Marine MF/HF SSB Radio HF Antennas & Installation Which SSB?
Marine SSB frequencies
The frequencies used for marine communications are internationally agreed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
There are a number of frequencies allocated for for ship to ship, ship to shore and frequencies allocated just for distress messaging.
A number of frequencies are duplex (split frequency) for ship to shore use, and where used for making telephone calls via shore stations.
Although
these duplex channels still exist for making telephone calls, today
there are very few if any shore stations providing such a
service.
There are a number of HF simplex channels which can
be used for either ship to shore or ship to ship communications.
HF radio propagation
Low
frequencies follow the curvature of the earth and this type of
propagation is called Ground Wave, while higher frequency radio
wave can also refract off the Ionosphere this type of propagation
is called Sky Wave. On higher frequencies where Sky Wave
propagation dead zones (where no signal is received) may occur when
close to a transmitting station.
A good rule for
daytime is 100 miles per MHz:-
-
MF/HF Range Freq.
Day-light
Darkness
2 MHz
200 NM
500NM
4 MHz
400 NM
800NM
6 MHz
600 MN
1200 NM
8 MHz
800 NM
1600NM
12 MHz
1200NM
2400NM
16 MHz
1600 NM
fade-out
Marine Distress Frequencies (Radio Telephone (R/T) & DSC)
There are internationally agreed distress frequencies for both voice and Digital Selective Calling (DSC) communications.
The voice frequencies should ONLY be used for distress messaging, although the voice frequencies can be used for other types of calls, once communications is established all other types of messaging should be passed on a work channel.
-
Band
R/T Frequency
DSC Frequency
Day Time Range
Night Time Range
MF
2182 kHz
2187.5 kHz
150 NM
500 NM
HF4
4125 kHz
4207.5 kHz
300 NM
1000 NM
HF6
6215 kHz
6312 kHz
600 NM
1500 NM
HF8
8291 kHz
8414.5 kHz
1000 NM
2000 NM
HF12
12290 kHz
12577 kHz
2500 NM
HF16
16420 kHz
16804.5 kHz
VHF
156.800 MHz (Channel 16)
156.525 MHz (Channel 70)
30 NM
30 NM
NOTE: Range is for guidance only and will depend on your operating conditions and HF radio propagation conditions.
Primary HF ship to ship work channels
Within each frequency band there are a number of primary simplex ship to ship working channels, some frequency bands have more than others.
Primary simplex frequencies
-
Channel
4 MHz
6 MHz
8 MHz
12 MHz
16 MHz
18 MHz
22 MHz
25 MHz
A
4146 kHz
6224 kHz
8294 kHz
12353 kHz
16528 kHz
18825 kHz
22159 kHz
25100 kHz
B
4149 kHz
6227 kHz
8297 kHz
12356 kHz
16531 kHz
18828 kHz
22162 kHz
25103 kHz
C
6230 kHz
12359 kHz
16534 kHz
18831 kHz
22165 kHz
25106 kHz
D
12362 kHz
16537 kHz
18834 kHz
22168 kHz
25109 kHz
E
12365 kHz
16540 kHz
18837 kHz
22171 kHz
25112 kHz
F
16543 kHz
18840 kHz
22174 kHz
25115 kHz
G
16546 kHz
18843 kHz
22177 kHz
25118 kHz
C1 and C2 simplex frequencies
The following C1 and C2 channels in the band 4000-4063 kHz and 8100-8195 kHz are shared between ships and shore stations.
There are 21 C1 4 MHz frequencies and 31 C2 8 MHz frequencies.
C1 4 MHz & C2 8 MHz simplex frequencies
-
4000 kHz
4024 kHz
4048 kHz
8101 kHz
8125 kHz
8149 kHz
8173 kHz
4003 kHz
4027 kHz
4051 kHz
8104 kHz
8128 kHz
8152 kHz
8176 kHz
4006 kHz
4030 kHz
4054 kHz
8107 kHz
8131 kHz
8155 kHz
8179 kHz
4009 kHz
4033 kHz
4057 kHz
8110 kHz
8134 kHz
8158 kHz
8182 kHz
4012 kHz
4036 kHz
4060 kHz
8113 kHz
8137 kHz
8161 kHz
8185 kHz
4015 kHz
4039 kHz
8116 kHz
8140 kHz
8164 kHz
8188 kHz
4018 kHz
4042 kHz
8119 kHz
8143 kHz
8167 kHz
8191 kHz
4021 kHz
4045 kHz
8122 kHz
8146 kHz
8170 kHz
Yachtsmen's Nets
An
open community of sailors keep in touch on a daily basis over the
SSB radio, calls are totally free.
