On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 01:04:36 -0500, "Jack Painter"
wrote:
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.

==================================

Jack, does the USCG respond to "radio checks" on HF frequencies, and
if so, what frequencies would you recommend?

Radio checks on VHF are certainly discouraged. Asking for one
generally attracts a fairly nasty canned response. One has to wonder
how the CG helps the average boater determine the operability
of their VHF rig.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 01:04:36 -0500, "Jack Painter"
wrote:
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.

==================================

Jack, does the USCG respond to "radio checks" on HF frequencies, and
if so, what frequencies would you recommend?

"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote

Thank You! A great and sensible answer! And I agree that the squelch
doesn't work all that well on SSB.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

"Me" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote:

I don't know the actual answer to this, but it seems to me that
the CG has clustered its monitoring stations for HF/MF along the
coasts.
What is the rationale behind this? It pretty much limits comms to
groundwave
in the covered areas. It would seems that a few stations spread out
around the country would vastly expand coverage via skywave. Is it
because
the CG is limited in it's jusisdiction and can't establish stations
inland?
One of the advantages of using the ham bands is that station are stread
out
all over the world. At any given time day or night some station either
via
groundwave or skywave is going to be listening.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

It is because the USCG only deals with "Certain" Comms capability, so
any skywave comms which depend on what the E and F layers are doing
and what the GeoMagnetic Index is at the moment, aren't figured in.
That is also why MF was basically given up as a Maritime Comms System
when the switch to SSB from AM happened, by the USCG. Oh, the "Official
Line" is that they have a 24/7 Watch on 2812 Khz, but in the REAL World,
and not Jack's Universe, Most of those MF Receivers have the volume turn
down, because the Operators can't deal with the white noise, when trying
to hear something on one of the HF Receivers. Been that way for MANY
years, even if Jack doesn't acknowledge it. Some of the best FCC
Maritime Monitoring that was ever done was from the old Grand Island,
Nebraska, Station.......

Me


Are you still interested in answers to your questions, or would you two just
rather continue your back-slapping stories? Your replies to each other sound
pretty cozy, and I don't want to barge in between your barstools while the
two of you solve the world's problems.

For the rest of the group still following G here is my universe:

1. "Squelch" is NEVER adjusted on any USCG guard receiver, VHF, MF, or HF.
This applies equally to every Boat Station, Group, Sector, Activity,
Communication Station and Communication Area Master Station. Anyone not
drunk will also understand the following:

2. Volume is NEVER turned down, as was foolishly suggested above. Lets be
serious for a moment. During critical SAR comms, volume will be turned UP on
affected systems, this will have the same effect as turning others "down".
That is not a long term condition, and SSB receivers are in a separate area
from the VHF consoles anyway. This is something some of you could observe if
you asked for a tour of a Group watchstanding system.

3. Boat Stations do NOT have SSB capability, their AOR is always within VHF
range.

4. Some small patrol boats DO have SSB capability, namely all new 47' MLBs's
which systematically replace the aging 41' patrol boats. Some 41's also have
SSB. All aircraft have VHF/MF/HF systems.

5. Most Groups (or "Sectors" as they are transitioning to) and Activities
have multiple towers (called "High Sites" ). Location of these high-sites
normally allows significant overlap of the adjoining Group/Sector's AOR.

6. There are still areas of the Coastal-Continental United States that have
small gaps in VHF coverage. Maine and Florida used to be the last ones on
the East coast reporting this problem (there may be others we are not aware
of). USCG AUX in Florida remedied that state's problem with volunteer
funded, erected and maintained towers and repeater systems in the thousand
islands area of SW Florida.

7. Rescue-21 when fully implemented, will maintain full VHF coverage in all
areas, and between 20-40 miles seaward. The first Group to have this system
completed is adjacent to me, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Even with
Rescue-21 up and running there, that Group NOW has full MF-DSC-GMDSS
capability on 2187.5 khz and of course monitors 2182 khz (the IMO-regulated
adjoining voice channel to 2mhz-DSC) on a 24/7 basis, just as all USCG
Groups do.

