But remember that the vhf is officially for operational purposes. Vhf marine radio channels here are the most commonly used channels on united states waters. New maritime vhf channels which are interleaved between the existing channels are now available for use by suitably equipped vessels in some areas of the world. The vhf160 is packed with outstanding features including an emergency strobe light, all marine vhf channels, noaa emergency weather alert, dual, triple and quadwatch plus scanning, memory channel scan and instant access to channel 16 or channel 9. Using a marine radio is not much more complicated than talking on a telephone, however in united states waters federal regulations designate the usage of the radios many channels, and radio etiquette defines how to use the radio for the enjoyment and safety of everyone on the water.
With over 250 store locations, 100,000 products in stock, and knowledgeable associates, trust west marine for your boating, sailing, fishing, or paddling needs. Ship radio stations federal communications commission. From simple boattoboat or boattoshore communications to calling out or responding to onthewater emergencies, vhf radios deliver peace of mind while on the water. Whether fixedmounted or handheld, vhf radios are one of the most important communication and safety devices for anglers and boaters. Several vhf channels are available for recreational boaters. Vhf marine radio channels and frequencies hf single sideband maritime radiotelephone channels channel number ship transmit mhz ship receive mhz use 01a 156. Channel number ship transmit mhz ship receive mhz use. Svitzer marine tugs 1614 tees port control 1422 tees tugs 14160814 tees port authority maintenance craft 1614. If you call on channel 16, before speaking, find a clear working channel to switch to, and prepare remarks to ensure that no time is wasted on a busy channel. Table of transmitting frequencies in the vhf maritime mobile band.
Guidelines for the use of marine vhf radio vhf equipment should be used correctly and in accordance with fcc radio regulations. West marine is committed to outfitting your life on the water. Priority, circumstances o f use and authority to transmit. When youre out on the water, its essential that youre familiar with vhf marine radio frequencies and channels. This list is presented by cps, your rocm course provider, for information only, and may change without notice. Channel 9 communications between vessels commercial and recreational, and ship to coast calling channel in designated uscg districts. Some channels are not available in all areas or regions and are noted as such in the description field. Vhf channels, marine radio channels for boaters salt water. Some channels are not available in all areas or regions. Transmission on frequencies or channels shown in blue are not allowed within u. Here are the channels most commonly used by marine communications and traffic services mcts centres on canadian waters in the central and arctic regions. Such modification was carried out, inter alia, on channels 01, 07, 19.
Please take a moment to check out our marine radio related antenna products. Channels 68, 69, 71, 72, and 78a are considered noncommercial channels, and in most areas, 68 and 72 are commonly used by the recreationalboating community. These new channels are numbered in the 200 series, and they are spaced at 12. New ray63 dualstation vhf radio with gps raymarine a. Channels listed here are the canadian recognized 25khz spaced channels from 1 to 87, and are the most widely used. Available only in new orleanslower mississippi area. Epirb emergency position indicating radio beacon ch ships 20m length maintain a listening watch on this channel. In order to minimise congestion, if direct ship to ship or ship to shore communications are possible on a nonrepeater channel, it must be used in preference.
Marine vhf radio operates at a frequency of approximately 156mhz, while mfhf single sideband or ssb radios operate at frequencies from about 2mhz to 22mhz. All available us, international and canadian vhf marine bands. Marine vhf around campbell river a short summary compliments of ripple rock squadron. Technical requirements for the operation of mobile stations in the maritime service issued by industry canada, spectrum management. You must choose a channel which is available for the type of message you want to send. Marine vhf channel allocation update september 2017 channel number simplex single frequency or duplex two frequencies use 01 duplex not used 02 duplex not used 03 duplex not used 04 duplex not used 05 duplex not used 06 simplex primary ship to ship 07 duplex not used.
A vhf marine radio is the single most important radio system you should buy. Marine channel frequencies vhf uhf radio programming. Some channels are monitored for commercial use, some for private use, some for coast guards, etc. Also hailing channel for many draw bridge operators. Here are the channels most commonly used by marine communications and traffic services mcts centres on canadian waters in. Noaa weather channels can also be accessed immediately by pressing the wx key. Most vhf radios on the market today have in excess of twentyfive usable channels. Vhf marine radio channel reference vhf marine radio channel reference complements of raynor maritime services. Anglers should practice proper radio etiquette and use the correct marine channel when communicating via vhf radio on the water. Marine vhf radio is a worldwide system of two way radio transceivers on ships and watercraft used for bidirectional voice communication from shiptoship, shiptoshore for example with harbormasters, and in certain circumstances shiptoaircraft. It uses fm channels in the very high frequency vhf radio band in the frequency range between 156 and 174 mhz, inclusive. It uses fm channels in the very high frequency vhf radio band in the frequency range between. West marine vhf160 floating 6w handheld vhf radio west marine.
If you plan to travel more than a few miles offshore, plan to purchase an mfhf radiotelephone or mobile satellite telephone, an emergency position. Note b the table below defines the channel numbering for maritime vhf communications based on 25 khz channel spacing and use of several duplex channels. Ships 20m length maintain a listening watch on this channel in us waters. Vhf channels, marine radio channels for boaters salt.
