Marine VHF channels in Utah

[N7YUO]

Here is a challenge for our members: Compile a listing of the Marine channels in use at the various lakes and reservoirs in Utah.
During trips to Strawberry Reservoir, and Lucerne Marina at Manila, I picked up good radio activity on Port Operations freqs. The state-operated marinas used government marine freqs when dispatching their patrol boats. I heard calls to assist boats in distress, Reckless boating, drinking, & no lifejackets. Other illegal activity like marijuana and nudity were seldom heard because the word was out: Anyone seeing that would probably report it.

While we were at Strawberry, someone had an explosion on their boat.
I took notes, but I lost them. So if anyone happens to be near the water,
we could really use a list of what marine freqs are in use and where.
Of course, marine ch 16 calling & distresss is in use everywhere.

 

[qlajlu]

Thanks, N7YUO. Adding these frequencies to the Utah Database would be a terrific idea. Right now, to get the Marine Channels, you need to go to the RR Wiki, Marine VHF Channels for that information.

Too bad you lost your notes. That would have been a great start. I would also like to add them to the Utah Collaboration page in the RR Wiki.

 

[ka3jjz]

Depending on what radio you are using, the marine band is usually set up as a service search, so dedicating a TSYS, system or bank to those freqs is really wasteful. I'd dedicate one of those to freqs that got hits, however

73 Mike

 

[N7YUO]

Actually, when I go traveling, I take my newest scanner and one or two of my old ones.
I have the PSR500 scanning while the others are searching marine band and perhaps national forest and state parks. What I discovered is that each lake seems to have a favorite chat frequency. Boaters make contact on Ch 16, then switch to one or two favorite chat freqs. The marinas as I already mentioned, used a Port Operations freq. Things tend to get lively on the holiday weekends. Most boaters are well behaved. Boating is expensive, and that tends to make people think before doing something stupid. But some newbie rents some jet skis and goes zooming through the no-wake zone.
(As if small watercaft don't create a wake.) Other boats nearby start bobbing in the wake and tempers go up. Think of it like Little Sahara, except water instead of sand and you get the idea.

 

[qlajlu]

Depending on what radio you are using, the marine band is usually set up as a service search, so dedicating a TSYS, system or bank to those freqs is really wasteful. I'd dedicate one of those to freqs that got hits, however

73 Mike

Actually, when I go traveling, I take my newest scanner and one or two of my old ones.

I forgot that most scanners have the Marine Band immediately available by just pushing a button. Since I never used that anyway, it never even crossed my mind.

 

[gldavis]

In the valley here, I've heard Harper Investment using Marine Channel 84 (161.825-RX, 157.225-TX) for Dump Truck dispatching.
I've also heard Pacificorp (KOA464) using Marine Channel 28 (162.000-RX, 157.400-TX) for data xmissions.

 

[N7YUO]

Others using Marine Channels

I have one of the last issues of Police Call on CD ROM. A search of that database shows a lot of assignments in the Marine Band for non-marine uses, usually out in places like
Nebraska or South Dakota. It was interesting, because if your scanner was doing a service search for police frequencies, it wouldn't look there. It could be a semi-secret channel. In the 1980s, SL Sheriff had a hiddeen channel 10. It took a dedicated scanner trying ten channels at a time, six months to finally pin it down. It was the old Riverton PD frequency. (Not in the marine band, but well hidden)