8. Each of a Group's several high-sites now has their own set of VHF
receivers and transmitters. Group watchstanders monitor a guard receiver
speaker from EACH high site, all playing "white noise" all the time.

9. The SSB/MF/HF systems of every GroupSector/Activity serves many other
purposes than just guarding 2182 khz, which is required by International
treaty for declared Sea Area A-2 (the range between VHF and HF shore
coverage of guard frequencies). IMO regulations are beyond the scope of this
discussion, but I will be happy to try to elaborate some that relate to ship
to shore communications later.

9. Automatic Direction Finding equipment with display on computer-screen
charts is selectable from all or individual high-sites.

10. Digital recording devices capture 100% of all incoming traffic to USCG
Group receivers.

11. Auto-alarms received on 2182 khz (that are NOT during the
testing-periods allowed) occur up to several times a week. In no case that I
can remember, has the pleasure boat, fishing vessel or commercial ship that
sounded them ever "cancelled" with apologies. Callouts and urgent marine
information broadcasts across wide areas result.

12. Auto-alarms received on VHF-DSC Ch-70 (156.525 mhz) with no
acknowledgement or cancellation occur at least weekly. Testing of VHF-DSC
auto-alarms is illegal, so I guess it's no surprise that most don't
acknowledge. I have heard a commercial fishing captain call us to say "the
darn thing just went off". He was DF'd and hunted-down before he
acknowledged this. It cost him nothing to apologize yet cost the Coast Guard
an hour of SAR-callouts, boat-team launch, preparation for aircraft launch,
etc.

13. Valid MAYDAY calls for USCG SAR-response are received on 2182 khz as the
first communication used on average of once every two weeks or so along the
Eastern seaboard.

14. HF is the ONLY 24hr skywave-reliable SSB system in use. MF is only for
short range (20-200 miles), and only intended as a bridge between VHF line
of sight and HF skywave. This doesn't stop us from completing hours of
SAR-case communications exclusively on 2182 khz as long as it remains
successful.

Hope this clears some of the fog spreading from various
barstool-scuttlebutt.

Jack Painter
Virginia Beach, Virginia

"Wayne.B" wrote

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 01:04:36 -0500, "Jack Painter"
wrote:
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.

==================================

Jack, does the USCG respond to "radio checks" on HF frequencies, and
if so, what frequencies would you recommend?

Hi Wayne,

USCG always responds to radio checks. And as Doug offered though, on VHF it
is indeed strongly discouraged, and that becomes your "radio check". Channel
9 is allocated for both calling/hailing and as an alternate distress
frequency (ship-to-ship only) in most areas now. This was done to alleviate
the congestion in busy areas on Ch-16. It is also part of an experiment to
move ALL calling/hailing from Ch-16 to Ch-9, leaving Ch-16 for urgency and
distress only. Ch-9 is where ship to ship or ship to shore radio checks
should take place. Radio operating procedures for VHF-marine do state that
no "any station" type radio checks should ever be made. I paraphrased that
so you would understand that calling the "USCG" is just like making an
any-station call. We don't know if you are in distress, an urgency, safety
issue, which Coast Guard unit is requested, etc. All of the above are valid
reasons for just sayng "USCG", but doing that for a radio check in congested
areas is NOT. Now if you called a SPECIFIC Coast Guard Group or Station,
asking to switch to their wkg frequency for radio check, they should
accomodate you in a courteous fashion, unless something else urgent is going
on with their unit.

On HF: Since HF duplex calling channels are no longer guarded (Jan-1-2005),
and instead the associated simplex voice channels for 4,6,8, and 12 meg
DSC-GMDSS are, I am not sure if that makes them the place for a radio check
with USCG. It hasn't happened to me yet and I have not seen guidance on
this.

As I understand, a VESSEL USING CALLSIGN could make a HF radio check call to
any particular ship or coastal-station (never any-station, same as above) on
4125, 6215, 8291 or 12290 which are now guarded by CAMSLANT and CAMSPAC and
KODIAK. A USCG operator will answer any non-distress HF call on a
case-available basis. I didn't tell you to do this, but I would answer you.

