§ 80.373   Private communications frequencies.

   This section describes the carrier frequencies assignable for
   ship-to-ship and ship-to-coast private communications.

   (a) Special requirements for private coast stations. Assignment to
   private coast stations of radiotelephony frequencies in the 2000-27500
   kHz band are subject to the following:

   (1) Private coast stations must use J3E emission.

   (2) On 2182 kHz, private coast stations must be capable of receiving
   J3E and H3E emissions.

   (3) Except in the Mississippi River System and Great Lakes, private
   coast stations serving lakes or rivers are not authorized on the
   2000-2850 kHz band.

   (4) Private coast stations may use DSC for calling on their assigned
   frequencies in the 2000-27500 kHz band and on those frequencies in the
   156-162 MHz band which are allocated for maritime control, commercial
   and non-commercial communications.

   (b) Frequencies in the 2000-27500 kHz band for intership safety and
   other communications. This paragraph describes the geographic areas of
   operation and the frequencies and limitations in the band available for
   assignment for intership safety and operational simplex radiotelephone
   communications.

   (1) Frequencies avaiable.
   Carrier frequency (kHz) Geographic area
   2003.0 Great Lakes only.
   2082.5^1 2 All areas.
   2093.0^1 All areas.
   2142.0 Pacific coast areas south of 42 degrees north on a day basis
   only.
   2203.0^2 Gulf of Mexico.
   2214.0^1 All areas.
   2638.0^1 All areas.
   2670.0 All areas.
   2738.0^1 All areas except the Great Lakes.
   2830.0 Gulf of Mexico only.

   ^1Limited to a peak envelope power of 150 watts.

   ^2Available on a secondary basis for intership communications by ships
   involved in non-commercial fishing.

   (2) Except for 2093.0 kHz and 2214.0 kHz the frequencies shown in
   paragraph (b)(1) of this section are authorized primarily for intership
   safety communications in the indicated geographic area.

   (3) Except for the frequencies 2093.0 kHz, 2214.0 kHz and 2670.0 kHz,
   the frequencies shown in paragraph (b)(1) of this section may be used
   on a non-interference basis to safety communications, for operational
   communications and, in the case of commercial transport ships and ships
   of municipal and state governments, for business communications.

   (4) Ship stations may communicate with government coast stations on
   2003.0 kHz about passage of vessels. Interference must not be caused to
   communications on the St. Lawrence Seaway and on the St. Mary's River.

   (5) Ship stations may use 2670.0 kHz for communications with coast and
   ship stations of the U.S. Coast Guard. When a ship is not equipped to
   transmit on 2670.0 kHz or in the band 156-162 MHz the frequency 2003.0
   kHz may be used on the Great Lakes for communications must not cause
   harmful interference to intership safety, operational and business
   communications.

   (6) Navigational communications between ships and private coast
   stations may be exchanged on 2738.0 kHz and 2830.0 kHz. The frequencies
   2214.0 kHz, 2738.0 kHz and 2830.0 kHz are assignable to private coast
   stations upon a showing that they need to communicate with commercial
   transport or Government ships. Private coast station applicants must
   show that public coast stations do not provide the required
   communications and harmful interference will not be caused to the
   intership use of these frequencies. The transmitter power must not
   exceed 150 watts. If 2214.0 kHz is authorized for ships, intership
   communication is also authorized. The geographic limitations to the
   frequencies 2738.0 kHz and 2830.0 kHz do not prohibit intership
   communication of less than 320 km (200 statute miles) when only one of
   the ship stations is within a permitted use geographic area.

   (7) Private aircraft stations may communicate with ship stations on
   2738.0 kHz and 2830.0 kHz if:

   (i) The communications are limited to business or operational needs of
   the vessel while it is engaged in commercial fishing activities in the
   open sea or adjacent waters;

   (ii) Harmful interference must not be caused to intership
   communications;

   (iii) The maximum output power used for such communication must not
   exceed 25 watts;

   (c) Frequencies in the 2000-27500 kHz bands for business and
   operational communications. (1) The following simplex frequencies in
   the 2000-27500 kHz band are available for assignment to private coast
   stations for business and operational radiotelephone communications.
   These simplex frequencies also are available for use by authorized ship
   stations for business and operational radiotelephone communications.

