Why is the CG Unintelligible When They are on the Radio?

[jtsailjt]

I’m not sure if local CG have been reading this thread or it was just a lucky isolated incident but last week I heard the most clear and understandable CG Pan Pan message ever. The whole thing, from clearly identifying himself to a very good description of the location of the vessel (dinghy) needing assistance. Nice to hear!

[capnJ]

Well, if they care enough about their reputation to have read this thread, then I'd expect them to care enough to take the comments to heart. If not, not. Anyway, I'm glad to hear of improvement.

[Group9]

We were on the boat yesterday, moving her from her hurricane hole, and heard “Securite, securite, securite” and rapidly unintelligible gibberish, other than coast and guard and sector on 16. I laughed and asked the boater friend helping me move the boat if he understood a word of that, and he said the same thing, “I never do!”.

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by BlackHeron

East Coast radio procedure it is horrible too. THESE are the best kids they could find? Give me a break. It is embarrassing how poor the vast majority of them are on the air

Thank goodness for BoatUS. Those wre the guys who will save your boat, since they are are actually getting paid by the client at market prices, and they don't show up with a loaded machinegun on the bow all manned and ready to blow you out of the water. Priorities...

The USCG is a hot mess, and like the USPS they are well past their good-by date.

[jhall767]

Over the weekend we listened to an announcement on 22 in which the radio operator used the term "as shown below" or similar several times. He apparently was reading a Notice to Mariners that included charts. Not all that helpful on the radio.

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by jhall767

Over the weekend we listened to an announcement on 22 in which the radio operator used the term "as shown below" or similar several times. He apparently was reading a Notice to Mariners that included charts. Not all that helpful on the radio.

Petty Officer Ron Burgundy

[Auklet]

I once chatted briefly with a serving Commander of Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach. Near the end I mentioned the problem we’re discussing regarding USCG VHF transmissions as being very difficult to understand, and suggested that they be listened to. It’s true, most of the time they are unintelligible to me. For one Pan Pan that mentioned expected imminent gale conditions I had to raise Sector Los Angeles on my VHF to ask for details that I could not follow in the original broadcast, etc. As they are done, it’s hard to see them as meant to be informative or communicative. More like a regular task or “chore” that must be logged to prove it having been done, etc. Do it, get it over with; check the box, move on.

[wholybee]

Something that I believe I have observed on the west coast, which presumably can or does happen in most of the US, is that the USCG has many stations that overlap. And depending on the broadcast and what stations are involved, sometimes I might received a signal from multiple stations at the same time. While in theory they are transmitting the same thing, they are out of phase and the result, depending on your location, might be quite garbled.
I observe this when I am in SF (or maybe a bit south of SF near Half Moon Bay) and a broadcast is received from Sector Monterey Bay. Such that I could receive the signal from either SF or Monterey, but both stations are transmitting. I would also here it from SF broadcasts if the target area for the report (like a pan-pan offshore) would include both SF and Monterey Bay and thus it's probably transmitting on both.
But then, immediately following that broadcast, I hear local USCG traffic just fine.
Maybe I am misjudging the cause(out of phase reception), but certainly when they are transmitting on multiple stations it can be very hard to understand.

[Auklet]

Originally Posted by wholybee

Something that I believe I have observed on the west coast, which presumably can or does happen in most of the US, is that the USCG has many stations that overlap. And depending on the broadcast and what stations are involved, sometimes I might received a signal from multiple stations at the same time. While in theory they are transmitting the same thing, they are out of phase and the result, depending on your location, might be quite garbled.
I observe this when I am in SF (or maybe a bit south of SF near Half Moon Bay) and a broadcast is received from Sector Monterey Bay. Such that I could receive the signal from either SF or Monterey, but both stations are transmitting. I would also here it from SF broadcasts if the target area for the report (like a pan-pan offshore) would include both SF and Monterey Bay and thus it's probably transmitting on both.
But then, immediately following that broadcast, I hear local USCG traffic just fine.
Maybe I am misjudging the cause(out of phase reception), but certainly when they are transmitting on multiple stations it can be very hard to understand.

In the cases I’m mentioning, it’s poor or mis-pronunciation, rapid speaking, and low quality transmissions. Not scramble. If I’m talking to an individual (i.e., not listening to an “information” broadcast), it’s generally not a problem.

[Xavierp]

Originally Posted by carstenb

WE now sailing in the US and we frequently hear the USCG on the radio. Despite being a European, I am a native english (american) speaker. The USCG broadcasts are unintelligible.

ABSOLUTELY!!!!
We had this conversation today with my mate. Hearing a pan pan call from USCG and no way to understand the location of the incident. They have the coordinates so fast and one time…

They need to understand that nowadays they are not solely talking to professional mariners.
I read in the thread some of these pro guys who of course say they have no problem understanding
The truth of the matter is that anything related to safety should be made understandable by ANYONE!

One day I, the casual sailor, might be able to save the pro mariner who think there’s no problem with the messages the USCG send!