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**GordMay** · 13-07-2003, 11:42

Follows an incomplete listing of Maritime Mobile & SSB Radio Nets. Please forward any suggested Corrections and/or Additions, and I will edit this posting:

Email suggested addenda to: Gord@BoatPro.zzn.com

Bahamas Weather Net: 7.096 MHz at 0720 EST
(sometimes on 3.696 Mhz depending on propagation)

Caribbean Cocktail and Weather Net: Virgin Islands-7.086 MHz +- QRM at 1645 AST

Caribbean Emergency and Weather Net: Trinidad-7.162 MHz at 0630 AST, 3.185 MHz at 1830 AST

Caribbean Hurricane Watch Net: 14.325 Mhz, 14.275 Mhz,
and on 14.175 MHz when needed.

Caribbean M/M Net: Virgin Islands-7.230 MHz - 7.240 MHz.at 1100 Zulu.
At 2045 Zulu (except Sundays), you can pick up the Cocktail and Weather Net, the afternoon version of this daily net.

Chubasco Net: Mexico West Coast-7.294 MHz at 1530 Zulu

Intercontinental Net: 14.300 Mhz -14.316 Mhz (changes often) at 1100 Zulu

Manana M/M Net: 14.340 MHz at 1200 PDT.
Covers the U.S. west coast to Hawaii

Maritime Emergency Net: 14.310 MHz.at 0400 Zulu and on 14.303 MHz.at 1800 Zulu

Maritime Mobile Net: 14.300-14.316 Mhz (changes often) after the Intercontinental Net and running until around 0200 Zulu

Mississauga Net: VE stations with relays. 14.121 MHz at 1245 Zulu.
Covers Europe, Med, Atlantic, Caribbean and Central America.

Mediterranean M/M Net: 7.085 MHz at 0700 Zulu

Northwest Caribbean Cruisers Net: 8.188 MHz at 1400 Zulu.
Covers from Mexico to San Andres Island, Colombia.

Pacific M/M Service Net: 21.402 MHz at 1500 PDT

Pacific Seafarers Net: 14.313 MHz at 0200 Zulu to 0325 Zulu

Panama Canal Connection Net: 8.107 MHz at 1330 Zulu.
Covers Pacific from Mexico to Galapagos, Atlantic from Belize to Colombia. / Emphasis on SW. Caribbean.

PST Baja California M/M Net: 7.238 MHz at 0800 PDT.
Covers coastal Baja & Calif.

Robby's Net: Australia- 14.315 MHz at 1000 Zulu and again at 2300 Zulu.

From"donradcliffe" @ SSCA
Rowdy's net is now run by Richard, and the frequency bounces around a bit to avoid interference, but last year they were using 14.323 at 000Z

Roy's Net: Perth, W.A. - 14.320 MHz. at 1115 Zulu.
Gives wx. warnings & then covers boats in N & W Indian Ocean.
Then at 1130 Zulu, QSY's to SA M/M net on 14.316 MHz.

S.A. M/M Net: South Africa- 14.316 MHz at 0630 Zulu and again at 1130 Zulu.

SE.Asia M/M Net: (Rowdy's Breakfast Show), Phuket, Thailand. 14.320 MHz at 2400 Zulu
and on 7.085 MHz at 0030 Zulu.
Covers SE Asia.

South Atlantic Net: 21.325 MHz at 1130 Zulu.
Covers the South Atlantic.

Tony's Net: Kenya-14.316MHz at 0500 Zulu.
Covers Indian Ocean & Red Sea.

Tony's Net: New Zealand- ZL1ATE-14.315 MHz. +- QRM at 2100 Zulu.
Position reports from the South Pacific - Australia areas.

TransAtlantic Net: 21.400 MHz at 1300 Zulu.
Covers North Atlantic and Caribbean

U.K. M/M Net: 14.303+/-QRM MHz at 0800 and 1800 Zulu

Waterway Radio & Cruising Club (WRCC): 7.268 MHz at 0745 EST.
Covers U.S. east coast, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, and occasionally the extreme northern Caribbean.

Australian Hailing: 8173.0 MHz USB at 0900 AST.

BASRA Weather Net (Bahamas): 4.003 MHz USB at 0700 EST

Canadaian Net: 14121.0 MHz USB at 0845 AST.

