USCG Sector San Diego transmit performance degradation

[KN6JWV]

I'll post the TL;DR first: USCG used to be the loudest thing on the water and now they're not and I'm wondering what is going on.

I'm both a boater and an amateur radio operator and I maintain a listening station at my home about 4 miles from the bay and 300' elevation. I always monitor and decode AIS and often monitor VHF Marine frequencies, specifically channel 16 or 156.800 MHz. I have noticed a significant degradation in reception of USCG Sector San Diego voice and AIS transmissions, including a virtual ATON marking a buoy. The ATON used to be the most reliable AIS signal I could receive and now I might hear it once every few days. Voice transmissions are unreadable only 4 miles from the water. I listened to channel 16 all day today and I could hear Sector Los Angeles but not Sector San Diego.

I notice the same thing when I'm boating. I made multiple DSC tests inside the bay in the lee of Point Loma and only one of about 8 succeeded. I had a successful test south of the international border near Coronado Canyon, but I suspect I was hitting SCI as I could hear Sector Los Angeles there more clearly than Sector San Diego.

I first suspected my equipment but I can hear ships (including USCG vessels) just fine. It's the base operations that I can't hear anymore.

I've contacted them via their online form but just wondering if there's anyone else in SoCal that has noticed the same thing.

 

[B]

I too have noticed a degradation in the transmissions from Sector San Diego. From my location in Vista, I can hear Sectors LA/Long Beach and San Diego. For the last several months, Sector SD transmissions have been weak and scratchy.

 

[KN6JWV]

Glad I'm not the only one. My initial assumption is that they're doing maintenance on or replacing their station (which I assume is located on Point Loma) but it's been going on for a few months now which seems like a long time to me.

If they get back to me on my inquiry I'll post an update.

 

[ladn]

I live inland, about 20+ miles from the nearest shoreline. I used to hear San Diego when ban conditions were good, but I haven't heard them in some time. I've also noticed a decline in USCG Long Beach/Marina Del Rey signal quality on Ch 16.They used to come in like gangbusters until a couple of years ago.

 

[KN6JWV]

I've been out of the country for the last week but back home now and as of today I can hear voice and AIS again from my receive station at my house. I'll check on-the-water performance this weekend hopefully.

 

[espiritusanti57]

Hi KN6JWV - I also maintain a station in pt loma that monitors channel 16 (as of Oct 2023) and am noticing artifacts from Sector SD transmissions.. echoes and static with cyclical patterns. Wondering if you got a chance to confirm from the water if the problem went away?