In OC for a couple days and not hearing any broadcasts on Ch.16. Is this station still on the air?
USCG Station Ocean City
- Thread starter Citywide74
- Start date
The public marine channels are usually controlled by Sector out of Curtis Bay, but Station OC can answer if called directly. The Station frequently uses Marine Tac 14 in the OC area, or a Worcester tg when south of OC, plus the CG LMR channels.
The radio transmitters for that area are just outside of Berlin, so you should have good coverage in OC.
If you go to this website, the site labeled as GBH is the transmitter site. it is under Sector Maryland-NCR
If you go to this website, the site labeled as GBH is the transmitter site. it is under Sector Maryland-NCR
To farther add to maus92's comments.
You should have received some Broadcast Notice to Mariners broadcasr either scheduled or random ones. The ones that repeat are recorded on Rescue 21 to be able to go out many times.
Sector has scheduled broadcast Notice to mariners in morning and evening, but can't remember the times. Plus the are on UTC times and shift for local times. Going forward from memory the morning broadcast is something like 8 or 8:30 AM during Daylight Savings Time. Night time broadcast is something like 9:30 PM DST.
Station Ocean City falls under Sector Maryland NCR command.
Sector has a 24/7 radio watch on channel 16 and various CG channels. They also have personal to plan and execute search and rescue cases, plus anything else required by CG like fuel spills or large vessel issues like engine operational issues.
Station most likely doesn't have a 24/7 watch with Sector having it. The duty ready boat crews can sleep at night when not required and if they are needed Sector will alert then if they need to get a boat underway.
Radio guard for underway CG small boats maybe controlled by their station. Many times Sector will handle radio guard duties. A lot Stations are short staffed and have no one to run the radio when boat gets underway.
ecps92
Member
if anything like Boston, they also need to select the correct sites.
Sadly, most of the routine traffic seems to be selected on a site that is weak to me, yet when they need to hit the south of boston region they select that tower and booms in. Wish they would Select ALL
Rescue 21 sites are limited to 4 active channels at one time. Typically, the Sector configures Marine channels 16 and 22, and two of their VHF / UHF LMR channels. They can swap another channel, but they will always have 16 as one of the configured channels. USCG facilities can also have their own independent radios monitoring whatever they select. The USCG will not typically venture north of the Rt 50 bridge due to shallow water and thus concentrates on the inlet and offshore rescues. DNR NRP has responsibility for the inland / coastal bays in Maryland waters. The OCFD's fireboat has been instrumental in several rescues this summer when they were underway for training; one for a propeller strike in Sinepuxent Bay and another for an overturned pontoon boat exiting the inlet.