Caribbean Hailing: 8104.0 MHz USB from 0745 to 0815 AST.

Caribbean/Bahamas Hailing: 8152.0 MHz USB from 2000 to 2100 AST.

Caribbean Safety & Security Net: 8104.0 MHz USB from 0815 to 0830 AST.

Cruisehiemers Net (Bahamas): 8152.0 MHz USB at 0930 AST.

German Net: 8140.0 MHz USB at 0900 AST.

Panama Connection: 8107.0 MHz USB at0930AST.

Russell Radio: New Zealand-covers from Bora Bora to Australia / 12.359 MHz at 0830 and 1630 (NZ time).
and on 12.353 MHz at 0915 and 1600 (NZ time).

Scandanavian Net: 8182.0 MHz USB at 0800 AST and 16534.0 at 0900 AST.

E.& O.E. (Draft copy July 13/03 - No revisions)
Forward additions & corrections to: Gord@BoatPro.zzn.com

and at "Cruiser Log"
http://www.cruiser.co.za/radionet.asp
Marine radio net details and frequencies on SSB, Ham, HF and VHF for cruising yachts

Regards
Gord

**GordMay** · 08-09-2004, 01:52

From the Sailnet Forum http://www.sailnet.com/messageboards/ , an experienced Trans-Atlantic cruiser offer this sage advice:

Author: WHOOSH

"Cliff, here are some sources and annotated comments on what is actually used on a passage like you are planning:

First, will you have a way to download SSB RTTY or similar broadcast products? If so, that will be helpful as you do the Azores-Spain run. No one does that better than the Deutsche Wetter Dienst (German Weather Service). Download their sked for products and carry a small pocket dictionary to help with the terminology. Or you can write me at jack_patricia@yahoo.com and I can get you a word cross-over dictionary I made up. They offer a 2-day f'cast that reaches down to the Canaries from Ireland and you'd find it very helpful. They are *very* good.

Similarly, will you be downloading WxFax products? If so, first New Orleans and then Offenbach and the UK station (sorry, the name escapes me...) will be most helpful. Check Frank Singleton's website for WxFax listings (use Google); he has a wealth of supporting info there. As with the DWD f'cast products, the hassle is that the HF rig has to be on and properly tuned, the computer booted up and the software running, in order for these to be accessed.

Both the above are not nets and so have the advantage of giving you direct info offered by professional f'casters and real-time images developed from buoy data, sat data, etc. If you use a net, similar info is just passed along via a controller so the above options give it to you direct.

Third, don't underestimate the value of Winlink (the ham system) or Sailmail (the commercial non-profit marine SSB alternative) for providing weather info. The books offering Atlantic Crossing info seem without exception to make a huge mistake by not emphasizing the value of monitoring real-time wx changes and adjusting your course accordingly. Instead, they offer routing info based on pilot charts which, while statistically valid over an extended period of time, can be wildly inaccurate for a given season. Both 2003 and 2004 are exact illustrations of this potential problem. If in doubt, walk the docks when you reach Horta and look for the boats with the broken booms, snapped poles, sails being repaired, etc. and then ask them what routes they took. Invariably, they will tell you they followed the guides' 38-40N routing advice and were not working hard copying real-time wx f'cast data.

From USA's east coast out to somewhere mid-Atlantic, you'll want to talk with Trudy (I'm sorry but all my refs are on the boat, so I can't be specific but Gord's list has Trudy's Atlantic Maritime Mobile Net, I believe). You'll need the wx f'cast regions the French use in order to use her relay f'cast but it's worth having. Also, don't overlook the value of HF contact with Bermuda Harbor Radio both as you approach Bermuda and again as you depart. These fellows are all professionals, have no fewer gizmos or sat systems than a major U.S. facility, and are good to work with. To my knowledge, all the other listings Gord is offering you are irrelvant...except Herb.

