Sec. 80.355  Distress, urgency, safety, call and reply Morse code 
          frequencies.

    This section describes the distress, urgency, safety, call and reply 
carrier frequencies assignable to stations for Morse code 
radiotelegraphy.
    (a) Frequencies in the 100-160 kHz band. The international calling 
frequency in the 100-160 kHz band is 143 kHz using A1A or J2A emission. 
When a ship station operating in the 100-160 kHz band desires to 
communicate with a coast station, it must call on the frequency 143 kHz 
unless the International List of Coast Stations provides otherwise. 
Coast stations must reply on their normal working frequency in this 
band. Only individual calls, replies to such calls, and transmission of 
signals preparatory to traffic may be transmitted on 143 kHz.
    (b) Frequencies in the 405-535 kHz band. (1) The international 
distress, urgency, safety, call and reply frequency used by ship and 
coast stations operating in the 405-525 kHz band is 500 kHz. A2A and A2B 
or H2A and H2B emissions are preferred for distress calls, distress 
traffic and for urgency and safety messages. For call and reply messages 
A1A or J2A emission must be used. In order to facilitate distress 
communications routine correspondence tranmissions on 500 kHz must be 
reduced to a minimum.
    (2) In Region 2 and areas of heavy traffic ship stations must 
request coast stations to listen on the ship station's working 
frequencies.
    (3) In areas where 500 kHz is used for distress a ship or coast 
station must use the supplementary calling frequency 512 kHz for routine 
calling and normally request a reply on its working frequency. The 
called station may reply on 512 kHz when requested to do so by the 
calling station.
    (c) Frequencies in the 2000-27500 kHz band--(1) Survival craft 
frequencies: Survival craft operating on 8364 kHz must use A2A or H2A 
emission to establish communications related to search and rescue 
operations.
    (2) Ship station frequencies. The following table describes the 
calling frequencies in the 4000-27500 kHz band which are available for 
use by authorized ship stations equipped with crystal controlled 
oscillators for A1A or J2A radiotelegraphy. There are two series of 
frequencies for worldwide use and two series of frequencies for each 
geographic region. Ship stations with synthesized transmitters may 
operate on every full 100 Hz increment in the 0.5 kHz channel for the 
frequencies listed, except for 100 Hz above and below those designated 
for worldwide use. During normal business hours when not communicating 
on other frequencies, all U.S. coast radiotelegraph stations must 
monitor the worldwide frequencies and the initial calling frequencies 
for the region in which it is located. The specific frequencies which 
must be monitored by a coast station will vary with propagation 
conditions. The calling frequencies which are routinely monitored by 
specific coast stations can be determined by reference to the ITU 
publication entitled ``List of Coast Stations''. Initial calls by ship 
stations must be made on the appropriate initial calling frequency 
first. Calls on the worldwide frequencies may be made only after calls 
on the appropriate initial calling frequency are unsuccessful.

[[Page 79]]



                                      Ship Morse Calling Frequencies (kHz)                      
                
                                                                                                
                
                                                                                                
                
Region:                         ITU                                                             
  ITU           
  Worldwide...................    3    4184.0    6276.0    8368.0   12552.0   16736.0   22280.5 
 C       25172.0
                                  4    4184.5    6276.5    8369.0   12553.5   16738.0   22281.0 
 C       25172.0
  Atlantic:                                                                                     
                
    Initial...................    1    4182.0    6277.0    8366.0   12550.0   16734.0   22279.5 
 A       25171.5
    Alternate.................    2    4182.5    6277.5    8366.5   12550.5   16734.5   22280.0 
 A       25171.5
  Caribbean:                                                                                    
                
    Initial...................    1    4182.0    6277.0    8366.0   12550.0   16734.0   22279.5 
 A       25171.5
    Alternate.................    2    4182.5    6277.5    8366.5   12550.5   16734.5   22280.0 
 A       25171.5
  Gulf-Mexico:                                                                                  
                
    Initial...................    5    4183.0    6278.0    8367.0   12551.0   16735.0   22281.5 
 A       25171.5
    Alternate.................    6    4183.5    6278.5    8367.5   12551.5   16735.5   22282.0 
 A       25171.5
  N Pacific:                                                                                    
                
    Initial...................    7    4185.0    6279.0    8368.5   12552.5   16736.5   22282.5 
 B       25172.5
    Alternate.................    8    4185.5    6279.5    8369.5   12553.0   16737.0   22283.0 
 B       25172.5
  S Pacific:                                                                                    
                
    Initial...................    9    4186.0    6280.0    8370.0   12554.0   16737.5   22283.5 
 B       25172.5
    Alternate.................   10    4186.5    6280.5    8370.5   12554.5   16738.5   22284.0 
 B       25172.5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------

    (3) Coast Station frequencies. Coast stations may use any working 
carrier frequency for distress, safety and calling listed in 
Sec. 80.357(b)(1) which is not identified with a specific use.
    (d) Frequencies in the VHF bands. (1) Survival craft stations using 
121.500 MHz may be assigned A3N emission for radiobeacon purposes.
    (2) EPIRB stations may be assigned 121.500 MHz and 243.000 MHz using 
A3E, A3X and NON emission or 156.750 MHz and 156.800 MHz using G3N 
emission to aid search and rescue operations. See subpart V of this 
part.
[ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986;  51 FR 34984 , Oct. 1, 1986;  52 FR 35245 , 
Sept. 18, 1987;  56 FR 9886 , Mar. 8, 1991;  56 FR 11516 , Mar. 19, 1991]