   Business and Operational Frequencies in the 2000-27500 kHz Band;
   Carrier Frequencies (kHz)
   2065.0^1 3   4146 6224 8294   12353 16528 18840 22159 25115
   2079.0^1 3   4149 6227 8297   12356 16531 18843 22162 25118
   2096.5^1   4125^2 6230      12359^6 16534       22165
   3023.0^4   4417^5 6516                          22168
              5680^4                               22171

   ^1Limited to peak envelope power of 150 watts.

   ^2The frequency 4125 kHz is also available for distress and safety, and
   calling and reply, see § 80.369 (b) and (d) of this part.

   ^3The frequencies 2065.0 kHz and 2079.0 kHz must be coordinated with
   Canada.

   ^4The frequencies 3023.0 kHz and 5680.0 kHz are available to private
   coast stations licensed to state and local governments and any
   scene-of-action ships for the purpose of search and rescue
   scene-of-action coordination including communications with any
   scene-of-action aircraft.

   ^5The frequency 6516 kHz is limited to daytime operations. The
   frequencies 4417 kHz and 6516 kHz are also available for calling and
   reply, see § 80.369(d) of this part.

   ^6The alternative carrier frequency 12359 kHz may be used by ship
   stations and coast stations for calling on a simplex basis, provided
   that the peak envelope power does not exceed 1 kW.

   (2) Assignment of these frequencies is subject to the following general
   limitations:

   (i) These frequencies are shared and are not available for the
   exclusive use of any station. No more than one frequency from each of
   the frequency bands will be authorized to a private station without
   justification;

   (ii) The emissions must be J3E or J2D except that when DSC is used the
   emission must be F1B or J2B; and

   (iii) Maximum transmitter output power is limited to 1 kW except as
   noted.

   (3) In addition to the frequencies shown in paragraph (c)(1) of this
   section, the following coast transmit frequencies listed in the table
   in § 80.371(a) of this chapter are available for assignment to private
   coast stations and authorized ship stations for simplex business and
   operational radiotelephone communications: in the East Coast, West
   Coast, and Gulf Coast regions, 2482 kHz; in the Alaska region, 2309
   kHz. These frequencies shall not be assigned to public coast stations
   before July 25, 2002. After that date, only the above frequencies in
   the above regions that have been assigned to at least one private coast
   station shall continue to be available for assignment to private coast
   stations. If, by that date, in any of the above regions, any of the
   above frequencies has not been assigned to a private coast station,
   that frequency in that region shall be available for assignment only to
   public coast stations.

   (d) Radioprinter frequencies. (1) The following table describes the
   bands available for radioprinter simplex communications between ship
   and private coast stations:

Frequency Bands (kHz)

   2107-2170   4750-4850

   2194-2495   5060-5450

   2505-2850   5700-59501

   3155-3400   7300-81001

   4438-4650

   1After April 1, 2007, use of the sub-bands 5900-5950 kHz and 7300-7350
   kHz shall be on the condition that harmful interference is not caused
   to HF broadcasting.

   (2) Ship stations may conduct radioprinter communications with private
   coast stations on frequencies within these bands which are assigned to
   their associated private coast stations;

   (3) Any alphanumeric code may be used; and

   (4) The bandwidth of radioprinter communications on frequencies within
   these bands must not exceed 300 Hz.

