§  80.93   Hours of service.

   (a) All stations. All stations whose hours of service are not
   continuous must not suspend operation before having concluded all
   communication required in connection with a distress call or distress
   traffic.

   (b) Public coast stations. (1) Each public coast station whose hours of
   service are not continuous must not suspend operation before having
   concluded all communication involving messages or calls originating in
   or destined to mobile stations within range and mobile stations which
   have indicated their presence.

   (2) Unless otherwise authorized by the Commission upon adequate showing
   of need, each public coast station authorized to operate on frequencies
   in the 3000–23,000 kHz band must maintain continuous hours of service.

   (c) Compulsory ship stations. (1) Compulsory ship stations whose
   service is not continuous may not suspend operation before concluding
   all traffic originating in or destined for public coast stations
   situated within their range and mobile stations which have indicated
   their presence.

   (2) For GMDSS ships, radios shall be turned on and set to proper watch
   channels while ships are underway. If a ship has duplicate GMDSS
   installations for DSC or INMARSAT, only one of each must be turned on
   and keeping watch.

   (d) Ships voluntarily fitting GMDSS subsystems. For ships voluntarily
   fitting GMDSS subsystems, radios shall be turned on and set to proper
   watch channels while ships are underway. If ship has duplicate GMDSS
   installations for DSC or INMARSAT, only one of each must be turned on
   and keeping watch.

   (e) Other than public coast or compulsory ship stations. The hours of
   service of stations other than those described in paragraphs (b), (c),
   and (d) of this section are determined by the station licensee.

   [ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at  68 FR 46960 , Aug. 7, 2003]