Coast Guard will cease monitoring all HF voice distress frequencies

[kruser]

Apologize if this was already posted here or in another forum or thread.

 

[trentbob]

Thanks for this report oh, the end of an era for sure.

 

[markclark]

According to the summary in the Federal Register not a single call on HF could be correlated to an actual rescue response in the last 7 years.

Perhaps the HF era ended 7 years ago.

 

[GlobalNorth]

Somewhere, someone is still lamenting that 500kHz isn't being monitored any longer.

 

[mmckenna]

Somewhere, someone is still lamenting that 500kHz isn't being monitored any longer.

Yep, just like the Marine VHF digital thread, someone is going to have a cow because they might have to purchase the correct equipment for the job, and not rely on some piece of junk clapped out radio that was installed by Marconi himself.

Never mind that GMDSS was mandated a long time ago, some ham radio operator will get heartburn over this...

 

[majoco]

Not only is no-one listening on 500kHz , there's probably no modern-ish ships kitted out with the equipment or operators who know how to send morse - although there may be some ex R/O's who have been "converted" to Electrical/Electronic Officers.

There must be some data somewhere about the utilisation of GMDSS vs, MF/HF frequencies for distress which I guess the USCG used to make their decision - for all we know they might get a signal straight from the satellite rather than get a relay from the rescue co-ordination centre.

PS - has anyone heard a message on Navtex concerning a vessel in distress?

 

[mmckenna]

Not only is no-one listening on 500kHz , there's probably no modern-ish ships kitted out with the equipment

I remember helping one of our radiomen remove the 500KHz radio and long wire antenna in 1993 or so. That was a while after the USCG stopped monitoring it.

 

[AJAT]

Somewhere, someone is still lamenting that 500kHz isn't being monitored any longer.

I am still upset they don’t monitor morse code any more.

 

[GB46]

PS - has anyone heard a message on Navtex concerning a vessel in distress?

I saw one today on 8416.5 kHz. It said a distress signal had been received, but I've forgotten the frequency they mentioned, which I believe was on a UHF band. Mariners in the area were asked to keep a sharp lookout for the ship, and assist if possible. I must remember to open the log file the next time I monitor Navtex. Sometimes the messages get kind of boring, because they issue the same report about the presence of ocean cleanup vessels in the Pacific several times each session.

 

[gmclam]

Yep, just like the Marine VHF digital thread, someone is going to have a cow because they might have to purchase the correct equipment for the job, and not rely on some piece of junk clapped out radio that was installed by Marconi himself.

Never mind that GMDSS was mandated a long time ago, some ham radio operator will get heartburn over this...

I find this thread quite interesting, especially as we're coming up on the 110 year anniversary of the Titanic disaster. Those who don't upgrade, and encounter the need, could find themselves never needing to upgrade (like the Titanic). I applaud those Marconi operators from back then for saving those who were saved.