The PURPOSE of guarding 4125, 6215, 8291 and 12290 is to be READY for
distress traffic voice calls on the associated channel for most of the
DSC-GMDSS channels. These newly guarded channels (US is the first nation to
do so btw) are ALSO allocated for "Calling". We'll have to see how that part
works out.

[0322z sidebar: USCG Group St Pete loud and clear in Virginia Beach, VA on
2182, shifting to 2670 khz for offshore marine information broadcast] ;-)

Maybe I can get back to you with a more definitive HF-answer later Wayne,
sorry it's just too new a procedure to be sure yet.

Jack Painter
Virginia Beach, Virginia

On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 22:30:01 -0500, "Jack Painter"
wrote:

Maybe I can get back to you with a more definitive HF-answer later Wayne,
sorry it's just too new a procedure to be sure yet.

======================================

Thanks. I'm getting ready to have a new Icom M-802 installed and will
surely be interested in a few brief tests without violating any
written or un-written rules in that respect. I know that Bermuda
Harbor Radio routinely responds to radio check requests prior to the
start of the Newport-Bermuda sailing race but I don't recall which
frequency is recommended.

"Jack Painter" wrote in message
news:Zo%Gd.18134$B95.16615@lakeread02...

"Wayne.B" wrote

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 01:04:36 -0500, "Jack Painter"
wrote:
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.

==================================

Jack, does the USCG respond to "radio checks" on HF frequencies, and
if so, what frequencies would you recommend?

Hi Wayne,

USCG always responds to radio checks.

No they don't.

And as Doug offered though, on VHF it
is indeed strongly discouraged, and that becomes your "radio check".

So being chewed out by the CG is their form of a response to a request
for a radio check? Isn't that sweet. That certainly encourages folks to
check to see if their rig is working.

Channel
9 is allocated for both calling/hailing and as an alternate distress
frequency (ship-to-ship only) in most areas now. This was done to
alleviate
the congestion in busy areas on Ch-16. It is also part of an experiment to
move ALL calling/hailing from Ch-16 to Ch-9, leaving Ch-16 for urgency and
distress only. Ch-9 is where ship to ship or ship to shore radio checks
should take place.

That's good. Ch9 is where radio check should be made.

Radio operating procedures for VHF-marine do state that
no "any station" type radio checks should ever be made.

You just said that Ch9 is now intended for that purpose!

I paraphrased that
so you would understand that calling the "USCG" is just like making an
any-station call.

How does that make sense?

We don't know if you are in distress, an urgency, safety
issue, which Coast Guard unit is requested, etc.

Perhaps listening to the caller to understand what the nature of the call
is.

All of the above are valid
reasons for just sayng "USCG",

I've never heard one say USCG unless they are trying to contact the USCG.

but doing that for a radio check in congested
areas is NOT.

I've never heard anyone ask for a radio check from the USCG. Usually they
are asking for a response from anyone that can hear them.

Now if you called a SPECIFIC Coast Guard Group or Station,
asking to switch to their wkg frequency for radio check, they should
accomodate you in a courteous fashion, unless something else urgent is
going
on with their unit.

Fair enough.

On HF: Since HF duplex calling channels are no longer guarded
(Jan-1-2005),
and instead the associated simplex voice channels for 4,6,8, and 12 meg
DSC-GMDSS are, I am not sure if that makes them the place for a radio
check
with USCG. It hasn't happened to me yet and I have not seen guidance on
this.

So, if I am heading offshore, how do I find out if the USCG can copy me?

As I understand, a VESSEL USING CALLSIGN could make a HF radio check call
to
any particular ship or coastal-station (never any-station, same as above)
on
4125, 6215, 8291 or 12290 which are now guarded by CAMSLANT and CAMSPAC
and
KODIAK. A USCG operator will answer any non-distress HF call on a
case-available basis. I didn't tell you to do this, but I would answer
you.

