vhf radio

[outofhours]

Can anyone tell me if there are any channels set aside for casual
chatter between boaters?
thanks, alan

 

[Silvertip]

Re: vhf radio

Do a search on "VHF channel allocation". There is a table of channels and their intended purpose. Your owners manual should also contain that table.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: vhf radio

As stated above, but you usually hail on 16 then switch to 68 or 69.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: vhf radio

Just remember that you are not dealing with a CB mentality so use your VHF radio intelligently.

 

[thurps]

Re: vhf radio

Most of the commercial fishermen run on Ch 80 out west. Sportsmen just about anywhere but 16 & 22. Kind of makes a scanning radio worth the extra money.

 

[dvan1901]

Re: vhf radio

Try here: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/vhf.htm
and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_VHF_radio

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: vhf radio

Try here: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/vhf.htm
and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_VHF_radio

Thanks dvan1901 that helped me out also . John

 

[erikgreen]

Re: vhf radio

As stated above, but you usually hail on 16 then switch to 68 or 69.

Many jokes about dating come to mind here

Our group on lake superior uses 69 a lot. Also if you have one of the newer radios with digital selective calling (all new radios have this now I think?) then you can select to send only to specific radio station IDs, and avoid annoying everyone else, assuming they have their radios set up correctly.

Erik

 

[outofhours]

Re: vhf radio

Great info!
Most of our boating will take place on the finger lakes of western New York.
But we are planning a trip to alexandria bay for this august.
Just wanted to know if there was a "non-official" channel pleasure boaters
use so we don't have to use 16.
kind of an non-emergency channel for making new friends

 

[ziggy]

Re: vhf radio

keep in mind that if ya have a vhf radio and yer not useing it. yer supposed to monitor ch 16. all contact is made on 16, then you go to yer favorite channel. if a mayday went out and you were the close boat, but not monitoring ch 16, ya'd never know about the mayday...... you could also be the link between the uscg and the mayday too. you would be close enough to hear the mayday, but the uscg would be outa range. but you'd be close enough to the uscg to hail them. you'd be the link between the two..... i imagine that it's not always used that way. but i think that's it's intended way of use..... a vhf is a safety item.....

 

[Boatist]

Re: vhf radio

There is no channel for chatter but 68, 69, 71, 72, and 78 most common. Do not EVER use 16 or 22 for any chatter.

Channel 68 used by many Marina so probably not the best for chatter. Boats will use it to call the marina and find a birth or get directions to the fuel dock or Guest dock to stop for supplies.

You are required to monitor channel 16 "The Calling and Distress channel".
The idea is for everyone to monitor channel 16 in case of a MAYDAY. So if a boat right next to you put out a MayDay that they are sinking and your the only boat within 20 miles you will here the Mayday call and be able to pick up people. Any Mayday call you here You are required to make note of as much information as you can. If Coast guard does not respond try to relay to the Coast Guard and up course be of any assistance you can with out endangering your Vessel or crew.

Channel 22A is for communication with the Coast Guard only. Most times if you call the coast guard on 16 they will switch you to 22USA to work your call leaving 16 open for another MayDay.

Channel 21 is only for Coast Guard. 83 also used by Coast guard AUX.

Channel 12, 13, and 14 used By Vessel Traffic service (VTS) in many areas.
These channels large ships required to check in on the way into port and out. They will call ships on the way in or out and get estimated arivals at points on the way in or out. They will also tell ship if they have traffic they are meetting. Channel 13 you can call a ship you are Near. Good Idea if in narrow channels. Ask the ship if he sees you and also if he wants a Port to port passing or a Starboard to starboard.

Channel 70 is for DSC Digital selective calling only. No Voice allowed.

I attached a short list of channels and there use. Not sure if the columes will line up how they should but may be of some help.

If you have not done so it a good idea to take a Coast Guard Aux or US Power Squardons boating and Saftey class. They cover all the saftey iteams, Rules of the Road, How to read Buoys and what they mean, correct use of radios and much more. They are fun and Cheap and will make anyone who has not taken a class a better and safer boater.




Channel Number Ship Transmit MHz Ship Receive MHz Use
01A 156.050 156.050 Port Operations and Commercial, VTS. Available only in New Orleans / Lower Mississippi area.
05A 156.250 156.250 Port Operations or VTS in the Houston, New Orleans and Seattle areas.
06 156.300 156.300 Intership Safety
07A 156.350 156.350 Commercial
08 156.400 156.400 Commercial (Intership only)
09 156.450 156.450 Boater Calling. Commercial and Non-Commercial.
10 156.500 156.500 Commercial
11 156.550 156.550 Commercial. VTS in selected areas.
12 156.600 156.600 Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
13 156.650 156.650 Intership Navigation Safety (Bridge-to-bridge). Ships >20m length maintain a listening watch on this channel in US waters.
14 156.700 156.700 Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
15 -- 156.750 Environmental (Receive only). Used by Class C EPIRBs.
16 156.800 156.800 International Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel.
17 156.850 156.850 State Control
18A 156.900 156.900 Commercial
19A 156.950 156.950 Commercial
20 157.000 161.600 Port Operations (duplex)
20A 157.000 157.000 Port Operations
21A 157.050 157.050 U.S. Coast Guard only
22A 157.100 157.100 Coast Guard Liaison and Maritime Safety Information Broadcasts. Broadcasts announced on channel 16.
23A 157.150 157.150 U.S. Coast Guard only
24 157.200 161.800 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
25 157.250 161.850 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
26 157.300 161.900 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
27 157.350 161.950 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
28 157.400 162.000 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
63A 156.175 156.175 Port Operations and Commercial, VTS. Available only in New Orleans / Lower Mississippi area.
65A 156.275 156.275 Port Operations
66A 156.325 156.325 Port Operations
67 156.375 156.375 Commercial. Used for Bridge-to-bridge communications in lower Mississippi River. Intership only.
68 156.425 156.425 Non-Commercial
69 156.475 156.475 Non-Commercial
70 156.525 156.525 Digital Selective Calling (voice communications not allowed)
71 156.575 156.575 Non-Commercial
72 156.625 156.625 Non-Commercial (Intership only)
73 156.675 156.675 Port Operations
74 156.725 156.725 Port Operations
77 156.875 156.875 Port Operations (Intership only)
78A 156.925 156.925 Non-Commercial
79A 156.975 156.975 Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only
80A 157.025 157.025 Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only
81A 157.075 157.075 U.S. Government only - Environmental protection operations.
82A 157.125 157.125 U.S. Government only
83A 157.175 157.175 U.S. Coast Guard only
84 157.225 161.825 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
85 157.275 161.875 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
86 157.325 161.925 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
AIS 1 161.975 161.975 Automatic Identification System (AIS)
AIS 2 162.025 162.025 Automatic Identification System (AIS)
88A 157.425 157.425 Commercial, Intership only.

(This chart is also available in text or Excel versions)

VHF Maritime Spectrum Chart
NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies

Channel Frequency (MHz)
WX1
162.550

WX2
162.400

WX3
162.475

WX4
162.425

WX5
162.450

WX6
162.500

WX7
162.525

 

[Wotam]

Re: vhf radio

"...kind of an non-emergency channel for making new friends"

As others have already posted, VHF is not for chatting, especially in an area with lots of radio traffic. There are a very limited number of channels for 'general use'. (68, 69, 71 and 72)

Keep your communications short and to the point. If you monopolize a channel others will let you know about it in a hurry.