Digital voice on VHF marine?
 

I was parked on the bluff above the Port Washington, WI harbor on Lake
Michigan, and heard two stations communicating in what sounded like a
digitized or scrambled mode. I could hear the inflections in their voices but
not understand them.

I don't recall what channel it was. No problems hearing the USCG or other small
fishing boats.

??

John WIlke
Milwaukee

"J999w" wrote:

I was parked on the bluff above the Port
Washington, WI harbor on Lake Michigan,
and heard two stations communicating in
what sounded like a digitized or scrambled
mode. I could hear the inflections in
their voices but not understand them.


Yes, digital is on VHF marine. What you may have heard is Digital
Selective Calling (DSC), an automated beacon, or some other similar digital
transmission. Don't worry, since there is little advantage in it at the
moment, digital won't take over marine radio anytime soon.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

If you remember the freq, check to see if it is around ch 70. Somewhere
around ch.70 is the DSC freq
"J999w" wrote in message
...
I was parked on the bluff above the Port Washington, WI harbor on Lake
Michigan, and heard two stations communicating in what sounded like a
digitized or scrambled mode. I could hear the inflections in their voices
but
not understand them.

I don't recall what channel it was. No problems hearing the USCG or other
small
fishing boats.

??

John WIlke
Milwaukee

I seem to recall audio inversion scrambling allowed on some VHF marine
channels. However, it also could have been a police agency using it also.
I know, not exactly the usage originally intended by the FCC, but trust me,
it has happened before on VHF marine. Although, with so many Nextels, etc.,
I am more likely to think a commercial marine operation using simple
scrambling. If you do a Google search or something similar and put in VHF
marine scrambling, you will see several manufacturers that offer scrambling
either standard or as an option. (You don't want other fisherman to know
where you caugh that sunfish at!)

Jim NØJS

I listen to marine freq's all the time and have heard the Coast Guard
use the digital type scrambling at times in lake Ontario.

I listen to marine freq's all the time and have heard the Coast Guard
use the digital type scrambling at times in lake Ontario.

J&D Schnoor wrote:
I seem to recall audio inversion scrambling allowed on some VHF marine
channels. However, it also could have been a police agency using it also.
I know, not exactly the usage originally intended by the FCC, but trust me,
it has happened before on VHF marine. Although, with so many Nextels, etc.,
I am more likely to think a commercial marine operation using simple
scrambling. If you do a Google search or something similar and put in VHF
marine scrambling, you will see several manufacturers that offer scrambling
either standard or as an option. (You don't want other fisherman to know
where you caugh that sunfish at!)

Jim NJS


Many off-shore fishing fleets use inversion.
I've heard them in NYC.

same here on the oregan coast. i accidetly decoded the tran and it
was fishermen talking bout the season.
On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 04:39:08 GMT, "J&D Schnoor"
wrote:

I seem to recall audio inversion scrambling allowed on some VHF marine
channels. However, it also could have been a police agency using it also.
I know, not exactly the usage originally intended by the FCC, but trust me,
it has happened before on VHF marine. Although, with so many Nextels, etc.,
I am more likely to think a commercial marine operation using simple
scrambling. If you do a Google search or something similar and put in VHF
marine scrambling, you will see several manufacturers that offer scrambling
either standard or as an option. (You don't want other fisherman to know
where you caugh that sunfish at!)

Jim NØJS