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  • HF Frequencies VHF Marine Channels MF/HF Coastguards

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Marine VHF radio

Most yachtsmen use the marine VHF radio and mobile (cell) phones for their main means of communications.


Mobile phone coverage is limited due to the ultra high frequency used (>700MHz) and location of base stations.


Marine VHF is the best way of summoning help. You can contact the coastguard up to 50 miles off-shore and talk to other yachts up to 15 to 20 miles on the open sea.

Yachtsmen wishing to communicate with each other or the coastguard over a greater distance use MF or HF (SSB) radio which gives far greater coverage.

Before you can transmit using a marine VHF radio from your yacht, you require a VHF marine radio operator's certificate which in the UK is issued by the RYA.




VHF Communications

VHF radio range is governed by the height of the antenna, the higher the antenna is above ground the greater the range. Obstructions like building and hills and mountains will reduce the transmission range of VHF. On the open sea the curvature of the earth restricts the range.

Height to the horizon in metres

Height of antenna
above sea level

Range in
Nautical Miles

2 metres

4 NM

5 metres

6 NM

10 metres

8 NM

15 metres

10 NM

20 metres

11 NM

25 metres

13 NM

35 metres

15 NM

50 metres

18 NM

75 metres

22 NM

100 metres

26 NM


Using the above table you can calculate the range from your boat to a coast radio station.
If the antenna on a ship is 10 metres above sea level and the coast radio station has an antenna 100 metres above sea level the theoretical range on the open sea will be 35 NM.


Marine VHF channels

Marine VHF radio is a channelized system making the radios relatively easy to use.

Channels go in a sequencing number from channel 1 to 28 and then 60 to 88, between 28 and 60 are private channels.

Some channels are simplex, meaning the radio transmits and receives on the same frequency. Simplex channels are used for ship to ship and ship to shore communications.
Some channels are duplex, meaning the radio receives on one frequency and transmits on another. Duplex channels are only used for ship to shore communications, you will not hear another ship station on a duplex channel, only shore stations.

Here in the UK marinas use channel 80 which is a duplex channel, which means you only hear the marina.
There are International channels and USA channels, US channels are only used in US waters, international channels are used elsewhere.


Marine VHF primary channels

 

Calling channel
(distress working)

Navigation & Safety
(Bridge to Bridge)

 

Digital Selective Calling
DSC

VHF channel

16

13

 

70

Frequency

156.800MHz

156.650MHz

 

156.525MHz

Marine VHF ship to ship working channels

VHF channel

06

08

72

77

 

 

Frequency

156.300MHz

156.400MHz

156.625MHz

156.875MHz

 

 

Secondary channels (shared)

VHF channel

09

10

15

17

67

73

Frequency

156.450MHz

156.500MHz

156.750MHz

156.850MHz

156.375MHz

156.675MHz


Marine VHF Ports & Harbours channels


Channels (simplex)

VHF channel

11

12

14

68

71

74

Frequency

156.550MHz

156.600MHz

156.700MHz

156.425MHz

156.575MHz

156.725MHz


Channels (duplex)

VHF channel

01

02

03

04

05

07

Ship transmit

156.050MHz

156.100MHz

156.150MHz

156.200MHz

156.275MHz

156.350MHz

Shore transmit

160.650MHz

160.700MHz

160.750MHz

160.800MHz

160.850MHz

160.950MHz


Channels (duplex)

VHF channel

18

19

20

21

22

 

Ship transmit

156.900MHz

156.950MHz

157.000MHz

157.050MHz

157.100MHz

 

Coast transmit

161.500MHz

161.550MHz

161.600MHz

161.650MHz

161.700MHz

 


Channels (duplex)

VHF channel

78

79

80

81

82

84

Ship transmit

156.925MHz

156.975MHz

157.025MHz

157.075MHz

157.125MHz

157.225MHz

Coast transmit

161.525MHz

161.575MHz

161.625MHz

161.675MHz

161.725MHz

161.825MHz


Channels simplex

VHF channel

1019

1020

1078

1079

Frequency

156.950MHz

157.000MHz

156.925MHz

156.975MHz


VHF channel

2019

2020

2078

2079

Frequency

161.550MHz

161.600MHz

161.525MHz

161.725MHz


Marine VHF Public Correspondence channels (telephone)


Channels (duplex)

VHF Channel

01

02

03

04

05

07

Ship transmit

156.050MHz

156.100MHz

156.150MHz

156.200MHz

156.275MHz

156.350MHz

Coast transmit

160.650MHz

160.700MHz

160.750MHz

160.800MHz

160.850MHz

160.950MHz


Channels (duplex)

VHF Channel

23

24

25

26

27

28

 

Ship transmit

157.150MHz

157.200MHz

157.250MHz

157.300MHz

157.350MHz

157.400MHz

 

Coast transmit

161.750MHz

161.800MHz

161.850MHz

161.900MHz

161.950MHz

162.000MHz

 


Channels (duplex)

VHF Channel

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

Ship transmit

156.025MHz

156.075MHz

156.125MHz

156.175MHz

156.225MHz

156.275MHz

156.325MHz

Coast transmit

160.625MHz

160.675MHz

160.725MHz

160.775MHz

160.825MHz

160.875MHz

160.925MHz


Channels (duplex)

VHF Channel

78

81

82

83

84

85

86

Ship transmit

156.925MHz

157.075MHz

157.125MHz

157.175MHz

157.225MHz

157.275MHz

157.325MHz

Coast transmit

161.525MHz

161.675MHz

161.725MHz

161.775MHz

161.825MHz

161.875MHz

161.925MHz


UK HM Coastguard channels

Working channels (simplex)

 

Working

Secondary

Secondary

Private

VHF channel

67

10

73

0

Frequency

156.375MHz

156.500MHz

156.675MHz

156.000MHz


Working channels (duplex) used for Maritime Safety Information broadcasts

VHF channel

62

63

64

HMCG Receive

156.125MHz

156.175MHz

156.225MHz

 

HMCG Transmit

160.725MHz

160.775MHz

160.825MHz

 


UK National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) channel

VHF channel

65

Duplex working channel

 

NCI can be call on VHF channel 65 for radio checks, actual weather and sea state conditions and local information.

