Dear Rod,
I found your website via a link from Asian Yachting. I thought you might be interested in the following information related to HF-SSB radio services in the Pacific, Indian Oceans, Australia/New Zealand and SE Asia.
I operate a HF-SSB radio base in Asia for recreational small craft. The service area covers the North West Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and South East Asia, including the north and west coasts of Australia. My station also hosts the regional SailMail gateway station with service throughout the above areas. See my website at www.bruneibay.net/bbradio for more details. Within a few months we expect to introduce simultaneous multiple channel/frequency transmission of our weather information and Maritime Safety Information skeds. We also plan to introduce a telephone interconnect service on HF-SSB radio.
A similar station has been operated for over 20 years by Derek and Jeanine Barnard from the east coast of Australia and covers the popular South Pacific cruising areas, in addition to the Great Barrier Reef, south and east coasts of Australia. The website is at http://www.pentacomstat.com.au . Penta Comstat hosts the regional SailMail gateway covering these areas.
Your clients and website visitors planning a world trip might be interested in the free information (eg: weather forecasts and Maritime Safety Information broadcasts) and member services (position reporting, message relay etc) available from these two operations. Perhaps you can add them to your list of HF services and place links from your website.
I have become aware through operating our service, that many world and long term cruisers think – before they leave home – that the only suitable HF-SSB communication facility is the Amateur Radio service. This is not the case. The International Telecommunications Union (which controls radio frequency allocation around the world) has assigned a Maritime HF-SSB radio service with a wide range of simplex ship to ship frequencies, and an even larger number of duplex channels for ship to shore communications. Small craft such as yachts require only a marine radio call-sign – assigned by their national communications authority – and a Restricted Radio Operator’s licence to use the service.
The Restricted Radio Operator’s licence – conducted in most countries by the radio communication authority - requires study of radio operation, emergency calling procedures and channel/frequency allocation related to the Maritime HF-SSB and VHF services only. Its specific focus is the Maritime operating requirements of small craft. It is less complicated and easier to obtain than an Amateur Radio license because radios sold for the Maritime HF-SSB and VHF services are supplied pre-programmed with the maritime frequency plan set by the ITU. An Amateur (HAM) radio is generally more complex, can operate over a wider range of frequencies, is user programmable, and requires user intervention and skill to operate correctly; they are designed to facilitate the education and experimentation functions of the Amateur Radio service. The training course and exam for an Amateur Radio license includes extensive study of electronics and radio technology.
In an emergency situation the Maritime HF-SSB is simple and fast to use with its pre-programmed emergency frequencies and call buttons. The International Maritime Distress frequencies are monitored 24 hours a day by commercial ships and by government, volunteer and some other shore stations (eg: limited coast stations, marinas, yacht clubs etc) around the world. Commercial ships and search aircraft carry radio direction finding equipment to locate vessels in distress by monitoring their communications on the assigned VHF and HF-SSB Maritime frequencies. The direction finding, tracking and communication equipment in search ships and planes operates on the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) assigned Maritime HF-SSB and VHF channels/frequencies. This equipment cannot track or talk to mobile or satellite phones, nor HF-SSB or VHF frequencies outside the official ITU Maritime service.
Penta Comstat and Brunei Bay Radio provide Limited Coast Station services on Maritime HF-SSB voice channels/frequencies allocated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). These member services include weather information, position reporting, message relay and telephone interconnect. Both stations also operate the regional SailMail gateways covering the South Pacific, North West Pacific and Indian Oceans, including SE Asia, Australian coastlines, New Zealand, Japan and the South Pacific Islands.
SailMail is a low cost, membership based, HF-SSB radio e-mail service particularly useful for cruising vessels. With a worldwide network of sixteen relay stations SailMail provides a highly reliable and low cost e-mail service suited to recreational vessels. See www.sailmail.com for more information.
Because of SailMail member action, official METAREA forecasts (the same available to big ships via INMARSAT satellite) are now available free via SailMail. Free GRIB files with the synoptic situation, plus wind speed and direction, and chart predictions up to 5 days in advance, are a major advance on traditional weather faxes. In the exotic and remote cruising areas on our side of the world, SailMail – and the free services that come with it – provides a consistent, convenient and reliable means of receiving important weather information, and maintaining contact with family, the office, spare parts suppliers, marinas, crew and friends. SailMail can also transfer commercial weather products – routing services, Buoyweather wind/wave predictions etc. The technology in modern HF-SSB e-mail systems means messages can get through even when voice quality on the HF-SSB is difficult. And the available transfer speed is faster than many satellite systems.
NAVTEX does not exist in most parts of the world outside coastal Europe and North America. Australia for instance has no NAVTEX stations at all, and in most parts of SE Asia and the Pacific islands services are limited and may not be reliable. NAVTEX only provides service close to land and the reality is that in the Pacific and Indian Ocean cruising areas, passages are often far from shore. The same radio modem used to receive SailMail can also receive NAVTEX if it is available.
Weather Fax is becoming problematic in parts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Australia and other larger countries have reliable automated systems for transmitting weather fax, but beyond their high seas forecast areas, the service is limited and may be unreliable. Many countries have suspended or reduced their government operated free to air HF voice and fax services since the advent of GMDSS, when commercial ships over 300 tonnes – which provided income to the coast stations via HF-SSB radio telephone interconnect time - switched to satellite for most of their communications because the GMDSS system required they install and operate an INMARSAT terminal to receive weather, weather warnings and Maritime Safety Information warnings. Where weather fax is available, the same HF radio modem used for SailMail can receive weather fax transmissions.
I hope this information is useful, especially for your clients and website visitors contemplating extended cruising trips to our side of the world. There are excellent cruising areas here with lots to see, beautiful islands, great dive sites, restaurants, shops, markets, white sand beaches, clear water and boat maintenance facilities. All at very attractive prices for long term cruisers. Be sure to allocate at least a year for cruising and exploring South East Asia.
If there is anything we can help with, please let me know.
Best wishes
Allan Riches
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Brunei Bay Radio - Asia, NW Pacific & Indian Oceans
HF Radio service for Small Craft
Voice - SailMail - Buoyweather - Yotreps
www.bruneibay.net/bbradio
PO Box 2234
Bandar Seri Begawan BS8674
Brunei Darussalam
Phn: 673 2 262676
Fax: 673 2 262675