Near Marine HF Nets – 200-400 miles at 4mHz, 400-600 miles at 6mHz
These nets reach beyond VHF to cruisers in a region such as Maine, Chesapeake Bay or Eastern Caribbean. The range is good for keeping up with friends and exchanging info about local weather, safety and entertainment. To reach cruisers further away, see Long Distance Nets below. Near Marine HF Nets
Local VHF Nets – Up to 20 miles at 25 watts, may operate at 1 watt to be good neighbors
Check marina bulletin board. Ask on the dock. Some that we know: Local VHF Nets
SSCA is looking for opportunities to support local short term VHF nets such as the Norfolk Harborfest in early June. We are able to provide local marine and event info through our HAL ChatGPT. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at office@ssca.org.
Long Distance Nets – 8 and 12 mHz marine and 7 and 14 mHz ham HF
Nets typically start by asking for emergency and priority traffic, then position reports from vessels on passage, vessels recently arrived, and finally any boat-to-boat traffic which may continue after the net formally closes. Boats often share local conditions and boating news. Most important, calling in gives cruisers a radio check. Long Distance HF Nets
“Mic fright” is real! But treatable. Practice using your “rig” by calling in to nets. Net controls keep logs and will see you are new to the net – and they will welcome you. The custom is to give first name and boat name or first name and ham call sign on ham frequencies.
For reference: FAQs about marine and ham radios
Demystifying Marine HF Channels
SSCA Net Script Template
Webinar: Prepping Your Marine SSB Rig "Radio and Communications Offshore/Nearshore SSB September 2022 by SSCA President Joan Conover"
Contact us at Office@SSCA.org for more information. Let us know of any Marine HF and VHF nets we should add or update.
To enter a frequency on an M802:
1. press Clar/RX button and enter frequency with CH and GRP knobs. Be sure top line of screen shows USB. All marine HF frequencies are USB. If screen does not show USB, press SET/Mode to cycle to USB.
Press TUNE button. Listen. If frequency is clear, you can say your boat name and location and "radio check".
To check reception:
1. try the time frequencies which should be programmed as WWV: 5000 kHz, 10kHz, 15kHz, 20kHz. I am picking up signal on 10 and 15 at 1000 ET as I type in Rock Hall MD.
2. try the USCG working channels for weather: https://www.weather.gov/marine/uscg_broadcasts
See at bottom of this page an excerpt from the table.
The times in Zulu aka UTC so subtract 4 hrs during EDT, thus 1115Z is 0715 EDT.
3. You are encouraged to do an automated DSC radio check with, by example USCG Norfolk on 4207.5 kHz.
- Press DSC button to go to DSC Watch display
- Press Set/Mode to go to DSC menu
- Turn Channel knob until you see Test.
- Press ENT.
- Enter the USCG Coastal Station MMSI, which for Norfolk is 003669995
- Press ENT
- Choose 4207.5
- see Call screen, press Cancel/Call button for 1+ second
- Radio screen will show < Wait for ACK >
- If successful, you should automatically see "Test ACK Norfolk"
- with or without success, press FREQ/CH button to return to DSC Watch
DSC-equipped HF marine radios also include a test call feature. US Coast Guard stations at Portsmouth VA/NMN, Boston MA/NMF, Miami FL/NMA, New Orleans LA/NMG, Pt. Reyes CA/NMC, Honolulu HI/NMO and Kodiak AK/NOJ will respond to DSC test calls on 4207.5 kHz if in propagation range of those stations. See NAVCEN’s HF Distress and USCG Contact Frequencies page for station MMSIs and further information.
Universal US Coast Guard shore-based identity 003669999
USCG Communications Command, Chesapeake VA/NMN 003669995
(https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/hf-distress-uscg-contact-frequencies