Sec.  80.148   Watch on 156.8 MHz (Channel 16).

   Until  February  1, 2005, each compulsory vessel, while underway, must
   maintain a watch for radiotelephone distress calls on 156.800 MHz whenever
   such station is not being used for exchanging communications. For GMDSS
   ships,  156.525 MHz is the calling frequency for distress, safety, and
   general communications using digital selective calling and the watch on
   156.800 MHz is provided so that ships not fitted with DSC will be able to
   call  GMDSS  ships,  thus providing a link between GMDSS and non-GMDSS
   compliant ships. The watch on 156.800 MHz is not required:

   (a) Where a ship station is operating only with handheld bridge-to-bridge
   VHF radio equipment under  Sec. 80.143(c) of this part;

   (b) For vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and participating in a
   Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) system when the watch is maintained on both the
   bridge-to-bridge frequency and a separately assigned VTS frequency; or

   [ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at  58 FR 16504 , Mar. 29, 1993;  68 FR 46962 , Aug. 7, 2003]

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