Ever since I was a kid, the radio hobbies lured me to the magazine racks at the local bookstore, but as the years went by the magazines that piqued my interest dwindled in number. Despite fewer print publications, my personal interest in things wireless increased and especially as new technology was introduced! Creating PopularWireless.com was a logical progression of my own interests. The Internet, like the old computer bulletin boards I would frequent, allowed building communities of friends occupied with the same wireless interests.
The print publications were and are still important to the wireless hobbyist because in these magazines we have dreamed still dream as we read them. Remember Radio-TV Experimenter with White’s Radio Log, and the old Popular Electronics? The wireless listening and electronics hobbies were always enhanced through a subscription to these publications. The early magazines kept experimenters listening and building. We dreamed of buying the latest radio, building a project, or logging a radio station that a reader on the opposite coast had logged the previous month. The dreams focused our interests and later our on-line communication. We fell asleep in the easy chair with the magazines in our laps.
Today our hobbies are still supported by EXCELLENT print publications. The magazines have not lost the attraction though the writers/authors may have changed. My recent visit to a Borders bookstore reminded me that wireless hobbyists probably take great publications for granted. Because of the Internet we may have dismissed the print media as no longer viable. That just is not so. The print magazines are still relevant.
Hint to moms and dads. You can use a magazine like Monitoring Times, Popular Communications, Scanning USA, or QST to stimulate or suggest a technical hobby for your children. Pursuing a hobby that encourages reading and study may do more for a child’s future than spending hours in front of a mindless video game. To others the magazines still stimulate discussions, self study, technical or topical interest and we also focus our attentions on new technologies. The better articles in these magazines are hobby text books from which we can still learn new things.
A great deal of information has indeed moved to the Internet but as I read the latest issue of Monitoring Times I remarked on what I had missed by not having read every issue. I also wondered about the publications I received as benefits to joining a technical or hobby interest organization like the Long Wave Club Club of America.
My Christmas gift suggestion for the radio geek in your life is a subscription to a great magazine. It is something many of us have sorely missed aware or not.
When you live in or near a maritime community scanning the marine
VHF channels can be as entertaining as listening to police, fire, and medical calls. It can also be quite a bit cheaper when you stop to consider that a newer model digital scanner from RadioShack can cost you $399 on sale. The RadioShack PRO-96 hand-held scanner like it’s base/mobile cousin the PRO-2096 scanner are excellent scanners for digital public safety systems and even have marine VHF search capabilities built in. The PRO-96 is one of my favorites since I own one myself; however, you don’t need this super scanner to enjoy listening to marine VHF frequencies.
Several manufacturers, including RadioShack make inexpensive scanning receivers capable of scanning what the 
scanning enthusiasts call conventional radio systems. Many so-called conventional scanners are often not capable of scanning trunked public safety radio systems whether digital or analog. You don’t buy a conventional scanner to scan a trunked radio system but you might if you wanted to hear what was going on in the water surrounding your home. An example of a good low-cost conventional scanner is the RadioShack PRO-2018 desk-top scanner priced currently at $99. Also available is the low-priced PRO-82 hand-held scanner. Each scanner holds up to two-hundred user programmed frequencies.
How do I listen?
Programming conventional radio systems into a scanner is still much easier than programming trunked public safety systems. Don’t be afraid of making a scanner purchase to scan marine frequencies if your primary worry is that you will never figure out how to do it! It is not rocket science. Besides your local radio store will probably program the scanner for you if you ask.
Probably one of the easiest ways to listen to marine VHF channels is to use the grouped search function available on most scanners. On scanners like the RadioShack PRO-95, PRO-96 and others you can press the pre-programmed search button for marine channels and then start scanning all of the known VHF channels. It just takes seconds to enter the keystrokes. But if you have just a handful of of favorite channels you want to listen to you would enter those into a bank. Read your scanner documentation for instructions.
Where can I find my list of favorites?
Start by listening to channels that should produce some interesting radio listening right away. You will soon develop a list of channels for your area. These are the channels I suggest to start:
As you scan these channels listen for ships talking about other marine channels. You will quickly learn the working channels for maritime towing services, harbors, bridges, and pilots. Add those frequencies as you find them. In the Marin Links section of this website you will find a complete frequency list of marine channels.
Do I need a special antenna?
Not necessarily. It can depend how far away your listening point is from the waterway of interest. Simple VHF antennas for scanners are not expensive. Any outdoor antenna is preferable but if you are near the water chances are the antenna on the scanner will provide adequate results for with local signals.
Around 4AM this morning I heard a large passenger ship and a cargo ship talking about a much smaller vessel in the deep water shipping lane of the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Choptank River. This smaller boat was actually in some peril because both big boats were converging upon the smaller boat at about the same time. In order to avoid a collision, the big boats had to determine how to pass each other and then guess how the smaller boat would react. They needed to know the intentions of the smaller craft. This maritime radio-ballet is heard many times during the day at all hours. The dance is however a lot more successful if all parties on the dance floor are aware of each other or more accurately on the same radio channel so they can enjoy the dance together.
There was some real life drama to this event. Why isn’t the operator of the little boat listening? Why isn’t he responding? Is he intentionally causing a problem or is he just an inexperienced boater? Is something big about to happen and am I listening a fateful event about to unravel. Leaning into the radio I turned up the volume.
Both big boats hailed the operator (I hesitate to use the word captain) of the smaller boat for a good twenty minutes on VHF marine channels 16, 13, and 9. In the Bay, large vessels have to monitor channel 13 for navigation purposes. Finally the smaller boat answered up on channel 16. One big boat heard the smaller boat and the other big boat did not. The first big ship asked the small boat to move out of the way off to the west immediately and to stay out of the shipping lane as the big boats passed. The Master of the second big ship was more firm. He told the small boat operator to PAY ATTENTION to and to MONITOR the correct channels on his VHF marine radio if he was going to sailing in the real world and to better yet stay the heck out of the deep water shipping lanes with his tiny vessel! It was a classic butt chewing for an amateur seaman that made everyone else’s life more dangerous.
The little boat got out of the way and the big ships sailed on. Thank you captains!
Failing to keep a proper watch on VHF marine radio really is a big problem on our waterways here, and one problem the Coast Guard and local law enforcement should worry about more. It is, in my view, an obvious security vulnerability as well as a threat to basic safety and the continued safety of maritime commerce. The local mariners that do not understand navigation or how to use a VHF marine radio for navigation safety should be back in boaters school learning what they need to know before being allowed back on the water.
It is incredulous to hear on our water ways that the policing of bad habits is predominantly self policing. The Masters of larger ships, some from foreign countries, are educating local residents in smaller boats on the finer points of inland navigation and boating safety. Local law enforcement officials remain mysteriously absent. We see the Coast Guard aircraft patrolling the Bay on weekends. Occasionally we hear the Coast Guard boarding pleasure craft conducting inspections. You don’t often hear officials chasing down the errant sailor that put the lives of everyone aboard two large ships at risk by failing to keep a radio watch.
FCC Part 80 Rules do say that a VHF marine radio is not required on pleasure craft of a certain size but if the vessel is equipped and the radio is on the operator MUST maintain a watch. Perhaps the rules should read if you plan to play with the big dogs you best be ready to chat with them at a moment’s notice!
Do you live in a marine community? Are you listening to marine VHF radio to find out how safe your waters are? Are you a boater? Are you teaching everyone in your family how to maintain a radio watch? Do they know the purposes of the various marine channels? Are you the master of your vessel or just a local nuisance? Good questions.
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