Federal Communications Commission § 80.316

§ 80.310 Watch required by voluntary frequencies are indicated by footnote 2 vessels. in § 80.361(b).

Voluntary vessels not equipped with Frequency band Emission Carrier frequency DSC must maintain a watch on 156.800 MHz (channel 16) whenever the radio is 405–535 kHz ...... A2B ...... 500 kHz. 1605–3500 kHz ...... J3E ...... 2182 kHz. operating and is not being used to com- 4000–27, 5000 kHz .... A2B ...... 8364 kHz. municate. Noncommercial vessels, 118–136 MHz ...... A3E ...... 121.500 MHz. such as recreational boats, may alter- 156–162 MHz ...... F3E, PON 156.800 MHz 156.750 MHz. natively maintain a watch on 156.450 243 MHz ...... A3N ...... 243.000 MHz. MHz (channel 9) for call and reply pur- poses. The maximum transmitter power ob- [57 FR 19552, May 7, 1992] tainable may be used. [51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986; 51 FR 34984, Oct. 1, DISTRESS, ALARM, URGENCY AND 1986] SAFETY PROCEDURES § 80.314 Distress signals. § 80.311 Authority for distress trans- (a) The international radiotelegraphy mission. distress signal consists of the group A mobile station in distress may use ‘‘three dots, three dashes, three dots’’ any means at its disposal to attract at- (... ---...), symbolized herein by SOS, tention, make known its position, and transmitted as a single signal in which obtain help. A distress call and mes- the dashes are slightly prolonged so as sage, however, must be transmitted to be distinguished clearly from the only on the authority of the master or dots. person responsible for the mobile sta- (b) The international radiotelephone tion. No person shall knowingly trans- distress signal consists of the word mit, or cause to be transmitted, any MAYDAY, pronounced as the French false or fraudulent signal of distress or expression ‘‘m’aider’’. related communication. (c) These distress signals indicate that a mobile station is threatened by § 80.312 Priority of distress trans- grave and imminent danger and re- missions. quests immediate assistance. The distress call has absolute priority over all other transmissions. All § 80.315 Distress calls. stations which hear it must imme- (a) The radiotelegraph distress call diately cease any transmission capable consists of: of interfering with the distress traffic (1) The distress signal SOS, sent and must continue to listen on the fre- three times; quency used for the emission of the dis- (2) The word DE; tress call. This call must not be ad- (3) The call sign of the mobile station dressed to a particular station. Ac- in distress, sent three times. knowledgement of receipt must not be (b) The radiotelephone distress call given before the distress message consists of: which follows it is sent. (1) The distress signal MAYDAY spoken three times; § 80.313 Frequencies for use in dis- (2) The words THIS IS; tress. (3) The call sign (or name, if no call The frequencies specified in the sign assigned) of the mobile station in bands below are for use by mobile sta- distress, spoken three times. tions in distress. The conventional emission is shown. When a ship station § 80.316 Distress messages. cannot transmit on the designated fre- (a) The radiotelegraph distress mes- quency or the conventional emission, it sage consists of: may use any available frequency or (1) The distress signal SOS; emission. Frequencies for distress and (2) The name of the mobile station in safety calling using digital selective distress; calling techniques are listed in (3) Particulars of its position; § 80.359(b). Distress and safety NB-DP (4) The nature of the distress;

