marine radio channels?

[chromelander]

I was wondering what channels you put your marine radio on for lake michigan? I fish out of ST. Joe but also head north too. Is there a coast guard channel? Or a weather channel? Or a list for different areas?

[Priority1]

Channel 16 is the CG channel or for hailing any emergency. A lot of anglers monitor 68. Some will call on that channel and switch to less used channels to talk. The VHF radios get way OVERUSED. I have witnessed conversations that went on for over 1/2 hour. A boat in distress is the only reason to tie up channel for more than a minute or 2. JMHO

[1mainiac]

Marine VHF Designated Frequencies

Channel Number Ship Transmit

MHz Ship Receive

MHz Intended And Designated Use

01A 156.050 156.050 Port Operations and Commercial, VTS. Available only in New Orleans / Lower Mississippi area.

05A 156.250 156.250 Port Operations or VTS in the Houston, New Orleans and Seattle areas.

06 156.300 156.300 Intership Safety

07A 156.350 156.350 Commercial

08 156.400 156.400 Commercial (Intership only)

09 156.450 156.450 Boater Calling. Commercial and Non-Commercial.

10 156.500 156.500 Commercial

11 156.550 156.550 Commercial. VTS in selected areas.

12 156.600 156.600 Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.

13 156.650 156.650 Intership Navigation Safety (Bridge-to-bridge). Ships >20m length maintain a listening watch on this channel in US waters.

14 156.700 156.700 Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.

15 -- 156.750 Environmental (Receive only). Used by Class C EPIRBs.

16 156.800 156.800 International Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel.

17 156.850 156.850 State Control

18A 156.900 156.900 Commercial

19A 156.950 156.950 Commercial

20 157.000 161.600 Port Operations (duplex)

20A 157.000 157.000 Port Operations

21A 157.050 157.050 U.S. Coast Guard only

22A 157.100 157.100 Coast Guard Liaison and Maritime Safety Information Broadcasts. Broadcasts announced on channel 16.

23A 157.150 157.150 U.S. Coast Guard only

24 157.200 161.800 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)

25 157.250 161.850 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)

26 157.300 161.900 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)

27 157.350 161.950 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)

28 157.400 162.000 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)

63A 156.175 156.175 Port Operations and Commercial, VTS. Available only in New Orleans / Lower Mississippi area.

65A 156.275 156.275 Port Operations

66A 156.325 156.325 Port Operations

67 156.375 156.375 Commercial. Used for Bridge-to-bridge communications in lower Mississippi River. Intership only.

68 156.425 156.425 Non-Commercial

69 156.475 156.475 Non-Commercial

70 156.525 156.525 Digital Selective Calling (voice communications not allowed)

71 156.575 156.575 Non-Commercial

72 156.625 156.625 Non-Commercial (Intership only)

73 156.675 156.675 Port Operations

74 156.725 156.725 Port Operations

77 156.875 156.875 Port Operations (Intership only)

78A 156.925 156.925 Non-Commercial

79A 156.975 156.975 Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only

80A 157.025 157.025 Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only

81A 157.075 157.075 U.S. Government only - Environmental protection operations.

82A 157.125 157.125 U.S. Government only

83A 157.175 157.175 U.S. Coast Guard only

84 157.225 161.825 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)

85 157.275 161.875 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)

86 157.325 161.925 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)

87 157.375 161.975 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)

AIS 1 161.975 161.975 Automatic Identification System #1 (AIS) - Special equipment required!

88 157.425 162.025 Public Correspondence only near Canadian border.

AIS 2 162.025 162.025 Automatic Identification System #2 (AIS) - Special equipment required!

88A 157.425 157.425 Commercial, Intership only.

NOAA Weather 1 WX1 162.550

NOAA Weather 2 WX2 162.400

NOAA Weather 3 WX3 162.475

NOAA Weather 4 WX4 162.425

NOAA Weather 5 WX5 162.450

NOAA Weather 6 WX6 162.500

NOAA Weather 7 WX7 162.525

9 and 16 are hailing channels Coast Guard monitors 16

21,22,23 and 83 are Coast Guard working channels if you call the Coast Guard they will usually have you move to one of these.

68,69,71,72,78,79, and 80 are pretty much all boat to boat channels on the Great lakes

70 is the DSC channel if your rado has DSC (the little red distress button) this is the channel it sends info on no voice comms allowed.

As you can see by the list every channel has a application for it's intended use it is not supposed to be a CB radio it is for boater and ship safety.

By rule every boat over 16ft in length on the Great Lakes is required to have a working VHF you are supposed to monitor ch 16 and call and receive calls there then if you are going to talk move to one of the boat to boat channels. Also if you have a problem use ch 16 that is where the Coast Guard is. This time of year when the BS on the radio gets bad I stay on 16 and only listen to 68 ( the local choice ch around Muskegon) now and then. Hope this helps

[shu9265]

Very Good Post Jim.

Thank You.

[chromelander]

awesome, just what I was looking for. Thank You!!!