   (e) Frequencies in the 2000-27500 kHz band for medical advisory
   communications. (1) Private coast stations may be authorized to use any
   frequencies within the 2030-27500 kHz band that are allocated to
   Government and non-Government fixed or fixed and mobile radio services
   shown in the Commission's Table of Frequency Allocations contained in
   § 2.106 of this chapter for communications with ship stations to provide
   medical treatment information or advice. Assignment of these
   frequencies is subject to the following limitations:

   (2) No protection is provided from harmful interference caused by
   foreign stations; and

   (3) A private coast station must cease operations on a frequency that
   causes harmful interference to a foreign station.

   (f) Frequencies in the 156-162 MHz band. The following tables describe
   the carrier frequencies available in the 156-162 MHz band for
   radiotelephone communications between ship and private coast stations.
   (Note: the letter “A” following the channel designator indicates
   simplex operation on a channel designated internationally as a duplex
   channel.)

   Frequencies in the 156-162 MHz Band
   Channel designator Carrier frequency (MHz) ship transmit Carrier
   frequency (MHz) coast transmit Points of communication (intership and
   between coast and ship unless otherwise indicated)
   Port Operations
   01A^1 156.050 156.050
   63A^1 156.175 156.175
   05A^2 156.250 156.250
   65A 156.275 156.275
   66A 156.325 156.325
   12^3 156.600 156.600
   73 156.675 156.675
   14^3 156.700 156.700
   74 156.725 156.725
   77^4 156.875 Intership only.
   20A^12 157.000 Intership only.
   Navigational (Bridge-to-Bridge)^5
   67^7 156.375 156.375
   13^6 156.650 156.650
   Commercial
   01A^1 156.050 156.050
   63A^1 156.175 156.175
   07A 156.350 156.350
   67^7 156.375 Intership only.
   08 156.400 Do.
   09 156.450 156.450
   10 156.500 156.500
   11^3 156.550 156.550
   72^14 156.625 Intership only.
   18A 156.900 156.900
   19A 156.950 156.950
   79A 156.975 156.975
   80A 157.025 157.025
   88A^8 157.425 157.425
   Digital Selective Calling
   70^15 156.525 156.525
   Noncommercial
   67^14 156.375 Intership only.
   68^17 156.425 156.425
   09^16 156.450 156.450
   69 156.475 156.475
   71^18 156.575 156.575
   72 156.625 Intership only.
   78A 156.925 156.925
   79A 156.975 156.975 Great Lakes only.
   80A 157.025 157.025 Do.
   Distress, Safety and Calling
   16 156.800 156.800
   Intership Safety
   06 156.300 a. Intership, or b. For SAR: Ship and aircraft for the U.S.
   Coast Guard.
   Environmental
   15^13 156.750 Coast to ship only.
   Maritime Control
   17^9 10 156.850 156.850
   Liaison and Safety Broadcasts, U.S. Coast Guard
   22A^11 157.100 157.100 Ship, aircraft, and coast stations of the U.S.
   Coast Guard and at Lake Mead, Nev., ship and coast stations of the
   National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

   ^1156.050 MHz and 156.175 MHz are available for port operations and
   commercial communications purposes when used only within the U.S. Coast
   Guard designated Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) area of New Orleans, on
   the lower Mississippi River from the various pass entrances in the Gulf
   of Mexico to Devil's Swamp Light at River Mile 242.4 above head of
   passes near Baton Rouge.

   ^2156.250 MHz is available for port operations communications use only
   within the U.S. Coast Guard designated VTS radio protection areas of
   New Orleans and Houston described in § 80.383. 156.250 MHz is available
   for intership port operations communications used only within the area
   of Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors, within a 25-nautical mile radius
   of Point Fermin, California.

   ^3156.550 MHz, 156.600 MHz and 156.700 MHz are available in the U.S.
   Coast Guard designated port areas only for VTS communications and in
   the Great Lakes available primarily for communications relating to the
   movement of ships in sectors designated by the St. Lawrence Seaway
   Development Corporation or the U.S. Coast Guard. The use of these
   frequencies outside VTS and ship movement sector protected areas is
   permitted provided they cause no interference to VTS and ship movement
   communications in their respective designated sectors.

