CORRECT RADIO PROCEDURES
27 MHz Marine Radios
Important: Keep radio on 27.88 so you can hear all calls. Your radio uses very little power when in stand-by mode and is unlikely to flatten your battery.
Remember to return to 27.88 after using the radio on other channels.
DO NOT use the radio for the first three minutes of the hour
(o’clock to three minutes past)
DO NOT use the radio for the first three minutes of the half hour
(30 to 33 minutes past the hour)
These times are used to listen for distress & weak signals.
CHANNEL FREQUENCY USE
68 27.680 MHz Commercial, Ship-Shore-Ship
72 27.720 MHz Professional Fishing
82 27.820 MHz Professional Fishing
86 27.860 MHz Secondary Distress & Safety
(Also used by some base stations)
88 27.880 MHz Primary Distress & Initial Calling Only
90 27.900 MHz Domestic Ship-Shore-Ship
91 27.910 MHz Domestic Ship-Shore-Ship
94 27.940 MHz Club Events, Ship-Shore-Ship
96 27.960 MHz Ship to Ship
98 27.980 MHz Rescue
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES:
All emergency calls should be made on channel 88.
There are three main types of emergency call.
1. MAYDAY - MAYDAY - MAYDAY.
This call should be used when you are in grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance. This means your whole boat is at risk, thereby putting the lives of everyone on board at risk.
 | Call MAYDAY three times |
| followed by your call sign three times. |
| Then state your position, |
| a brief description of your vessel, |
| the nature of the emergency, |
| the number of people on board and their condition. |
If you hear no reply, repeat the call at short intervals because someone may be able to hear you but you might not be able to receive their reply. After contact has been made, follow any instructions given to you.
2. PAN PAN - PAN PAN - PAN PAN.
Use this call when an emergency situation exists but there is no immediate danger. This may be when an individual has been hurt (and this could be a very serious injury to that person) or when your ship has been damaged but you are able to stay afloat.
The call should be made the same way as the MAYDAY call but substituting the word PANPAN instead of MAYDAY.
If you get no reply, repeat the call at regular intervals & use different frequencies.
Should your situation deteriorate, then you could always upgrade your call to MAYDAY.
3. SECURITE - SECURITE - SECURITE (pronounced Say-cure-e-tay)
This is used to warn other shipping of dangers or hazards e.g. bad weather, container adrift, storm warning, light unlit, beacon out of position or buoy destroyed.
etc. This call may be made to a local base station or to all ships in the area.
EXAMPLE OF A CORRECT RADIO CALL
A vessel with a call sign "CG2917" is logging onto the radio network when going to sea & then logging off when returning to the ramp.
ON 27.880MHz
COASTGUARD SEAFORD this is COASTGUARD 2917 calling. Over.
This is COASTGUARD SEAFORD receiving COASTGUARD 2917.
Call me back on 86. Over.
(acknowledge that you are changing channel - see note below)
ON 27.860MHz
COASTGUARD SEAFORD this is COASTGUARD 2917
We have launched at O’Sullivans Beach
Two people on board
Heading for the Tyre Reef
Estimated time of return 1400 hours. Over.
Romeo COASTGUARD 2917. (This means message received & understood)
COASTGUARD SEAFORD returning to 88.
DON’T FORGET TO TURN YOUR RADIO BACK TO 27.880MHz
If you were calling another vessel in the above example, you should be directed to call back the called vessel on channel 96 (or 27.960MHz).
And when you return:
ON 27.880MHz
COASTGUARD SEAFORD this is COASTGUARD 2917 calling. Over.
This is COASTGUARD SEAFORD receiving COASTGUARD 2917.
Call me back on 86. Over
(acknowledge that you are changing channel - see note below)
ON 27.860MHz
COASTGUARD SEAFORD this is COASTGUARD 2917
We have now returned to O’Sullivans Beach & are signing off. Over.
(alternate call "We have arrived safely back at O'Sullivans Beach. Thank you for your coverage and could you please take us off the log.")
Romeo COASTGUARD 2917.
Radio operators use various methods of acknowledging they are changing channels.
For example you will hear
"ROMEO"
"ROGER"
"WILCO" (meaning will go)
"GOING UP" (if they are going up in MHz)
"GOING DOWN" (if they are going down in MHz)
Perhaps the most correct method is to say "This is COASTGUARD 2917 going to 86 or 27.860"
In addition to the above, you may also hear the call RELAY.
This is used when one vessel/station is relaying a message for another vessel/station to a third vessel/station. This is often needed due to poor radio reception or great distance.
During the conversation the word RELAY is used repeatedly usually at the beginning of each section of message passed on.
REMEMBER, base stations must control the call & what channels to talk on.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO USE THE RADIO.
LEARN TO USE IT CORRECTLY. ASK FOR HELP IF NEEDED.
THEN ALWAYS USE IT WHEN YOU GO TO SEA.
THE LIFE IT SAVES COULD BE YOURS.
AND NEVER FORGET TO SIGN OFF WHEN YOU ARRIVE SAFELY HOME AND USE THE SAME CALL SIGN AS WHEN YOU LOGGED ON
