Sec. 80.116  Radiotelephone operating procedures for ship stations.

    (a) Calling coast stations. (1) Use by ship stations of the freqency 
2182 kHz for calling coast stations and for replying to calls from coast 
stations is authorized. However, such calls and replies should be on the 
appropriate ship-shore working frequency.
    (2) Use by ship stations and marine utility stations of the 
frequency 156.800 MHz for calling coast stations and marine utility 
stations on shore, and for replying to calls from such stations, is 
authorized. However, such calls and replies should be made on the 
appropriate ship-shore working frequency.
    (b) Calling ship stations. (1) Except when other operating procedure 
is used to expedite safety communication, ship stations, before 
transmitting on the intership working frequencies 2003, 2142, 2638, 
2738, or 2830 kHz, must first establish communications with other ship 
stations by call and reply on 2182 kHz. Calls may be initiated on an 
intership working frequency when it is known that the called vessel 
maintains a simultaneous watch on the working frequency and on 2182 kHz.
    (2) Except when other operating procedures are used to expedite 
safety communications, the frequency 156.800 MHz must be used for call 
and reply by ship stations and marine utility stations before 
establishing communication on one of the intership working frequencies. 
Calls may be initiated on an intership working frequency when it is 
known that the called vessel maintains a simultaneous watch on the 
working frequency and on 156.800 MHz.
    (c) Change to working frequency. After establishing communication 
with another station by call and reply on 2182 kHz or 156.800 MHz 
stations on board ship must change to an authorized working frequency 
for the transmission of messages.

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    (d) Limitations on calling. Calling a particular station must not 
continue for more than 30 seconds in each instance. If the called 
station does not reply, the station must not again be called until after 
an interval of 2 minutes. When a called station called does not reply to 
a call sent three times at intervals of 2 minutes, the calling must 
cease and must not be renewed until after an interval of 15 minutes; 
however, if there is no reason to believe that harmful interference will 
be caused to other communications in progress, the call sent three times 
at intervals of 2 minutes may be repeated after a pause of not less than 
3 minutes. In event of an emergency involving safety, the provisions of 
this paragraph do not apply.
    (e) Limitations on working. Any one exchange of communications 
between any two ship stations on 2003, 2142, 2638, 2738, or 2830 kHz or 
between a ship station and a private coast station on 2738 or 2830 kHz 
must not exceed 3 minutes after the stations have established contact. 
Subsequent to such exchange of communications, the same two stations 
must not again use 2003, 2142, 2638, 2738, or 2830 kHz for communication 
with each other until 10 minutes have elapsed.
    (f) Transmission limitation on 2182 kHz and 156.800 MHz. To 
facilitate the reception of distress calls, all transmissions on 2182 
kHz and 156.800 MHz (channel 16) must be minimized and transmissions on 
156.800 MHz must not exceed 1 minute.
    (g) Limitations on commercial communication. On frequencies in the 
band 156-162 MHz, the exchange of commercial communication must be 
limited to the minimum practicable transmission time. In the conduct of 
ship-shore communication other than distress, stations on board ship 
must comply with instructions given by the private coast station or 
marine utility station on shore with which they are communicating.
    (h) 2182 kHz silence periods. To facilitate the reception of 
distress calls, transmission by ship or survival craft stations is 
prohibited on any frequency (including 2182 kHz) within the band 2173.5-
2190.5 kHz during each 2182 kHz silence period.

                Special Procedures--Public Coast Stations