Land-based company using marine channel 69 in S Baldwin County?

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TomServo

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Hey guys. For the last several months, I've been hearing what sounds like dispatch calls on 156.475 MHz, which is marine channel 69 for "non-commercial operations". It sounds like dump trucks or a cement company judging by the one side of the conversations that I can hear.

I'm wondering if anyone else has heard this, or knows who it might be, since they appear to be using a marine VHF channel for business purposes. I'm in Foley and have never heard the trucks, only the base unit. They never seem to mention any location, just picking up and dropping off loads.

Any ideas? Other than the USCG, it's the only marine activity I have on my scanner this far inland.
 

KK4JUG

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It's not kosher but it happens a lot. If the Coast Guard or other responsible agency isn't complaining, I seriously doubt the FCC will worry about it either.
 

W3DMV

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Do a Search on the FCC site. There are
several private land based companies licensed
on the frequency including a cement company
in Mobile..
 

TomServo

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Ah, I did not know that, W3DMV. I'll check the ULS and see what comes up. If it's from Mobile, that would be surprising, I wouldn't think I could hear anything from that far away. I have trouble hearing the 2m repeaters from there with my modest setup, and certainly don't get anything public safety related!

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TomServo

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I've spent the last little while spinning my wheels on the ULS system. It is slow as molasses today. So far, nothing has come up that seems to match what I'm hearing. I didn't find any cement companies at all. Today's dispatch was for two truckloads of sand to a construction company based in Baldwin County, then they mentioned an order for a truck load of unspecified cargo for a trucking company based in Vernon.

So far, all the licenses have been marine-related that I've found in Baldwin and Mobile Counties. A salvage and diving company, a fuel supply outlet on Dog River, Shipcom, stuff like that. I suppose the sand referenced in the call I heard earlier could be dredged from a river or the ocean, but it's really got my curiosity up as to what I am hearing. (Edit: There are no records in Santa Rosa or Escambia Counties for any licenses on this frequency.)
 
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mmckenna

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mmckenna

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There's a lot licensed in Florida.

Basically what these costal license are intended for are companies that work on land and on the water. The specific license classes allow that sort of usage.

Of course, that doesn't mean that someone else isn't using them without a costal licenses. That's been known to happen, and with the large amount of retail shops selling Marine VHF radios with little knowledge, it's not uncommon to get various users show up on marine VHF channels that should not be there.
It's not uncommon to hear truckers and hunters using these radios. Usually it goes unnoticed unless they are being ignorant and using Channel 16 close to the water. Often being on these recreational or business use channels slips under the radar, so to speak.
 

RFI-EMI-GUY

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More importantly, are the identifying their call sign?

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mmckenna

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Not surprising.
Since these are usually not repeated frequencies, you won't hear morse ID from a repeater.

As for the guys using the radios, they probably have no clue what frequency they are using and that they have a call sign.
Yes, they "should" be using a call sign, but that's pretty rare to actually hear one from the rank and file guys who have their hands on a radio.

The reason it's different on public safety frequencies is because repeaters automatically ID or the dispatcher gives the ID periodically.
 
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