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Author Topic: Fishing Fleets using 6215 kHz USB Marine Distress/Calling Channel  (Read 1539 times)

Offline R4002

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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. 
U.S. East Coast, various HF/VHF/UHF radios/transceivers/scanners/receivers - land mobile system operator - focus on VHF/UHF and 11m

Offline Pigmeat

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Re: Fishing Fleets using 6215 kHz USB Marine Distress/Calling Channel
« Reply #1 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.

Offline R4002

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Re: Fishing Fleets using 6215 kHz USB Marine Distress/Calling Channel
« Reply #2 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.
U.S. East Coast, various HF/VHF/UHF radios/transceivers/scanners/receivers - land mobile system operator - focus on VHF/UHF and 11m