You will find almost EVERYONE uses Herb, it's just that only a minority of them actually seek voice contact with him daily. Many just listen in since boats tend to be spread out and so it's not too difficult to luck into hearing an exchange with a boat in your area. Personally, I think this is a poor choice for the individual skipper but it makes Herb's overall service work better since he can become heavily burdened at times. Keep in mind you must do things Herb's way, he offers 'advice' that is biased on the side of safety (some skippers like more wind and more speed than he thinks prudent), and you are marrying a sked that is inviolate, no matter what is happening on the boat. You only have to cross short-handed (my wife and I did it alone) and manage a radio sked with changing wx conditions to understand this...but I think Herb's worth the effort. The Atlantic run is truly 'his thing'. You will find it increasingly difficult to work him as you close on Spain, which is when you truly begin to appreciate the pro he is as a radio operator: he knows the prop paths and will patiently keep coming back to you, as long as it takes while still juggling the rest of his workload, to make a contact work. Just be sure your HF rig is in good shape and you know what's expected of you; he'll do the rest.

Hope some of this is useful to you and good luck on a good window!"

Jack
WHOOSH, lying Ramsgate, Kent

exposure · 08-09-2004, 05:01

Does anybody have a good current listing of HF broadcast radio frequencies and schedules? I am thinking of BBC, Radio America, Radio Havana, etc. These would be worth programming into the SSB.

Woody

**GordMay** · 26-04-2005, 16:54

From U.S. Notice to Mariners Number #18 - Dated: 30-Apr-2005
http://pollux.nss.nima.mil/NAV_PUBS/...arine_Info.pdf

CHANGES TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROADCAST SCHEDULES
Broadcasts of National Weather Service marine forecasts from the following U.S. Coast Guard and military facilities will be modified on June 15, 2005 at 1400 UTC (1733 UTC for KVM70) to accommodate a greater range of products and reduce mutual interference between stations:

NMC Pt. Reyes, CA
NMN Chesapeake, VA
NMG New Orleans, LA
NOJ Kodiak, AK
KVM70 Honolulu, HI

NMG/NMN HF voice starting times were:
0330, 0500, 0930, 1130, 1600, 1730, 2200, 2230 UTC
NMG/NMN HF voice starting times are changing to:
0330, 0515, 0930, 1115, 1530, 1715, 2130, 2315 UTC

HF voice broadcasts may be terminated if longer than the available broadcast period. This will most likely occur during the 0515, 1115, 1715 and 2315 UTC broadcast cycles from station NMG during the hurricane season when supplementary advisories are broadcast in addition to the routine forecasts. These broadcasts are simulcast from station NMN as an alternative.

NMC HF SITOR starting times were:
0005 1800 UTC
NMC HF SITOR starting times are changing to:
0015 1730 UTC

The NMC radiofacsimile frequency of 12590.5 kHz will be changed to 12786.0 kHz.

The NMC radiofacsimile broadcast schedule will be modified to include 12 new charts and rebroadcast of 8 charts.

NMC radiofacsimile starting times were:
0230, 0750, 1100, 1430, 1930, 2300 UTC
NMC radiofacsimile starting times are changing to:
0140, 0655, 1120, 1400, 1840, 2320 UTC

The on-air broadcast schedule listing transmitted at 1104 and 2324 UTC will now be transmitted at 1124 and 2324 UTC. The new broadcast schedule listing will be broadcast on-air beginning June 01, 2005, and may also be found now at:
http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/hfreyes.txt

The NOJ radiofacsimile broadcast will be modified to include two 24HR 500 MB forecasts transmitted at 0558 and 1758 UTC.
The new broadcast schedule listing will be broadcast on-air beginning June 01, 2005, and may also be found now at:
http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/hfak.txt

The KVM70 radiofacsimile broadcast will be modified as follows:
0/24HR 2-panel charts will be changed to 24HR 1-panel charts
and
48/72HR 2-panel charts will be changed to 72HR 1-panel charts.
The new broadcast schedule listing will be broadcast on-air beginning June 01, 2005, and may also be found now at:
http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/fax/hfhi.txt
It is planned that the KVM70 broadcast will be further revised in the near future with an improved product suite.

For further information on the broadcast of National Weather Service forecasts from U.S. Coast Guard facilities, see:
http://www.weather.gov/marine
and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Publication 117, “Radio Navigational Aids,” at:
http://pollux.nss.nga.m

For questions or comments regarding these schedule changes contact:

Marine Dissemination Manager
National Weather Service, NOAA W/OS21
1325 East-West Hwy
Silver Spring, MD 20910
E-mail: marine.weather@noaa.gov