MMSN Newsletter

Friday, January 3, 2003, marked the 35^th Anniversary of The Maritime Mobile Service Network.

The need for the type of volunteer service being provided by the Maritime Mobile Service Network had existed for many years. The launching of an organization to meet this need was placed on the drawing board when nine (9) amateur radio operators met at the home of Chaplain Alla Winston Robertson, USN, WB4AKB (now KB5YX), on the27^th of December 1966. Those meeting with Chaplain Robertson were:

S.C. Rock, WA4YVQ; Mel White, WA4IQS; D. Freeman, K1YLI; J.G. Kincade, WA4YVX; Art Werner, K3QYQ; H. Bretches, K4DBR; L.B. Lapman, W4SAW; and G.W. Powell, WA4RRO.

This group agreed to launch the Maritime Mobile Service Network on 3 January, 1967 at 2130 UTC on 14.320MHz but moved to 14.317 MHz a few weeks later to avoid excessive QRM. In 1969 when the net moved to 14.313 MHz it also established 14.300 MHz as an alternate working frequency and for years the net operated on either frequency depending on QRM. In recent years, the net has been operating exclusively on 14.300 MHz.

The original purpose of the Maritime Mobile Service Network was to "serve those who serve" in the United States military during the Vietnam crisis. Since that time, the network has grown considerably in hours of operation and services provided. The network consists of a dedicated group of Radio Amateurs who unselfishly volunteer their time, equipment and efforts to serve and assist those in need of communications from foreign countries and the high seas. Our primary purpose now is that of handling legal third party traffic from maritime mobiles, both pleasure and commercial and overseas deployed military personnel. We also help missionaries in foreign countries as well.

Volunteer Net Control Stations from throughout North America maintain the network. Further, the Net Control Stations are assisted by relay stations to ensure total coverage of the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.

The network is recognized by the United States Coast Guard and has been instrumental in handling hundreds of incidents involving vessels in distress. The network also acts as a weather beacon for ships during periods of severe weather and regularly repeats weather warnings and bulletins from the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center.

The Maritime Mobile Service Network has grown from the original 9 founding members to a total of 48 net control stations and 9 relief operators. Furthermore, the net has grown in hours of operation of a 5 hour net operating 7 days a week to the 9 hour format today which is from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm Eastern Time during daylight savings time and till 9:00 pm during standard time.

In the early years of the MMSN, phone patch traffic was heavy. It is estimated that over 10,000 pieces of traffic were handled each year from 1967 till 1977 on the Maritime Mobile Service Network. One of our net control stations, Dave Wagner, WA2DXQ in Fort Lauderdale, FL, ran well over 1000 phone patches during a 2 year period, 1977 - 1978, mostly to USN ships in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, as well as a few missionaries and private/commercial vessels.

Although the need for phone patch traffic has diminished considerably over the past 5 to 10 years, the need is still there. If it were not for a number of our net control stations equipped with a phone patch, some of the rescues the Net has been involved in would not have been as successful. Furthermore, many mariners in the Caribbean Islands, Central and South America and the Gulf of Mexico view the Maritime Mobile Service Network as a resource for weather information as well as a safety valve and trusted contact point for essential communications.

When asking for input for this article from our present day net members, Frank Kelley, N3FK, had this to say: "Bobby, I would be remiss if I didn't say something about a great lady who used the net to get assistance with numerous medical problems. She was Ruth Paz, HR2RP, located in San Pedro Sula in Honduras". Frank was stationed in Panama from 1975 till 1977 and Ruth was a net control station for the MMSN during that time. Continuing, Frank said "Ruth was a nurse and was the only medical type person in her area. She used the net to get medical advice, medical evacuations and medicine in and out of Honduras". "While I was stationed in the Canal Zone" Frank said, "Ruth ran many patches to the Gorgas Army Hospital in Panama. She used the tropical disease section on Gorgas to save and help many people from Honduras, many of whom were bitten by exotic creatures. At the time Gorgas was the place for anything tropical". Today, Frank, along with many other net control stations, help with many of the missionaries and doctors in various locations with phone patches and assistance in helping physicians getting the help they need that can't be obtained by any other means.

Since March 2000, the Maritime Mobile Service Network has been published in many articles in QST and other magazines, including some of the network television news magazines, in the help and rescue of people on life and death situations. There have been two notable life and death rescues, both nearly one year apart to the day: the S/V Hayat on March 27, 2000 off the northeast coast of Honduras and the S/V Lorna on March 20, 2001 off the northeast coast of Venezuela and west of Trinidad. In both cases, one of the passengers was seriously injured from gun fire. Thankfully, in both cases, each one survived.

The Maritime Mobile Service Network has a legacy of serving people and will continue to do so. It is due to the selfless volunteering of amateur radio operators who donate of their time to train and be ready to help each and everyday. Without such devoted people, the Maritime Mobile Service Network would not be able to do what it does.

As a member of the Maritime Mobile Service Network, I want to say a big thank you to all who have served in the past as well as those who are serving now. It has been a great 35 years, and may the net last to see another 35 plus years.

Best Regards,
Bobby Graves
KB5HAV