Contents 1 Introduction


Types of message Types of user


Types of equipment


2 How radio works Making waves


Frequency and wavelength


Characteristics of different frequencies Modulation Antennas


Antenna gain Batteries


3 Rules and Regulations Why rules? Licensing


Ship Radio Licences Coast Radio Licences Authority to Operate Type approval Radio log Secrecy


The ten commandments


4 Operating a marine VHF radio Power on Volume Squelch


Transmitter power Channel selector PTT switch


Dual watch, Tri watch and Scan Dimmer


Switching on and setting up


6 6 6 7


8 8 8


9


10 11 12 13


15 15 15 16 17 18 18 19 19 20


21 21 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24


5 VHF Channels Principle of “channels” Simplex and duplex channels


25 25 26


International and private channels 27 American channels


Channel 16 and guard band Channel 70


Special channels


28 28 29 29


6 Voice procedure 1: Routine calls 30 Calling another vessel Calling a coast station Calling the Coastguard Radio check Garbled calls


Unanswered calls Link calls


Accounting procedures Operating procedures shore to ship


Prowords


Standard vocabulary Phonetic Alphabet


30 33 34 36 36 37 37 37 38 40 40 42 42


7 Voice procedure 2: Distress calls 43 Definition of distress The Distress Call


The Distress Message Specifying position


Receiving a distress message


43 44 45 47 48


Acknowledging a distress message 49 Seelonce


Mayday Relay


50 51


4


VHF Handbook

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