   ^4Use of 156.875 MHz is limited to communications with pilots regarding
   the movement and docking of ships. Normal output power must not exceed
   1 watt.

   ^5156.375 MHz and 156.650 MHz are available primarily for intership
   navigational communications. These frequencies are available between
   coast and ship on a secondary basis when used on or in the vicinity of
   locks or drawbridges. Normal output power must not exceed 1 watt.
   Maximum output power must not exceed 10 watts for coast stations or 25
   watts for ship stations.

   ^6On the Great Lakes, in addition to bridge-to-bridge communications,
   156.650 MHz is available for vessel control purposes in established
   vessel traffic systems. 156.650 MHz is not available for use in the
   Mississippi River from South Pass Lighted Whistle Buoy “2” and
   Southwest Pass entrance Mid-channel Lighted Whistle Buoy to mile 242.4
   above Head of Passes near Baton Rouge. Additionally it is not available
   for use in the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, the Mississippi
   River-Gulf Outlet Canal, and the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal,
   except to aid the transition from these areas.

   ^7Use of 156.375 MHz is available for navigational communications only
   in the Mississippi River from South Pass Lighted Whistle Buoy “2” and
   Southwest Pass entrance Mid-channel Lighted Whistle Buoy to mile 242.4
   above Head of Passes near Baton Rouge, and in addition over the full
   length of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal from entrance to its
   junction with the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal, and over the full
   length of the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal from its junction with
   the Mississippi River to its entry to Lake Pontchartrain at the New
   Seabrook vehicular bridge.

   ^8Within that portion of VHF Public Coast Station Areas (VPCSAs) 1
   through 9 listed in the table in Section 80.371(c)(1)(ii) within 120 km
   (75 miles) of the United States/Canada border, in the area of the Great
   Lakes, the Saint Lawrence Seaway, and the Puget Sound and the Strait of
   Juan de Fuca and its approaches, Maritime VHF Channel 88A (157.425 MHz)
   is available for use for public correspondence communications, subject
   to prior coordination with Canada. Maritime VHF Channel 88B (162.025
   MHz) is available only for Automatic Identification System
   communications. One hundred twenty kilometers (75 miles) from the
   United States/Canada border, 157.425 MHz is available for intership and
   commercial communications. Outside the Puget Sound area and its
   approaches and the Great Lakes, 157.425 MHz is available for
   communications between commercial fishing vessels and associated
   aircraft while engaged in commercial fishing activities.

   ^9When the frequency 156.850 MHz is authorized, it may be used
   additionally for search and rescue training exercises conducted by
   state or local governments.

   ^10The frequency 156.850 MHz is additionally available to coast
   stations on the Great Lakes for transmission of scheduled Coded Marine
   Weather Forecasts (MAFOR), Great Lakes Weather Broadcast (LAWEB) and
   unscheduled Notices to Mariners or Bulletins. F3C and J3C emissions are
   permitted. Coast stations on the Great Lakes must cease weather
   broadcasts which cause interference to stations operating on 156.800
   MHz until the interference problem is resolved.

   ^11The frequency 157.100 MHz is authorized for search and rescue
   training exercises by state or local government in conjunction with
   U.S. Coast Guard stations. Prior U.S. Coast Guard approval is required.
   Use must cease immediately on U.S. Coast Guard request.

   ^12The duplex pair for channel 20 (157.000/161.600 MHz) may be used for
   ship to coast station communications.

   ^13Available for assignment to coast stations, the use of which is in
   accord with an agreed program, for the broadcast of information to ship
   stations concerning the environmental conditions in which vessels
   operate, i.e., weather; sea conditions; time signals; notices to
   mariners; and hazards to navigation.

   ^14Available only in the Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

   ^15The frequency 156.525 MHz is to be used exclusively for distress,
   safety and calling using digital selective calling techniques. No other
   uses are permitted.

