CG weather/information broadcasts.

[PhilipF]

Wondering if anyone here could throw any light on the reasons the channels used for these broadcasts are not published. I've not found them anyway.

Of course those such as fishermen, or others who use the sea on a professional basis would know them off by heart. But for such as myself who visits an area only rarely - not easy! The channels for each specific area are spoken only once on 16 and it is quite easy to miss the one you're passing, specially if the transmission breaks up.

Just an example of what happened yesterday: We were coming up the south Cornwall and Devon coasts. On 16; "this is Falmouth _and_ Brixham Coastguard, listen on channels" followed by the areas. BUT these only mentioned the ones in the Falmouth district, even though we were north of a line between Plymouth and Eddystone.

Later, after passing the Dartmouth entrance I heard Portland. After switching to the given channel, the broadcast was one of the clearest I've ever heard, yet we where almost underneath Berry Head! I woulf have thought the Brixham transmitter would have been on that - wonder where the Portland broadcast was coming from?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Just ask Uncle Google:

http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Hm-Coastguard-Vhf-Schedules

 

[Leighb]

Isn't it in Reeds? Mine is on the boat but I am fairly sure they are there. Certainly I remember all the channels for the various areas in Holland are listed, so it would be very unlikely that the UK ones were not.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

If their transmission is indistinct, I suggest call them up and ask them. Seems to me, sometimes the guys announce it very quickly and indistinctly (because they've done it so often and assume that the locals know the channels anyway) and there's never any harm confirming a radio message ("please say again ...") if you've been unable to make out the details.

 

[Cantata]

Last Reeds I bought certainly contained all the details, as does the Imray/CA Almanac I now use.

 

[Bilgediver]

If their transmission is indistinct, I suggest call them up and ask them. Seems to me, sometimes the guys announce it very quickly and indistinctly (because they've done it so often and assume that the locals know the channels anyway) and there's never any harm confirming a radio message ("please say again ...") if you've been unable to make out the details.

Not only this but as the signals are transmitted from many transmitters originating from one source there are frequent occurences of finger trouble and other problems causing silent transmissions from some repeaters. It does help if someone tells the coastguard as they can be in blissfull ignorance of these areas of silence

The coastguard uses land lines to the transmitters and these do not always feed back fault conditions.

 

[fergie_mac66]

Wondering if anyone here could throw any light on the reasons the channels used for these broadcasts are not published. I've not found them anyway.

Of course those such as fishermen, or others who use the sea on a professional basis would know them off by heart. But for such as myself who visits an area only rarely - not easy! The channels for each specific area are spoken only once on 16 and it is quite easy to miss the one you're passing, specially if the transmission breaks up.

Just an example of what happened yesterday: We were coming up the south Cornwall and Devon coasts. On 16; "this is Falmouth _and_ Brixham Coastguard, listen on channels" followed by the areas. BUT these only mentioned the ones in the Falmouth district, even though we were north of a line between Plymouth and Eddystone.

Later, after passing the Dartmouth entrance I heard Portland. After switching to the given channel, the broadcast was one of the clearest I've ever heard, yet we where almost underneath Berry Head! I woulf have thought the Brixham transmitter would have been on that - wonder where the Portland broadcast was coming from?

Reeds has always listed them and see no reason that its not in this years but both mine on boats so .....but can confirm they are listed on reeds online as I have got access to that

 

[fisherZ]

Wonder where the Portland broadcast was coming from?

Portland!

 

[PhilipF]

Portland!

Not from Berry Head then!

BTW: I did of course look up the copy of Reeds on my boat (2009 Issue) but will have another look - hell of a lot of information in it.

Eight hours crossing to Poole from Brixham today, but could not catch one broadcast, though did hear them mentioned.

Thanks to thread respondents.

 

[alan_d]

Not from Berry Head then!

BTW: I did of course look up the copy of Reeds on my boat (2009 Issue) but will have another look - hell of a lot of information in it.

Eight hours crossing to Poole from Brixham today, but could not catch one broadcast, though did hear them mentioned.

Thanks to thread respondents.

In the current Reeds it is section 6.8.2 on page 91, and fig 6(4) on page 90.
I haven't got a 2009 Reeds handy, but in 2008 it was section 5.4.2 on page 81.

(It is under Weather, not Communications or Safety.)

