§  80.1085   Ship radio equipment—General.

   This section contains the general equipment requirements for all ships
   subject to this subpart.

   (a) Ships must be provided with:

   (1) A VHF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving:

   (i) DSC on the frequency 156.525 MHz (channel 70), and it must be able
   to initiate the transmission of distress alerts on channel 70 from the
   position from which the ship is normally navigated; and

   (ii) Radiotelephony on the frequencies 156.300 MHz (channel 6), 156.650
   MHz (channel 13), and 156.800 MHz (channel 16);

   (2) A dedicated, non-scanning radio installation capable of maintaining
   a continuous DSC watch on VHF channel 70 which may be separate from, or
   combined with, that required by paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section;

   (3) A radar transponder capable of operating in the 9 GHz band, which
   must be stowed so that it is easily utilized (this transponder may be
   one of those required by § 80.1095(b) for a survival craft);

   (4) A receiver capable of receiving international NAVTEX service
   broadcasts;

   (5) If the ship is engaged on voyages in any area of INMARSAT coverage
   in which an international NAVTEX service is not provided, a radio
   facility for reception of maritime safety information by the INMARSAT
   enhanced group calling system, i.e., SafetyNet, (this requirement does
   not apply to ships engaged exclusively on voyages in areas where an HF
   direct-printing telegraphy maritime safety information service, as
   identified by the IMO GMDSS Master Plan Publication, is provided and
   the ship is fitted with equipment capable of receiving such service);
   and

   (6) A satellite emergency position-indicating radio beacon (satellite
   EPIRB) which must be:

   (i) Capable of transmitting a distress alert through the polar orbiting
   satellite service operating in the 406.0–406.1 MHz band (406.0–406.1
   MHz EPIRB) or, if the ship is not operating in sea area A4, as defined
   in § 80.1069(a)(4), the 1.6 GHz band (INMARSAT–E EPIRB)

   Note to paragraph(a)(6)(1): Service to INMARSAT–E EPIRB stations
   terminated on December 1, 2006, so distress signals from INMARSAT–E
   EPIRB stations will not be received by any Rescue Coordination Center;
   and

   (ii) Installed in an easily accessible position, ready to be manually
   released and capable of being carried by one person into a survival
   craft, capable of floating free if the ship sinks and of being
   automatically activated when afloat, and capable of being activated
   manually.

   (iii) Examined and tested annually in accordance with the IMO standard,
   Circular MSC/Circ.1040, Guidelines on annual testing of 406 MHz
   satellite EPIRBs (28 May 2002). See § 80.1105(k). Circular MSC/Circ.1040
   is incorporated by reference. The Director of the Federal Register
   approves this incorporation by reference in accordance with 5 U.S.C.
   552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies of these standards can be inspected at
   the Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW.,
   Washington, DC (Reference Information Center) or at the National
   Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the
   availability of this material at NARA, call 202–741–6030, or go to
   http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ib
   r_locations.html. The IMO standards can be purchased from International
   Maritime Organization (IMO), Publications, International Maritime
   Organization, 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR, United Kingdom;
   telephone 011 44 71 735 7611.

   (b) Ships must carry either the most recent edition of the IMO
   publication entitled GMDSS Master Plan of Shore-Based Facilities, the
   U.S. NIMA Publication 117, or the Admiralty List of Radio Signals
   Volume 5 Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. Notice of new
   editions will be published on the Commission's Wireless
   Telecommunications Bureau web page under “Marine Services” and
   information will be provided about obtaining the new document.

   (c) All GMDSS equipment capable of transmitting an automatic distress
   alert which includes position of the ship must have either an integral
   navigation receiver or capability of being connected to an external
   navigation receiver. If an external navigation receiver is installed,
   it shall be connected to all of the alerting devices referred to in
   paragraph (a) of this section. If there is no navigation receiver, the
   position must be entered manually for each alerting device at least
   once every 4 hours (at the change of the navigation watch).

   (d) Every passenger ship shall be provided with means for two-way
   on-scene radiocommunications for search and rescue purposes using the
   aeronautical frequencies 121.5 and 123.1 MHz from the position from
   which the ship is normally navigated.

   [ 57 FR 9065 , Mar. 16, 1992, as amended at  60 FR 50122 , Sept. 28, 1995;
    68 FR 46977 , Aug. 7, 2003;  69 FR 64679 , Nov. 8, 2004;  73 FR 4489 , Jan.
   25, 2008]