RADIO VHF

Radio Use
The operator by law, must be familiar with and adhere to the provisions of the Federal Communications Commission. Although possession of the Rules and Regulations is not required, they may be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.

Safety is the primary function of a radiotelephone aboard a boat.

At a minimum, you should:

1. MAINTAIN A WATCH while the radio is turned on, even though you are not communicating. Monitoring the Calling and Distress Channel 16 (2182 kHz SSB) is compulsory when the set is on and you are not communicating on another channel.
2. CHOOSE THE CORRECT CHANNEL when communicating either ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore.
3. LIMIT THE PRELIMINARY CALL to 30 seconds. If there is no answer, you must wait 2 minutes before repeating the call.
4. LIMIT SHIP-TO-SHIP CONVERSATIONS TO THREE MINUTES and the content to ship's business. Be considerate of others, they may want to use the line.
5. REMEMBER THAT PUBLIC CORRESPONDENCE HAS NO TIME LIMIT (private telephone calls) -The caller is paying the toll.
6. NEVER USE PROFANE OR OBSCENE LANGUAGE or transmit fraudulent messages. Penalties include fines up to $10,000 or imprisonment or both.
7. AVOID RADIO CHECKS as most are unnecessary. Do not call the US Coast Guard. If a check is really necessary, call a vessel that you know is listening. Radio checks are prohibited on Channel 16.

Logs: It is no longer necessary to keep a log of station operations. The operator may, however, keep a record of any distress or emergency traffic he hears or participates in along with a record of maintenance performed on the equipment.

Calling Procedure: The calling procedure has been developed in the interest of brevity. Calls are initiated on the Calling and Distress Frequency (Channel 16). If there is no traffic, begin by calling the name of the boat three times, followed by your boat name and its call sign.

Distress and Safety Calls
In an emergency as part of the marine safety and communication system, you have help on Channel 16 at your fingertips wherever you may be. Emergency situations can be categorized as distress, urgency and safety. The signals for these calls and their descriptions follow:

Distress: "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY." This is the International Distress Signal and is an imperative call for assistance. It is used only when a life or vessel is in immediate danger.

Urgency: "PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN" (PAHN PAHN). This in the International Urgency Signal and is used when a vessel or person is in some jeopardy of a degree less than would be indicated by Mayday.

Safety: "SECURITY, SECURITY, SECURITY" (SAY-CURE-IT-TAY). This is the International Safety Signal and is a message about some aspect of navigational safety or a weather warning.

Most boaters never have the need to make a distress call but all should be familiar with the proper procedure. WHEN YOU NEED IT THERE WILL NOT BE TIME TO LEARN IT. A "MAYDAY" situation is usually a hectic one, so having a Distress Communication Form partially completed and readily available is a great aid in making an organized distress call. The blanks on the form can be completed in compliance with your vessel data and posted near the radio telephone.

For Urgency (Pan pan) calls, a format similar to the "Mayday" signal can be used. Safety (Security) messages inform other boaters of abnormal situations relative to safe operation and are the lowest priority of the emergency situations.

Distress calls are initiated on Channel 16 because they should be heard by many boats, as well as the Coast Guard and other shore stations within range. If you receive a distress call, cease all transmission. All vessels having knowledge of distress traffic, and which cannot themselves assist, are forbidden to transmit on the frequency of the distress traffic. They should, however, listen and follow the situation until it is evident that assistance is being provided. Transmitting may resume after hearing an "all clear" (Silence Fini).

"Over and Out"
The most commonly misused procedure words are "Over and Out." "Over" means that you expect a reply. "Out" means you are finished and do not expect a reply. It is contradictory to say "Over and Out."

Radio Abuse
VHF marine radio is a vital communications link for the boating community and abuse of the radio seriously affects the safety of all boaters. There are FCC monitoring stations which, along with the Coast Guard, are alert for understandable language and correct operation of marine stations. Sophisticated equipment provides for tracking violators through "voice prints" of transmissions made on the radio.

Willful or repeat violators may receive a "Notice of Violation" citations, and be fined up to $2,000. The following will improve your radio communications:

* Marine Radio is not Citizens Band (CB), so watch your talk afloat. Phrases such as "Hey Good Buddy," "Bring That Back," "I Copy," and "That's a Big 10-4," are not only frowned upon by the authorities, but are illegal.
* Always use FCC call signals at the beginning and the end of all transmissions.
* Maintain radio watch on Channel 16, and use it only for emergency and calling purposes.
* Switch to one of the working channels for messages. Typically, these are 68, 69, 71, 72 and 78.
* Use low power (1 watt) whenever possible.