Craig: Amateur radio is very useful aboard both as a means to communicate with other hams as well as a back-up emergency radio. I am a net controller on the Intercon Net which is one of the three nets that operate on 14.300 MHz from 0700 to 2300 ET seven days a week (the other two nets are the Maritime Mobile Service Net and the Pacific Seafarers Net). They are manned all day and serve as a constant set of ears which listen for any vessels that might need assistance as well as a means for offshore vessels to pass information. The nets all are connected with ShipTrak and work closely with the Coast Guard. If you search the internet for "maritime radio nets" you will find a number of nets that operate throughout the day on various bands. Several of the nets are area-specific and are very helpful to boats cruising in particular locations (e.g. the Bahamas). There are also VHF nets that serve local traffic in popular cruising locations.
I'm surprised you haven't heard other vessels checking in on 14.300; we usually work a number of boats each day. However, boats probably constitute only about 5% of the traffic on the nets. The check-ins are really just to ensure that are always hams on the frequency listening for any emergency traffic. 14.300 MHz has been designated as a Global Center of Activity by the IARU and hams are requested to voluntarily keep the frequency clear for the nets. You don't need fancy installations to operate on the HF bands (primarily 20 and 40 meters). A simple vertical or sloper dipole of the appropriate length hauled up on a halyard works amazing well. I look forward to talking with you on the bands. Alan Alan Lewis "Victoria" Gulfstar 41 #160 Lying Kittery, ME K1ALL From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2012 20:54:17 -0400 Subject: [Liveaboard] amateur radio Hello all, I’m curious about using amateur radio underway. I’m a relatively new amateur radio licensee and just got involved with HF since March. Do any of you use amateur radio aboard? How do you use it? Do you use it to call home or just to say hello to someone new? I know there is a net on 14.3 MHz but I haven’t heard any vessels the times I’ve listened. Are there other nets I haven’t yet found? Does the boating community stay in touch with each other using amateur radio? It’s probably obvious I’m inexperienced, but I am curious. Thanks in advance to anyone sharing their thoughts.Craig Scott AE6E S/V Savor Grace Searunner 37The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it. Albert Einstein_________________________________ This email and any files transmitted with it may contain PRIVILEGED or CONFIDENTIAL information and may be read or used only by the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient of the email or any of its attachments, please be advised that you have received this email in error and that any use, dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, or copying of this email or any attached files is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please immediately purge it and all attachments and notify the sender by reply email or contact the sender at the number listed above if one is provided _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://liveaboardonline.com/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardonline.com/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
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