Tracking ship traffic via AIS

[Administrator]

I do know that if you transmit on a marine SSB radio without the proper license, inside the US and in the territorial waters of many other countries, you can get your butt in a sling in a hurry.

The second big no-no (in the US, at least) is transmitting on a marine VHF radio while on land. Unless someone decides to rat you out, you're not likely to get caught, but if the FCC finds out, you're screwed.

Years ago, I helped a local "yacht club" get a land-based marine VHF station license. Unlike the ones on boats, these MUST be licensed. The FCC application process was a bear.

Bill

[Dave Neptune]

VHF & land service

I have made quite a few "phone calls" via VHF in some isolated areas of the desert in Utah & Arizona as there is no "phone or cell" service even close. Granted we were on Lake Powell for some and driving around in the area if we broke down I would plug the antenna back in and call for help on the highway. I was approached by a Utah HP on 2 occasions and a Az. HP once to see if I needed any help. I told the officer that help was on the way and when asked how I contacted the help I said with my VHF I called "Hole in the Rock" VHF phone service to place a "phone call" and they said lucky you had a VHF with you.

Hole in the Rock is I believe on Navajo Mountain and covers a huge area from the highest peak around kinda like the CG. I think they did call themselves a "Marine Radio Phone Service". Any time I have used them there were no questions and a few times I did use my license number but not all the time. There were many cars and campers in those areas with VHF antennas mounted on the vehicles, don't know if they had any additional licensing though.

Dave Neptune

[toddster]

Dave, was that marine VHF or amateur VHF frequencies? I gather that some of the amateur repeaters are hooked in to the internet and have all sorts of services these days. As long as some club foots the bill.

[Dave Neptune]

Vhf

toddster, it was marine. Contacted via 16 and then switched to 27 or 28 for the phone call. Ran my bill (CC) up a few times with "information" to get numbers though. They honored my San Pedro Marine Operator account. BTW does the marine operator still work? Haven't tried since those bleeping C-phones got popular.

On one trip we were in Halls Crossing Marina and waiting for a buddy to arrive from Colorado. He broke down about 60 miles out and got a ride back to Blanding for parts and called the marina to get me to run out and pick up his family in the desert. When I arrived he was there with the parts and I brought the VHF. We sent his family on to the lake in my suburban and started to R&R the water pump on his pickup. Well he got the wrong pump so we called the parts house via VHF and they did not have the correct one. Three or four calls later we found one in Moab so off we went. We wound up leaving on our 2 weeks on Powell a day late and when on his way home he returned the wrong pump.
That was a time the VHF really saved our vacation and gave us some great "stories" of our Powell adventures. BTW my buddy bought dinner and drinks that night.

Dave Neptune

[toddster]

Gee, I dunno... haven't tried to use the service since the 90's. As far as I recall having any knowledge about it, there were only two operators, one east and one west, and they connected through some sort of repeater system. I'm surprised that it was available in the middle of the continent.

All I can find on line is notices that one of the operators discontinued the service in 2003.

[Administrator]

Some ham radio clubs provide phone access to club members via their repeaters. Usually, an access code is required, with such controls as long distance calls being locked out, etc. You need a ham radio license to participate.

Locally, the marine VHF channels which used to take you to marine operators are now used by Boat US to play back "radio tests." I guess these operators are long gone.

I would hope and assume that all those antennas on RV's, etc. are used by legally licensed ham radio operators.

Bill

[nyvoyager]

Internet Marine Traffic

interesting posts - thanks
a word of caution on using Internet AIS for navigating
since i live with a view of where i sail and there is a last of commercial traffic, I've checked this out and it is not real time and definitely a delayed report.
if you click on a ship, it will tell you the time of the last report.
and then their is the refresh rate, which is variable.

I have used it aboard on a smartphone for very distant traffic to get an idea of what is out there - but IMHO i would never use this site for avoidance.