Sea Tow to discontinue Automated Radio Check Service

PaulK · Oct 22, 2020

Glad to see that they're directing people to #9 and telling them not to use #16.

RobG · Oct 22, 2020

That explains it! Exclusively used for radio tests for a long time and loved it in our very busy area. All of a sudden it didn't work and thought it was just our local ST with a problem. Ch9 radio checks can be incredibly annoying where I am as they can be continuous. That's a damn shame they are dropping it. Thanks for the heads up!

All U Get · Oct 22, 2020

What happens to bridge tenders and harbormasters that are using Channel 9?

PaulK · Oct 22, 2020

All U Get said:
What happens to bridge tenders and harbormasters that are using Channel 9?

What a wonderful way to know that your radio is working - you call a bridge you're approaching, or contact a harbormaster for a mooring, and ... you get an answer because your radio works!!!!
It is a good thing that they are directing people OFF of #16.

arf145 · Oct 22, 2020

Would have been nice if they had said that last year, which is when I, and others, noticed that the Annapolis station wasn't working. I thought my radio had a problem at that time.

Blitz · Oct 23, 2020

I was very disappointed to hear. I too used this service to troubleshoot or check my radios. It's the only service in which you can hear what you sound like. It must have been too expensive of an idea (or too good of an idea) to maintain.

Now, all we are going to hear is "can I get a radio check"....

Blitz · Oct 23, 2020

Hopefully someone else will pick up the service. Does anyone know why this was discontinued?

shemandr · Oct 23, 2020

I didn't think it worked that well anyway, at least in Southold - where the international headquarters for Sea Tow is located. It could have been my radio(s). It's hard to tell. Was I out of range? Is my antenna connection sound? Is the radio transmitting at all? Do they turn the system off in the off season?

BarryL · Oct 23, 2020

Hi,

It worked fairly well from Mt. Sinai / Port Jefferson area. The sea tow radio was in Black Rock Harbor, CT, about 15nm from my mooring. My fixed mount 25 watt radio could reach it but my 6 watt hand held could not. If I was sailing, my hand held would work when I was around 5nm from Black Rock harbor.

BTW who monitors channel 9? I don't. I usually have my radio on 16. If I'm doing a club event we use channel 68. So I will have 68 on and 16 as a 'dual watch'

There are still a lot of 'radio check' hails on 16.

Barry

shemandr said:
I didn't think it worked that well anyway, at least in Southold - where the international headquarters for Sea Tow is located. It could have been my radio(s). It's hard to tell. Was I out of range? Is my antenna connection sound? Is the radio transmitting at all? Do they turn the system off in the off season?

Jackdaw · Oct 23, 2020

Blitz said:
Hopefully someone else will pick up the service. Does anyone know why this was discontinued?

Probably because you can now do the same with with a DSC check. This not only checks your VHF, but also its DSC capabilities.

It was a private party, funding a public service the government now offers. I would have stopped it too.

What would cool if radio manufactures would pre-program 003669999 as USCG DSC TEST into the radios.

kappykaplan · Oct 23, 2020

Jackdaw said:
What would cool if radio manufactures would pre-program 003669999 as USCG DSC TEST into the radios.

Jackdaw · Oct 23, 2020

Brian D said:
003 669 999

Curious, where did you get that number from. First time I have seen it. But then again I have never looked for a DSC Test number.

It's in the MSIB

All U Get · Oct 23, 2020

MSIB,,,,,,ohhhh. Missing stuff in boats.

Blitz · Oct 23, 2020

dsc test is good to but not exactly the same as hearing your own voice back to you.

also it's a little harder to tell all the guys who want to check their radios to use a DSC test as opposed to say just call on channel 24, 27 or 28

shemandr · Oct 23, 2020

I bought a DSC enabled handheld last spring. I’ll drag out the manual to see about the dsc test. I hope I won’t be in violation of some FCC regulation in doing so. Or worse USCG.

Jackdaw · Oct 23, 2020

shemandr said:
I bought a DSC enabled handheld last spring. I’ll drag out the manual to see about the dsc test. I hope I won’t be in violation of some FCC regulation in doing so. Or worse USCG.

In limited situations, the FCC (FCC 16-119, 80.115(a)(2) ) allows use of marine VHF radios in transmit mode on land. But that is not one of them.

Its an FCC reg. The coast guard is a LEO and enforces the reg.

Jackdaw · Oct 23, 2020

My handheld VHF/DSC radio was sitting right next to me in my home office, so pursuant to the aforementioned FCC reg, I may or may not have attempted a DSC TEST on land.

I may or may not have gotten an ACK, if not it was probably due to me being too far from the USCG Rescure21 relay in St Paul.

But is cool. I've never really noticed that TEST option in the menu. You can also TEST to any MMSI in your directory, and you can program your radio to automatically or manually respond.

Tally Ho · Oct 23, 2020

I just go for a sail, and when I see a ship in the area, I hail them and make sure they see me...and I know my radio is working. I don’t think anyone has answered me on channel 9. But if we ask for a radio check on channel 16, Coast Guard will yell at you. Sometimes if I hear someone request a check, I will answer SomI get a radio check too.

Greg