Radio Communication

These Good Samaritan Radio Hams set up a radio net for all mariners on the Great Lakes. Could be a good addition to marine VHF, and make the Lakes safer. Ham Radio generally has longer range than other radios and has hundreds of hobbyist listeners tuned in and ready to help. Net time is 08:30 am Eastern on weekend mornings. The HF SSB frequency is 7.268 MHz LSB. VHF 2M in the Chicagoland area is 146.760 MHz FM, PL 107.2 Echolink KC9SGV-L node number 528436 IRLP Great Lakes Reflector, node number 9619. This year we will have some exciting additional features to play with during the nets. We are adding a brand new HF Remote server here in the shack. Several other HF Remote servers are available to us around the Great Lakes this time around. Note: At least a General Ham Radio licence is required for this. Also new is the use of the Echolink APP for Iphone and Android phones from your boat. With this APP you will be able to contact the net control officers directly in their shacks on Echolink/IRLP. The range for 3G and 4G on the Lakes is about 3 to 5 miles offshore by testing. Note: At least a Technician Ham licence is required for this. The Skype APP for Iphone and Android will also come in handy this year. You can contact KC9SGV Great Lakes Marine Mobile Net on Skype directly in the shack. Note: No licence is required for this. All information will be on our website at http://www.glmmnet.org http://www.glmmnet.org

If you don't mind, I'll add some explanations. the 7.268 MHZ can be picked up on a shortwave receiver for those who would like to just monitor. For those within 50 miles of Chicago, a police scanner will pick up the 146.760 frequency. Good one listen to during severe weather events also.

Intense

Sounds cool and all...I'm certainly all for anything that makes the GL's safer. But this entire post is like reading Chinese to me I guess I'm just not that technically advanced.

Listen in to the Great Lakes Marine Mobile Net and other marine nets by connecting to the GLMMNet Skype station. No radio license is needed to do this. Do this from your computer or from your smart phone with the Skype APP. 3G/4G Range on the Lakes is about 3-5 miles off shore by testing. Search for "KC9SGV Great Lakes Marine Mobile Net" on Skype. The HF SSB radio audio is on 24/7, however the net only runs at 08:30 am Eastern on weekend mornings.