Goto Section: 80.304 | 80.307 | Table of Contents
FCC 80.305
Revised as of October 2, 2015
Goto Year:2014 |
2016
§ 80.305 Watch requirements of the Communications Act and the Safety
Convention.
(a) Each ship of the United States which is equipped with a radiotelegraph
station for compliance with part II of title III of the Communications Act
or chapter IV of the Safety Convention must:
(1) If it is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment, keep a continuous and
efficient watch on the radiotelephone distress frequency 2182 kHz from the
principal radio operating position or the room from which the vessel is
normally steered while being navigated in the open sea outside a harbor or
port.
(2) Keep a continuous and efficient watch on the VHF distress frequency
156.800 MHz from the room from which the vessel is normally steered while in
the open sea outside a harbor or port. The watch must be maintained by a
designated member of the crew who may perform other duties, relating to the
operation or navigation of the vessel, provided such other duties do not
interfere with the effectiveness of the watch. Use of a properly adjusted
squelch or brief interruptions due to other nearby VHF transmissions are not
considered to adversely affect the continuity or efficiency of the required
watch on the VHF distress frequency. This watch need not be maintained by
vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and participating in a Vessel
Traffic Services (VTS) system as required or recommended by the U.S. Coast
Guard, when an efficient listening watch is maintained on both the
bridge-to-bridge frequency and a separate assigned VTS frequency.
(b) Each cargo ship of the United States which is equipped with a
radiotelephone station for compliance with part II of title III of the
Communications Act or chapter IV of the Safety Convention must while being
navigated outside of a harbor or port:
(1) If it is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment, keep a continuous watch on
2182 kHz in the room from which the vessel is normally steered while at sea,
whenever such station is not being used for authorized traffic. Such watch
must be maintained by at least one officer or crewmember who may perform
other duties relating to the operation or navigation of the vessel, provided
such other duties do not interfere with the watch.
(2) Keep a continuous watch on 156.800 MHz from the room from which the
vessel is normally steered. The watch must be maintained by a crewmember who
may perform other duties, relating to the operation or navigation of the
vessel, provided such other duties do not interfere with the watch. Use of
properly adjusted squelch of brief interruptions due to other nearby VHF
transmissions are not considered to adversely affect the watch. This watch
need not be maintained by vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and
participating in a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system when a watch is
maintained on both the bridge-to-bridge frequency and a VTS frequency.
(c) Each vessel of the United States transporting more than six passengers
for hire, which is equipped with a radiotelephone station for compliance
with 47 U.S.C. 381-386 but which is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment,
must, while being navigated in the open sea or any tidewater within the
jurisdiction of the United States adjacent or contiguous to the open sea,
keep a continuous watch on 2182 kHz while the vessel is beyond VHF
communication range of the nearest VHF coast station, whenever the
radiotelephone station is not being used for authorized traffic. A VHF watch
must be kept on 156.800 MHz whenever such station is not being used for
authorized traffic. The VHF watch must be maintained at the vessel's
steering station actually in use by the qualified operator as defined by
§ 80.157 or by a crewmember who may perform other duties relating to the
operation or navigation of the vessel, provided such other duties do not
interfere with the watch. The use of a properly adjusted squelch is not
considered to adversely affect the watch. The VHF watch need not be
maintained by vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and participating
in a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system when an efficient listening watch
is maintained on both the bridge-to-bridge frequency and a VTS frequency.
[ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at 68 FR 46967 , Aug. 7, 2003; 69 FR 64673 , Nov. 8, 2004; 73 FR 4484 , Jan. 25, 2008; 76 FR 67612 , Nov. 2, 2011]
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Goto Section: 80.304 | 80.307
Goto Year: 2014 |
2016
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