Coast Guard and Lake MIchigan

[crazy_19]

Hey all, I was contemplating getting a HF reciver but before I do I was wondering if anybody knows if their is much usage of HF by either the Coast Guard or vessels in general in the area of southern Lake Michigan.

 

[trap5858]

You might get more satisfaction listening on VHF marine band. HF is usually used for much longer distance communications. You can hear things hundreds of miles away on HF. You might be able to pick up Coast Guard CAMSLANT and probably some of the Canadian Coast Guard stuff.

 

[k9rzz]

I don't think there is any need for HF on the Great Lakes and I don't think there are any HF antennas here in Milwaukee at the CG station. (I'll try to shoot some pix of their antennas next time I'm over there). They can cover the southern half of the lake on VHF if they have to, especially if in the air via chopper or fixed wing. Same goes for the commercial traffic. The salties have HF for their ocean voyages, but I don't think they need HF on the Lakes.

 

[ks4ui]

Many years ago there was HF radio traffic on the great lakes but it has all been replaced by VHF. 2182 KHz use to carry HF emergency traffic but 156.8 is used world wide now. There just is no need for HF on the Great Lakes anymore.

 

[puzzleriddle]

The Fed Files Blog see this for CG info

 

[airwolfbell222]

I hear the CG helicopters flying around Lake Michigan on HF from time to time.

 

[ka3jjz]

Asking about cell phone coverage has nothing to do with HF - let's keep this on topic, please - below 30 Mhz only

Thanks for your future cooperation

Mike

 

[brandon]

I have logged these D8 and D9 USCG sectors on COTHEN

Sector Upper Mississippi River - (ALE id Z22)
Sector Buffalo - (ALE id Z23)
Sector Lake Michigan - (ALE id Z25)
Sector Detroit - (may have been phone patch used OKO for ALE id)

Buffalo is probably the most heard out of that bunch and that isn't very often.

 

[k9rzz]

Asking about cell phone coverage has nothing to do with HF - let's keep this on topic, please - below 30 Mhz only

Thanks for your future cooperation

Mike

Easy 'captain. The point being is to see how much of the lake is or can be covered by VHF/UHF radio. Is HF really needed? Probably 99% of boats on the lake have cell phones, but how useful are they?

Seems to be on topic to me.

 

[k9rzz]

Question about COTHEN (it's HF), how do you hear Sector Lake Michigan when the nearest transmitter is in Cedar Rapids, IA?

 

[MarcusDude]

I hear the CG helicopters flying around Lake Michigan on HF from time to time.

What frequencies?

 

[n8zcc]

As a boat watcher, my wife and I often visit the locks up in the Soo. All of the boats we see go through all have HF antennas on them. From a boat watchers site I visit, I found this:

HF on the lakes
HF used by various shore stations around the lakes. With VHF and cellular phones these frequencies end up used most often to provide weather reports and notice to mariners broadcasts. Every great once-in-a-while you will hear a ship to shore phone call on them. All listed are upper side band unless otherwise noted.
Freq/ Station
2514.0 VCC Quebec CG Radio
2550.0 WLC Rogers City MI
2598.0 Canadian Coast Guard
2582.0 WLC and various Canadian CG
4369.0 WLC wx and some phone
4381.0 WLC
4408.0 WLC
4143.5 Upper Lakes Shipping (Canada)
6218.5 Upper Lakes Shipping (Canada)
5692.0 US Coast Guard - Traverse City and Detriot Air Stations

Boat watching With a VHF Scanner

The real truth to HF on the great lakes is for us to monitor these frequencies.

Over the years, I've heard special event stations on the ham frequencies (usually 20 and 40 meters) from active freighters, usually docked, staffed by hams from a local ham club. One special event station I've heard several times from lake freighters and tugs is out of Rogers City, MI.

Using the formula to calculate distance to the horizon, a VHF antenna mounted at a 100 feet and a Coast Guard Station provides a line of site of just over 12 miles. Say the boat's antenna is mounted at 40 feet, that give antenna to antenna line of site of 23 miles. That just isn't enough distance to provide constant VHF communications on the Great Lakes. HF communications still has a value.

 

[MarcusDude]

Here's what I was able to find, it might be a little out of date.

2182 USB Emergency/Distress (similar to 156.800)
2670 USB Comm w/ Civilian Vessels (similar to 157.100)
2687 USB
3023 USB SAR
5320 USB Great Lakes
5680 USB SAR
5692 USB
5696 USB Nightime Primary
8125 USB Great Lakes
8980 USB
8983 USB Day Primary

NMP7 Kenosha, WI
NMP9 Milwaukee, WI (Sector Lake Michigan HQ)
NMD32 Grand Haven, MI (Sector Lake Michigan Field Office)
NMD47 Buffalo, NY (Sector Buffalo)
NOG Sault Ste Marie, MI (Sector Sault Ste Marie)
??? Adrian, MI
??? Mount Clemens, MI (CGAS Detroit) "DETROIT AIR"
??? Traverse City, MI (CGAS Traverse City)
??? Waukegan, IL (AIRFAC Waukegan)