Coastal Marine Radio Services in NSW

Volunteer marine rescue units maintain a comprehensive radio coverage of the marine bands along the NSW coast. There are 56 volunteer units of which 51 provide marine radio services. Many of these are open 24 hours 7 days. See location map of these units. 

VHF

VHF radios are the most suitable radios for recreational boaters. They have excellent voice quality, are reliable and easily cover most areas used for recreational boating. An ongoing program of repeater installations is continually improving the NSW network.

VHF radios enable ship-to-ship communication between vessels and ship-to-shore communications with the volunteer services and the Sydney, Newcastle and Port Kembla Port Corporations (see Ports Authority Distress and Safety Network below). This type of radio is an effective and economical means of transmitting distress alerts, receiving weather forecasts and marine safety information.

VHF radio traffic is monitored on Channel 16 by the volunteer bases as well as the three port corporations. Monitoring is 24 hours 7 days at Port Corporations, the 16 volunteer Search and Rescue Coordination Centres (SARCCs) and 11 other volunteer units. The remaining 24 volunteer units maintain a radio watch during their respective opening hours.

The Uniform Shipping Laws (USL) Code states that effective VHF coverage extends only to 20 nautical miles from a shore station but may be as far as 30 nautical miles under some circumstances.

Typically VHF range is extended to 30 nautical miles or more when using a marine repeater. There are currently ten VHF marine repeaters along the coast which have been installed and are maintained by the volunteer services. See map showing the location of repeaters.

To use a VHF radio in vessels in Australia, a Certificate of Proficiency issued by the Australian Maritime College is required. Users can either obtain a Marine Radio Operators Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP) to use both VHF and HF radios, or a Marine Radio Operators VHF Certificate of Proficiency (MROVCP) to use VHF marine radios only. Courses are regularly offered by the volunteers. For detail check your nearest unit.   

VHF radios are now covered by a Class Licence, so marine radio users do not need to obtain (or pay for) a separate radio licence.

Digital Selective Calling (DSC) services on the VHF band are now provided as an option for boaters. To utilize this service, vessels require a DSC-capable VHF radio that must be programmed with a Mobile Maritime Service Identity (MMSI).  An MMSI can be obtained from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). 

Without a valid MMSI your DSC radio will not be able to take advantage of the DSC functions. An MMSI will be issued only to persons with an MROCP or MROVCP. 

27 MHz

27 MHz is a common frequency band used by recreational boaters, however as the cost of VHF radios is now becoming more affordable and they provide better  communications, 27 MHz radios are becoming  less popular than they once were. A 27 MHz radio is generally suitable for use in enclosed waters and provides a range usually limited to line-of-sight. If you enjoy offshore boating then a VHF radio is recommended.

27 MHz radios allow ship-to-ship communication and ship-to-shore communication with the volunteer services. 27 MHz radios are capable of transmitting distress signals, receiving weather forecasts and marine safety information provided that the vessel is within range of the volunteer services.

Ports Authority Distress and Safety Network

An integrated network of stations operated around Australia by the States and the Northern Territory monitor the relevant VHF and HF 'distress and calling' frequencies and broadcast weather and navigation warnings, as well as marine safety information relevant to their broadcast areas.

In NSW, this service is provided by the Sydney, Newcastle and Port Kembla Port Corporations.

VHF RADIO

Sydney, Newcastle and Port Kembla Port Corporations monitor the VHF distress and emergency channel 16. NSW weather and navigation warning broadcasts are provided on VHF channel 67 at 0733 and 1733 hours EST. Wind, severe weather and navigation warnings are broadcast at hourly intervals upon receipt of such warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology or AMSA and until such time that the warning conditions no longer exist. This VHF service only covers waters within the vicinity of Newcastle to Nowra. The service is not available on 27 MHz.

HF RADIO

HF is used for long distance ship-to-shore communication with a complete on-board installation costing from around $4,000. HF coverage is highly variable and dependent on a number of factors such as atmospheric and weather conditions and the power of the HF radio that is being used. Generally speaking HF coverage is up to 200 Nautical miles but under certain circumstances can be considerably more.

24 hours, 7 days HF radio service is operated from Sydney Ports Corporation which monitors the 4125, 6215 and 8291 kHz distress and calling frequencies. This HF service covers NSW coastal waters to at least 200 nautical miles from the shore from a transceiver site in Sydney (Callsign COAST RADIO SYDNEY). Sydney Ports Corporation also broadcasts relevant navigation warnings and marine safety information (MSI) on 8176 kHz at 1057 and 2357 hours and as any such warnings are received from AMSA.

The Bureau of Meteorology broadcasts marine weather information for NSW 'coastal waters' and 'high seas' from VMC Weather Australia East located at Charleville Qld on HF frequencies: 2201, 4426, 6507, 8176, 12365 and 16546 kHz. These frequencies have been allocated to the Bureau of Meteorology and their use as general working frequencies is not permitted.

The Bureau publishes the scheduled broadcast times on its website.

VHF & HF SERVICES FROM COAST RADIO SYDNEY AND THE BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY