Utilitity radio
Thought I’d get the weather forecast, the old-fashioned way, this evening. By listening to the radio. Marine radio. You see, going back to about the time of Marconi, governments have maintained a network of facilities to get “the word” out to those at sea, where such things really matter.
For the rest of us, think of it as a secret network, where you need official documents to get the time, and frequency, and mode. In Canada, it’s a book entitled RAMN, or Radio Aids to Marine Navigation. Go ahead, get your copy here. And then, fire up the “real” radio, short wave, and see what you can here against a wall of static crashes and fading propagation. Then, imagine that your life depends on knowing where the storm front and the icebergs are to be found.
I started a couple of hours ago, and so far I’ve heard the following stations:
Time / Frequency / Location
2317 / 2598 /RIVIERE-AU-RENARD
0007 / 2598 / ST. JOHN’S
0040 / 2749 / SYDNEY
0048 / 2598 / PLACENTIA
0107 / 2598 / ST. ANTHONY
0137 / 2598 / CARTWRIGHT
0140 / 2749 / SAINT JOHN
0207 / 2598 / PORT AUX BASQUES
0240 / 2749 / HALIFAX
All of the above broadcasts were made using SSB, and were clear copy. Given that certain of the stations are close to 1300 km from here, that’s not too shabby. Try that, cellphone crowd.
Why bother? Why not. Sometimes you have to get out of the “if it isn’t local, it isn’t interesting” mindset. Think of utility broadcasts as radio with a reason – no politics, no music. No Morse either, but that’s an issue for another time. At least the world doesn’t believe that satellite radio and a GPS is all you need to go to sea, safely. For a bit of the history behind the craft, check this site: www.2182.ca
In part, our visit to St. Anthony Coast Guard Radio triggered my interest. I wanted to put a voice to the the face, so to speak.
