T&T: Use of Marine VHF chanels.

[bob Austin]

Citizen's band is not of much use in emergencies for multiple reasons,
including low power (at least legal sets), no repeaters.
  The use of marine VHF channels are regulated by the FCC, not the Coast
Guard.  The use of Marine VHF by land elements is frowned upon. It might be
acceptable in a single distress call, where there is no other mode of
communication
There is a continous spectrum (various different modes FM wide/Narrow, AM etc)
whicmode of communication.which is available. There is no license to use all
of these frequencies unless you are licensed for them specifically, even in
times of emergencies.  The reason is that you may well intrude on a critical
transmission on an assigned frequency.  Frankly, there is very little if any
Marine VHF traffic during diseasters on land or near land.

a.. 132-144 MHz: Auxiliary civil services, satellite, space research, and
other miscellaneous services
a.. 136.000 - 138.000  Satellite
a.. 138.000 - 144.000  US Government
a.. 144.000 - 148.000  Amateur (2-meter)
a.. 148.000 - 150.800  US Government
a.. 150 to  162 : "VHF Business band," the unlicensed Multi-Use Radio Service
(MURS), and other 2-way land mobile, FM, as well as marine.
a.. Included in the middle of the VHF band are the emergency services ( such
as ambulances, Perimedics, some fire, airports, highway patrol, mutual aid and
EOC communicationsK). up to 162 mhz, also included in these are transportation
(trucks, taxi, railroads, Forrestry, tow trucks, public safety etc). These are
mixed in with the VHF Marine spectrum.
a.. 156.025 - 162 Maritime (ship) VHF Marine Radio; narrow band FM,
a.. 162 to 174 U S Government.
a.. 174 to 216 Television Broadcast Channels (7 to 13)
a.. 216 to 222  (private, business, land mobile)
a.. 222 to 225 Amature
a.. 225 to 420 Government-military
a.. 420 to 450 Amateur radio
a.. 450 to 459.975The UHF used by industry and government
a.. 460 to 470 police and public Safety (but also includes business, airports,
maritime, etc)x
a.. Police/public safety.   Trunked systems start at 850 MHZ
There are many hand held radios and fixed base radios which will cover the
entire spectrum from the 118 mhz up to 470 mhz which can be modified to
transmit on these various frequencies--however this is illegal.

There are type specific radios which are assigned and certified to various
frequency spectrums.  At one time I was director of an EOC at a 35,000 student
university and we had multiple radios, including HAM and police as well as our
own frequencies and mutual aid in our EOC.  There is very strict radio
protocol during emergencies--and breaking is not acceptable.

Most of the radios in these frequency spectrum use repeaters which are on
towers or high buildings--but often these towers are lost during storms.
There are multiple problems with public service radio during diseasters and
that is where Ham radio operators come in.  Most of us have independant power
supplies, have multiple radios and are capable of operating on multiple
frequencies if so asked by the authorities. Amatuers also the capablility to
put up emergency repeater towers rapidly and run communications net in
parallel with officials.   The "official" radios, often loose base control,
loose repeater towers, and loose battery power as well as fixed base power.

Bob Austin