Sec.  80.320   Radiotelephone distress call and message transmission procedure.

   (a) The radiotelephone distress procedure consists of:

   (1) The radiotelephone alarm signal (whenever possible);

   (2) The distress call;

   (3) The distress message.

   (b) The DSC distress procedure consists of:

   (1) Transmission by a mobile unit in distress;

   (2) Reception;

   (3) Acknowledgement of distress calls;

   (4) Distress relays.

   (c)  Radiotelephone  distress  transmissions  must  be made slowly and
   distinctly, each word being clearly pronounced to facilitate transcription.

   (d) After the transmission by radiotelephony of its distress message, the
   mobile station may be requested to transmit suitable signals followed by its
   call sign or name, to permit direction-finding stations to determine its
   position. This request may be repeated at frequent intervals if necessary.

   (e) The distress message, preceded by the distress call, must be repeated at
   intervals until an answer is received. This repetition must be preceded by
   the radiotelephone alarm signal whenever possible.

   (f) When the mobile station in distress receives no answer to a distress
   message transmitted on the distress frequency, the message may be repeated
   on any other available frequency on which attention might be attracted.

   [ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986, as amended