Before you purchase anything else, make sure you have a vhf marine radio. Vhf marine radio channels for the san francisco bay area. Marine vhf radio channel frequencies us s simplex d duplex vts vessel traf. Table of transmitting frequencies in the vhf maritime. Fcc regulations require boaters having vhf radios to maintain a watch on either vhf channel 9 or channel 16, whenever the radio is turned on and not communicating with another station. The table below lists the important channels and what you need to know about them. Some regions use other channels as the hailing channel. Available only in new orleans lower mississippi area. The marine industry specifically uses the vhf frequency range for communication. United states vhf marine frequency list channel number ship transmit mhz ship receive mhz description of communications 1a 156. Change to 2284 mhz in vhf bands use name or call sign of station being called x 1 or x 2 this is use own ships name or call sign x1 or x 2 change to channel indicated by either land or ship station called i. Mar 09, 2020 when youre out on the water, its essential that youre familiar with vhf marine radio frequencies and channels. Accidents happen on the water, just like they do on land. Glowinthedark power key and seals make location at night easy.
The radio can be setup to scan any number of channels with or without a priority channel or simply can be setup to scan between a priority channel and on other channel dual watch. Vhf marine repeaters operate on channels 21, 22, 80, 81 or 82. It has an emergency channel 16 which can be immediately selected from any channel by pressing the 169 key. Marine channels scanner frequencies and radio frequency.
The maritime industry operates on the vhf very high frequency. Vhf marine radio channels united states power squadrons. Frequency characteristics the different frequencies have different characteristics for specific purposes, and are subdivided into bands. Marine vhf channel allocation update september 2017. A sailor needs to be only concerned with a few channels. International marine vhf channels uk sea kayak guidebook. Vhf channels around campbell river channel use remarks 16 distress and calling monitor this when not communicating on a working channel. Communications between vessels commercial and recreational, and ship to coast calling channel in designated uscg districts. A license is necessary however for a dsc mmsi number, or for any vessel required to carry a marine radio on an international voyage, carrying a hf single side band radiotelephone or marine satellite terminal. The marine vhf channels are divided into operational categories, based on the types of messages that are appropriate for each channel, and are available for the shared use of all boaters. Uniden um435 advanced fixed mount vhf marine radio, all usainternationalcanadian marine channels including new 4digit, cdn b channels, 1 watt25 watt power, waterproof ipx8 submersibl. The channel numbering and the conversion of two frequency channels for single frequency operation shall be in accordance with recommendati on itur m. When hailing, contact the other vessel, quickly agree to another channel, and then switch to that channel to continue conversation. International vhf marine radio channels and frequencies.
Marine radio handbook for australian waters qualifications. Dont operate your marine radio in a way that endangers or interferes with other people or vessels. Frequencies and spacing marine vhf channels are between 156. International vhf marine radio channels and frequencies the following table is adapted from the international telecommunications union radio regulations appendix s18, including changes adopted by the 1997 world radio conference. See the federal communications commissions marine vhf radio channels page for. Here are the most commonly used channels on united states waters. You wont be using the vast majority of channels on your vhf. A simplex channel is where the a and b frequencies are the same. Vhf equipment should be used correctly and in accordance with fcc radio regulations. Private channels areinserted at the end of normal radio channels as showing in the following example. Communications between the coast guard and the maritime public, both recreational and commercial. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, cps does not guarantee or warrant that the. Marine vhf radio channels the chart below summarizes a portion of the fcc rules 47cfr 80.
Besides vhf marine transceiver operation, the hx370s provides lmr land mobile radio transceiver operation. These same uhf channels are also found around major shipyards, freight docks, freighters, tankers, industrial marine sites, oil platforms, ports, and many other types of marine sites. International association of marine aids to navigation and lighthouse authorities iala. Lastly, as usual, use your common sense, proper etiquette and remember that vhf use is not a game. Emirates private channel sets can only be programmed using the garmin vhf radio programmer. Operating your marine radio always keep a listening watch on vhf channel 16.
Marine vhf 187 channels listed here are the canadian recognized 25khz spaced channels from 1 to 87, and are the most widely used. The vhf marine band is divided into channels, the frequency and number of which may vary from country to country. Vhf marine radio channels for a complete listing of all vhf channels and the areas in which they are used in canada, visit the industry canada website. Marine channels scanner frequencies and radio frequency reference. There is a procedure for sending out a distress call, but all you really need to know is to turn your vhf to channel 16 and high power, key the mike by pressing the talk button, and say one of the three phrases three times, along with position and situation information. Vhf stands for very high frequency, and its used for shiptoship, shiptoshore, and even shiptoaircraft twoway communications. Vhf marine band radio frequencies used in cape town and. Vhf marine channel number authorized use 16 international distress, safety and hailing. Vhf channel plan ch transmit receive notes 01a 156. Programming private channel sets with the vhf 100i and. This is the international hailing and distress frequency. Most other radios operate on uhf ultra high frequency. Note b the table below defines the channel numbering for maritime vhf communications based on 25 khz channel spacing and use of several duplex. The purpose of the fcc regulation was to relieve congestion on vhf channel 16, the distress, safety and calling frequency.
Marine vhf radio channels the chart below summarizes a portion of the fcc rules 47 cfr 80. Table of transmitting frequencies in the vhf marine band. The chart below summarizes a portion of the fcc rules 47 cfr 80. The transmission of a false distress message is an offence under the maritime transport act. Each repeater operates on a single channel from this list. Vhf marine radio channel reference raynor maritime. Legally, boaters are not allowed to use many of the channels. Federal communications commission regulations require boaters having vhf radios to maintain a watch on either channel 9 or channel 16, whenever the radio is turned on and not communicating with another station. Please send any updates, additions or corrections to me at the following email address. Vhf marine radio working channels pats boating in canada. Here are vhf fm noncommercial channels recreational boaters may use in specific situations.