Recent inquiries by Coast Guard marine inspectors indicate that a large number of vessel operators and ship masters continue to rely on outdated high seas communications frequencies when communicating with the Coast Guard. This Safety Alert reminds all mariners of the appropriate use of Single Side Band High Frequency (SSB-HF) radios when attempting to contact the Coast Guard outside the normal range of Very High Frequency-Frequency Modulation (VHF-FM) marine radios.
Source: Investigations & Casualty Analysis
Link: 8/3/2017: Marine Safety Alert 08-17 – Knowing your high seas comms equipment may save your life