[Milsurplus] U.S. Coast Guard Traditions

[GENE BALINSKI]

I fail to see your point.

PAN-PAN and Sécurité are used to describe message priorities with MAYDAY at the top of the list.   They are still used on a daily basis by USCG, swing bridge operators, and even some vessels/tugs underway when a warning or informational message is about to be transmitted.  These are **international standards**, and not made up or put in to place by the USCG.  All international ships are aware as are most boater, and they understand what it all means. 

As you mentioned below, the USCG COM-STA does announce the Marine Channel before the frequency.  To your point, no one tune a vfo on their Marine radios any more.  It is a good thing however for those people with scanners, and/or some  OFs with the freqs written in pencil on a sticker  stuck to an old xtal marine radio.   

Bottom line, it works, the boaters understand it, and it may even be an international standard.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.....  



 


> On 02/13/2022 3:58 PM Hubert Miller <kargo_cult at msn.com> wrote:
> 
>  
> I just heard on VHF 16 the Coast Guard requesting boaters to keep a lookout for a small craft 
> having lost power and in danger. My first guess is, another hoax perpetrated by tourists, which
> is a regular thing each year. The Coast Guard call was preceded by "Panpan, panpan, panpan...
> at 12:45 hours the Coast Guard has received report...."  This is a city of 10,000 and possibly there
> are maybe 4 people who understand French. There are maybe 2500 who speak or understand 
> Spanish. If any of the latter group are listening, I wonder what they think of "Bread bread, bread
> bread..."  "Does this announcement relate to feeding seagulls Mexican sweet bread?"  No, but it 
> does relate to some 1930s "International Convention on Safety at Sea" or some such thing. The
> USCG VHF broadcast goes maybe 40 miles. It's important to adhere to tradition, right? Like when 
> the CG announces that the bar - crossing report follows on 157.1 MHz, channel 22. The boaters 
> are all turning their dials, searching for 157.1 frequency. Right? "We have always done it this way."
> -Hue Miller 
> 
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