So if I am trying to check my gear as I am heading offshore, the USCG will
answer if they feel like it?

The PURPOSE of guarding 4125, 6215, 8291 and 12290 is to be READY for
distress traffic voice calls on the associated channel for most of the
DSC-GMDSS channels.

Even though no mechanism is in place for a vessel to establish that their
equipment is capable of said comms.

These newly guarded channels (US is the first nation to
do so btw) are ALSO allocated for "Calling". We'll have to see how that
part
works out.

[0322z sidebar: USCG Group St Pete loud and clear in Virginia Beach, VA on
2182, shifting to 2670 khz for offshore marine information broadcast] ;-)

Maybe I can get back to you with a more definitive HF-answer later Wayne,
sorry it's just too new a procedure to be sure yet.

Jack Painter
Virginia Beach, Virginia

On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 21:45:23 -0500, "Jack Painter"
wrote:


4. Some small patrol boats DO have SSB capability, namely all new 47' MLBs's
which systematically replace the aging 41' patrol boats. Some 41's also have
SSB. All aircraft have VHF/MF/HF systems.

Don' tyou mean they are replacing the 44' MLBs?


Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a


"Be careful. The toe you stepped on yesterday may be connected to the ass you have to kiss today." --Former mayor Ciancia

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" wrote

On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 21:45:23 -0500, "Jack Painter"
wrote:


4. Some small patrol boats DO have SSB capability, namely all new 47'
MLBs's
which systematically replace the aging 41' patrol boats. Some 41's also
have
SSB. All aircraft have VHF/MF/HF systems.

Don' tyou mean they are replacing the 44' MLBs?


Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a


Those also, yes. Most if not all 44's should already be retired by now, and
there were a lot less of them to begin with (100?). Stations with heavy-surf
requirements had to have a 44, those without that requirement, and that was
a larger number, got various smaller units, 36' & 41' etc. Many of them are
still around. Washington State, notorious for the surf-school and the worst
bar-crossings in the continent, still has a variety of older surf boats for
training. But the new 47 is the mainstay of the med-range surf-boat and
general purpose patrol boat. SAFE boats are the new aluminum cabintops with
orange protective rigid-hulls, generally at 25' with some customs units at
21,23 and 27'.

These two new designs were tested at ISC Portsmouth, VA all summer of '04.
Exciting equipment.
http://www.oceantech.com/whatsnew.htm

Jack

Man, you must have alot of spare time on your hands :)

So how does the USCG support skywave comms for stations not near the
coast?

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

"Jack Painter" wrote in message
news:8L_Gd.18132$B95.563@lakeread02...

"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote

Thank You! A great and sensible answer! And I agree that the squelch
doesn't work all that well on SSB.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

"Me" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote:

I don't know the actual answer to this, but it seems to me that
the CG has clustered its monitoring stations for HF/MF along the
coasts.
What is the rationale behind this? It pretty much limits comms to
groundwave
in the covered areas. It would seems that a few stations spread out
around the country would vastly expand coverage via skywave. Is it
because
the CG is limited in it's jusisdiction and can't establish stations
inland?
One of the advantages of using the ham bands is that station are
stread
out
all over the world. At any given time day or night some station either
via
groundwave or skywave is going to be listening.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

It is because the USCG only deals with "Certain" Comms capability, so
any skywave comms which depend on what the E and F layers are doing
and what the GeoMagnetic Index is at the moment, aren't figured in.
That is also why MF was basically given up as a Maritime Comms System
when the switch to SSB from AM happened, by the USCG. Oh, the
"Official
Line" is that they have a 24/7 Watch on 2812 Khz, but in the REAL
World,
and not Jack's Universe, Most of those MF Receivers have the volume
turn
down, because the Operators can't deal with the white noise, when
trying
to hear something on one of the HF Receivers. Been that way for MANY
years, even if Jack doesn't acknowledge it. Some of the best FCC
Maritime Monitoring that was ever done was from the old Grand Island,
Nebraska, Station.......

