range of 7,000 miles form Palo Alto. You don't need to be a ham to use this service, only a member of the SailMail Association. Voyagers Mail Forwarding Service was created by John Miller and Beth Burlingame who met in a sailing discussion group on the internet. After two years sailing in the Caribbean and resuming landlubber life, they opened a franchise pack & ship business (similar to Mail Boxes etc.). Combining their past experience as cruisers with newfound knowledge of worldwide shipping, they started a mail forwarding service catering to boaters. VMFS now serves as the home away from home for about 300 Voyagers.
Frequency Guides	The USCG Navigation Center (NAVCEN) lists all the valid SSB marine frequencies as well as the specific frequencies used by the Coast Guard. Effective Jan 01, 2005 U.S. Coast Guard long range communications stations NMF, NMN, NMA, NMG, NMC, NMO, NOJ and NRV changed their single sideband voice radio guard to the following simplex frequencies: 4125, 6215, 8291, and 12290 kHz. These frequencies are intended for initial voice contact and distress alerts and working only. Follow-on working frequencies if necessary shall be by mutual agreement after initial contact. Previously the ship/shore guard duplex frequencies of 4134/4426, 6200/6501, 8240/8764, 12242/13084, and 16432/17314 kHz were routinely shared with the broadcasts of maritime safety information, including weather. These duplex frequency pairs may still be used, however, for traffic handling purposes after initial contact is established on the distress and initial contact frequencies. Chuck Nagle has prepared a very useful guide to HF frequencies for the North Atlantic an Caribbean cruiser. They have been reproduced various places on the internet including: Sailors world and Caribbean Compass Other useful HF frequency guides can be found at: Island Hopping | Hurricane Frequencies | qsi | DXZone | YachtCom | US Coast Stations | Dockside Radio |
HF/Shortwave Radio Stations	BBC British Broadcasting Corporation - World Service broadcasts on 6195, 9410, and 12095. BBC broadcasts out of Antigua on 6195, 9605, 11675, 11865, 15190, and 15390. CBC Canadian Broadcasting Corporation NMF USCG Boston - North Atlantic Weather FAX NMN USCG Portsmouth Virginia - Voice Weather NMG USCG New Orleans - Gulf Weather FAX and Voice WLO Mobile (Alabama) Maritime Services - Commercial Services WAH Virgin Island Radio (St. Thomas) - Broadcasts weather at 0600, 1000, 1400 on VHF Channel 16, switching to VHF Channels 28 and 85 WWV - The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) time broadcast on 2500, 5000, 10000, 15000. Atlantic highseas storm warnings are broadcast on WWV at 8 and 9 minutes after the hour. The USCG sponsors two voice announcements per hour at 14 and 15 after each hour on WWV giving current status information about the GPS satellites and related operations.
High Frequency Coordination Conference HFCC	In 1990 an informal frequency coordination group was formed which now includes the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), British Broadcasting Corporation, Deutsche Welle, Radio Nederland, Radio Canada International, the FCC, other broadcasters from west and east Europe, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Israel and Algeria. This group is called the High Frequency Coordination Conference (HFCC). This coordination group meets twice a year to produce a coordinated schedule for a Summer and Winter season. The group attempts to resolve any potential channel and/or interference conflicts which may result between the parties they represent. The HFCC home page provides an interesting look at HF (shorwave radio) today. Without a doubt SW radio is loosing out to the internet as a means of disseminating informtation and propaganda internationally.
SSB Install and Operation	The Crusing Club of America has a superior set of pdf reference documents on SSB marine radios with specific operating instructions for the ICOM 700. The product manuals for the ICOM 802 can be downloaded directly fromt the ICOM web site.