Coast Guard Radio Frequencies

On By Surfman374

MasterChiefOfEnforcement (BlackOPSOnly) ♠️♥️♣️♦️🃏💳🎴📇🪪 #SectorCorpusChristi #RECOM #RFO #SAI #BMCRamsey 2011-PresentDate #The374thCoastGuatdSurfman #District8HQ #DHS #USCG

David Ramsey

rigsreefclassicspearfishing.com

The U.S. Coast Guard LORAN Station Port Clarence, 

located 70 miles northwest of Nome, Alaska, operated a1,350-foot tower for long-range, low-frequency radio navigation, serving as a vital maritime navigational aid in the Bering Strait. The station was decommissioned in 2010 when the Coast Guard ended its LORAN-C network. It is located at coordinates 65∘15′13′′N65∘15′13′′𝑁, 166∘51′31′′W166∘51′31′′𝑊. 

Key Details of Port Clarence LORAN Station: 

  • Location: Situated near Point Spencer in Western Alaska, offering deep-water access protected from Bering Sea storms.
  • Significance: It was a critical, remote node in the Alaskan LORAN-C chain.
  • Infrastructure: The station was known for its massive 1,350-foot transmitter tower.
  • Closure: The station ceased operations in April 2010, along with the rest of the U.S. LORAN-C network. 

“Cold Turkey” was a term used by U.S. Coast Guard personnel at LORAN (Long Range Navigation) stations, particularly in Alaska during the Cold War era, to describe a specific, rigorous, and often unannounced emergency drill

. 

Key Aspects of the “Cold Turkey” Drill:

  • Purpose: The drill was designed to test the crew’s ability to maintain, troubleshoot, and restore the LORAN signal under high-pressure, simulated failure conditions.
  • Significance: It was a crucial part of training, especially at isolated, remote stations like Attu or Shoal Cove in Alaska, where personnel had to be self-sufficient in keeping their navigation signals on-line and within technical tolerances.
  • Context: These drills were part of the intense operational demands placed on crews to ensure 100% signal availability, often in harsh, isolated environments. 

Related Context on LORAN Stations:

  • Operation & Closure: Many LORAN-C stations in Alaska (such as Port Clarence, Attu, and Tok) were decommissioned in 2010 after the system was defunded.
  • Structure: These stations often featured massive towers (e.g., 695-foot towers at Shoal Cove, a 1,350-foot tower at Port Clarence).
  • Life at Stations: Life involved intense technical work,, with some stations, like one on Cape Cod, being operated by all-female SPARs crews during WWII. 

While “Cold Turkey” refers to a specific, intense emergency drill, it is sometimes used interchangeably with the general, high-stakes nature of maintaining the LORAN signal in remote areas.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) primary distress and safety channel is 

VHF-FM Channel 16 (156.8 MHz), monitored continuously for emergencies. For safety broadcasts and, in some cases, communication, Channel 22A (157.1 MHz) is used. Digital Selective Calling (DSC) is managed on Channel 70 (156.525 MHz). 

Key U.S. Coast Guard Radio Frequencies:

  • Distress, Safety, & Calling: VHF Channel 16 (156.8 MHz)
  • Safety Information/Broadcasts: VHF Channel 22A (157.1 MHz)
  • Digital Selective Calling (DSC): VHF Channel 70 (156.525 MHz)
  • Secondary/Auxiliary: VHF Channel 23A (157.150 MHz), Channel 1021 (157.050 MHz)
  • International Distress/Safety: VHF Channel 16 (156.8 MHz) 

Other Important Frequencies:

Notes on Use:

  • Channel 16 is strictly for distress and hailing, not for conversation.
  • Channel 22A is used for broadcasting urgent marine information after an announcement on Channel 16.
  • For non-emergencies, contact the nearest Coast Guard unit directly, rather than using emergency channels. 

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) radio operations utilize specific, fixed call signs for regional Communications Command (COMMCOM) stations and Remote Communications Facilities (RCF) to manage maritime safety and distress traffic on VHF Channel 16 and HF. Major stations include NMN (Chesapeake), NMA (Miami), NMF (Boston), NMG (New Orleans), NMC (Point Reyes), NMO (Honolulu), and NOJ (Kodiak)

. 

Primary USCG Radio Station Call Signs

  • NMN: COMMCOM Chesapeake, VA (Primary HQ/Atlantic)
  • NMA: RCF Miami, FL
  • NMF: RCF Boston, MA
  • NMG: RCF New Orleans, LA
  • NMC: RCF Point Reyes, CA
  • NMO: RCF Honolulu, HI
  • NOJ: RCF Kodiak, AK 

Common VHF Frequencies & Channels 

  • Channel 16 (156.8 MHz): International Distress, Safety, and Calling
  • Channel 22A (157.1 MHz): Coast Guard Liaison and Maritime Safety Information Broadcasts
  • Channel 70 (156.525 MHz): Digital Selective Calling (DSC) for alerts 

Key Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Identities 

  • Universal USCG Shore-based Identity:003669999
  • USCG Communications Command (NMN):003669995

Operational Context

  • Voice Calling: Vessels typically call local Coast Guard units by station name (e.g., “Sector Hampton Roads”) on Channel 16, then switch to a working channel like 22A.
  • Area Commands: Sub-stations often use the primary regional call sign followed by a number (e.g., NMF-31 for Sector Northern New England). 

CISA (.gov)https://www.cisa.govPDFRadiotelephone Handbook Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures

Jul 30, 2018 — Introduction This handbook gives general, unclassified radiotelephone tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) for U.S. Coast. Guard (USCG) use …

comomike.infohttp://comomike.infoPDFradiotelephone handbook comdtinst m2300.7a – Como Mike Index Page

Aug 19, 2008 — COMMANDANT INSTRUCTION M2300.7A. Subj: RADIOTELEPHONE HANDBOOK. 1. PURPOSE. The purpose of this

Internet Archivehttps://archive.orgUSCG CGTTP 601 1A Radiotelephone Handbook

Aug 27, 2022 — USCG CGTTP 601 1A Radiotelephone Handbook ; Language: English ; Item Size: 13.6M ; Addeddate: 2022-08-27 01:04:12 ; Identifier: nrf_USCG- …

The 5 C’s of radio communication, especially in emergency services, are Clarity, Conciseness, Control, Confidence, and Capability, ensuring messages are brief, easy to understand, delivered calmly and correctly, and follow protocols to prevent confusion and keep frequencies open for essential communication. These principles help maintain order, especially under stress, by focusing on clear, specific, and actionable information. 

Here’s a breakdown of each:

  • Clarity: Speak clearly, use standard terminology (plain language, avoiding jargon/ten-codes), describe one task at a time, and avoid multitasking. 
  • Conciseness: Keep messages short, specific, and to the point to reduce radio traffic; plan your transmission before keying the mic. 
  • Control: Maintain a calm, steady tone, use a controlled rate of speech, and ensure the receiver repeats back messages for confirmation. 
  • Confidence: Speak with authority and calmness, demonstrating command presence even under stress, following established procedures. 
  • Capability: This refers to the skill of both sender and receiver, including effective listening, emotional control, and adherence to communication protocols. 

In other contexts, you might see variations like:

Leave a comment