VHF Marine - unusual channel

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paulears
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VHF Marine - unusual channel

Post by paulears »

This morning the lifeboat were assisting a vessel locally with a failed engine and they instructed the boat to go to channel 31. Never heard this Marine channel before, and it's not in the common lists - 157.550MHz - it's an RNLI frequency. Not in my marine radios, nor in the radio on the drifting boat. We don't do marine much, but it could be worth interested readers adding to scan lists etc.
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LeakyFeeder
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Re: VHF Marine - unusual channel

Post by LeakyFeeder »

Im assuming the Lifeboat was an ALB an that they had a crew member onboard the casualty...
.If so they will be using one of several 'Y' boat assigned frequencies stored in all their radios.
paulears
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Re: VHF Marine - unusual channel

Post by paulears »

No, they were arranging a tow, and asked them on 16 to go to 31, which only the RNLI use. Odd!
26mb04
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Re: VHF Marine - unusual channel

Post by 26mb04 »

There's quite a good list here.
Sent from my GP300 using DTMF
neil57uk1
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Re: VHF Marine - unusual channel

Post by neil57uk1 »

Been used for ever by every lifeboat station in England and Wales. Not Scotland, NI or the Republic
dpbarry
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Re: VHF Marine - unusual channel

Post by dpbarry »

Hi Just joined the group. Currently have a Baofeng UV-5RVE Plus. Just programmed it with all the marine frequencies via another contributor.

I'm a coxswain & helm at my local station in Newcastle, Co Down. N. Ireland. Channel 31 is an RNLI private channel and used on all RNLI vehicles and boats (both fixed Radio and Handheld) (Stand to be corrected by someone though! LOL!)

Have been using CH31 in NI for as long as I can remember - definitely back in 1998 when I joined.

Station Radios and (Launch Vehicles) are fixed at TX/RX for Channel 0,16 and 31 but can only listed on other channels. Joys of programmable radios.

Have to say, I've never heard of a 'casualty' having 31 on their radio. Usually, a crew member from either an ILB or ALB is passed across to casualty vessel with a handheld radio and it may be tuned to CH31 but that's at discretion of coxswain/helm in case CG wants to be kept in loop on CH16. CH31 is normally reserved for communications between boats and shore (boathouse and Launch Vehicles)

Hope this helps
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hexadec
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Re: VHF Marine - unusual channel

Post by hexadec »

I was a CGRO at Land's End for 19 years and a radio ham for nearly 40 years and I've never heard of CH31. LOL Even been out on the ALB a few times.
You live and learn! Thanks for the tip...I'll be listening on 31 now.
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bertonumber1
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Re: VHF Marine - unusual channel

Post by bertonumber1 »

I've heard many times wierd tranmissions on marine band.
Including what you say.
I always program my radios 156.000 - 161.950 just before the AIS channels at 161.975-162.025 as they tend to screw with your scan. 25Khz spacing.Although there is talk of 12.5khz being brought in.

Where I am in Greenock Scotland there is allsorts of transmissions on 157 mhz including ferries and ship-ship comms. I've even heard dmr transmissions on 157 mhz as well as the usual 457-467Mhz channels in dmr when cruise ships are operating. Scan them all

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Rab
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