Marine VHF radio

China Suppliers


Types of equipment

Sets can be fixed or portable. A fixed set generally has the advantages of a more reliable power source, higher transmit power, a larger and more effective aerial and a bigger display and buttons. A portable set (often essentially a waterproof, VHF walkie-talkie in design) can be carried to a lifeboat in an emergency, has its own power source and is more easily water-proofed.

Marine radios can be "voice-only" or can include "Digital Selective Calling" (DSC). magellan roadmate 6000t

Voice-only equipment is the traditional type, which relies totally on the human voice for calling and communicating. gps magellan roadmate 700

A VHF set and a VHF channel 70 DSC set, the DSC on top, both produced by Sailor pet gps tracking

Digital Selective Calling equipment, a part of the Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS), provides all the functionality of voice-only equipment and, additionally, allows several other features:

a transmitter can automatically call a receiver equipped with Digital Selective Calling, using a telephone-type number known as a Maritime Mobile Service Identity or MMSI. The DSC information is sent on the reserved Channel 70. When the receiver picks up the call, his active channel is automatically switched to the transmitter's channel and normal voice communication can proceed.

a distress button, which automatically sends a digital distress signal identifying the calling vessel and the nature of the emergency

a connection to a GPS receiver allowing the digital distress message to contain the distressed vessel's position

The MMSI is a nine digit number identifying a VHF set or group of sets. The left hand digits of MMSI indicate the country and type of station. For example, here are MMSI prefixes of four station types:

Ship : 232, 233, 234 or 235 are the United Kingdom e.g. a UK ship : 232003556

Coast : 00 e.g. Solent Coastguard : 002320011

Group of stations : 0 e.g. 023207823

Portable DSC equipment : for UK 2359 - e.g. 235900498

Operating procedure

The accepted conventions for use of marine radio are collectively termed "proper operating procedure." These conventions include:

Listening for 2 minutes before transmitting

Using Channel 16 only to establish communication (if necessary) and then switch to a different channel

using a set of international "calling" procedures such as the "Mayday" distress call, the "Pan-pan" urgency call and "Securit" navigational hazard call.

using "pro-words" based on the English language such as Acknowledge, All after, All before, All stations, Confirm, Correct, Correction, In figures, In letters, Over, Out, Radio check, Read back, Received, Repeat, Say again, Spell, Standby, Station calling, This is, Wait, Word after, Word before, Wrong

using the NATO phonetic alphabet: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu

using a phonetic numbering system based on the English language: Wun, Too, Tree, Fow-er, Fife, Six, Sev-en, Ait, Nin-er, Zero, Decimal

Slightly adjusted regulations can apply for inland shipping, such as the Basle rules in Western Europe.

Marine VHF radio is sometimes illegally operated inland. Since enforcement is often the job of the local coast guard, enforcement away from the water is sometimes difficult.

Marine VHF Channels and Frequencies

Channel

number

Frequencies (MHz)

 United Kingdom

 United States

 Canada

 Australia

 New Zealand

Usually ship stations

Usually coast stations

0

156.000

160.600

Private, coast guard

1

156.050

160.650

Public Correspondence (Ship-to-Shore Duplex)

BC Coast

2

156.100

160.700

Public

BC Coast

3

156.150

160.750

Illegal for public use1

Public

BC Coast/Inland

Boat to Boat - Kawau

4

156.200

160.800

Ship-to-ship/shore, commercial and safety

BC and East Coasts

Boat to Boat - Tutukaka/Raglan

5

156.250

160.850

Ship Movements

6

156.300

160.900

Ship-to-ship + Ship-to-Air

Ship-to-ship + Ship-to-Air

Distress - Ship-to-Air

Working - Intership

7

156.350

160.950

General working channel

8

156.400

161.000

Ship-to-ship

Ship-to-ship

East and west coasts,

Lake Winnipeg

Working - Intership

9

156.450

161.050

Ship-to-ship

Calling , commercial and non-commercial.

Ship-to-air for maritime support

Atlantic and BC coasts

Pilots, Port Operations

Port Operations

10

156.500

161.100

Ship-to-ship

Ship-to-air - SAR and antipollution

General working -

Atlantic and BC coasts,

Great Lakes

Port Operations

11

156.550

161.150

VTS - BC Coast

Pilotage

Port Operations

12

156.600

161.200

VTS - BC Coast

Port and pilot ops

Port Operations, VTS

Port Operations

13

156.650

161.250

Ship-to-ship

Bridge-to-Bridge safety : Vessels > 20m must maintain watch, Tx limited to 1 watt.

VTS - BC Coast

Bridge-to-bridge safety

Intership Nav Safety

14

156.700

161.300

VTS - BC Coast

Port and pilot ops

Port Operations

15

156.750

161.350

Ship-to-ship

16

156.800

161.400

International distress, safety and calling

USA: All vessels equipped with VHF must maintain watch.

