Boatnerd Discussion Forum

VHF marine band opening to Seaway Welland/Bridges has been
quite good. Buffalo CG activities have been clearly monitored
for a while.

For what it may be worth, that local Erie Amateur Radio Repeater
is not only still causing interference to Marine Band VHF, they
still are not concerned about releasing this unnecessary and thoroughly unjustified interference, they appear to not be concerned whatsoever with the possible range and certainly not with any impact that this situation has been inflicting on the area here.

One thing is for sure, grape vine has it that even ARRL, and a few
other FCC departments have now also got word of this situation.

Why they continue to be permitted to jam, splatter, and present any presence outside of normal amateur radio frequencies still remains a deep and disturbing mystery.
Mind you it is not only their own audio that is being dumped into Marine VHF, but it is many other communications from the area that hosts this repeater, and also NOAA weather service.

Strong interference from this repeater is a reality.
Not seeing it stopped since April 9th, and the 2 weeks that
followed tells you that the U.S.ofA. really has lapped into a
totally unconcerned and unfocused body of individuals no longer
interesting in proper FCC-enforcement, ARRL-enforcement, and
self-governing body of hams.
True ham radio operators would never engage in activities like
this: however we are dealing with the local Erie radio club here.

Should prove most interesting what actually is told the general public once the truth of how long and why this malicious interference has been allowed to molest this area.

--RadSurfer--

I believe they are talking about Erie PA not Erie MI. Does Pennsylvania have a similar coordination council? Or does the Michigan council cover areas outside Michigan?

this matter needs to be taken up with the Michigan Area Repeater Council and not the FCC. They will look into the interfearence issue.

MARC Inc.
2266 E Vermontville Hwy
Charlotte, MI 48813-8705

Lee

Additional pleas to help us with this repeater problem have gone out again this morning, July 3rd, 2011 at 8am, to FCC, the Hospital, and other parties in the Erie area.
This has become routine where we are do our part and report this problem; but no one seems to be stepping in to remove this problem from our area.

Has something to do with conditions which are put into place when a "remote radio link" is operating for sake of having an Echolink connection to their repeater. In their first grandiose attempt to do this, it caused severe splattering and overloaded all of my scanners, marine band radio, and is suspected to have caused radio interference with hospital communications directly!
Whats more interesting, is when informed about this via their remailer (emal-based-blog/forum), it resulted in nothing being shut down or stopped. In fact it continued at this level for a week and a half. Stopped for a few days, and went right back to it again,
same levels of splattering & handing off of all hospital-based
communications into my Marine Band Radio.
It is felt that anyone at all with in at least a 1 to 2 block radius was able to experience this situation easily!
FCC was notified and that "reduced levels" a bit, but never stopped it. Hospitals telecommunications representative was contacted and yet it is still being allowed to happen.
Does make you wonder what is going on.
When this particular repeater is not using this additional add-on link radio, and/or its support feed, it is hoped at least, they do not retransmit hospital communications.
It is necessary to be concerned.

If an amateur repeater is doing this, then it is most certainly illegal. However, i do not see how this affects marine monitoring when amateur and marine frequencies are completely different. The amateur repeaters operate around 146-147 MHz and marine radio is 156 MHz and 161 MHz. I would appreciate further details , frequencies etc. and perhaps this can be stopped.

Amateur radio can nnot retransmit any signals which are not amateur radio with the possible exception of weather data.

I would certeainly hope you have reported this to the appropriate radio regulatory body.

If a certain amateur radio repeater around Saint Vincents would stop operating illegally, and not be retransmitting Security Communications, Maintenance Communications, Erie Fire, Erie Sheriff, and others, then, sure, Marine Band Reception would be most excellent for our area.

The best way to note an inversion like this is to check the NOAA/Environment Canada weather channels. If you are hearing more than those normally heard in your area, you haev an opening. Also look at canadian Marine weather channels 21B, 161.65 MHzand 83B, 161.775 MHz. Since they are also continuous, when you hear one or the other that is not normal for your area, an opening is indicated.

Last few days has been wonderful for anyone with a Marine VHF Radio, or properly-programmed "public service band receiver" since the Marine VHF 156-162 MHz band has been really open!

I have been able to hear Seaway Welland directly, as well as
Bridge and Lock Operations from there! It is a wonderful time of
year when this happens. I think if I ever wanted to live anywhere, it might be closer to places like Seaway Welland just so I would never miss any of the radio-action!

Am also hearing "Notice to mariners" from Buffalo CG. Heard some Detroit traffic, but VHF propagation seems to presently favor Buffalo area, upper north-east Lake Erie.

I heard a full-duplex phone batch between a Toronto Doctor, and I believe it was Frontenac, that was exciting.

All this from the comfort of my own bedroom & living room :-)

--RadSurfer--