VHF Radio Basics

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Operation: Top 100 Marine VHF/SSB/HAM Radio Frequencies

Compiled in 2004
Updates are appreciated!

VHF Category

     Channel                       Freq kHz                      Mode               Description

     01  156.050                         VHF                  Port Operations and Commercial

     03  156.150                         VHF                  Port Operations and Commercial

     63  156.175                         VHF                  Port Operations and Commercial

     05  156.250                         VHF                  Port Operations

Ship-to-ship safety

     06  156.300                         VHF                  Intership safety

     07a156.350                         VHF                  Commercial

     08  156.400                         VHF                  Commercial

Hailing

     09  156.450                         VHF                  2^nd Calling Channel

     10  156.500                         VHF                  Commercial

     11  156.550                         VHF                  Commercial

     12  156.600                         VHF                  Port Operations

Bridge

     13  156.650                         VHF                  Navigation – bridge-to-bridge

     14  156.700                         VHF                  Port Operations

     15  156.750                         VHF                  Environmental (receive only)

Safety

     16  156.800                         VHF                  Coast Guard Hailing and Distress

     17  156.850                         VHF                  State Control

     18a156.900                         VHF                  Commercial

     19a156.950                         VHF                  Commercial

     20  157.000                         VHF                  Port Operations (duplex band – receive on 161.600)

     21a157.050                         VHF                  US Government Only

     22a157.100                         VHF                  Coast Guard Liaison or Working Channel

     23a157.150                         VHF                  US Government Only

     24  157.200                         VHF                  Public Correspondence (duplex – receive on 161.800)

     25  157.250                         VHF                  Public Correspondence (duplex – receive on 161.850)

     26  157.300                         VHF                  Public Correspondence (duplex – receive on 161.900)

     27  157.350                         VHF                  Public Correspondence (duplex – receive on 161.950)

     28  157.400                         VHF                  Public Correspondence (duplex – receive on 162.000)

     65a156.275                         VHF                  Port Operations

     66a156.325                         VHF                  Port Operations

     67  156.375                         VHF                  Commercial/non-commercial

     68  156.425                         VHF                  Non-commercial

     69  156.475                         VHF                  Non-commercial

     70  156.525                         VHF                  Data/Computer-only/Distress (Digital Selective Calling)

     71  156.575                         VHF                  Non-commercial

     72  156.625                         VHF                  Non-commercial

     73  156.675                         VHF                  Port Operations

     74  156.725                         VHF                  Port Operations

     77  156.875                         VHF                  Port Operations

     78a156.925                         VHF                  Non-commercial

     79a156.975                         VHF                  Commercial

     80a157.025                         VHF                  Commercial

     81a157.075                         VHF                  US Government Only

     82a157.125                         VHF                  US Government Only

     83a157.175                         VHF                  US Government Only

     84  157.225                         VHF                  Public Correspondence (duplex – receive on 161.825)

     85  157.275                         VHF                  Public Correspondence (duplex – receive on 161.875)

     86  157.325                         VHF                  Public Correspondence (duplex – receive on 161.925)

     87  157.375                         VHF                  Public Correspondence (duplex – receive on 161.975)

     88  157.425                         VHF                  Public Correspondence (duplex – receive on 162.025)

Weather

Weather                        Wx1                             162.550                         VHF                  NOAA Weather Radio (receive only)

Weather                        Wx2                             162.400                         VHF                  NOAA Weather Radio (receive only)

Weather                        Wx3                             162.475                         VHF                  NOAA Weather Radio (receive only)

Weather                        Wx4                             162.525                         VHF                  NOAA Weather Radio (receive only)

Weather                        Wx5                             162.575                         VHF                  NOAA Weather Radio (receive only)

Weather                        Wx6                             162.625                         VHF                  NOAA Weather Radio (receive only)

Weather                        Wx7                             162.675                         VHF                  NOAA Weather Radio (receive only)

Weather                        Wx8                             162.725                         VHF                  NOAA Weather Radio (receive only)

Weather                        Wx9                             162.775                         VHF                  NOAA Weather Radio (receive only)

Weather                        Wx10                            162.825                         VHF                  NOAA Weather Radio (receive only)

Note:  Coast Guard can also be reached via cell phone by pressing *CG.

