Bringing a scaner onboard to listen to the crew frequencies

[rtlk]

Does anyone have some input on the type of scanner than would be needed to monitor the crew's onboard radio traffic. I read somewhere that someone onboard the Emerald was able to monitor the fire/smoke event and it got me thinking it could be interesting to hear what's going on.:)

 

Any help would be appreciated

[GUT2407]

Does anyone have some input on the type of scanner than would be needed to monitor the crew's onboard radio traffic. I read somewhere that someone onboard the Emerald was able to monitor the fire/smoke event and it got me thinking it could be interesting to hear what's going on.:)

 

Any help would be appreciated

 

I suspect it'd be frowned upon.

[kobecat]

Why on earth would you want to do that? Just enjoy your cruise.

 

 

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[skynight]

Sounds like a strange request to want to listen to private conversations between ship's employees as well as between the ship and other ships and port authorities. Just enjoy the cruise and leave the operation to the ship's officers and staff.

[floridalover5623]

There are no restrictions I've even heard of as long as it doesn't include a transmitter to interfere with their communications. I've seen people using them from time to time. There are even web sites which include frequencies used by the ships.

Enjoy.

[floridalover5623]

Sounds like a strange request to want to listen to private conversations between ship's employees as well as between the ship and other ships and port authorities. Just enjoy the cruise and leave the operation to the ship's officers and staff.

 

Conversations on public frequencies are not considered private.

[Lucy Jane]

You might be able to hear but might not understand the language used by employees.

 

 

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[pedirn]

DH is an amateur radio operator (ham) and Princess allows him to bring a small hand held transceiver on board. He listens to the crew radio traffic all the time. It can be very interesting, especially security. It does take some searching to find individual ship frequencies.

Chris

[loubetti]

You might be able to hear but might not understand the language used by employees.

 

 

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Agreed, and just to re-state this is totally legal. Just go to liveatc.net, and you can listen to aircraft all over the USA via scanners set up for that purpose around the country.

 

As an aviator and former radio broadcaster, the airwaves are public domain, and one can expect NO privacy when broadcasting on them.

[clueless2]

I have no idea if this is accurate...

 

http://scanmaritime.com/frequencies.htm

Edited September 21, 2016 by clueless2

[DougH]

It might be interesting for a little while but I don't really need to know that B412 needs more toilet paper and C617 more sheets. The security stuff is probably fun to overhear.

[envy4u]

Thought I heard everything......Pass the popcorn [emoji849]

 

 

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[WupperAV]

Yes! Perfectly legal but if you have a Ham radio you must be liscensed in whatever country you are in to transmit. Princess allowed us special app on a SE Asia cruise as my wife was handicapped so we could use the radio in international waters only. Pretty boring stuff aboard though. Mostly in English but pretty strong Phillipine accent on Princess which were hard to understand. No one ever questioned my carrying it aboard ship.

 

DougH, Used to live in Tracy. Delivered lots of "STUFF" to Port Chicago.

Edited September 21, 2016 by WupperAV

[Potstech]

Agreed it is perfectly legal to listen tothe frequencies but do all your fellow passangers a favor and use some sort of headphones.

[UK Cruiser2]

Sounds quite a sad way to spend your cruise to me,but maybe that's me :)

[Cruiser411]

You do have to notify Princess that you are bringing ham radio equipment aboard. They have to make sure that it won't interfere with the the ship's radios.

[vampiress]

i think it is quite rude to disparage someone's hobby because you don't like or understand it.

 

this is the internet, but there are still people behind the posts.

 

googling i found this website where someone asked and received permission for using a ham radio. http://www.ka3nam.com/ka3nam-vp9-mm/obtaining-permission-from-the-cruise-line

 

i don't see where princess specifically grants permission for receivers, but i've seen on other cruise lines where they say the equipment is ok as long as it doesn't interfere.

[kobecat]

It doesn't sound like it is the OP's hobby when he asks about types of scanner required.

 

 

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[beg3yrs]

You might be able to hear but might not understand the language used by employees.

 

 

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Princess policy is that the language used by employees in the course of their business is English. It may be heavily accented, but it is English.

[Potstech]

i think it is quite rude to disparage someone's hobby because you don't like or understand it.

 

this is the internet, but there are still people behind the posts.

 

googling i found this website where someone asked and received permission for using a ham radio. http://www.ka3nam.com/ka3nam-vp9-mm/obtaining-permission-from-the-cruise-line

 

i don't see where princess specifically grants permission for receivers, but i've seen on other cruise lines where they say the equipment is ok as long as it doesn't interfere.

 

And how does one know it will not interfere unless they ask?

[pedirn]

We have always asked permission to bring radio. Actually run wire antenna on balcony. Mostly just listen due to licensing requirements but have been able to transmit in some locations. RCCL requires radio be checked by officer in charge of communications. Princess not. But as I said fun to listen to security especially just before sailing and there are stragglers.

[chengkp75]

Lots of people here confusing ham radio with UHF/VHF scanners. The OP is asking about a UHF/VHF scanner to listen to the crew's handheld radios. There is really no permission needed to bring one on, but just be prepared to show it is simply a scanner and not a transmitter when it is found in your luggage. And you would have to scan through whole bands to find the channels that the particular ship was using, before you could program it into the scanner to listen regularly.

 

I think that what one poster said about the language was meant more about maritime jargon than language difficulties. Most lines have gone to "push to talk" phones for internal hotel and daily activities, so you wouldn't hear those. Docking requires UHF radios, but would most people understand what was being said? In emergencies, traffic is kept to a minimum, and the majority of communication is to/from fire teams, who are using "microphones" in their fireman's helmets that transmit the voice vibrations from their skull bone, which requires some skill in deciphering.

 

The OP is welcome to do it, but I would suggest a high end scanner to be able to pick up signal inside the metal farraday cage of the ship, and to buy and bring one just on the hope of hearing emergency communications is beyond me.

[triptolemus]

Sounds quite a sad way to spend your cruise to me,but maybe that's me :)

 

Remember, many, many people think a cruise is a terribly sad way to spend a vacation. Judge not lest ye be judged.

 

As usual, chengkp75 has the correct info, along with the link provided by Potstech.

[shredie]

Thought I heard everything......Pass the popcorn [emoji849]

 

On the surface, it's funny, but in this day of security issues, I wonder if it will be legal for much longer. I can imagine a scenario where someone could do mischief by knowing what the crews do and when and where and how, specifically.

[triptolemus]

On the surface, it's funny, but in this day of security issues, I wonder if it will be legal for much longer. I can imagine a scenario where someone could do mischief by knowing what the crews do and when and where and how, specifically.

 

How very CNN "terrorism" of you.

 

The reality is that kind of information cannot be gleaned from radio traffic related to mooring/dock ops, bridge ops, ship-to-ship comms, ship-to-shore comms, or USCG comms. The whole point of these types of communications is that they are in the clear so that any vessel within range can receive the communication and respond to render assistance if needed.

 

Most of the critical communications onboard are done via closed encrypted systems that cannot be monitored. All the other stuff mentioned above needs to be in the clear to insure inter-operability between the affected parties.

 

An individual wishing to do harm could learn more just by watching dock operations. The mooring procedures. Access patterns. Gate locations. Water access. And there are plenty of people with secret squirrel encrypted radios belonging to three-letter-acroymn agencies looking out for those guys.

 

Hearing the bridge tell the mooring deck over the radio to drop lines isn't really that critical of a communication, but some folks find that sort of thing interesting. I know that when Grand Princess struck the dock (lightly) last week in Victoria, there was much radio chatter from the bridge that would have been good listening.