HF Maritime Communications

HF Maritime communications have undergone a radical change over the last several years. Many stations that used to have voice communications have either gone dark or using digital modes, some of which are not readable except to the intended target. Let's take a look at what is out there.

Voice

• Although most voice communications are gone, there are some stations still on the air. Ships and stations are allocated in fixed frequency ranges, and you can find those ranges listed here.
• The Canadians have the Radio Aids to Navigation
• USCG Voice Marine weather broadcasts can be found here. Click the USCG HF Voice link

Digital (below the AM broadcast band)

• NOTE: Unless notes otherwise, the links for the various modes comes from the Signal Identification Wiki
• DGPS
• SITOR-B/NAVTEX
  • USCG Marine Weather Broadcasts Note: Select USCG HF SITOR

Drift Net Buoys and Navigational Aids

• Drift Net Buoys Loggings (HF Underground)
• Drift Net Buoy Beacons

Digital (2-30 Mhz)

• CODAR
• GMDSS/DSC
• Baudot RTTY
• PACTOR
  • PACTOR I
  • PACTOR II
  • PACTOR III
  • PACTOR IV
  • Sailmail Frequency List
• SITOR-A
  • Guangzhou, Shanghai, Istanbul Radio (Turkey) Olympia Radio (SVO) Greece
• SITOR-B/NAVTEX
• Weather FAX (WEFAX)

Websites

• When a hurricane (cyclone in the Pacific) is spotted, the Tropical Cyclone Plan of the Day will give you an idea of when the flights to track these storms will take place
• UDXF Links page See the Maritime / NAVTEX section
• UDXF Files page See the Aero / Maritime section

How to Find Activity?

The spectrum for HF maritime communications is very wide. Unlike VHF/UHF scanning, it's challenging to automatically scan a segment of the band because HF noise will always be present. While some maritime stations are on a fixed schedule, others (such as fishing fleets) are much more difficult to detect due to their transient nature; thus, listening for maritime comms can be a game of patience. The more time passes, the harder it is to hear again. Mailing lists are one of the best ways to keep ahead of what is being heard, as traffic can be passed relatively quickly. See the Utility Related Clubs, Mailing lists and Publications of the Utility_Monitoring article for some suggested resources

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