Me


Are you still interested in answers to your questions, or would you two
just
rather continue your back-slapping stories? Your replies to each other
sound
pretty cozy, and I don't want to barge in between your barstools while the
two of you solve the world's problems.

For the rest of the group still following G here is my universe:

1. "Squelch" is NEVER adjusted on any USCG guard receiver, VHF, MF, or HF.
This applies equally to every Boat Station, Group, Sector, Activity,
Communication Station and Communication Area Master Station. Anyone not
drunk will also understand the following:

2. Volume is NEVER turned down, as was foolishly suggested above. Lets be
serious for a moment. During critical SAR comms, volume will be turned UP
on
affected systems, this will have the same effect as turning others "down".
That is not a long term condition, and SSB receivers are in a separate
area
from the VHF consoles anyway. This is something some of you could observe
if
you asked for a tour of a Group watchstanding system.

3. Boat Stations do NOT have SSB capability, their AOR is always within
VHF
range.

4. Some small patrol boats DO have SSB capability, namely all new 47'
MLBs's
which systematically replace the aging 41' patrol boats. Some 41's also
have
SSB. All aircraft have VHF/MF/HF systems.

5. Most Groups (or "Sectors" as they are transitioning to) and Activities
have multiple towers (called "High Sites" ). Location of these high-sites
normally allows significant overlap of the adjoining Group/Sector's AOR.

6. There are still areas of the Coastal-Continental United States that
have
small gaps in VHF coverage. Maine and Florida used to be the last ones on
the East coast reporting this problem (there may be others we are not
aware
of). USCG AUX in Florida remedied that state's problem with volunteer
funded, erected and maintained towers and repeater systems in the thousand
islands area of SW Florida.

7. Rescue-21 when fully implemented, will maintain full VHF coverage in
all
areas, and between 20-40 miles seaward. The first Group to have this
system
completed is adjacent to me, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Even with
Rescue-21 up and running there, that Group NOW has full MF-DSC-GMDSS
capability on 2187.5 khz and of course monitors 2182 khz (the
IMO-regulated
adjoining voice channel to 2mhz-DSC) on a 24/7 basis, just as all USCG
Groups do.

8. Each of a Group's several high-sites now has their own set of VHF
receivers and transmitters. Group watchstanders monitor a guard receiver
speaker from EACH high site, all playing "white noise" all the time.

9. The SSB/MF/HF systems of every GroupSector/Activity serves many other
purposes than just guarding 2182 khz, which is required by International
treaty for declared Sea Area A-2 (the range between VHF and HF shore
coverage of guard frequencies). IMO regulations are beyond the scope of
this
discussion, but I will be happy to try to elaborate some that relate to
ship
to shore communications later.

9. Automatic Direction Finding equipment with display on computer-screen
charts is selectable from all or individual high-sites.

10. Digital recording devices capture 100% of all incoming traffic to USCG
Group receivers.

11. Auto-alarms received on 2182 khz (that are NOT during the
testing-periods allowed) occur up to several times a week. In no case that
I
can remember, has the pleasure boat, fishing vessel or commercial ship
that
sounded them ever "cancelled" with apologies. Callouts and urgent marine
information broadcasts across wide areas result.

12. Auto-alarms received on VHF-DSC Ch-70 (156.525 mhz) with no
acknowledgement or cancellation occur at least weekly. Testing of VHF-DSC
auto-alarms is illegal, so I guess it's no surprise that most don't
acknowledge. I have heard a commercial fishing captain call us to say "the
darn thing just went off". He was DF'd and hunted-down before he
acknowledged this. It cost him nothing to apologize yet cost the Coast
Guard
an hour of SAR-callouts, boat-team launch, preparation for aircraft
launch,
etc.

13. Valid MAYDAY calls for USCG SAR-response are received on 2182 khz as
the
first communication used on average of once every two weeks or so along
the
Eastern seaboard.