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(5) The kind of assistance desired; ate automatic devices giving the (6) Any other information which alarm. might facilitate rescue. (b) The radiotelephone distress mes- § 80.318 Use of alarm signals. sage consists of: (a) The radiotelegraph or radio- (1) The distress signal MAYDAY; telephone alarm signal, as appropriate, (2) The name of the mobile station in must only be used to announce: distress; (1) That a distress call or message is (3) Particulars of its position; about to follow; (4) The nature of the distress; (2) The transmission of an urgent cy- (5) The kind of assistance desired; clone warning. In this case the alarm (6) Any other information which signal may only be used by coast sta- might facilitate rescue, for example, tions authorized by the Commission to the length, color, and type of vessel, do so; or number of persons on board. (3) The loss of a person or persons (c) As a general rule, a ship must sig- overboard. In this case the alarm signal its position in latitude and lon- nal may only be used when the assist- gitude, using figures for the degrees ance of other ships is required and can- and minutes, together with one of the not be satisfactorily obtained by the words NORTH or SOUTH and one of the use of the urgency signal only, but the words EAST or WEST. In radio- alarm signal must not be repeated by telegraphy, the signal .-.-.- must be other stations. The message must be used to separate the degrees from the preceded by the urgency signal. minutes. When practicable, the true (b) In cases described in paragraphs bearing and distance in nautical miles (a)(2) and (3) of this section, the trans- from a known geographical position mission of the warning or message by may be given. radiotelegraphy must not begin until two minutes after the end of the radio- § 80.317 Radiotelegraph and radiotelegraph alarm signal. telephone alarm signals. (a) The international radiotelegraph § 80.319 Radiotelegraph distress call alarm signal consists of a series of and message transmission proce- twelve dashes sent in one minute, the dure. duration of each dash being four sec- (a) The radiotelegraph distress proce- onds and the duration of the interval dure consists of the following six steps: between consecutive dashes one second. however, when time is vital, the first The purpose of this special signal is the and second steps may be omitted. actuation of automatic devices giving These two steps of the distress proce- the alarm to attract the attention of dure may also be omitted in cir- the operator when there is no listening cumstances when transmission of the watch on the distress frequency. alarm signal is considered unnecessary: (b) The international radiotelephone (1) The radiotelegraph alarm signal; alarm signal consists of two substan- (2) The distress call and an interval tially sinusoidal audio frequency tones of two minutes; transmitted alternately. One tone (3) The distress call; must have a frequency of 2200 Hertz (4) The distress message; and the other a frequency of 1300 Hertz, (5) Two dashes of ten to fifteen sec- the duration of each tone being 250 mil- onds each; liseconds. When generated by auto- (6) The call sign of the mobile station matic means, the radiotelephone alarm in distress. signal must be transmitted continu- (b) The radiotelegraph distress trans- ously for a period of at least 30 seconds, missions must be sent by means of the but not exceeding one minute; when international Morse code at a speed not generated by other means, the signal exceeding 16 words per minute nor less must be transmitted as continuously than 8 words per minute. as practicable over a period of approxi- (c) The distress message, preceded by mately one minute. The purpose of this the distress call, must be repeated at special signal is to attract the atten- intervals, especially during the 500 kHz tion of the person on watch or to actu- international silence periods, until an

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answer is received. The radiotelegraph ceipt. However, in areas where reliable alarm signal may also be repeated, if communication with one or more coast necessary. stations is practicable, ship stations (d) The transmissions under para- may defer this acknowledgement for a graphs (a) (5) and (6) of this section, short interval so that a coast station which are to permit direction finding may acknowledge receipt. stations to determine the position of (b) Stations of the maritime mobile the station in distress, may be repeated service which receive a distress mes- at frequent intervals if necessary. sage from a mobile station which be- (e) When the mobile station in dis- yond any possible doubt is not in their tress receives no answer to a distress vicinity, must allow a short interval of message transmitted on the distress time to elapse before acknowledging frequency, the message may be re- receipt of the message in order to per- peated on any other available fre- mit stations nearer to the mobile sta- quency on which attention might be tion in distress to acknowledge receipt attracted. without interference.

§ 80.320 Radiotelephone distress call § 80.322 Form of acknowledgement. and message transmission procedure. (a) The acknowledgement of receipt of a radiotelegraph distress message is (a) The radiotelephone distress proce- transmitted in the following form: dure consists of: (1) The distress signal SOS; (1) The radiotelephone alarm signal (2) The call sign of the station send- (whenever possible); ing the distress message, sent three (2) The distress call; times; (3) The distress message. (3) The word DE; (b) Radiotelephone distress trans- (4) The call sign of the station ac- missions must be made slowly and dis- knowledging receipt, sent three times; tinctly, each word being clearly pro- (5) The group RRR; nounced to facilitate transcription. (6) The message signal SOS. (c) After the transmission by radiotelephony of its distress message, (b) The acknowledgement of receipt the mobile station may be requested to of a radiotelephone distress message is transmit suitable signals followed by transmitted in the following form: its call sign or name, to permit direc- (1) The distress signal MAYDAY; tion-finding stations to determine its (2) The call sign or other identifica- position. This request may be repeated tion of the station sending the distress at frequent intervals if necessary. message, spoken three times; (d) The distress message, preceded by (3) The words THIS IS; the distress call, must be repeated at (4) The call sign or other identifica- intervals until an answer is received. tion of the station acknowledging re- This repetition must be preceded by ceipt, spoken three times; the radiotelephone alarm signal when- (5) The word RECEIVED; ever possible. (6) The distress signal MAYDAY. (e) When the mobile station in distress receives no answer to a distress § 80.323 Information furnished by an message transmitted on the distress acknowledging station. frequency, the message may be re- (a) Every mobile station which ac- peated on any other available fre- knowledges receipt of a distress mes- quency on which attention might be sage must on the order of the master or attracted. person responsible for the ship, aircraft, or other vehicle carrying such § 80.321 Acknowledgement of receipt mobile station, transmit as soon as of distress message. possible the following information in (a) Stations of the maritime mobile the order shown: service which receive a distress mes- (1) Its identifier; sage from a mobile station which is be- (2) Its position; yond any possible doubt in their vicin- (3) The speed at which it is pro- ity must immediately acknowledge re- ceeding towards, and the approximate

