Humber Coastguard

[ACL]

Thanks for the explanation. So if I always follow the list and go for the coastal frequency I'm on the right track?

[G4RMT]

yep - that's the one to look for and enter.

[ACL]

All makes sense, thanks. Have you ever received Dover,Thames or Solent during spells of high pressure on 23,84 or 86. Alternatively any continental dx with they're equivalent shipping/weather/safety broadcasts?

[G4RMT]

Thames is fairly common - walton on the name is often listenable to with even a slight lift. Humber comes down the coast till Thames takes over.

[Chris P]

Think that's Walton on the Naze

[maylandmanta]

Thames was at Walton on Naze but has now been closed since around 2015 and is now being delt with by Dover.When it first closed radio transmissions were being handled by the National Coastguard Centre at Fareham,however there appeared to be some communications issues in this area and Dover took over about 9 months ago.Ironicly Humbers signal seems stronger than Dover's along this part of the coast unless its just down to my location being slightly inland.

Steve

[G4RMT]

I'm wondering if all the coastal radio sites on the closed control centres, like Walton on the Name and Gt Yarmouth, in my area, plus the small one that closed some years ago at Lowestoft, are actually accessible by any of the large area control centres? Humber Radio, for example does cover all the coast down to North Foreland in Kent, but the South Coast centres go around to the Thames - so there is overlap. All the Coastal transmitters seem to use common channels in sequence, so 23 comes up over and over again - but far enough apart so as not to interfere. With IP connections so simple nowadays it makes sense that the equipment at Walton could be the furthest South station for Humber, but equally possible to be in Thames's control and also the Fareham centre near Portsmouth? Perhaps they now do not need to be permanently and exclusively allocated to any one control location?

[G4RMT]

Just before 11, up pops Humber Coastguard on 16 and does the "for the Maritime Safety Broadcast .... For Lowestoft, listen Channel 23".


Nothing whatsoever received, and I'm in Lowestoft. The test they did to a vessel from the Lowestoft channel 16 aerial was loud and clear earlier, but Channel 23 doesn't seem to work?

[maylandmanta]

Funny you mention that -down here in Clacton just lately Dovers safety information broadcasts have been very poor reception especially on 23 yet the announcement on 16 booms in as though they are using higher power on 16 than on 23,84 & 86,whereas in the past there was no difference and to the best of my knowledge none of the aerial sites have changed location.

Steve

[G4RMT]

It was broken - I phoned Humber and explained I heard the ch 16 message this morning but channel 23 didn't happen. I told them I wasn't sure I should have phoned, but they said they were glad I did because it's a public safety broadcast, so they'd get onto it immediately, and could I listen again for the 2pm one - which worked fine, so they got it sorted pretty quickly.