SSB Radio

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WorldHF_RadioSSB Radio

Known as SSB (single sideband) radios in the sailing community, these radios provide both voice and data communications over thousands of miles utilizing HF, or high frequency, and MF, or medium frequency, spectrum. Marine MF/HF radios, when properly configured with a unique MMSI and connected to a GPS, are a part of the Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) utilizing Digital Selective Calling (DSC).


Although Marine HF radio commonly called SSB in some sailing circles. SSB, however, identifies the modulation of the transmission and not the actual frequencies used. This would be akin to calling your VHF radio your FM radio. "Marine HF Radio" is probably a better term to use.

Unlike Amateur Radio, marine MF/HF radios use specific channels for communicating - similar to the marine VHF radio. Some channels are designated for distress and safety calling while others can be used to contact commercial shore stations that provide telephone and data connectivity. Prior to transmitting on a channel it is important to understand the purpose of the channel to avoid interfering with other communications.

Older HF radios are often controlled by a single crystal to tune each channel and are thus limited to specific frequencies, and do not have DSC capability. This is the kind of radio one is most likely to find aboard a non-commercial vessel such as a cruising yacht. It is important therefore to know which frequencies are monitored in the area in which you're sailing, and to learn the correct emergency calling procedures.

Other services found on marine HF and MF frequencies are weather broadcasts directly from government sources in the form of voice, SITOR, and facsimile formats. These broadcasts can be received with a simple shortwave receiver or a computer with a sound card.

Many sailors keep in contact with each other and shore stations by the use of nets. These nets are simply a time of day when volunteer shore operators will monitor a certain frequency to hear if there is anyone trying to make contact with them. Nets may also pass weather information and can be useful for asking specific questions about the conditions in certain locations. A good net operator will also keep track of who is in their area and alert rescue operations if a vessel hasn't called in for some time after expecting to hear from them.

Licensing

Operation of a HF/MF marine radio requires a licence. This licence allows you to not only transmit your HF/MF radio in your country's home waters but also in international waters and waters of other countries. It should be noted that in a dire emergency where life is at risk it is allowable to transmit an emergency message on any frequency and that licencing is a secondary issue. However, stiff penalties apply to any person doing so if it is subsequently found to be unnecessary, since valuable resources needed for real emergencies could be wasted.

Shore Stations

This list of shore stations is mostly for historical interest. As of 1999, WCC, WOM, and KMI are no longer in service, and WLO frequencies have not been updated since 2003. In the intervening time many of the stations have been moved, closed, or replaced.

Call Sign Station Location
KMI Inverness, California
WOM Ft Lauderdale, Florida
WOO Manahawkin, New Jersey
WLO Mobile, Alabama
KLB Seattle, Washington
WSC Tuckerton Radio
KPH San Francisco, California
VCT St John's, Newfoundland
KHF Guam
KEJ Hawaii
KFS San Fransisco, California
ZSC Cape Town, South Africa
A9A Bahrain, Arabian Gulf
SAB Gothenburg, Sweden
WCC East Coast, USA
ZLA Awanui, New Zealand
VIP Perth, Western Australia
WNU New Orleans, Louisiana

Frequencies

Frequency Bands

A typical Ham Radio can tune to any frequency between 2MHz and 32MHz with some Ham Radios capable of lower or higher frequencies in that range. The frequency band chosen will depend on propagation at a given time of day, agreed times for radio nets, etc.

Marine HF/MF Radios are restricted to tuning in the following frequency bands:

  • 2 MHz (MF)
  • 4 MHz (this and beyond is HF)
  • 6 MHz
  • 8 MHz
  • 12 MHz
  • 16 MHz
  • 18 MHz
  • 22 MHz
  • 25 MHz

Emergency Frequencies

In accordance with the GMDSS the following frequencies will be utilized for distress calling globally:

Voice (SSB)

  • 2,182 (AM or SSB)
  • 4,125
  • 6,215
  • 8,291
  • 12,290
  • 16,420

DSC

  • 2,187.5
  • 4,207.5
  • 6,312.0
  • 8,414.5
  • 12,557.0
  • 16,804.5

Operational Frequencies

Operational frequencies are commonly assigned to a channel, which can be selected on a rotary dial on a marine HF/MF radio. Channel selection may vary from radio to radio, and some radios will have programmable channels, but the following list comes from the ITU and would normally be programmed into a radio as a default set:

2MHz Band

ITU Channel Ship TX Frequency Ship RX Frequency Shore station
201 2430 2572 WLO
209 2031.5 2490 WOM
221 2118 2514 WOM
228 2155.5 1620.5 SAB
232 2166 2558 WOO
242 2003 2450 KMI +
242 2366 2450 WOO +
245 2390 2566 WOM
247 2406 2442 WOM
248 2406 2506 KMI

4MHz Band

ITU Channel Ship TX Frequency Ship RX Frequency Shore station
401 4065 4357 KMI WNU
402 4068 4360 ZLA
403 4071 4363 WOM KFS
404 4074 4366
405 4077 4369 WLO
406 4080 4372 VIP
407 4083 4375
408 4086 4378 ZSC
409 4089 4381
410 4092 4384 WOO
411 4095 4387 WOO
412 4098 4390 WOM
413 4101 4393 KPH
414 4104 4396 WLO
414 4179 4216.5 WCC
414 4166.5 4259 SAB
414 4154.5 4300.4 KEJ
414 4157.5 4347 A9M
415 4107 4399
416 4110 4402 KMI WOO
417 4113 4405 KMI WOM WLO
418 4116 4408
419 4119 4411 WLO
420 4122 4414
421 4125 4417
422 4128 4420 WOO*
423 4131 4423 WOM
424 4134 4426
425 4137 4429
426 4140 4432
427 4143 4435
428 4060 4351 WLO
450 4125 DISTRESS
451 4146 SIMPLEX
452 4149 SIMPLEX
453 4417 SIMPLEX

6MHz Band

ITU Channel Ship TX Frequency Ship RX Frequency Shore station
601 6200 6501
602 6203 6504
602 6263.5 6315 ZLA
603 6206 6507
603 6264 6315.5 KFS
604 6209 6510
605 6212 6513
606 6215 6516
607 6218 6519 WLO
610 6267.5 6319
613 6269 6320 KPH
615 6270 6321
617 6271 6322 ZSC
619 6275 6323
621 6273 6324 WCC
624 6274.5 6325.5
625 6275 6360 KEJ
626 6275.5 6326.5 SAB
627 6281 6327 WNU
632 6283.5 6329.5 VCT
650 6215 DISTRESS
651 6224 SIMPLEX
652 6227 SIMPLEX
653 6230 SIMPLEX
654 6516 SIMPLEX

8MHz Band

ITU Channel Ship TX Frequency Ship RX Frequency Shore station
801 8195 8719
802 8198 8722 WOM
802 8377 8417 ZLA
803 8201 8725
803 8377.5 8417.5 KFS
804 8204 8728 KMI
805 8207 8731 WOM*
805 8379 8419 VIP
806 8210 8734
807 8213 8737
808 8216 8740 WOO
808 8380 8420 KHF
809 8219 8743 KMI
810 8222 8746 WOM
811 8225 8749 WOO
812 8228 8752
813 8231 8755
813 8382.5 8422.5 KPH
814 8234 8758 WOM
815 8237 8761 WOO
816 8240 8764
816 8384 8424 WCC
817 8243 8767
818 8246 8770
819 8249 8773
819 8385.5 8425.5 WNU
820 8252 8776
821 8255 8779
821 8386.5 8426.5 WCC
822 8258 8782 KMI
822 8387 8427 KPH
823 8261 8785
824 8264 8788 WLO
825 8267 8791 WOM
826 8270 8794 WOO*
827 8273 8797
828 8276 8800
829 8279 8803 WLO
829 8390.5 8430.5 WLO+(sitor only)
830 8282 8806 WLO
830 8391 8431 KEJ
831 8285 8809 WOM
831 8391.5 8431.5 ZSC
832 8288 8812
836 8113 8713 WLO
836 8394 8434 WLO+(sitor only)
837 8394.5 8434.5 SAB
838 8395 8435 VCT
838 8305.5 8541 A9M
850 8291 DISTRESS
851 8294 SIMPLEX
852 8297 SIMPLEX

