Antarctica
From The RadioReference Wiki
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.
Contents
United States Research Facilities
U.S. HF Circuits
US-4 - Ship/Shore
- Assigned frequency: 12354.4 kHz
- Available frequencies: 2026.4 (2025.0), 2717.4 (2716), 3248.4 (3237), 8298.4 (8297), 12345.4 (12353), 12357.4 (12356) kHz
US-5 - Long Range Air/Ground
Circuit for long-range air-to-ground communications for official aircraft traffic or emergency traffic.
- Available frequencies: 4719.5 (4718), 5727.5 (5736), 6709.5 (6708), 9034 (9033), 11257.5 (11255), 13252.5 (13251) kHz
US-6 - Air/Ground Weather
Circuit for transferring weather information between South Pole Station and Mac Weather.
- Available frequencies: 10641 (10639), 12221 (12220), 14700 (14698) kHz
US-9 Air/Ship
- Available frequencies: 3103.5 (3120), 5697.5 (5696) kHz
US-14 - Antarctic Broadcast
Half-duplex data circuit used by Mac Ops to send traffic to outlying stations.
- Assigned frequency: 8090 kHz (window)
- Available frequencies: 2650 (2648.0), 4872 (4870.0), 5810 (5808.0), 6397 (6395.0), 8092 (8088.0), 11004 (11002), 16321.5 (16320) kHz
US-15 Antarctic Ship/Shore
- Assigned frequency: 4242 (4240), 8420 (8418), 12630 (12628) kHz
US-16 - Antarctic Ratt Working
Half-duplex data circuit used by outlying stations and ships to pass traffic to Mac Relay.
- Assigned frequency: 8090 kHz (window)
- Available frequencies: 2650 (2648.0), 4872 (4870.0), 5810 (5808.0), 6397 (6395.0), 8092 (8088.0), 11004 (11002), 16321.5 (16320) kHz
US-17 - Antarctic Common
Circuit used for general administrative information passed between outlying stations and McMurdo Station. Used for daily field camp check-ins.
- Available frequencies: 4771.5 (4770.0), 7996.5 (7995.0), 9007.5 (9005), 11554.5 (11553) kHz
AA-1 Distress and Calling SAR
- Available frequencies: 2183.4 (2182), 3023.5 (3022), 4127 (4125), 8364 (8362) kHz
USB 2
- Available frequency: 2717.4 (2716) kHz
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
Air Route Traffic Control
- 118.2 MHz and 360.2 MHz
- 9032, 11256, 5726 kHz
- Alt 4770, 7995, 11553 kHz
LMR Trunking
South Pole Station reportedly uses a LMR trunked radio system in the UHF spectrum for station operations.
Talkgroups
- 900 - All Call
- 901 - Operations
- 902 - Flight Ops
- 903 - Facilities, Engineering, Maintenance, and Construction (FEMC)
- 904 - Medical
- 905 - Heavy Equipment
- 906 - (Future growth)
- 907 - Fuels
- 908 - Cargo
- 909 - UT - Maintenance technicians
- 910 - IT
- 911 - Emergency Response
- 912 - IceCube All
- 913 - IceCube Drillers
- 914 - SP Telescope Construction
- 915 - Science Support
- 916 - Vehicle Maintenance Facility
- 917 - IceCube Lab
- 918 - IceCube Top
- 920 - Fire Team 2
Field Radios
Very High Frequency (VHF)
CH Transmit(MHz) Receive(MHz) 1 143.0000 143.0000 2 143.2000 143.2000 3 143.6000 143.6000 4 142.6000 142.6000 5 142.8000 142.8000 6 143.4000 143.4000 7 143.8000 143.8000
High Frequency Station
South Pole Station maintains communications with McMurdo Station, and other locations, using the South Pole HF (SPHF) system.
(This information is from 2007-02-15 and may be outdated.)
Group 1: McMurdo Directional
Using a directional TCI-548 log periodic antenna, three simultaneous frequencies may be received and a single frequency may be selected for transmitting.
Group 2: Omnidirectional
Provides backup to Group 1 communications and provides omni-directional HF access to other resources.
Group 3: Switched Coverage
Provides three receivers, providing coverage to Palmer, West Antarctica, and short range (using omni-directional NVIS)
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
References
Citations
Field Manual for the U.S. Antarctic Program, Chapter 9, Field Radios
Communications Support Overview, South Pole Station, 2007-02-16