Hello Jack,

There do seem to be a variety of perceptions of USCG
monitoring activities on 2182 and elsewhere. Perhaps you
could direct us to a website or online document that details
distress calls received by the CG on various frequencies.

Of course, calls never intercepted are not likely to be
reported in such a study since the unsuccessful caller kind
of self-destructs. I do believe all boaters would benefit
from objective data on the issue.

Many thanks!

Chuck

Jack Painter wrote:
"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote


All I can say is that in the only situation where I have ever had to

resort

to
calling for help, there was no answer on 2182. I was eventually able to
acheive very poor contact with CG on VHF. I asked if there was an HF freq
that I could contact them on for more reliable comms. The answer was
NO. They could not help me via HF. I was about to try to contact a ham
to relay a message to CG when another boat closer to shore was able
to provide a relay. I would have contacted MMSN but it was 4am and
the net was not on the air. In short, the CG was not there only time I

felt

I needed help. I will NEVER, EVER rely on the CG via Marine SSB as a
reliable means of assistance. I can contact a ham anywhere, anytime and
help is then just a phone call away. If that doesn't work (which is
doubtful)
then the EPIRB is the solution.


Well Doug, much as a Mr. James Herbert had to reply concerning the
definition of radio-horizon earlier, I'm sorry I did not consider your
anecdotal evidence about one single bad experience, in which case we could
neither affirm nor indict the equipment performance of your transmitter nor
any receiving station at that single point in time. You have chosen to not
consider the evidence and opinion that I expressed concerning performance of
nineteen USCG Groups, ten Canadian Coast Guard Radio Stations, and Bermuda
Radio, which I studied specifically for such reasons. This research covered
an area from the Canadian Maritimes to Puerto Rico and back inside the Gulf
of Mexico. This would equate to roughly two-thirds of the maritime AOR of
the coastal-continental United States and her neighbors, and for a period of
six months (summer to winter).

I am an accountant and federal contract auditor by profession, and this
study will include sampling and review of complaints of missed calls and
other communications issues. Your experience was first noted by the way,
when we had this discussion some time ago. As I recall, this one event was
too long ago to be considered relevant for current study, as aggravating and
potentially dangerous as I'm sure it was to you.

In the interest of safe boating, I encourage anyone who is contemplating
coastal cruising to contact their local USCG Group well in advance of the
trip, and ask them for the estimated area of VHF and 2182 khz coverage along
the route that they plan to take. An EPIRB is an important safety device in
any cruising vessels inventory, but it cannot replace vital voice
communications.

Best regards,

Jack Painter
Virginia Beach, VA