12MHz Band

ITU Channel Ship TX Frequency Ship RX Frequency Shore station
1201 12230 13077 KMI
1202 12233 13080 KMI
1202 12477.5 12580 ZLA
1203 12236 13083 KMI WOO
1203 12478 12580.5 KFS
1204 12239 13086
1205 12242 13089
1206 12245 13092 WOM
1206 12479.5 12582 VIP
1207 12248 13095
1208 12251 13098 WOM
1209 12254 13101 WOM
1210 12257 13104 WOO
1210 12481.5 12584 VIP
1211 12260 13107 WOO
1212 12263 13110 WLO
1213 12266 13113
1213 12483 12585.5 KPH
1214 12269 13116
1215 12272 13119 WOM
1216 12275 13122
1217 12278 13125
1218 12281 13128
1219 12284 13131
1219 12486 12588.5 WNU
1220 12287 13134
1221 12290 13137
1221 12487 12589.5 WCC
1222 12293 13140
1223 12296 13143 WOM
1224 12299 13146
1225 12302 13149 WLO
1226 12305 13152 WLO
1227 12308 13155
1228 12311 13158 WOO*
1238 12495.5 12598 WCC
1229 12314 13161 KMI
1229 12491 12593.5
1230 12317 13164 WOM*
1231 12320 13167
1232 12323 13170
1233 12326 13173 WLO
1235 12332 13179 WLO
1242 12497.5 12600 KPH
1244 12498.5 12601 ZSC
1247 12500 12602.5 KFS
1250 12290 DISTRESS
1251 12353 SIMPLEX
1252 12356 SIMPLEX
1253 12359 SIMPLEX
1257 12505 12607.5 WNU
1263 12508 12610.5 VCT
1265 12509 12611.5 KEJ
1291 12522 12624 SAB
1301 12527 12629 KHF
1301 12373.5 12668 A9M

16MHz Band

ITU Channel Ship TX Frequency Ship RX Frequency Shore station
1601 16360 17242 WOM
1602 16363 17245 KMI
1602 16684 16807.5 ZLA
1603 16366 17248 KMI
1604 16369 17251
1605 16372 17254 WOO
1606 16375 17257
1606 16686 16809.5 VIP
1607 16378 17260 WLO
1608 16381 17263
1609 16384 17266 WOM
1610 16387 17269 WOM
1611 16390 17272 WOM
1612 16393 17275
1613 16396 17278
1614 16399 17281
1615 16402 17284
1616 16405 17287 WOM
1617 16408 17290
1618 16411 17293
1619 16414 17296
1619 16692.5 16816 ZSC
1620 16417 17299 WOO
1621 16420 17302
1621 16693.5 16817 WCC
1622 16423 17305
1622 16694 16817.5 KPH
1623 16426 17308
1624 16429 17311 KMI
1625 16432 17314
1626 16435 17317 WOO
1627 16438 17320
1628 16441 17323
1629 16444 17326
1630 16447 17329
1631 16450 17332 WOO*
1632 16453 17335
1633 16456 17338
1634 16459 17341
1635 16462 17344
1636 16465 17347
1637 16468 17350
1638 16471 17353
1639 16474 17356
1640 16477 17359
1641 16480 17362 WLO
1643 16486 17368 WLO
1647 16498 17380 WLO
1650 16420 DISTRESS
1651 16528 SIMPLEX
1652 16531 SIMPLEX
1653 16534 SIMPLEX
1657 16711.5 16834.5 WNU
1673 16719.5 16842.5 KEJ
1676 16721 16844 VCT
1691 16728.5 16851.5 SAB
1691 16554.5 17066.5 A9M

18MHz Band

ITU Channel Ship TX Frequency Ship RX Frequency Shore station
1807 18798 19773 WLO
1824 18882 19692.5 ZSC
1824 18850.5 19726 A9M

22MHz Band

ITU Channel Ship TX Frequency Ship RX Frequency Shore station
2201 22000 22696 WOO
2202 22003 22699
2203 22006 22702
2203 22285.5 22377.5 KFS
2204 22009 22705
2205 22012 22708 WOO
2206 22015 22711
2207 22018 22714
2208 22021 22717
2209 22024 22720
2210 22027 22723 WOO
2211 22030 22726
2212 22033 22729
2213 22036 22732
2214 22039 22735 KMI
2215 22042 22738 WOM
2216 22045 22741 WOM
2217 22048 22744
2218 22051 22747
2219 22054 22750
2220 22057 22753
2221 22060 22756
2222 22063 22759 WOM
2223 22066 22762 KMI
2224 22069 22765
2225 22072 22768
2226 22075 22771
2227 22078 22774
2228 22081 22777 KMI
2228 22303 22395 KPH
2229 22084 22780
2230 22087 22783
2231 22090 22786
2232 22093 22789
2233 22096 22792
2234 22099 22795
2235 22102 22798
2236 22105 22801 KMI WOO
2237 22108 22804 WLO
2238 22111 22807
2239 22114 22810
2240 22117 22813
2242 22123 22819 WLO
2246 22135 22831 WLO
2251 22159 SIMPLEX
2252 22162 SIMPLEX
2253 22165 SIMPLEX
2254 22168 SIMPLEX
2255 22171 SIMPLEX

25MHz Band

ITU Channel Ship TX Frequency Ship RX Frequency Shore station
2503 25076 26151

Equipment Requirements and Installation

See Installation Aboard


Forum Discussions

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

External Links



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