NCI Receive

156.275MHz

NCI Transmit

160.875MHz







Marine VHF channels

International
VHF Channels

Transmitting Frequencies (MHz)

Transmitting Frequencies (MHz)

 

Intership

Port Operations and Ship Movement

Public correspondence

 

Ship Stations

Coast Stations

 

 

 

 

0

156.000

156.000

Private

 

Used by UK HM Coastguard  

1

156.050

160.650

duplex

  

x

x

2

156.100

160.700

duplex

  

x

x

3

156.150

160.750

duplex

  

x

x

4

156.200

160.800

duplex

  

x

x

5

156.250

160.850

duplex

  

x

x

6

156.300

157.300

simplex

intership

 

 

7

156.350

160.950

duplex

  

x

x

8

156.400

157.400

simplex

intership

 

  

9

156.450

156.450

simplex

intership

x

 

10

156.500

156.500

simplex

intership

x

 

11

156.550

156.550

simplex

  

x

 

12

156.600

156.600

simplex

  

x

  

13

156.650

156.650

simplex

intership

x

  

14

156.700

156.700

simplex

  

x

  

15

156.750

156.750

simplex

intership

x

 

16

156.800

156.800

simplex

  DISTRESS, SAFETY AND CALLING

17

156.850

156.850

simplex

intership

x

  

18

156.900

161.500

duplex

  

x

 

19

156.950

161.550

duplex

  

x

 

20

157.000

161.600

duplex

  

x

 

21

157.050

161.650

duplex

  

x

 

22

157.100

161.700

duplex

  

x

 

23

157.150

161.750

duplex

  

 

x

24

157.200

161.800

duplex

  

 

x

25

157.250

161.850

duplex

  

 

x

26

157.300

161.900

duplex

  

 

x

27

157.350

161.950

duplex

  

 

x

28

157.400

162.000

duplex

  

 

x

29 to 36

 

 

private

 

 

 

37 (M)

157.850

157.850

private

  Used by UK Marinas and Yacht Clubs  

38 to 59

 

 

private

 

 

 

60

156.025

160.625

duplex

 

x

x

61

156.075

160.675

duplex

 

x

x

62

156.125

160.725

duplex

 

UK Coastguard MSI

x

63

156.175

160.775

duplex

 

UK Coastguard MSI

x

64

156.225

160.825

duplex

 

UK Coastguard MSI

x

65

156.275

160.875

duplex

 

UK NCI working channel - for radio checks and local information

x

66

156.325

160.925

duplex

 

x

x

67

156.375

156.375

simplex

intership

UK Coastguard  

68

156.425

156.425

simplex

 

X

 

69

156.475

156.475

simplex

intership

x

 

70

156.525

156.525

simplex

 

Digital Selective Calling (DSC)  

71

156.575

156.575

simplex

 

x

 

72

156.625

156.625

simplex

intership

 

 

73

156.675

156.675

simplex

intership

x

 

74

156.725

156.725

simplex

 

x

 

75

156.775

156.775

simplex

x

 

76

156.825

156.825

simplex

 

x

 

77

156.875

156.875

simplex

intership

 

 

78

156.925

161.525

duplex

 

x

x

79

156.975

161.575

duplex

 

x

 

80

157.025

161.625

duplex

 

UK Marinas

 

81

157.075

161.675

duplex

 

x

x

82

157.125

161.725

duplex

 

x

x

83

157.175

161.775

duplex

 

 

x

84

157.225

161.825

duplex

 

x

x

85

157.275

161.875

duplex

 

x

86

157.325

161.925

duplex

 

 

x

87

157.375

157.375

simplex

 

 

x

88

157.425

157.425

simplex

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1019

156.950

156.950

simplex

 

x

 

1020

157.000

157.000

simplex

 

x

 

1078

156.925

156.925

simplex

 

x

 

1079

156.975

156.975

simplex

 

x

 

2019

161.550

161.550

simplex

 

x

 

2020

161.600

161.600

simplex

 

x

 

2078

161.525

161.525

simplex

 

x

 

2079

161.575

161.575

simplex

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M2

161.425

161.425

private

 

Used by UK Marinas and Yacht Clubs  

AIS 1

162.025

162.025

simplex

 

Automatic Identification System (AIS) (data)

AIS 2

161.975

161.975

simplex

 

Automatic Identification System (AIS) (data)

Primary intership working channels 06, 08, 72, 77

UK Coastguard use channels 67, 10, 73, 23, 84, 86
Note from late 2017 UK coastguard channels 23, 84, 86 no longer used and change to channels 62, 63 and 64.

M1 & M2 used by UK Yacht Clubs

UK Marinas use channel 80 or 37

Channel 65
Duplex channel

National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) Working Channel.
Request radio checks and local sea conditions.

The following channels are simplex in the USA:
1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 7A, 18A, 19A, 20A, 21A