USA & Hawaii Β· Radio Monitoring Reference
Marine VHF, HAM radio, satellite downlinks, aviation airband, NOAA weather, emergency channels, and digital modes β all in one place.
// Marine VHF Β· USA & Hawaii
Commonly monitored frequencies for recreational boaters, commercial traffic, harbor operations, Coast Guard, and NOAA weather in US and Hawaii waters.
156.800 MHz is the international distress and calling frequency. All VHF-equipped vessels must monitor it at all times.
Establish contact on a hailing channel, then move to a working channel. Keeps hailing channels clear for emergencies.
CH 14 (156.700 MHz) is used by Honolulu VTS. WX1 (162.550 MHz) is typically the clearest NOAA signal on Oahu.
| CH | Frequency | Category | Usage | Notes | β | Copy |
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// Amateur Radio Β· HAM
Key amateur radio frequencies across HF, VHF, and UHF bands. FCC license required to transmit. Anyone may listen.
Three tiers: Technician, General, Extra. Each grants more band privileges. Get licensed at arrl.org.
VHF/UHF repeaters extend range dramatically. Most require a CTCSS/PL tone. Hawaii has an active network island-wide.
HF bands (3β30 MHz) bounce off the ionosphere for worldwide contacts. Conditions vary with solar activity and time.
| Frequency | Band | Mode | Category | Usage | Notes | β | Copy |
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// Satellite & Space
Satellite and space-related frequencies monitorable with consumer radios and SDR receivers. No license required to listen.
A $25 RTL-SDR dongle covers most of these. Use SDR# or GQRX. A V-dipole antenna is enough for 137 MHz satellites.
NOAA satellites broadcast analog images at 137 MHz. Receive and decode live weather photos with free software.
ISS moves at 7.7 km/s β causes Β±3.5 kHz shift on 145 MHz. Gpredict can auto-correct during a pass.
| Name / CH | Frequency | Band | Mode | Category | Usage | Notes | β | Copy |
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// Aviation & Airband
Civil and military aviation uses AM on 118β136.975 MHz. Monitor only β transmitting requires an aeronautical license.
Aviation uses AM, not FM. Ensure your receiver supports AM for the airband β most SDRs and scanners do.
HNL Tower: 118.100 MHz Β· Ground: 121.900 Β· Approach: 119.100 Β· ATIS: 127.900. Verify with current NOTAMs.
International emergency frequency. All military aircraft monitor continuously. Also used for ELT beacon detection.
| CH / Name | Frequency | Band | Mode | Category | Usage | Notes | β | Copy |
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// NOAA Weather Radio
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards broadcasts continuous forecasts, warnings, and emergency alerts 24/7. No license required to receive.
162.550 MHz is typically the clearest signal in the Honolulu/Oahu region. First channel to check in Hawaii waters.
NOAA uses SAME encoding to broadcast county-targeted warnings. Radios with SAME can filter for your area.
Not just weather β NOAA WR also carries AMBER alerts, Presidential EAS alerts, and local emergency notifications.
| CH | Frequency | Category | Usage | Notes | β | Copy |
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// Emergency & Public Safety
Key emergency, safety, and public service frequencies. Monitor only β never transmit unless in genuine distress.
| CH / Name | Frequency | Band | Category | Usage | Notes | β | Copy |
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// Digital Modes & Data
Digital signals sound like noise to the ear but carry structured data. Most can be decoded with free software and an SDR or audio cable.
Decodes 20 dB below noise floor. Wildly popular on HF β thousands of stations active worldwide at any moment.
GPS positions, weather data, messages over packet radio. 144.390 MHz is the North American network. Track at aprs.fi.
Ships broadcast ID, position, course, speed on 161.975 and 162.025 MHz. Decode with any SDR + OpenCPN.
| CH / Name | Frequency | Band | Mode | Category | Usage | Notes | β | Copy |
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// Radio Fundamentals
Quick explanations of key radio concepts, terminology, and technologies used across all services in this reference.
// Interactive Spectrum
Visual overview of major RF allocations in this reference. Click any bar segment above to jump to that service.