Antarctica

Antarctica has many research stations and field stations used for scientific research. Each country has their own communications resources to maintain contact between their research stations, field stations, and home countries.

Stations and camps at higher latitudes cannot access communication satellites and will use HF radio communications to supplement polar orbiting satellites. VHF and UHF radios are used for communications closer to the stations.

McMurdo Station

LMR Trunking

McMurdo Station reportedly uses a LMR trunked radio system in the UHF spectrum for station operations. Frequencies and talkgroups are unknown at this time.

Vehicle and Handheld Radios

CH  Net Name                 Transmit(MHz) Receive(MHz)
1   I-Net (T-Site)           143.0000      143.0000
2   Crash Net (T-Site)       139.6000      139.6000
3   NZ Portable              142.8000      138.8000
4   NZ Crater Hill           139.3000      143.8000
5   Public Works (T-Site)    139.0000      142.6000
6   Airfield Ops             139.2000      139.2000
7   Science Net              139.5000      139.5000
8   Field Party Ops          138.6000      143.2250
     (Aurora repeater)
9   Fuels Net (T-Site)       143.6000      143.6000
10  Movement Control Center  139.8000      143.7250
     (U.S. Crater Hill repeater)
11  Helo Ops                 143.4000      143.4000
12  Penguin Ops/ANG          143.2000      143.2000

Field Radios

Very High Frequency (VHF)

CH  Net Name                 Transmit(MHz) Receive(MHz)
1   I-Net (T-Site)           143.0000      143.0000
2   Crash Net (T-Site)       139.6000      139.6000
3   Science Net              139.5000      139.5000
4   Helo Ops                 143.4000      143.4000
5   NZ Crater Hill           139.3000      143.8000
6   Helo Flight Following    138.5000      143.9750
7   Field Party Ops          138.6000      143.2250
     (Taylor repeater)
8   Field Party Ops          138.6000      143.2250
     (Wright repeater)
9   Field Party Ops          138.6000      143.2250
     (Terror repeater)
10  Field Party Ops          138.6000      143.2250
     (Aurora repeater)
11  Field Party Ops          138.6000      143.2250
     (Brooke repeater)
12  Blank

High Frequency (HF)

4770 kHz - Ross Island and Dry Valley Field Parties
5100 kHz - Air-to-Ground
5400 kHz - Scott Base Field Parties
7995 kHz - Remote/South Pole
9032 kHz - Air-to-Ground
11553 kHz - Remote Field Parties

Palmer Station

Field Radios

High Frequency (HF)

4125 kHz - Secondary USAP Field Parties
11553 kHz - Primary USAP Field Parties

South Pole Station

LMR Trunking

South Pole Station reportedly uses a LMR trunked radio system in the UHF spectrum for station operations. Frequencies and talkgroups are unknown at this time.

Point-to-point HF

South Pole Station maintains communications with McMurdo Station using a point-to-point HF voice circuit. There are also two additional HF resources available at South Pole, not including the amateur radio resources.

References

Citations

Field Manual for the U.S. Antarctic Program, Chapter 9, Field Radios