17

156.850

161.450

Ship-to-ship

Aquatic Sports Events

18

156.900

161.500

19

156.950

161.550

Canadian Coast Guard - Working Channel

20

157.000

161.600

Repeater Operations

Continuous Weather

Maritime Safety Service

21

157.050

161.650

U.S. Coast Guard Only

Continuous Marine Broadcasts (WX 8)

Continuous Weather

Maritime Safety Service

22

157.100

161.700

U.S. Coast Guardublic working channel2

Continuous Weather

Maritime Safety Service

23

157.150

161.750

U.S. Coast Guard Only

Continuous Weather

Maritime Safety Service

24

157.200

161.800

UKSAR G/A Winching

UKSAR TWC

25

157.250

161.850

Maritime Radio Working Channel

26

157.300

161.900

27

157.350

161.950

28

157.400

162.000

60

156.025

160.625

61

156.075

160.675

Illegal for public use1

62

156.125

160.725

UKSAR Calling & Helicopter Channel

UKSAR TWC

Boat to Boat - Waiheke/Whangaroa

63

156.175

160.775

UKSAR TWC (simplex)

Boat to Boat - Manukau

64

156.225

160.825

UKSAR TWC (simplex)

Illegal for public use1

65

156.275

160.875

Marine Assistance Working Channel

Boat to Boat - Coromandel

66

156.325

160.925

67

156.375

160.975

HM Coastguard Search & Rescue

Working Channel, Marine Weather

Maritime Radio Working Channel

68

156.425

161.275

Non-commercial

Maritime Radio Working Channel

69

156.475

161.075

Non-commercial

Australian Navy

Maritime Radio Working channel

Surf Lifesaving

70

156.525

161.125

Digital Selective Calling

71

156.575

161.175

Non-commercial

Maritime Radio Working Channel

72

156.625

161.225

Ship-to-ship

Non-commercial ship-to-ship

73

156.675

161.275

HM Coastguard Safety Broadcasts

Marinas - Working

74

156.725

161.325

British Waterways Channel (Canal System)

Working - Coast/Ship

75

156.775

161.375

76

156.825

161.425

77

156.875

161.475

Ship-to-ship

78

156.925

161.525

Non-commercial

79

156.975

161.575

80

157.025

161.625

Marinas UK Only

Repeater Operations

Coastguard Radio - Working Channel

81

157.075

161.675

U.S. Government Use Only

Repeater Operations

Coastguard Radio - Working Channel

82

157.125

161.725

U.S. Government Use Only

Canadian Coast Guard - Working Channel

Coastguard Radio - Working Channel

83

157.175

161.775

U.S. Coast Guard Use Only

Continuous Marine Broadcasts (WX 9)

84

157.225

161.825

Coastguard Radio - Working Channel

85

157.275

161.875

UKSAR TWC (simplex)

Radio Telephone - Duplex

Coastguard Radio - Working Channel

86

157.325

161.925

Coastguard Radio - Working Channel

87

157.375

161.975

Automatic Identification System

88

157.425

162.025

Automatic Identification System

Notes:

1: Some radios enable channels 3A, 61A, and 64A when configured for "USA mode" even though those channels are not listed for maritime use by the US Coast Guard or by the FCC. The frequencies in question appear to be used for land-mobile communication by police and fire departments in some US Cities.

2: Channel 22A is reserved for communication between the U.S. Coast Guard vessels and private vessels. The Coast Guard does not monitor 22A: Contact must first be established on 16.

3: UKSAR land based search & reacue teams have access to the simplexed versions of 24, 62, 63, 64, 85 for operational & training needs. These include Mountain Rescue teams in England, Wales & Scotland.

See also

2182 kHz

Maritime mobile amateur radio

AIS System

Radio horizon

References

^ UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency Marine Guidance Note MGN324

^ UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency Marine Guidance Note MGN324

^ UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency Marine Guidance Note MGN324

External links

US Coast Guard basic radio information for boaters

US Coast Guard marine channel listing (with frequencies)

US FCC marine channel listing (by function)

UK MCA advice on use of VHF at sea, including collision avoidance, effective ranges, and International channel usage*

Canadian VHF Bands in the Maritime Service

v  d  e

Two-way radio

Amateur and hobbyist

Amateur radio  Amateur radio repeater  Citizens' band radio  Family Radio Service  General Mobile Radio Service  Mobile rig  Multi-Use Radio Service  PMR446  LPD433  UHF CB (Australia)

Aviation (aeronautical mobile)

Air traffic control  Aircraft emergency frequency  Airband  Mandatory frequency airport  Single Frequency Approach  UNICOM

Land-based commercial and government mobile

Business band  Base station  Mobile radio  Professional Mobile Radio  Radio repeater  Specialized Mobile Radio  Trunked radio system  Walkie talkie

Marine (shipboard)

2182 kHz  500 kHz  Coast radio station  Marine VHF radio  Maritime mobile amateur radio

Signaling / Selective calling

CTCSS  Dual-tone multi-frequency  D-STAR  MDC-1200  Push to talk  Quik Call I  Quik Call II  Selcall

System elements and principles

Antenna  Audio level compression  Automatic vehicle location  APRS  Call sign  CAD  DC remote  Dispatch  Fade margin  Link budget  Rayleigh fading  Tone remote  Voice procedure  Voting (diversity combining)

Categories: Navigational equipment | Maritime communication | Rescue equipment | Marine electronics