SOLAS’74 AMANDEMENT’ 1988

CHAPTER IV RADIO COMMUNICATION

The Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) requires
passenger and cargo ships on international voyages to carry radio
equipment, including satellite Emergency Position Indicating
Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Search and Rescue Transponders
(SARTs)
 TUJUAN PEMBELAJARAN

Mengetahui dan memahami

SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA (SOLAS),74
CHAPTER IV RADIO COMMUNICATION
Amandemend tahun 1988 tentang
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)

Perjanjian yang dihasilkan oleh

Badan Perhimpunan Maritim Internasional

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO)
 SOLAS CHAPTER IV RADIO COMMUNICATIONS
Regulation 1 Application
Regulation 2 Terms and definitions
Regulation 3 Exemptions
Regulation 4 Functional requirements
Regulation 5 Provision of radiocommunication services
Regulation 5-1 Global maritime distress and safety system identities
Regulation 6 Radio installations
Regulation 7 Radio equipment: General
Regulation 8 Radio equipment: Sea area A1
Regulation 9 Radio equipment: Sea areas A1 and A2
Regulation 10 Radio equipment: Sea areas A1, A2 and A3
Regulation 11 Radio equipment: Sea areas A1, A2, A3 and A4
Regulation 12 Watches
Regulation 13 Sources of energy
Regulation 14 Performance standards
Regulation 15 Maintenance requirements
Regulation 16 Radio personnel
Regulation 17 Radio records
Regulation 1

Application

Unless expressly otherwise, this chapter applies to all ships to

which the present regulations apply and to cargo ships of 300
tons gross tonnage and upwards.
Regulation 2
Terms and definitions

Bridge-to-bridge communications means safety communications

bet- ween ships from the position from which the ships are normally
navigated.

Continuous watch means that the radio watch concerned shall not be
interrupted other than for brief intervals when the ship's receiving
capability is impaired or blocked by its own
communications or when the facilities are under periodical maintenance
or checks.

Digital selective calling(DSC) means a technique using digital codes which

enables a radio station to establish contact with, and transfer information
to, another station or group of stations, and complying with the relevant
recommendations of the International Radio Consultative
Committee(CCIR).*
International NAVTEX Service means the co-ordinated broadcast and
automatic reception on 518 kHz of maritime safety information by means of
narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy using the English language.

Locating means the finding of ships, aircraft, units or persons in distress.

Maritime safety information means navigational and meteorological

warnings, meteorological forecasts and other urgent safety related
messages broadcast to ships.

Polar orbiting satellite service means a service which is based on polar

orbiting satellites which receive and relay distress alerts from satellite
EPIRBs and which provides their position.
Sea area A1 means an area within the radiotelephone coverage of at least
one VHF coast station in which continuous DSC alerting is available, as may
be defined by a Contracting Government.

Sea area A2 means an area, excluding sea area A1, within the
radiotelephone coverage of at least one MF coast station in which
continuous DSC alerting is available, as may be defined by a Contracting
Government.

Sea area A3 means an area, excluding sea areas A1 and A2, within the
coverage of an INMARSAT geostationary satellite in which continuous
alerting is available.

Sea area A4 means an area outside sea areas A1, A2, and A3.

Global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) identities means

maritime mobile services identity, the ship's call sign, recognized mobile
satellite service identities and serial number identity which may be
transmitted by the ship's equipment and used to identify the ship.
Regulation 4
Functional requirements
I. Every ship, while at sea, shall be capable:
1 of transmitting ship-to-shore distress alerts by at least two separate and
independent means, each using a different radiocommunication service;
2 of receiving shore-to-ship distress alerts;
3 of transmitting and receiving ship-to-ship distress alerts;
4 of transmitting and receiving search and rescue co-ordinating
communications;
5 of transmitting and receiving on-scene communications;
6 of transmitting and, as required by regulation V/19.2.3.2, receiving signals for
locating, concerning carriage of radar operating in the frequency band
9,300-9,500MHz;
7 of transmitting and receiving maritime safety information;
8 of transmitting and receiving general radio communications to and from
shore-based radio systems or networks;
9 of transmitting and receiving bridge-to-bridge communications.
Regulation 6
Radio installations

I. Every radio installation shall :

1. be so located that no harmful interference of mechanical, electrical or other
origin affects its proper use, and so as to ensure electro-magnetic compatibility
and avoidance of harmful interaction with other equipment and systems ;

2. be so located as to ensure the greatest possible degree of safety and

operational availability ;

3. be protected against harmful effects of water, extremes of temperature and

other adverse environmental conditions ;

4. be provided with reliable, permanently arranged electrical lighting,

independent of the main and emergency sources of electrical power, for the
adequate illumination of the radio controls for operating the radio installation;

5. be clearly marked with the call sign, the ship station identity and other codes
as applicable for the use of the radio installation.
II. Control of the VHF radiotelephone channels, required for navigational safety, shall be
immediately available on the navigating bridge convenient to the conning position and,
where necessary, facilities should be available to permit radiocommunications from the
wings of the navigating bridge.
III. In passenger ships, a distress panel shall be installed at the conning position.
This panel shall contain either one single button which, when pressed, initiates a distress
alert using all radiocommunication installations required on board for that purpose or
one button for each individual installation.
The panel shall clearly and visually indicate whenever any button or button or
buttons have been pressed.
Means shall be provided to prevent inadvertant activation of the button or
buttons.
If the satellite EPIRB is used as the secondary means of distress alerting and is not
remotely activated, it shall be acceptable to have an additional EPIRB installed in the
wheelhouse near the conning position.
IV. In passenger ships, information on the ship's position shall be continuously and
automatically provided to all relevant radiocommunication equipment to be included in
the initial distress alert when the button or buttons on the distress panel is pressed.
VII. In passenger ships, a distress alarm panel shall be installed at the conning position.
The distress alarm panel shall provide visual and audible indication of any distress alert
or alerts received on board and shall also indicate through which radiocommunication
service the distress alerts have been received.
Regulation 7
Radio equipment-General
I. Every ship shall be provided with :
1. a VHF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving ;
DSC on the frequency 156.525 MHz(channel 70). It shall be possible to
initiate
the transmission of distress alerts on channel 70 from the position from
which the ship is normally navigated ;
(Certain ships may be exempted from this requirement (see regulation 9.4)

