VHF Maritime Mobile Band

Marine VHF radio is officially called VHF Maritime Mobile Band and refers to the radio frequency range between 156.0 and 162.025 MHz. These are allowed a maximum power of 25 watts.

  • FCC License: No*
  • Max Output: 25 watts
  • Frequency: 2 meter (UHF)
  • Band: 12.5 kHz offset
  • FCC Reg: Part 95

* No license required for recreational boaters in domestic waters. In other circumstances a Marine Radio Operators License is required by the FCC. See FCC Ship Radio Stations Licensing.

US VHF Marine Channels
Channel Ship TX Ship RX Usage/Notes
01A 156.0500 156.0500 Port Operations and Commercial, VTS. Available only in New Orleans/Lower Mississippi area.
05A 156.2500 156.2500 Port Operations or VTS in Houston, New Orleans and Seattle.
06 156.3000 156.3000 Intership Safety
07A 156.3500 156.3500 Commercial
08 156.4000 156.4000 Commercial (Intership only)
09 156.4500 156.4500 Boater Calling. Commercial and Non-Commercial.
10 156.5000 156.5000 Commercial
11 156.5500 156.5500 Commercial. VTS in selected areas.
12 156.6000 156.6000 Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
13 156.6500 156.6500 Intership Navigation Safety (Bridge-to-bridge). Ships >20m length maintain a listening watch on this channel in US waters.
14 156.7000 156.7000 Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
15 -- 156.7500 Environmental (Receive only). Used by Class C EPIRBs.
16 156.8000 156.8000 International Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel.
17 156.8500 156.8500 State Control
18A 156.9000 156.9000 Commercial
19A 156.9500 156.9500 Commercial
20 157.0000 161.6000 Port Operations (duplex)
20A 157.0000 157.0000 Port Operations
21A 157.0500 157.0500 U.S. Coast Guard only.
22A 157.1000 157.1000 Coast Guard Liaison and Maritime Safety Information Broadcasts. Broadcasts announced on channel 16.
23A 157.1500 157.1500 U.S. Coast Guard only
24 157.2000 161.8000 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
25 157.2500 161.8500 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
26 157.3000 161.9000 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
27 157.3500 161.9500 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
28 157.4000 162.0000 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
63A 156.1750 156.1750 Port Operations and Commercial, VTS. Available only in New Orleans/Lower Mississippi area.
65A 156.2750 156.2750 Port Operations
66A 156.3250 156.3250 Port Operations
67 156.3750 156.3750 Commercial. Used for Bridge-to-bridge communications in lower Mississippi River. Intership only.
68 156.4250 156.4250 Non-Commercial
69 156.4750 156.4750 Non-Commercial
70 156.5250 156.5250 Digital Selective Calling DSC (voice communications not allowed)
71 156.5750 156.5750 Non-Commercial
72 156.6250 156.6250 Non-Commercial (Intership only)
73 156.6750 156.6750 Port Operations
74 156.7250 156.7250 Port Operations
77 156.8750 156.8750 Port Operations (Intership only)
78A 156.9250 156.9250 Non-Commercial
79A 156.9750 156.9750 Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only
80A 157.0250 157.0250 Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only
81A 157.0750 157.0750 U.S. Government only - Environmental protection operations.
82A 157.1250 157.1250 U.S. Government only
83A 157.1750 157.1750 U.S. Coast Guard only
84 157.2250 161.8250 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
85 157.2750 161.8750 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
86 157.3250 161.9250 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
87 157.3750 161.9750 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
88A 157.4250 157.4250 Commercial, Intership only
AIS 1 161.9750 161.9750 Automatic Identification System AIS (digital)
AIS 2 162.0250 162.0250 Automatic Identification System AIS (digital)

Related

See also:

Last modified on 4 June 2015, at 11:33