Federal Register: April 26, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 80)]
[Notices]
[Page 20863-20865]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26ap07-72]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[USCG-2007-27656]


High Frequency (HF) Radio Broadcasts of Marine Weather Forecasts and
Warnings

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice; request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is soliciting public comment on the need to
continue providing high frequency (HF) radio broadcasts of weather
forecasts and warnings. Public comment is necessary in order to assess
the demand for the HF radio broadcasts of weather forecasts in each of
three forms: (1) Radiofacsimile; (2) voice; and, (3) Simplex Teletype
Over Radio (SITOR), also known as Narrow Band Direct Printing (NBDP).
The infrastructure necessary to provide these services has exceeded
its life expectancy; the equipment is no longer manufactured, repairs
are difficult to accomplish, and spare parts generally are not
available. Because of the very significant costs involved to continue
these specific HF radio services, the Coast Guard requires information
on the extent to which these services are used by the public and what
alternative services are being used or are available to obtain weather
forecasts and warnings.

DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management
Facility on or before August 24, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket
number USCG-2007-27656 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S.
Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only
one of the following methods:

(1) Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/
cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=htt p://
dms.dot.gov
(2) Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of

Transportation, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
(3) Fax: 202-493-2251.
(4) Delivery: Room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif
Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone
number is 202-366-9329.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
please contact Mr. Russell S. Levin, Spectrum Management Division (CG-
622), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, telephone: 202-475-3555, fax:
202- 475-3927, or e-mail:
. If you have questions on viewing
or submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-493-0402.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

We encourage you to participate by submitting comments. All
comments received will be posted, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?
from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://dms.dot.gov

and will include any personal information you have provided. We have
an agreement with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to use the
Docket Management Facility. Please see DOT's ``Privacy Act'' paragraph
below.
Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include your
name and address, identify the docket number for this notice (USCG-
2007-27656) and give the reason for each comment. You may submit your
comments by electronic means, mail, fax, or delivery to the Docket
Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES; but please submit
your comments by only one means. If you submit them by mail or
delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by
11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit
them by mail and would like to know that they reached the Facility,
please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will
consider all comments received during the comment period.
Viewing comments and documents: To view comments, go to http://dms.dot.gov
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?
from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://dms.dot.gov
at any time, click on ``Simple Search,'' enter the last

five digits of the docket number for this notice, and click on
``Search.'' You may also visit the Docket Management Facility in room
PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street
SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the
Department of Transportation's Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit
http://dms.dot.gov http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/
leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=htt p://dms.dot.gov .


Background and Purpose

The Coast Guard broadcasts the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) weather
forecasts and warnings using 24 high frequency (HF) radio transmitters
(transmitting on frequencies between 3 and 30 MHz) located at seven
Coast Guard communications stations in the United States and Guam. The
range of these HF radio transmissions is dependent upon operating
frequency, time of day and atmospheric conditions, and can vary from
only short distances to several thousand miles. There are three types
of HF radio broadcasts currently provided: (1) Voice broadcasts that
transmit a synthesized voice to announce the forecasts); (2)
radiofacsimile, also known as ``radiofax'' or ``HF Fax'' broadcasts,
that transmit graphic weather maps and other graphic images over HF
radio (maps are received using a dedicated radiofax receiver or a
single sideband shortwave receiver connected to an external facsimile
recorder or a personal computer equipped with a radiofax interface and
application software); and, (3) Simplex Teletype Over Radio (SITOR)
broadcasts also known as Narrow Band Direct Printing (NBDP).
The 24 HF transmitters employed to transmit weather forecasts and
warnings are not, because of their age, providing the reliability the
Coast Guard expects from its radio transmitters. These particular
transmitters are no longer manufactured and replacement parts
generally are not available, making it difficult, if not impossible,
to repair them. If the HF weather broadcasts are to continue, the
infrastructure necessary for the broadcasts must be replaced.
Significant costs will be incurred to replace the requisite
transmitters and associated infrastructure. Before seeking funds for
this undertaking, the Coast Guard must gather evidence relating to how
frequently, and under what circumstances, the maritime community uses
the various types of HF radio weather broadcasts. In addition, it
would be helpful to learn about current and future needs of the
maritime community with regard to receiving weather forecasts and
warnings over HF radio, and what alternatives are being used or might
become available.
Questions: The following are questions related to Coast Guard HF
radio broadcasts on which we seek your comments. It would be helpful
if commenters would answer the question as specifically as possible,
and then provide explanations, if any, for the responses.
(1) What is your position in the maritime community? (Please be as
specific as possible, e.g., captain of 600[min] oil tanker, 1st mate
on 500 unit containership, owner/operator of 45[min] cruising
sailboat, fleet manager of a 27 vessel shipping company, yacht
delivery captain,
etc.)
(2) What are your primary sources for obtaining marine weather
forecasts? (For example, Inmarsat-C/SafetyNet, USCG HF radio
broadcasts, USCG medium frequency (MF) Radio Broadcasts, USCG very
high frequency (VHF) radio broadcasts, NOAA Weather Radio, NAVTEX,
shoreside Internet, radio/television, commercial service/system, etc.)
(3) Do you use Coast Guard HF radio voice broadcasts to receive
marine weather forecasts? (Yes or No) If yes, how often do you use
Coast Guard HF voice broadcasts and how critical are they to your
safety and operation as compared to the other sources you listed in
your response to Question 2?
(4) Do you use Coast Guard HF radiofax broadcasts to receive
marine weather forecasts? (Yes or No) If yes, how often do you use
Coast Guard HF radiofax broadcasts and how critical are they to your
safety and operation as compared to the other sources you listed in
your response to Question 2?
(5) Do you use Coast Guard HF radio Simplex Teletype over Radio
(SITOR) (also known as Narrow Band Direct printing (NBDP)) to receive
marine weather forecasts? (Yes or No) If yes, how often do you use
Coast Guard SITOR radio broadcasts and how critical are they to your
safety and operation as compared to the other sources you listed in
your response to Question 2?
(6) What alternative source(s) for obtaining marine weather
forecasts would you pursue if Coast Guard HF broadcasts were no longer
available? How would you rate the alternative source(s) in terms of
(a) user cost and (b) usefulness of the information as compared to the
Coast Guard HF broadcast it replaces?
(7) Would the loss of Coast Guard HF marine weather broadcasts
affect you? Please explain.
(8) How far seaward does your vessel primarily operate? (For
example, coastal (0-25 nautical miles (nm) seaward); offshore (25-200
nm seaward); or, high seas (more than 200 nm seaward.) In what
geographic area(s) do you generally operate your vessel? (For example,
mid-Atlantic, New England, North Central Pacific, Hawaii, Gulf of
Mexico, etc.)
As noted previously, comments regarding these questions, and any
other pertinent matters brought to our attention during the comment
period, will be taken into account in our future actions regarding the
issues raised by these questions.

Dated: April 18, 2007.
C.S. Johnson, JR.,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Assistant Commandant for Command,
Control, Communications, Computers and Information Technology.
[FR Doc. E7-7945 Filed 4-25-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-15-P