The best time to
listen is early morning 0600 to 0930 and in the evenings 1800 to
2100 local time, this is when radio conditions are ideal.
You should hear a number of yachtsmen talking to each other, although in Northern Europe it is not so popular compared to the Mediterranean and Caribbean.
-
Net Areas
frequency
Times
Mediterranean Net
6516 kHz
0530 GMT
Caribbean calling frequency and safety net
8104 kHz
1215 (0815 AST)
Atlantic Net (Herb)
12359 kHz
2000
Bahamas weather net
4003 kHz
7:00 am AST
Caribbean weather net
4045 kHz
8104 kHz
8137 kHzfrom 07:00 AST
Cruiseheimer's net (East coast and Bahamas)
8152 kHz
08:30 AST
Northwest Caribbean
8188 kHz
08:00 AST
HF SSB Coastradio Stations
A
network of coast-radio all for ship to shore communications. Below
is a list of stations and the channels they use.
NOTE:
ITU channel are duplex (split frequency)
e.g. coast station
transmits on one frequency and the ship transmit on a different
(lower) frequency.
Where (Tx in kHz) this is the coast
station transit frequency, the frequency you may wish to
monitor.
Frequency split; the number of kHz that has to be
deducted to get the ships transmit frequency
-
Station
(Station transmit frequency in kHz)
Callsign
4MHz
6MHz
8MHz
12MHz
16MHz
18MHz
22MHz
ITU duplex channels
401 to 429
601 to 608
801 to 837
1201 to 1241
1601 to 1656
1801 to 1815
2201 to 2253
Frequency split
-292kHz
-301kHz
-524kHz
-847kHz
-882kHz
-978kHz
-696kHz
DISTRESS
421
(4417)606
(6516)821
(8779)1221
(13137)1621
(17302)1806
(19770)2221
(22756)Olympia, Greece
SVN
424
(4426)806
(8734)1232
(13170)1640
(17359)2217
(22744)Oostende Radio, Belgium
OST
411
(4387)815
(8761)1207
(13095)1630
(17329)3AC
403
(4363)804
(8728)1224
(13146)1607
(17260)2225
(22768)V8V2222
428
(4351)608
(6522)835
(8710)1239
(13191)1804
(19764)2229
(22780)Bangkok Meteorology Service - Thailand
809
(8743)Cape Town – South Africa
ZSC
407
(4375)
808
(8740)1224
(13146)
424
(4426)601
(6501)816
(8764)1205
(13089)1625
(17314)
US Coastguard HF frequencies
-
US Coastguard Weather Transmissions
Station and Callsign
Frequencies
Times (GMT)
USCG Chesapeake (NMN)
4426 kHz, 6501 kHz, 8764 kHz, 13089 kHz, 17314 kHz
0330, 0515, 0930, 1115, 1530, 1715, 2130, 2315
USCG Pt Reyes (NMC)
4426 kHz, 6501 kHz, 8764 kHz, 13089 kHz, 17314 kHz
0430, 1030, 1630, 2230
USCG New Orleans (NMG)
4316 kHz, 8502 kHz, 12788 kHz,
0330, 0515, 0930, 1115, 1530, 1715, 2130, 2315
USCG Honolulu (NMO)
6501 kHz, 8764 kHz, 13089 kHz
0005, 0600, 1200, 1800
Australian HF weather frequencies
-
Australia Coastguard Weather Transmissions
Station and Callsign
Frequencies
Times (CST)
Wiluna W. Australia (VMW)
2056 kHz, 4149 kHz, 6230 kHz, 8113 kHz, 12362 kHz, 16528 kHz
0300, 0700, 1100, 1500, 1900, 2300
Charleville S. Australia (VMC)
2201 kHz, 4426 kHz, 6507 kHz, 8176 kHz, 12365 kHz, 16546 kHz
0200, 0600, 1000, 1400, 1800, 2200
Safety and Rescue (SAR) communications
-
Frequency
Comments
2182kHz
MF International distress frequency for ship, aircraft and survival craft.
3023kHz
Intercommunications between mobile stations engaged in co-ordination of search and rescue.
4125kHz
Distress and safety traffic by radio-telephone
5680kHz
Intercommunications between mobile stations engaged in co-ordination of search and rescue.
6215kHz
Distress and safety traffic by radio-telephone
8364kHz
Designated for use by survival craft stations.