14. HF is the ONLY 24hr skywave-reliable SSB system in use. MF is only for
short range (20-200 miles), and only intended as a bridge between VHF line
of sight and HF skywave. This doesn't stop us from completing hours of
SAR-case communications exclusively on 2182 khz as long as it remains
successful.

Hope this clears some of the fog spreading from various
barstool-scuttlebutt.

Jack Painter
Virginia Beach, Virginia

"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote

So being chewed out by the CG is their form of a response to a request
for a radio check? Isn't that sweet. That certainly encourages folks to
check to see if their rig is working.

Doug,

Unfortunately that's correct. Although the boating public often disagrees,
it is not the USCG's responsibility to provide a means of testing their
radio equipment. A reasonable person will understand that the boater is
responsible and normally capable of making such equipment checks without
interfering with a life-saving and homeland security service. This includes
following the regulated use of marine radios, which prohibit making calls to
a non-specific ("Any Station") unit or vessel for routine traffic, radio
checks, etc. In local VHF use, there are few exceptions to this. One example
could be in winter/heavy-wx, etc (imagine a condition when few pleasure or
commercial activities might be active) and there are no other observed
vessels or monitoring coastal stations available for a radio check prior to
departing. We would all agree a vessel's communications equipment should be
tested by any means available before such activity!

Channel
9 is allocated for both calling/hailing and as an alternate distress
frequency (ship-to-ship only) in most areas now. This was done to
alleviate
the congestion in busy areas on Ch-16. It is also part of an experiment
to
move ALL calling/hailing from Ch-16 to Ch-9, leaving Ch-16 for urgency
and
distress only. Ch-9 is where ship to ship or ship to shore radio checks
should take place.

That's good. Ch9 is where radio check should be made.

Radio operating procedures for VHF-marine do state that
no "any station" type radio checks should ever be made.

You just said that Ch9 is now intended for that purpose!

Indeed. That doesn't provide an excuse to ignore proper marine radio
operating procedures, in which routine calls to unspecific stations are not
permitted. This is not Amateur Radio! we do not "CQ" to chat or see how far
anyone might hear us over the VHF or HF marine bands.

If that activity is going to happen, and certainly it does, it should never
be over the distress/hailing channel (16). I said the Coast Guard always
answers radio checks. Let me be more specific. Over the years the policy on
answering radio checks has changed at least a couple of times. It is current
policy to discourage any vessel from using channel 16 to make radio checks.
They should however be answered, and the sometimes inconsistent results are
simply unfortunate.

I've never heard anyone ask for a radio check from the USCG. Usually they
are asking for a response from anyone that can hear them.

See "This is not amateur radio!" above.

Now if you called a SPECIFIC Coast Guard Group or Station,
asking to switch to their wkg frequency for radio check, they should
accomodate you in a courteous fashion, unless something else urgent is
going
on with their unit.

Fair enough.

I understand a boater ( I am one too btw) wants to know that the ones who
would be called to help them should be able to hear them. It's also ignorant
of the fact that it must be policy to discourage calling the Coast Guard
anytime this emotional desire gets triggered (getting underway, tinkering
with radio system, bored, etc). There are other more practical ways to test
a radio when it is appropriate to do so, which do not interfere with
life-saving and homeland security communications of the USCG.

On HF: Since HF duplex calling channels are no longer guarded
(Jan-1-2005),
and instead the associated simplex voice channels for 4,6,8, and 12 meg
DSC-GMDSS are, I am not sure if that makes them the place for a radio
check
with USCG. It hasn't happened to me yet and I have not seen guidance on
this.

So, if I am heading offshore, how do I find out if the USCG can copy me?

As above, this is not a question that any indivdual vessel operator has a
right to verify with the USCG
directly. They can of course check their systems with any specific station
(no "Any Station" calls) and if the USCG is able to answer, they might. USCG
is not a marine telephone operator, and it would be purely the disgression
of a watchstander, based on other priorities and guided by local command and
service-policies, to respond to a radio check made specifically to his unit
or station. I hope you find this helpful.

Best regards,

Jack Painter
Virginia Beach, Virginia