Newsdesk - Updated 2 November, 2004
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New Yacht Race Frequency
Submissions to the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) by Penta Comstat with support from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) has resulted in the allocation of a new yacht race frequency to supplement 4483 kHz.
The new frequency is 6516 kHz and was used successfully by the CYCA for the 2002 Sydney - Hobart race and the 2003 Sydney - Mooloolaba and Sydney - Gold Coast races. The frequency 4483 kHz will continue to be used mainly for night communications but 6516 kHz has the advantage of greatly improved daytime communications.
6 MHz simplex frequencies are rare � there are only three in the International list � and ACA agreed that none were suitable for the purpose of providing reliable ocean yacht race communications. The frequency 6227 kHz is one of the three International simplex frequencies and was used by the CYCA for their races and also Gosford Sailing Club for the Gosford to Lord Howe Island race for the last couple of years. This proved the effectiveness of 6 MHz for the race communications but 6227 kHz is shared with many hundreds of other users and therefore subject to considerable interference.
The new yacht race frequency is the first real improvement in communications since the allocation of 4483 kHz in 1981. This was also a 'special' frequency but has been allowed to deteriorate over the last twenty years. Hopefully, that will not happen with 6516 khz but it is the responsibility of all concerned to ensure that it doesn't.
http://www.pentacomstat.com.au/MaritimeNews.html 29 October, 2004