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RYA GMDSS VHF Radio Courses

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VHF Communications: Marine VHF channels
Marine VHF is the best way of summoning help.
You can contact the coastguard upto 50 miles off-shore and talk to other yachts upto 15 to 20 miles on the open sea. Yachtsmen wishing to communicate with each other or the coastguard over a greater distance use marine SSB radio.

VHF range is governed by the height of the antenna, the height the antenna the greater the range.

Out on the open sea the curvature of the earth restricts the range.

Height to the horizon in metres
Height of antenna
above sea leval
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 calcutate that range from you 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 mtres above sea level the theoretical range on the open sea will be 35 NM.

On this page is a list of VHF international channels and the usage.
  Calling channel
(distress working)		 Navigation & Safty
(Bridge to Bridge)		   Digital Selective Calling
DSC
VHF channel 16 13   70
Frequency 156.800MHz 156.650MHz   156.525MHz
Primary 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
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 (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 161.200MHz  
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
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 23 84 86  
MHCG Receive 157.150MHz 157.225MHz 156.675MHz  
MHCG Transmit 161.750MHz 161.825MHz 161.925MHz  
VHF channel 80 37 (M) M2  
  Marina Yacht Club/Marina Yacht Club  
Receive 157.025MHz 157.850MHz 161.425MHz  
Transmit 161.625MHz 157.850MHz 161.425MHz  
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 Marines 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   x x
63 156.175 160.775 duplex   x x
64 156.225 160.825 duplex   x x
65 156.275 160.875 duplex   x x
66 156.325 160.925 duplex   x x
67 156.375 156.375 simplex inteship UK Coastguard  
68 156.425 156.425 simplex   X  
69 156.475 156.475 simplex intership x  
70 156.525 156.525 smiplex   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
             
M2 161.425 161.425 private   Used by UK Marinas and Yacht Clubs  
ASI 1 162.025 162.025 simplex   Automatic Ship Identification (data)
ASI 2 161.975 161.975 simplex   Automatic Ship Identification (data)
Primary intership working channels 06, 08, 72, 77 UK Coastguard use channels 67, 10, 73, 23, 84, 86
M1 & M2 used by UK Yacht Clubs UK Marinas use channel 80 or 37
   
The following channels are simplex in the USA:
1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 7A, 18A, 19A, 20A, 21A, 22A, 23A, 60A, 61A, 62A, 63A, 64A, 65A, 66A, 78A, 79A, 80A, 81A, 82A, 83A, 86A, 88A  
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