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time it will take to reach the mobile § 80.325 Control of distress traffic. station in distress. (a) Distress traffic consists of all (b) Before sending this message, the messages relating to the immediate as- station must ensure that it will not sistance required by the mobile station interfere with the emissions of other in distress. In distress traffic, the dis- stations better situated to render im- tress signal must be sent before the mediate assistance to the station in call and at the beginning of the pre- distress. amble of any radiotelegram. (b) The control of distress traffic is § 80.324 Transmission of distress mes- the responsibility of the mobile station sage by station not itself in distress. in distress or of the station which has (a) A mobile station or a land station sent the distress message. These sta- which learns that a mobile station is in tions may delegate the control of the distress must transmit a distress mes- distress traffic to another station. sage in any of the following cases: (c) The station in distress or the sta- (1) When the station in distress can- tion in control of distress traffic may not transmit the distress message. impose silence either on all stations of (2) When the master or person re- the mobile service in the area or on sponsible for the ship, aircraft, or other any station which interferes with the distress traffic. It must address these vehicle not in distress, or for the land instructions ‘‘to all stations’’ or to one station, believes that further help is station only, according to cir- necessary. cumstances. In either case, it must use (3) When, although not in a position one of the following signals which are to assist, it has heard a distress mes- reserved for use by the mobile station sage which has not been acknowledged. in distress and for the station control- When a mobile station transmits such ling distress traffic: a distress message, it must notify the (1) In radiotelegraphy, the abbrevia- authorities who may be able to assist. tion QRT, followed by the distress sig- (b) Transmission must be made on nal SOS. the international distress frequencies (2) In radiotelephony, the signal or on any other available frequency on SEELONCE MAYDAY. which attention might be attracted. (d) If essential, any station of the (c) Transmission of the distress mes- mobile service near the ship, aircraft, sage must always be preceded by the or other vehicle in distress may also call indicated below, which must itself impose silence. It must use for this be preceded whenever possible by the purpose: radiotelegraph or radiotelephone alarm (1) In radiotelegraphy, the abbrevia- signal. This call consists of: tion QRT, followed by the word DIS- (1) When radiotelegraphy is used: TRESS and its own call sign; (i) The signal DDD SOS SOS SOS (2) In radiotelephony, the word DDD: SEELONCE, followed by the word DIS- (ii) The word DE; TRESS and its own call sign or other (iii) The call sign of the transmitting identification. station, sent three times. § 80.326 Notification of resumption of (2) When radiotelephony is used: normal working. (i) The signal MAYDAY RELAY, spo- (a) When distress traffic has ceased, ken three times; or when complete silence is no longer (ii) The words THIS IS; necessary on a frequency which has (iii) The call sign or other identifica- been used for distress traffic, the station of the transmitting station, spo- tion which has controlled this traffic ken three times. must transmit on that frequency a (d) When the radiotelegraph alarm message addressed ‘‘to all stations’’ in- signal is used, an interval of two min- dicating that normal working may be utes must be allowed, whenever this is resumed. considered necessary, before the trans- (1) In radiotelegraphy, this message mission of the call mentioned in para- consists of: graph (c)(1) of this section. (i) The distress signal SOS;

