Is it possible to monitor Marine HF Comm in Colorado?

[KC0UWS]

Is it possible to monitor Marine HF Comms in Colorado? I have a Slinky antenna up about 25 feet. My receiver has a low noise receiver.

 

[ka3jjz]

Given good propagation and selecting the right frequency range, sure. The Slinky is not the best antenna (you're stuck indoors, I take it...); there are many much better designs in our Wiki, and on the Shortwave SWL antenna Yahoo group.

'My receiver has a low noise receiver'?? I kinda think you mean a preamp. Try to use the preamp only when really needed. Even a good low noise model will add to the noise floor due to the increased pickup of all the light dimmers, Xmas lights and other junk in your immediate vicinity. 73s Mike

 

[OceanaRadio]

Just in case you aren't pulling our leg, the answer is no. Discounting what you might hear during high sunspot cycles and freak propagation, maritime listening would be hopeless. You are 700 miles from the coast plus the distance offshore that any traffic would originate. From a 100w marine radio through a 21' vertical typical of shipboard installation, that leaves you about 700 miles too far inland.

Distress traffic occurs once and awhile on 2182 and 4125 Khz, but it would be next to impossible to hear that under any conditions from Colorado. Tune in 14300 KHz to the Maritime Mobile Net some day and see if you can copy any amateur radio martime mobile checking in. Let us know.

Regards,
Jack

 

[mancow]

Don't know about all of that

I have heard maritime HF plenty of times here in Kansas. Heck, I even caught a few using an AOR8000 with a whip years ago.

Granted, it's not common but it's no where near impossible.

 

[ka3jjz]

Sri Oceana I'm not pulling your leg. For example, it is very possible (propagation and antenna permitting) to hear, for example, the Perfect Paul weather broadcasts from WLO, some of the simplex maritime traffic - there isn't as much as there used to be - on the 2, 4, 6 8 12 and maybe 16 mhz simplex frequencies, even some SITORB weather broadcasts from the USCG stations such as the one in Boston. Some marine monitors even have FAX gear so they can get the regular transmissions from the NOAA stations (and many more worldwide).

Marine listening is quite diverse. 73s Mike

 

[OceanaRadio]

Mike,

I was trying to be specific in describing why Colorado will not hear marine communications, the operative word communications meaning both sides, not just a shore station. There is no point in encouraging someone to look for something that won't be there for them, and copying vessel traffic is just about out of the question for him. Yes anyone can hear a shore station that is using high power on an omni antenna, but I suspect there is not clear copy of WeFax to be had in Colorado except in rare conditions.

If you cover HF-DSC-GMDSS you will see various commecrial companies send DSC-messaging requesting their sister ships to come up on specific HF frequencies, almost always simplex. But unless you were watching that closely you would never find them among the hundreds of marine channels they have to choose from (simplex and duplex).

And unless you were close to the coast, you wouild not likely hear them on 2-4 Mhz that they often choose for company business.

Regards,
Jack

 

[OceanaRadio]

EXAMPLE:

At 0637Z (right now) on HF-DSC-GMDSS 6.3120 KHz, the MV PROTEO (3FCV3, Republic of Panama flagged) sent a message to one of his sister ships MV ICARO ((3FGV3, PNR) requesting they come up on RX: 04143.0 TX: 04143.0

Listening on that frequency from Virginia Beach, I heard a "whistle" but no exchange. So perhaps the Master of ICARO is not available, or the PROTEO dod not copy the message, which is rarely ever acknowleded in the case of ship-to-ship requests like this. But they do come up on HF-voice and if you are able to decode DSC traffic you will know when and where.

Jack

 

[ka3jjz]

Mike,

I was trying to be specific in describing why Colorado will not hear marine communications, the operative word communications meaning both sides, not just a shore station. There is no point in encouraging someone to look for something that won't be there for them, and copying vessel traffic is just about out of the question for him. Yes anyone can hear a shore station that is using high power on an omni antenna, but I suspect there is not clear copy of WeFax to be had in Colorado except in rare conditions.

If you cover HF-DSC-GMDSS you will see various commecrial companies send DSC-messaging requesting their sister ships to come up on specific HF frequencies, almost always simplex. But unless you were watching that closely you would never find them among the hundreds of marine channels they have to choose from (simplex and duplex).

And unless you were close to the coast, you wouild not likely hear them on 2-4 Mhz that they often choose for company business.

Regards,
Jack

I don't agree, Jack. While I agree that in Colorado it would be a good bit more difficult, it's still possible. If a ham with a good outdoor antenna can pick up someone on 75m running 100 watts, then it's just as likely that at least some ships will be heard, propagation permitting. A lot of the larger commercial vessels are, I'm sure, running a good bit more than that. Yes, it will be tougher - I never said it would be easy.

WeFAX? Again, propagation permitting, I'd say that would be possible - probably from the Pacific rim more than the East, I would think. For example, I see occasional reports of Tokyo Meteo from folks in the Plains states on the UDXF, so it is possible. Easy, no. Possible yes.

73s Mike

[edit] To bolster my position, here's a few logs from the UDXF - some coastal stations (which you rightly point out will be easier to hear) and ships - from a gent in Colorado and in Kansas (proving, without any doubt, that it can be done, even if you don't live near a coastline)...

4125.0Khz usb CAMSTA KODIAK with pan-pan of a overdue 22ft sciff (possibly
overturned in high seas) listing names of three people aboard 04:23:23UTC
(2006-11-29) (Vambo in Colorado, USA on ZIRC#wunclub)

6224.0Khz usb Taupo Maritime Radio w/local forcast just ending 07:15:07UTC
(2006-11-29) (Vambo in Colorado, USA on ZIRC#wunclub)

6949.0Khz usb unid fishing vessels 07:15:13UTC (2006-11-29) (N2UHC in Frontenac
KS, USA on ZIRC#wunclub)

6224.0Khz usb boat CHRISTIANA calling Taupo Maritime Radio w/no answer
07:15:52UTC (2006-11-29) (Vambo in Colorado, USA on ZIRC#wunclub)

4369.0Khz usb WLO w/ automated voice giving WX 05:13:06UTC (2006-10-07) (N2UHC
in Frontenac KS, USA on ZIRC#wunclub)

4146.0Khz usb WDB55790 w/unIDed talking about fishing and supplies 06:11:56UTC
(2006-10-07) (Vambo in Colorado, USA on ZIRC#wunclub)