Four DGPS stations to cease broadcasting

[skeezix]

 

Farewell my friends, especially 864 and 863, the two strongest stations that were fantastic as close beacons for constant day & night messages. Solid performers all the time and two that I could count on for not being fickle with the ionosphere. Alas... progress? 



CURRENT DGPS ADVISORIES FOR 02 May 2017

GENERAL INFORMATION

Millers Ferry   865   0157-17   
DGPS BROADCAST SITE WILL PERMANENTLY CEASE BROADCASTING CORRECTIONS ON 30 JUNE 2017 AT 1400Z

Rock Island   863   0158-17   
DGPS BROADCAST SITE WILL PERMANENTLY CEASE BROADCASTING CORRECTIONS ON 30 JUNE 2017 AT 1400Z

Louisville   869   0156-17   
DGPS BROADCAST SITE WILL PERMANENTLY CEASE BROADCASTING CORRECTIONS ON 31 MAY 2017 AT 1400Z

St. Paul (Alma)   864   0159-17   
DGPS BROADCAST SITE WILL PERMANENTLY CEASE BROADCASTING CORRECTIONS ON 30 JUNE 2017 AT 1400Z

[ChrisSmolinski]

Interesting that they are continuing to close down DGPS stations. The possible new to me stations that could be heard on these channels:

Miller's Ferry is on 320, so maybe better reception from Richmond, BC?
Rock Island is on 311, there's a station from Norway there as well.
Louisville is on 290, I guess Penobscot will become dominant.
St. Paul (Alma) is on 317, nothing really, I only see two Chinese stations there.

[ChrisSmolinski]

I contacted the USCG and got this reply:

Thank you for contacting the USCG Navigation Center.

The DGPS site closures referenced in your inquiry (St. Paul, Louisville, Rock Island and Miller's Ferry) are sites maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); service from those sites will be discontinued on 30 June 2017. An additional USACE-maintained site at Reedy Point, DE, will be decommissioned on 31 July 2017.

At this time there is no set decommissioning date for the maritime DGPS sites maintained and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, and any subsequent decision to discontinue the maritime DGPS system will be announced in the Federal Register.

[skeezix]

I'm glad the USCG has no current plans to decommission theirs (that we know of).

The Army sites:
https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=ArmyCorpsEngineers
Louisville
Millers Ferry
Reedy Point
Rock Island
Sallisaw
St. Louis
St. Paul

[ChrisSmolinski]

Reedy Point going QRT should improve reception of Lauzon, Canada. And I think there are some French stations on 309 kHz.

[skeezix]

Yeah... there's good & bad.

I like having some relatively local very strong stations.