Regulation 9 - Radio equipment - sea areas A1, A2 and A3
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Regulation 9 - Radio equipment - sea areas A1, A2 and A3

  (1) In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 6, every vessel engaged on voyages beyond sea areas A1 and A2, but remaining within sea area A3, shall, if it does not comply with the requirements of paragraph (2), be provided with:

  • (a) an Inmarsat ship earth station capable of:

    • (i) transmitting and receiving distress and safety communications using direct-printing telegraphy;

    • (ii) initiating and receiving distress priority calls;

    • (iii) maintaining watch for shore-to-ship distress alerts, including those directed to specifically defined geographical areas;

    • (iv) transmitting and receiving general radiocommunications, using either radiotelephony or direct-printing telegraphy; and

  • (b) an MF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving, for distress and safety purposes, on the frequencies:

    • (i) 2,187.5 kHz using DSC; and

    • (ii) 2,182 kHz using radiotelephony; and

  • (c) a radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous DSC watch on the frequency 2,187.5 kHz which may be separate from or combined with that required by subparagraph (b)(i); and

  • (d) means of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shore distress alerts by a radio service operating either:

    • (i) through the polar orbiting satellite service on 406 MHz; this requirement may be fulfilled by the satellite EPIRB required by regulation 6(1)(f) either by installing the satellite EPIRB close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the vessel is normally navigated; or

    • (ii) on HF using DSC; or

    • (iii) through the Inmarsat geostationary satellite service, by an additional ship earth station or by the satellite EPIRB required by regulation 6(1)(f), either by installing the satellite EPIRB close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the vessel is normally navigated.

  (2) In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 6, every vessel engaged on voyages beyond sea areas Al and A2, but remaining within sea area A3, shall, if it does not comply with the requirements of paragraph (1), be provided with:

  • (a) an MF/HF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving, for distress and safety purposes, on all distress and safety frequencies in the bands between 1,605 and 4,000 kHz and between 4,000 and 27,500 kHz:

    • (i) using DSC;

    • (ii) using radiotelephony; and

    • (iii) using direct-printing telegraphy; and

  • (b) equipment capable of maintaining DSC watch on 2,187.5 kHz, 8,414.5 kHz and on at least one of the distress and safety DSC frequencies 4,207.5 kHz, 6,312 kHz, 12,577 kHz or 16,804.5 kHz; at any time, it shall be possible to select any of these DSC distress and safety frequencies. This equipment may be separate from, or combined with, the equipment required by subparagraph (a); and

  • (c) means of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shore distress alerts by a radiocommunication service other than HF operating either:

    • (i) through the polar orbiting satellite service on 406 MHz; this requirement may be fulfilled by the satellite EPIRB, required by regulation 6(1)(f), either by installing the satellite EPIRB close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the vessel is normally navigated; or

    • (ii) through the Inmarsat geostationary satellite service; this requirement may be fulfilled by an Inmarsat ship earth station or the satellite EPIRB, required by regulation 6(1)(f), either by installing the satellite EPIRB close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the vessel is normally navigated; and

  • (d) in addition, vessels shall be capable of transmitting and receiving general radiocommunications using radiotelephony or direct-printing telegraphy by an MF/HF radio installation operating on working frequencies in the bands between 1,605 and 4,000 kHz and between 4,000 and 27,500 kHz. This requirement may be fulfilled by the addition of this capability in the equipment required by subparagraph (a).

  (3) It shall be possible to initiate transmission of distress alerts by the radio installations specified in paragraphs (1)(a), (1)(b), (1)(d), (2)(a) and (2)(c) from the position from which the vessel is normally navigated.

  (4) The Administration may exempt vessels constructed before 1 February 1997 and engaged exclusively on voyages within sea areas A2 and A3 from the requirements of regulations 6(1)(a)(i) and 6(1)(b) provided such vessels maintain, when practicable, a continuous listening watch on VHF channel 16. This watch shall be kept at the position from which the vessel is normally navigated.

Parent topic: Part B - Ship Requirements
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