   ^16The frequency 156.450 MHz is available for intership, ship and coast
   general purpose calling by noncommercial vessels, such as recreational
   boats and private coast stations.

   ^17The frequency 156.425 MHz is assigned by rule to private coast
   stations in Alaska for facsimile transmissions as well as voice
   communications.

   ^18156.575 MHz is available for port operations communications use only
   within the U.S. Coast Guard designated VTS radio protection area of
   Seattle (Puget Sound) described in § 80.383. Normal output power must
   not exceed 1 watt. Maximum output power must not exceed 10 watts.

   (g)(1) On-board communications: This section describes the carrier
   frequency pairs assignable for on-board mobile radiotelephony
   communications. The center of the on-board repeater antenna must not be
   located more than 3 meters (10 feet) above the ship's working deck.
   These frequencies are available on a shared basis with stations in the
   Industrial/Business Radio Pool.

   Frequencies for On-Board Communications
                     Channel          Carrier frequency (MHz)
   On-board mobile
   station On-board repeater station^1
           1                                  467.750 457.525
           2                                  467.775 457.550
           3                                  467.800 457.575
           4                                  467.825 457.600

   ^1These frequencies may also be assigned to mobile stations for single
   frequency simplex operation.

   (2) Where needed, equipment designed for 12.5 kHz channel spacing using
   the additional frequencies 457.5375 MHz, 457.5625 MHz, 467.5375 MHz,
   and 467.5625 MHz may be introduced for on-board communications.

   (h) Repeater frequencies in Alaska. The following frequencies are
   assignable on a primary basis to public and on a secondary basis to
   private coast stations in Alaska for maritime repeater operations:

   Repeater receive: 157.275 MHz

   Repeater transmit: 161.875 MHz

   (i) Frequencies in the 1600-5450 kHz band for private communications in
   Alaska. The following simplex frequencies are available for assignment
   to private fixed stations located in the State of Alaska for
   radiotelephony communications with ship stations. These simplex
   frequencies are available for use by authorized ship stations for
   radiotelephony communications with private fixed stations located in
   the State of Alaska.

   Private communications in Alaska Carrier frequencies (kHz)
   1619.0^3 2382.0   2563.0
   1622.0^3 2419.0   2566.0
   1643.0^3 2422.0   2590.0
   1646.0^3 2427.0   2616.0
   1649.0^3 2430.0   3258.0
   1652.0^3 2447.0 ^13261.0
   1705.0^3 2450.0   4366.0
   1709.0   2479.0   4369.0
   1712.0   2482.0   4396.0
   2003.0   2506.0   4402.0
   2006.0   2509.0   4420.0
   2115.0   2512.0   4423.0
   2118.0   2535.0 ^25167.5
   2379.0   2538.0

   ^1Ship stations must limit use of 3261.0 kHz to communications over
   distances which cannot be reached by the use of frequency below 2700
   kHz or above 156.000 MHz.

   ^2The frequency 5167.5 kHz is available for emergency communications in
   Alaska. Peak envelope power of stations operating on this frequency
   must not exceed 150 watts. When a station in Alaska is authorized to
   use 5167.5 kHz, such station may also use this frequency for calling
   and listening for the purpose of establishing communications.

   ^3Use of these frequencies is on a secondary basis to Region 2
   broadcasting.

   (j) Frequencies for portable ship stations. VHF frequencies authorized
   for stations authorized carrier frequencies in the 156.275 MHz to
   157.450 MHz and 161.575 MHz to 162.025 MHz bands may also be authorized
   as marine utility stations. Marine-utility stations on shore must not
   cause interference to any Automatic Identification System, VHF or coast
   station, VHF or UHF land mobile base station, or U.S. Government
   station.

   [ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986;  51 FR 34984 , Oct. 1, 1986]

   Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting § 80.373, see
   the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids
   section of the printed volume and at www.fdsys.gov.

   return arrow Back to Top