radiotelephony on the frequencies 156.300 MHz (channel 6), 156.650 MHz

(channel 13) and 156.800 MHz (channel 16) ;
2. a search and rescue locating device capable of operating either in the 9 GHz
band or on frequencies dedicated for AIS,
3. a receiver capable of receiving International NAVTEX service broad-casts if
the ship is engaged on voyages in any area in which an International NAVTEX
service is provided;
4. a satellite emergency position-indicating radio beacon (satellite EPIRB)*
which shall be : capable of transmitting a distress alert through the polar
orbiting satellite service operating in the 406 MHz band;
Regulation 8
Radio equipment - Sea area A1
1 VHF using DSC; this requirement may be fulfilled by the EPIRB ;
2 EPIRB the polar orbiting satellite service on 406MHz ;
3 SART Providing for locating by means of a radar transponder
operating in the 9GHz band;
4 Two Way radio VHF or Fleet77
5 Navtex
Regulation 9
Radio equipment - Sea area A1 and A2
1 VHF using DSC this requirement may be fulfilled by the EPIRB,
MF using DSC;
2 EPIRB the polar orbiting satellite service on 406MHz ;
3 SART Providing for locating by means of a radar transponder
operating in the 9GHz band;
4 Two Way radio VHF
5 Navtex
Regulation 10
Radio equipment - Sea area A1, A2 and A3
1 VHF using DSC this requirement may be fulfilled by the EPIRB,
MF using DSC, HF using DSC and NBDP or INMARSAT;
2 EPIRB the polar orbiting satellite service on 406MHz ;
3 SART Providing for locating by means of a radar transponder
operating in the 9GHz band;
4 Two Way radio VHF
5 Navtex
Regulation 11
Radio equipment - Sea area A1, A2, A3 and A4
To meeting the requirements of regulation 7, ships engaged on voyages in all
sea areas shall be provided with the radio installations and equipment
required by regulation 10
Regulation 12
Watches
Every ship, while at sea, shall maintain a continuous watch:
1. on the distress and safety frequency VHF DSC channel 70, if the ship is fitted
with a VHF radio installation;
2. on the distress and safety MF HF DSC frequency 2,187.5 kHz and 8,414.5 kHz
and also on at least one of the distress and safety DSC frequencies 4,207.5 kHz,
6,312 kHz, 12,577 kHz or 16,804.5 kHz, if the ship is fitted with an MF radio
installation, watch may be kept by means of a scanning receiver;
3. for satellite shore-to-ship distress alerts, if the ship, in accordance with the
requirements of is fitted with a recognized mobile satellite service ship earth
station
4. Every ship, while at sea, shall maintain a radio watch for broadcasts of maritime
safety information on the appropriate frequency or frequencies on which such
information is broadcast for the area in which the ship is navigating.
Regulation 13
Sources of energy

• There shall be available at all times, while the ship is at sea, a supply of
electrical energy sufficient to operate the radio installations and to charge any
batteries used as part of a reserve source or sources of energy for the radio
installations.
• A reserve source or sources of energy shall be provided on every ship, to
supply radio installations, for the purpose of conducting distress and safety
radiocommunications, in the event of failure of the ship's main and emergency
sources of electrical power
1. 1 (one) hour on ships provided with an emergency source of electrical
power
2. 6 (six) hours on ships not provided with an emergency source of electrical
power
Where a reserve source of energy consists of a rechargeable accumulator battery or
batteries:
1. a means of automatically charging such batteries shall be provided which shall be
capable of recharging them to minimum capacity requirements within 10 hours;
2. the capacity of the battery or batteries shall be checked, using an appropriate
method at intervals not exceeding 12 months, when the ship is not at sea.

The reserve source or sources of energy, they shall be capable of simultaneously

supplying for:
1. all radio installations which can be connected to the reserve source or sources of
energy at the same time; or only one of the other
2. The reserve source or sources of energy may be used to supply the electrical lighting
required by regulation
Regulation 16
Radio personnel

1. Every ship shall carry personnel qualified for distress and safety
radiocommunication purposes to the satisfaction of the Administration.* The
personnel shall be holders of certificates specified in the Radio Regulations as
appropriate, any one of whom shall be designated to have primary
responsibility for radiocommunications during distress incidents.

2. In passenger ships, at least one person qualified shall be assigned to perform

only radiocommunication duties during distress incidents.
Regulation 17
Radio records

A record shall be kept, to the satisfaction of the Administration and as required

by the Radio Regulations, of all incidents connected with the radio
communication service which appear to be of importance to safety of life at
sea.
Regulation 18
Position-updating

All two-way communication equipment carried on board a ship to which this chapter
applies which is capable of automatically including the ship's position in the distress alert
shall be automatically provided with this information from an internal or external
navigation receiver, if either is installed.
If such a receiver is not installed, the ship's position and the time at which the position
was determined shall be manually updated at intervals not exceeding four hours, while
the ship is underway, so that it is always ready for transmission by the equipment.