SSB/HAM Category     

     Freq kHz                      Mode                           Description

Safety

01  2182                             USB                             International distress and calling

02  2638                             USB                             Ship-to-ship Ultra Short Range

03  2670                             USB                             Coast Guard SSB Short Range

04  4125                             USB                             Ship safety and Canadian weather

05  4426 Rx                        USB                             Coast Guard channel 424

     4134 Tx                        

06  8764 Rx                        USB                             Coast Guard channel 816

     8240 Tx                                                            

07  13089 Rx                      USB                             Coast Guard channel 1205

     12242 Tx                      

08  17314 Rx                      USB                             Coast Guard channel 1625

     16432 Tx

Ship-to-ship

     12353                           USB                             Ship-to-ship “12a”

     12356                           USB                             Ship-to-ship “12b”

     12359                           USB                             Ship-to-ship “12c” [Herb – Atlantic ]

     16528                           USB                             Ship-to-ship “16a”

     16531                           USB                             Ship-to-ship “16b”

     16534                           USB                             Ship-to-ship “16c”

     

Time

     2500                             AMWWV time and weather signals

     5000                             AMWWV time and weather signals

     10000                           AMWWV time and weather signals

     15000                           AMWWV time and weather signals

 

Weather

     1070                             AMBroadcast Band

     13270                           USB                             East Coast Air Tower Weather

     13282                           USB                             West Coast Air Tower Weather

     27125                           AMCB Channel 14 (Coastal Mexico )

Weather Fax

     11120.1                         USB                             US Force

     6338.6                          USB                             Boston

     9108.1                          USB                             Boston

     12748.1                         USB                             Boston

     10534.1                         USB                             Canada – East Coast

     13508.1                         USB                             Canada – East Coast

     12751.1                         USB                             Canada – West Coast

     4316                             USB                             New Orleans – Gulf

     8502                             USB                             New Orleans – Gulf

     12788                           USB                             New Orleans – Gulf

     4344.1                          USB                             Pacific Coast

     8680.1                          USB                             Pacific Coast

     12728.1                         USB                             Pacific Coast

     17149.3                         USB                             Pacific Coast

     9980.6                          USB                             Honolulu

     11088.1                         USB                             Honolulu

     16133.1                         USB                             Honolulu

News (BBC, Voice of America , etc)

     5935                             AMShortwave News

     9955                             AMShortwave News

     12172                           USB                             Shortwave News

     13760                           AMShortwave News

     15685                           AMShortwave News

Telephone

(Call 334-666-5110 or WLOMAIL@aol.com to sign up -- $5/min)

     4369 Rx                        USB                             WLO Tel Ch 405

     4077 Tx                        

     4396 Rx                        USB                             WLO Tel Ch 414

     4104 Tx

     8788Rx                         USB                             WLO Tel Ch 824

     8264 Tx

     8803 Rx                        USB                             WLO Tel Ch 829

     8279 Tx                        

     8806 Rx                        USB                             WLO Tel Ch 830

     8282 Tx                        

     13110 Rx                      USB                             WLO Tel Ch 1212

     12263 Tx

     13149 Rx                      USB                             WLO Tel Ch 1225

     12302 Tx

     13152 Rx                      USB                             WLO Tel Ch 1226

     12305 Tx

     17260 Rx                      USB                             WLO Tel Ch 1607

     16378 Tx

     17362 Rx                      USB                             WLO Tel Ch 1641

     16480 TX                      

Nets

     3815                             LSB                              South Pacific net, evenings

     3856                             LSB                              Taco net, evenings

     3964                             LSB                              East Coast Waterway net, early morning

     3968                             LSB                              Sonrisa Mexico net, early morning

     4051                             USB                             Baja southbound net, evening

     4060                             USB                             Baja southbound net, evening

     7238                             LSB                              Baja California net, 7:00 am

     7241                             LSB                              Caribbean net, early morning

     7268                             LSB                              East Coast Waterway net, morning

     7192                             LSB                              Chubasco Mexico net, 7:00 am

     7294                             LSB                              Sandia Mexico net, evenings

     8104                             USB                             Baja southbound net, early morning

     14300                           USB                             Intercontinental marine net, 24 hours

     14313                           USB                             Daily marine, evening Pacific Maritime net

     14325                           USB                             Hurricane nets

     14340                           USB                             Manana net, 11:00 am

     21390                           USB                             East coast Halo net, daytime

     21402                           USB                             Pacific maritime net, afternoons

     21412                           USB                             Maritime mobile net, afternoons

     21415                           USB                             Happy Hour Maritime mobile net, evenings

     28400                           USB                             Center frequency, 10 meters