Sea Tow Automated Radio Checks

[Kings Gambit]

VHF channels previously used by marine operators for ship-to-shore communication are now being used by Sea Tow for automated radio checks. In reference to an earlier thread, marine operators are gone. See link below for information about the channel to use for your area. Apparently, this was done principally to reduce traffic on Ch. 16 by radio-checkers. Has anybody tried it and did it work?

http://www.seatow.com/boating_safety/ARC.asp

 

[Rick D]

Yes, I have used it and I think it does help reduce 16 traffic. Ch 27 and the antenna is in Huntington Harbor. It's a good system.

 

[Rick486]

Only thing is it does not respond to you directly. You key your mic, say whatever you want, and the recorded voice goes into a Sea Tow commercial. It never responds with "loud and clear", or 5 by 5 " or whatever, so you really don't know how you sound.

 

[Rick D]

After the commercial, it plays back your transmission that you made to key it, so you do hear how you sounded to them, at least here in SoCal.

 

[Ron20324]

On 27 around Annapolis, just say "radio check", and in maybe 5 seconds it responds with something like "this is the (radio check system) located in Back Creek" then it plays back your original voice transmission.

 

[Kings Gambit]

I'd try it myself, but the boat is up in Ventura and I'm in Long Beach. I was surprised that only So. Cal. stations appear in the program in CA; no station receivers are listed near San Francisco Bay, one of our biggest sailing areas. I wonder if the Huntington Harbor station will receive transmissions from Marina del Rey and points north, such as the northern Channel Islands, Oxnard, Ventura, and Santa Barbara. For example, Santa Barbara to Huntington Harbor is about 90 n. mi. I still hear 3 to 5 requests a day for radio checks on Ch 16 where the Coast Guard, usually Sector Los Angeles, chimes in to tell the caller to go to Ch 9. I've never heard a caller referred to Ch 27. Maybe that would be viewed as the federal government supporting a private enterprise with their references--I don't know.

 

[Rick D]

Locally, I have heard the CG refer checks to Ch 27. Don't know if they are authorized to do so or if they are just trying to be helpful. Lots of folks won't respond to a radio check. I don't think you can get them from beyond normal VHF transmission limits. I tried calling about 20 miles out from my secondary station which has a 3DB antenna just about ten feet off the water, not the masthead. I didn't get a response until I was closer, maybe 12-ish miles.

 

[Kings Gambit]

I'll listen more carefully the next time I'm out from up there, in case I'm missing something on the referrals. It would still be sector Los Angeles responding for both of us, so I'd think it would the same SOP. Thanks!

 

[Ron20324]

It would still be sector Los Angeles responding for both of us, so I'd think it would the same SOP.

26/27/28 in the chesapeake bay.

 

[Rick486]

After the commercial, it plays back your transmission that you made to key it, so you do hear how you sounded to them, at least here in SoCal.

Ah. Impatient me. I am so accustomed to hanging up on telemarketing calls on shore that I just automatically hang up on radio check commercials. I need to hang on longer.
Thanks Rick

 

[FourPoints]

I have used it from the dock in Stamford, and I am able to reach both the Huntington and the Mamaroneck stations using the ships radio with the masthead mounted antenna with clear 2 way transmissions, using the hand held I have to be within a couple miles of Huntington bay to even trigger the sea tow system, but inside Huntington bay to have a clear transmission.

 

[robertsapp]

It works great here in Pensacola on Ch 27. It plays back your radio transmission so that you can hear how strong and/or clear your original broadcast was.

 

[Gary_H]

I tried it from Carolina Beach this last Sunday I heard some kind of response on 27 but it was so faint and garbled I couldn't tell what was being said. The station is at wrightsville beach. I would think that would be close enough but apparently not.

 

[Rick D]

And, Speaking of Monitoring 16....

I am continually amazed at how few boaters do so.