Maritime safety broadcasts : Channel 23

[bluerm166]

Previous threads have suggested a problem in hearing the actual M S Broadcasts on channel 23 after these have been signposted at the relevant times on channel 16.
Despite one memorable occasion when in the eastern Swale mouth I heard clearly firstly the Dutch,then the French and then the UK broadcast I this year had repeated difficulty in receiving anything but broken reception when in the South of the Thames Estuary and round to the eastern end of the English Channel.This is despite having absolutely clear and strong reception of the channel 16 preamble and apparently normal reception of other traffic.Aerial is a masthead hawk type with indicator at c.10 metres.Radio is a Simrad RD68.
Is it possible that some changes to transmitter positions in the ongoing MCA 'rationalisation' have caused this?
I would be interested to hear if others have had this difficulty in these areas (including the Medway estuary) since these broadcasts are the easiest way to keep abreast of weather and safety info. when away from the mooring.

 

[Bru]

Ch.23 is the Walton and Southend aerials, try 86 for the North Foreland aerial etc

 

[bluerm166]

The 86 aerial seems to be at Dover so worth trying again for the Channel but not helpful for the south Thames.

 

[Bilgediver]

Usually the Coastguard advises a list of frequencies for the different transmitters so where 23 might be OK for your home waters you might move into range of one on 86. If you hear the CG on 16 and he only mentions CH23 for broadcast then no harm in calling him on his land line or radio to advise there may be a fault. They can be blissfully unaware for days or even weeks unless reported as not all faults put on a red light on the control panel.

The one message can be repeated by a number of linked transmitters which get the signal by landline so all sorts of possibilities for things going wrong.