HFU HF Underground

Loggings => Peskies => Topic started by: R4002 on November 08, 2018, 1307 UTC

Title: Fishing Fleets using 6215 kHz USB Marine Distress/Calling Channel
Post by: R4002 on November 08, 2018, 1307 UTC
Last night around 2200 UTC I heard several QSOs in the 6200-6525 marine band (and the higher frequencies up to 7000 kHz, of course).  6200 USB was very active in Spanish language as were several others including the 6MHz SSB marine calling/distress channel of 6215 kHz.  The other night I logged similar traffic on 6215.5 kHz USB but last night it was on 6215.0 kHz USB...too weak to really make out exactly what was being said but this didn't sound like emergency traffic.

Since they're technically using the 6 MHz marine frequencies I know it should be considered "Utility" but these are more likely fishing fleets using the emergency frequency for regular HF-SSB marine comms. 

Lots and lots of other 6 MHz marine traffic last night, of course the other users were not using the calling frequency and could therefore be considered regular utility users. 
Title: Re: Fishing Fleets using 6215 kHz USB Marine Distress/Calling Channel
Post by: Pigmeat on November 09, 2018, 1412 UTC
A number of oil rig complexes in the Gulf use 6215 for general rag-chewing. You don't hear as much of it in English as you used to.
Title: Re: Fishing Fleets using 6215 kHz USB Marine Distress/Calling Channel
Post by: R4002 on November 09, 2018, 1618 UTC
These oil rigs seem to be all over 6 MHz...as it would appear some of the radiotelephone-like communications I've heard in the 6600-7000 kHz range where its clearly a OM speaking to a YL, sometimes even with children on the mic with the YL (in Spanish) are coming from oil platforms in the Gulf or other remote locations where HF-SSB radios are the communication method of choice.