1. Regulations and Traffic Procedures

2. Ship’s Radio Licenses
All established mobile stations must have a radio license, normally issued by the national administration or another office/institute on behalf of the national administration. The conditions are laid down in the license document. The license, or a copy of it, must always be found on board the ship so that it can be inspected by any authorities that are entitled to do so.

3. Radio Surveys and Radio Safety Certificates
All cargo and passenger ships obliged to be fitted with radio stations in accordance with the SOLAS convention must have a Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate which is valid for a maximum of One year and must be renewed every year. Inspector/surveyors from appropriate shore-based authorities are entitled to inspect the ship station as often as they find necessary in order to ensure that it is in compliance with license conditions, and international conventions and agreements.

5. Operator Certificates
The master, or person in charge of the ship, has the highest authority with regard to the operation of the radio station. On board ships fitted with GMDSS installations and sailing in Sea Area A2, A3, A4, there must be at least One person with a General Operator’s Certificate (GOC).
Vessels sailing in Sea Area A1 – Restricted Operator’s Certificate (ROC).

7. Observance of Secrecy
He holder of the radio license is required to preserve the secrecy of telecommunications, as laid down in the relevant provisions of the convention. The station is not allowed to receive any other correspondence than it is intended to. Without special
permission, it is
prohibited to
publish or take
advantage of
traffic designated
to others.

8. Priority for Distress Calls
Distress calls shall have absolute priority over all other transmissions. All stations hearing such calls shall immediately cease any transmission capable of interfering with the distress traffic and shall continue to listen to the frequency used for the emission of the distress call. This call shall not be addressed to a particular station and acknowledgement of receipt shall not be given before the distress message which follows it has been transmitted.

9. Unauthorized Transmissions
All stations are forbidden to carry out:
Unnecessary transmissions
The transmission of superfluous signals and correspondence
The transmission of false or misleading signals
The transmission of signals without identification

10. Control and adjustment of radio transmitters
The testing of radio equipment should be kept at an absolute minimum. In order to avoid harmful interference, remember to take all possible precautions, such as:
Choice of frequency (distress frequencies should not be used unless absolutely necessary)
Test should be carried out using reduced power/artificial antenna
Duration of test signals should be less than 10 seconds
Test transmissions should include callsign/other identification of the transmitting station.

11. Service documents, publications and posters
The ship’s Radio License
The radio operator’s certificates
The GMDSS Radio Logbook
The List of Call Signs and Station’s Numerical Identities used by the Maritime Mobile and Maritime Mobile service (ITU)
The List of Coast Stations (ITU)
The List of Ship Stations (ITU)
The List of Radiodetermination and Special Service Stations (ITU)
The manual for Use by the Maritime Mobile and Mobile-Satellite Services (ITU).

12. In addition international/national regulations require than the following documentation/publications be carried on board:
Radio Safety Certificate
Antenna Sketch
List of Spare Parts

13. Radio Log
The Radio Log as required by the SOLAS convention, must be kept together with the radio and must be written in accordance with the details required by the Radio Regulations and Guidelines.
All Traffic concerning
distress, urgency and
safety correspondence
with foreign coast and
ship stations is of vital
importance.

14. VHF Telephony Very High Frequency F3E and G3E emission class
30 Mhz to 300 Mhz
Used for short dist
Approx. 20 to 50 N.M.
Ch 1-28 and ch separated each by 25 kHz
Used for: -Public Correspondence -Harbor and Pilot Service -Intership Communications -Safety Service

15. VHF

16. Public Correspondence
Radio telephone calls and cables between ships and the public telecommunications network via a coast station.

17. Harbor and Pilot Service
Radio communications between a ship station and harbour-or pilot stations.
Primary Channel 12

18. Intership Communication
Traffic between ship stations.
Assigned channels 6 8
10 etc…

19. Safety Service
Communications concerning distress, urgency or safety traffic.

20. International Distress, Safety and Calling Channel
The international distress and safety calling channel
Channel 16
Or Mhz

21. Channel 16 can also be used by:
Coast and ship stations for calling and replying to calls
Coast stations for announcement of traffic lists and important maritime messages
Coast and ship stations for selective calling
Working Channel shall be used whenever possible.

22. A ship is calling a coast station with a working channel of VHF ch. 81.
The call shall consist of:
The name of the called station (1 to 3 times)
THIS IS
The name of the calling station (1 to 3 times)
Channel number

23. Example:
STOCKHOLM RADIO STOCKHOLM RADIO STOCKHOLM RADIO
THIS IS
PIONEER PIONEER CALLSIGN ELPU9
CHANNEL 81
TRAFFIC ON HAND
OVER

24. Example: MV Pioneer contacts Finesterre Radio
FINESTERRE RADIO FINESTERRE RADIO FINESTERRE RADIO
THIS IS
PIONEER PIONEER CALLSIGN ELPU9
CHANNEL 16
TELEPHONE CALL
OVER

25. Finesterre Radio’s reply:
PIONEER
THIS IS
FINISTERRE RADIO
ROGER
CHANGE TO CHANNEL 22
OVER

26. Pioneer’s reply:
FINISTERRE RADIO
THIS IS
PIONEER
ROGER GOING UP

27. Calls can be transmitted three(3) times with intervals of Two(2) minutes.
Unanswered series of calls must be stopped and not be repeated until after an interval of three(3) minutes
Keep listening watch on channel 16

28. Traffic Lists
Coast stations normally transmit their calls in the form of traffic lists of stations they have traffic for.
Example:
ALL SHIPS ALL SHIPS ALL SHIPS
THIS IS
ROGALAND RADIO ROGALAND RADIO ROGALAND RADIO
LISTEN FOR MY TRAFFIC LIST ON VHF CH. 18
OUT

29. MF radiotelephony (coast telephony)
Medium Frequency
H3E and J3E emission class
1605 Khz to 4000khz
Used for medium range
Approx. 150 N.M. MF

30. General Calling Procedures
Ships calling coast stations should make the call on an available WORKING CHANNEL.
Region 1 – 2045 kHz and 2048 kHz
Region 2 and 3 – 2635kHz and 2638kHz
Example:
PORT SAID PORT SAID PORT SAID
THIS IS
PIONEER PIONEER CALLSIGN ELPU9
ON 2182 kHz
MY WORKING FREQUENCY IS 2045 kHz
TELEPHONE CALL
OVER

31. HF Telephony High Frequency J3E emission class 4000 kHz to 27000 kHz
Used for Long Range communication
Duplex frequencies are used for Ships calling a coast station.

32. For distress and safety operation, simplex frequencies are used
For distress and safety operation, simplex frequencies are used. For commercial operation at MF and HF, Duplex (paired frequencies) are used.
RX: 4384 kHz
TX: 4092kHz
TX: 4384 kHz
RX: 4092 kHz

33. Example:
Pioneer:
VALPARAISO RADIO VALPARAISO RADIO VALPARAISO RADIO
THIS IS
PIONEER PIONEER PIONEER CALLSIGN ELPU9
CHANNEL 821
TRAFFIC ON HAND
OVER

34. Valparaiso Radio:
PIONEER PIONEER
THIS IS
VALPARAISO RADIO VALPARAISO RADIO VALPARAISO RADIO
ROGER READ YOU FIVE
CHANGE TO HF CHANNEL 815
STAND BY YOU ARE NUMBER TWO IN TRAFFIC
OVER

35. Pioneer:
VALPARAISO RADIO
THIS IS
PIONEER
ROGER
STANDING BY ON HF CHANNEL 815