Regulations and Traffic Procedures

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 60-88 separated each by 25 kHz Used for: -Public Correspondence -Harbor and Pilot Service -Intership Communications -Safety Service

15. VHF

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

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 Or156.8 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 MV Pioneer: • 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 MF radiotelephony (coast telephony) • Medium Frequency • H3E and J3E emission class • 1605 Khz to 4000khz • Used for medium range • Approx. 150 N.M.

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 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