 

[PhilipF]

In the current Reeds it is section 6.8.2 on page 91, and fig 6(4) on page 90.
I haven't got a 2009 Reeds handy, but in 2008 it was section 5.4.2 on page 81.

(It is under Weather, not Communications or Safety.)

Yes, thanks indeed, I have now found all the information I could ever wish for. Not sure how I could miss that, did not spend enough time searching I suppose.

 

[Yeoman of England]

Coastguard Maritime Safety Information Broadcasts

Goodaye All
To put this problem into perspective.
We announce the broadcast (Bx) on Ch16 on the aerials we will be using. Announcing the fact that listeners should listen on certain channels.
The problem occurs when we press the Bx button on our system.
Because the Bx is announced on Ch16, the highest aerial, it naturally reaches the most listeners. However to maintain the integrity of Ch16 the Bx is transmitted on a lower aerial. This is normally the aerial allocated to a working channel, ie Ch67. therefore the coverage is much less due to the height of the aerial.
If you are advised to listen, for example, On Ch23 from Southend, then please tune in. You have always got the choice of up to 4 channels.
Not an ideal solution but we try our hardest.
The VHF channels allocated by Ofcom are normally 23,84,86 but there are exceptions around the coast.
The trick is listen out at the appointed time or ring us !!!
Hope this helps.
Happy Days
Yeoman

 

[PhilipF]

Hope this helps.

Yeoman

Very certainly does - many thanks indeed for posting.

Philip.

 

[dunedin]

Much appreciate this valuable coastguard service

The New Zealand system was ideal though, and avoided waiting for the next forecast. One VHF channel was dedicated to weather and cycled perpetually around current wind / weather from various locations plus forecast every 10 mins or so. So simple and so much more flexible

 

[Humblebee]

Also on the MCA website under "Weather", p6. With luck I've given the link below;
http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/msi_leaflet_2010_version.pdf

 

[chanelyacht]

As my East Coast colleague points out (welcome by the way) there are quite a few things which can affect how and why you get the specific broadcast you hear.

Knowing the area mentioned, I would suspect the Portland broadcast came from the Grove Point aerial (on Portland itself) and that being at Berry Hd you were in the undershadow from the transmitter. It's not unusual to get that the other way round too, the Berry Head aerial can be clear as day to someone off Portland whilst they miss the Portland broadcast.

Different aerial heights on the tower may be an issue in the east, round here ten feet between aerials on a 300 foot cliff doesn't make that much difference . Some channels are more prone to local spectrum interferance though, which may also account for it.

Personally, I'd love to go back to the old non automated / unpaired broadcasts. Especially when the trainees had to read them, and we were holding up cards trying to make them laugh in the small hours...

 

[VicS]

Wondering if anyone here could throw any light on the reasons the channels used for these broadcasts are not published. I've not found them anyway.

Funnily enough i looked them up myself yesterday.

Not easy to find but they are on the Coast Guard website.

Excellent link there from TK.

I beleive the channels were once Coast Radio Station channels.

 

[PhilipF]

Knowing the area mentioned, I would suspect the Portland broadcast came from the Grove Point aerial (on Portland itself) and that being at Berry Hd you were in the undershadow from the transmitter. It's not unusual to get that the other way round too, the Berry Head aerial can be clear as day to someone off Portland whilst they miss the Portland broadcast.

.

Agree - yes, thinking about it since, guessed that was why such an anomaly occurred. Probably it was the transmitter on Beer Head we were hearing while under the shadow of Berry Head.

 

[Leighb]

As stated already they are fully documented in Reed's. They are listed and there is also a map showing their exact location on the coastline should you be in an unfamiliar area and do not know which of the stations announced on Ch16 is nearest to your current location.

Having said that the nearest is not always the clearest.

Here on the East Coast for example, if you are in the River Stour you might expect that Walton on Ch23 would be the one to choose, but Bawdsey on Ch84 is much clearer although further away.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Here on the East Coast for example, if you are in the River Stour you might expect that Walton on Ch23 would be the one to choose, but Bawdsey on Ch84 is much clearer although further away.

Bawdsey certainly seems to be the most substantial of the Thames Coastguard transmitters (even after the original 'Chain Home' mast was replaced) which might explain why it is much clearer than the Walton one. The one problem I have experianced is that ch 84 is also used by Dover Coastguard at about the same time and when crossing the Thames the two can cancel each other out.