§ 80.148   Watch on 156.8 MHz (Channel 16).

   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 § 80.143(c) of this part; or

   (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.

   [ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at  58 FR 16504 , Mar. 29, 1993;  68 FR 46962 , Aug. 7, 2003;  73 FR 4480 , Jan. 25, 2008;  76 FR 67611 , Nov. 2, 2011]

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