Radio Nets
HF radio transceivers are one of the most important safety devices on a cruising sailboat. They are used for voice communication (see below) but also for sending and receiving email and getting weather. The most common type are "open" models which are able to be used on both marine and amateur bands. Our HF radio aboard Carina is an ICOM M710RT which we use with an SCS PTC-IIPro pactor modem using pactor 3 technology. Radio nets are regularly conducted discussions, normally moderated, which serve to provide shared communications amongst boats and sometimes land based stations.
Marine (SSB) & Amateur (Ham) Nets
SSB Nets
Central/South America
Pacific Mexico
Amigo—1400 UTC, 8122 KHz USB, switches to 4A after the weather
Southbound—0145 UTC, 4054 USB , no weather for winter schedule
Picante— 1330 UTC, 6212 USB winter only
Caribbean
NW Caribbean—1400 UTC, 6209 USB (alt. 6516 - 6D).
Panama Connection—1330 UTC, 8107, USB
Pacific
Panama Pacific—1400 UTC, 8143 USB (alt. 8137, 8155, 6230 or 6C)
Pacific Passage—2300 UTC, 8143 USB (alt. 8137, 8155), created in 2009 by those underway to the So. Pac
Patagonia—1200 UTC, 8164 USB, Wolfgang
Rag of the Air - 1900 Z, 8173 USB, Jim & Kyoko Bandy, Fiji
Namba Net - 0815 Local time (2115 Z), Vanuatu, seasonal, 4003 USB
Yokwe Net - 0745 Local time Majuro, Marshall Islands (+12 GMT), 6236 USB
Sheila Net - 2200 Z, 8161 USB
Ham Nets
US/International
Intercontinental—before MMSN, 14,300 USB
Maritime Mobile Service (MMSN) — 12 noon - 2100 Eastern, 14,300 USB
Pacific Ocean
Great Northern Boater's Net—1600 (0800 PST), 3870 & 7285 LSB
Pacific Seafarer's—0300 UTC, 14,300 USB
Pacific Island—0000 UTC, 14,135 USB, Gunther
Mexico
Sonrisa—1430 UTC 3,968 winter schedule
Mañana—1830 Zulu 14,340 USB
Central/South America
Central American Breakfast Club—daily except Sunday, 1300 UTC, 7083 LSB (alt. 7086 or 7080 LSB)