The U.S. Coast Guard ceased monitoring all High Frequency (HF) shortwave voice distress frequencies within the contiguous United States and Hawaii on 7 February 2022.

Published 3 years ago

The U.S. Coast Guard Communications Command (COMMCOM), which operates HF radio stations has seen a steady decline in voice distress calls over the last two decades and except for Alaska, has not received a voice distress call within its area of responsibility in the last seven years.

However, they will continue HF voice distress watchkeeping in Alaska and Guam and HF watchkeeping on HF distress and safety Digital Selective Calling (DSC) frequencies will continue at all locations.

On 20 November 2020, the Coast Guard sought comments in the Federal Register concerning this cessation but received minimal response.  The Coast Guard had previously terminated all watchkeeping on the medium frequency radiotelephone distress frequency 2182kHz on July 15, 2013.

On 31 December 2019, the Coast Guard Communications Detachment Kodiak received the F/V Scandies Rose’s distress call on 4125 kHz.  For this reason, the Coast Guard will continue existing voice distress watchkeeping in Alaska on three frequencies:

• 4125 kHz
• 6215 kHz
• 8291 kHz

Distress watchkeeping from Guam, currently on 6215 kHz from 0900 – 2100 UTC and 12,290 from 2100 – 0900 UTC, will also continue.

Recommended Distress and Safety Equipment

The Coast Guard recommends vessels operating outside Very High Frequency (VHF) range from shore be equipped with a low-cost Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Iridium LT-3100S terminal or Inmarsat-C terminal, or an HF single sideband radio equipped with DSC.  All three systems are recognized international for providing immediate and reliable two-way distress communications.

Rescue 21 HF distress watchkeeping on Channel 16 and DSC is not affected by this announcement.

Questions concerning this notice may be forward to:

Coast Guard Spectrum Management and Communications Policy Division (CG-672) at HQS-SMB-CG-672@USCG.MIL or to the Coast Guard Navigation Center’s Contact Us page by selecting “Maritime Telecommunications as the Subject.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Related Links:

U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Noonsite has not independently verified this information.