[Federal Register: April 26, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 80)]
[Notices]
[Page 20863-20865]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26ap07-72]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[USCG-2007-27656]
High Frequency (HF) Radio Broadcasts of Marine Weather Forecasts
and Warnings
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice; request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is soliciting public comment on the need to
continue providing high frequency (HF) radio broadcasts of weather
forecasts and warnings. Public comment is necessary in order to assess
the demand for the HF radio broadcasts of weather forecasts in each of
three forms: (1) Radiofacsimile; (2) voice; and, (3) Simplex Teletype
Over Radio (SITOR), also known as Narrow Band Direct Printing (NBDP).
The infrastructure necessary to provide these services has exceeded its
life expectancy; the equipment is no longer manufactured, repairs are
difficult to
[[Page 20864]]
accomplish, and spare parts generally are not available. Because of the
very significant costs involved to continue these specific HF radio
services, the Coast Guard requires information on the extent to which
these services are used by the public and what alternative services are
being used or are available to obtain weather forecasts and warnings.
DATES: Comments and related material must reach the Docket Management
Facility on or before August 24, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket
number USCG-2007-27656 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S.
Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one
of the following methods:
(1) Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov
(2) Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
(3) Fax: 202-493-2251.
(4) Delivery: Room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif
Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone
number is 202-366-9329.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
please contact Mr. Russell S. Levin, Spectrum Management Division (CG-
622), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, telephone: 202-475-3555, fax: 202-
475-3927, or e-mail: Russell.S.Levin@uscg.mil. If you have questions on
viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright,
Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-493-0402.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Request for Comments
We encourage you to participate by submitting comments. All
comments received will be posted, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov
and will include any personal information you have provided. We have an
agreement with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to use the Docket
Management Facility. Please see DOT's ``Privacy Act'' paragraph below.
Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include your
name and address, identify the docket number for this notice (USCG-
2007-27656) and give the reason for each comment. You may submit your
comments by electronic means, mail, fax, or delivery to the Docket
Management Facility at the address under ADDRESSES; but please submit
your comments by only one means. If you submit them by mail or
delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11
inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. If you submit them
by mail and would like to know that they reached the Facility, please
enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will
consider all comments received during the comment period.
Viewing comments and documents: To view comments, go to http://dms.dot.gov
at any time, click on ``Simple Search,'' enter the last
five digits of the docket number for this notice, and click on
``Search.'' You may also visit the Docket Management Facility in room
PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street
SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the
Department of Transportation's Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or you may visit
http://dms.dot.gov.
Background and Purpose
The Coast Guard broadcasts the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) weather
forecasts and warnings using 24 high frequency (HF) radio transmitters
(transmitting on frequencies between 3 and 30 MHz) located at seven
Coast Guard communications stations in the United States and Guam. The
range of these HF radio transmissions is dependent upon operating
frequency, time of day and atmospheric conditions, and can vary from
only short distances to several thousand miles. There are three types
of HF radio broadcasts currently provided: (1) Voice broadcasts that
transmit a synthesized voice to announce the forecasts); (2)
radiofacsimile, also known as ``radiofax'' or ``HF Fax'' broadcasts,
that transmit graphic weather maps and other graphic images over HF
radio (maps are received using a dedicated radiofax receiver or a
single sideband shortwave receiver connected to an external facsimile
recorder or a personal computer equipped with a radiofax interface and
application software); and, (3) Simplex Teletype Over Radio (SITOR)
broadcasts also known as Narrow Band Direct Printing (NBDP).
The 24 HF transmitters employed to transmit weather forecasts and
warnings are not, because of their age, providing the reliability the
Coast Guard expects from its radio transmitters. These particular
transmitters are no longer manufactured and replacement parts generally
are not available, making it difficult, if not impossible, to repair
them. If the HF weather broadcasts are to continue, the infrastructure
necessary for the broadcasts must be replaced. Significant costs will
be incurred to replace the requisite transmitters and associated
infrastructure. Before seeking funds for this undertaking, the Coast
Guard must gather evidence relating to how frequently, and under what
circumstances, the maritime community uses the various types of HF
radio weather broadcasts. In addition, it would be helpful to learn
about current and future needs of the maritime community with regard to
receiving weather forecasts and warnings over HF radio, and what
alternatives are being used or might become available.
Questions: The following are questions related to Coast Guard HF
radio broadcasts on which we seek your comments. It would be helpful if
commenters would answer the question as specifically as possible, and
then provide explanations, if any, for the responses.
(1) What is your position in the maritime community? (Please be as
specific as possible, e.g., captain of 600[min] oil tanker, 1st mate on
500 unit containership, owner/operator of 45[min] cruising sailboat,
fleet manager of a 27 vessel shipping company, yacht delivery captain,
etc.)
(2) What are your primary sources for obtaining marine weather
forecasts? (For example, Inmarsat-C/SafetyNet, USCG HF radio
broadcasts, USCG medium frequency (MF) Radio Broadcasts, USCG very high
frequency (VHF) radio broadcasts, NOAA Weather Radio, NAVTEX, shoreside
Internet, radio/television, commercial service/system, etc.)
(3) Do you use Coast Guard HF radio voice broadcasts to receive
marine weather forecasts? (Yes or No) If yes, how often do you use
Coast Guard HF voice broadcasts and how critical are they to your
safety and operation as compared to the other sources you listed in
your response to Question 2?
(4) Do you use Coast Guard HF radiofax broadcasts to receive marine
weather forecasts? (Yes or No) If yes, how often do you use Coast Guard
HF radiofax broadcasts and how critical are they to your safety and
operation as compared to the other sources you listed in your response
to Question 2?
[[Page 20865]]
(5) Do you use Coast Guard HF radio Simplex Teletype over Radio
(SITOR) (also known as Narrow Band Direct printing (NBDP)) to receive
marine weather forecasts? (Yes or No) If yes, how often do you use
Coast Guard SITOR radio broadcasts and how critical are they to your
safety and operation as compared to the other sources you listed in
your response to Question 2?
(6) What alternative source(s) for obtaining marine weather
forecasts would you pursue if Coast Guard HF broadcasts were no longer
available? How would you rate the alternative source(s) in terms of (a)
user cost and (b) usefulness of the information as compared to the
Coast Guard HF broadcast it replaces?
(7) Would the loss of Coast Guard HF marine weather broadcasts
affect you? Please explain.
(8) How far seaward does your vessel primarily operate? (For
example, coastal (0-25 nautical miles (nm) seaward); offshore (25-200
nm seaward); or, high seas (more than 200 nm seaward.) In what
geographic area(s) do you generally operate your vessel? (For example,
mid-Atlantic, New England, North Central Pacific, Hawaii, Gulf of
Mexico, etc.)
As noted previously, comments regarding these questions, and any
other pertinent matters brought to our attention during the comment
period, will be taken into account in our future actions regarding the
issues raised by these questions.
Dated: April 18, 2007.
C.S. Johnson, JR.,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Assistant Commandant for Command,
Control, Communications, Computers and Information Technology.
[FR Doc. E7-7945 Filed 4-25-07; 8:45 am]
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