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(ii) The call ‘‘to all stations’’ (CQ), the transmission of the message which sent three times; follows the urgency signal. (iii) The word DE; [51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at 52 (iv) The call sign of the station send- FR 35245, Sept. 18, 1987] ing the message; (v) The time of handing in the mes- § 80.328 Urgency message. sage; (a) The urgency signal and call, and (vi) The name and call sign of the the message following it, must be sent mobile station which was in distress; on one of the international distress fre- (vii) The service abbreviation QUM. quencies. Stations which cannot trans- (2) In radiotelephony, this message mit on a distress frequency may use consists of: any other available frequency on which (i) The distress signal MAYDAY; attention might be attracted. (ii) The call ‘‘Hello all stations’’, spo- (b) Mobile stations which hear the ken three times; urgency signal must continue to listen (iii) The words THIS IS; for at least three minutes. At the end (iv) The call sign or other identifica- of this period, if no urgency message tion of the station sending the mes- has been heard, they may resume their sage; normal service. However, land and mo- (v) The time of handing in of the bile stations which are in communica- message; tion on frequencies other than those (vi) The name and call sign of the used for the transmission of the ur- mobile station which was in distress; gency signal and of the call which follows it may continue their normal (vii) The words SEELONCE FEENEE work without interruption provided OR PRU-DONCE. the urgency message is not addressed (b) Until they receive the foregoing ‘‘to all stations’’. message indicating that normal or lim- (c) When the urgency signal has been ited working may be resumed, all sta- sent before transmitting a message ‘‘to tions which are aware of the distress all stations’’ which calls for action by traffic, and which are not taking part the stations receiving the message, the in it, are forbidden to transmit on the station responsible for its transmission frequencies on which the distress traf- must cancel it as soon as it knows that fic is taking place. action is no longer necessary. This message of cancellation must likewise § 80.327 Urgency signals. be addressed ‘‘to all stations’’. (a) The urgency signal indicates that the calling station has a very urgent § 80.329 Safety signals. message to transmit concerning the (a) The safety signal indicates that safety of a ship, aircraft, or other vehi- the station is about to transmit a mes- cle, or the safety of a person. The ur- sage concerning the safety of naviga- gency signal must be sent only on the tion or giving important meteorolog- authority of the master or person re- ical warnings. sponsible for the mobile station. (b) In radiotelegraphy, the safety sig- (b) In radiotelegraphy, the urgency nal consists of three repetitions of the signal consists of three repetitions of group TTT, sent with the individual the group XXX, sent with the indi- letters of each group, and the succes- vidual letters of each group, and the sive groups clearly separated from each successive groups clearly separated other. It must be sent before the call. from each other. It must be trans- (c) In radiotelephony, the safety sig- mitted before the call. nal consists of the word SECURITE, (c) In radiotelephony, the urgency pronounced as in French, spoken three signal consists of three oral repetitions times and transmitted before the call. of the group of words PAN PAN trans- (d) The safety signal and call must be mitted before the call. sent on one of the international dis- (d) The urgency signal has priority tress frequencies (500 kHz or 8364 kHz over all other communications except radiotelegraph; 2182 kHz or 156.8 MHz distress. All mobile and land stations radiotelephone). Stations which cannot which hear it must not interfere with transmit on a distress frequency may

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use any other available frequency on limited to the following three situa- which attention might be attracted. tions: (1) Emergency. § 80.330 Safety message. (2) Failure of the vessel being called (a) The safety signal and call must be to respond to a second call at low followed by the safety message. Where power. practicable, the safety message should (3) A broadcast call as in paragraph be sent on a working frequency, and a (a)(1) of this section in a blind situa- suitable announcement to this effect tion, e.g., rounding a bend in a river. must be made at the end of the call. (b) Except for the cases mentioned in § 80.332 Equipment to aid search and rescue operations. paragraph (c) of this section, the safety signal when sent on the frequency 500 (a) Survival craft stations may trans- kHz must be transmitted toward the mit distress, urgency and safety sig- end of the first available silence period; nals, calls and messages. the safety message must be trans- (b) EPIRB’s may transmit only in ac- mitted immediately after the silence cordance with the requirements of sub- period. parts V and X of this part. (c) Messages about meteorological warnings, of cyclones, dangerous ice, § 80.333 Stations in the maritime mo- dangerous wrecks, or any other immi- bile-satellite service. nent danger to marine navigation must The provisions of §§ 80.311 and 80.324 be preceded by the safety signal. apply to the operations of ship earth (d) Stations hearing the safety signal stations in the maritime mobile-sat- must not make any transmission likely ellite service. to interfere with the message. Subpart H—Frequencies § 80.331 Bridge-to-bridge communication procedure. RADIOTELEGRAPHY (a) Vessels subject to the Bridge-to- Bridge Act transmitting on the des- § 80.351 Scope. ignated navigational frequency must The following sections describe the conduct communications in a format carrier frequencies and general uses of similar to those given below: radiotelegraphy with respect to the fol- (1) This is the (name of vessel). My lowing: position is (give readily identifiable po- —Distress, urgency, safety, call and reply. sition, course and speed) about to —Working. (describe contemplated action). Out. —Digital selective calling (DSC). (2) Vessel off (give a readily identifi- —Narrow-band direct-printing (NB–DP). able position). This is (name of vessel) —Facsimile. off (give a readily identifiable position). I plan to (give proposed course of § 80.353 General uses—radio- action). Over. telegraphy. (3) (Coast station), this is (vessel’s (a) Unless otherwise indicated radio- name) off (give readily identifiable po- telegraphy may be used by ship and sition). I plan to (give proposed course public coast stations only. of action). Over. (b) The signal code for Morse teleg- (b) Vessels acknowledging receipt raphy must be the international Morse must answer ‘‘(Name of vessel calling). code signals specified in the Telegraph This is (Name of vessel answering). Re- Regulations annexed to the Inter- ceived your call,’’ and follow with an national Telecommunication Conven- indication of their intentions. Commu- tion. nications must terminate when each (c) To facilitate communications, ship is satisfied that the other no ship stations transmitting by means of longer poses a threat to its safety and radiotelegraphy must use the service is ended with ‘‘Out’’. abbreviations (‘‘Q’’ signals) listed in (c) Use of power greater than 1 watt Appendix 14 to the ITU Radio Regula- in a bridge-to-bridge station shall be tions whenever practicable.

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