Worldwide VHF Marine Radio

Worldwide VHF Marine Radio

This table is adapted from the International Telecommunications Union Radio Regulations Appendix S18, including changes adopted by the World Radio Conference in 1997. This chart applies to all coastal waters, oceans and high seas of the world, and exception being the United States, who do not allow transmitting on many of the VHF Marine frequencies; this is because of a shortage of Marine VHF radio spectrum within the USA.

VHF Marine Ch 1	156.0500	160.6500	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 2	156.1000	160.7000	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 3	156.1500	160.7500	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 4	156.2000	160.8000	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 5	156.2500	160.8500	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 6	156.3000	Simplex	Rescue	International Co-Ordinated Air to Sea Rescue Frequency
VHF Marine Ch 7	156.3500	Simplex	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 8	156.4000	Simplex	Port Ops	Tug & Pilot Boat Services, Commerical Ship To Ship
VHF Marine Ch 9	156.4500	Simplex	Port Ops	First Preffered Aircraft To Ship Or Coast Station Channel
VHF Marine Ch 10	156.5000	Simplex	Port Ops	Port Ops between Ship & Shore
VHF Marine Ch 11	156.5500	Simplex	Port Ops	Port Ops between Ship & Shore
VHF Marine Ch 12	156.6000	Simplex	Harbour Ctrl	Port Ops between Ship & Shore
VHF Marine Ch 13	156.6500	Simplex	Navigation	International Shipping Navigation Channel
VHF Marine Ch 14	156.7000	Simplex	Port Ops	Ship To Shore/Shore To Ship
VHF Marine Ch 15	156.7500	Simplex	Oil Spills	Spills, Shipping Accidents-Ocean Environment Protection
VHF Marine Ch 16	156.8000	Simplex	Call Ch	International Marine VHF Calling Channel
VHF Marine Ch 17	156.8500	Simplex	Inland Water	Inland Waterways Control-State Govt Based
VHF Marine Ch 18	156.9000	161.5000	Public Use	Non-Commerical Boaters
VHF Marine Ch 19	156.9500	161.5500	Public Use	Non-Commerical Boaters
VHF Marine Ch 20	157.0000	161.6000	Port Ops
VHF Marine Ch 21	157.0500	161.6500	Coast Guard	Australian Volunteer Coast Guard [AVCG]
VHF Marine Ch 22	157.1000	161.7000	Coast Guard	Australian Volunteer Coast Guard [AVCG]
VHF Marine Ch 23	157.1500	161.7500	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 24	157.2000	161.8000	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 25	157.2500	161.8500	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 26	157.3000	161.9000	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 27	157.3500	161.9500	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 28	157.4000	162.0000	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 60	156.0250	160.6250	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 61	156.0750	160.6750	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 62	156.1250	160.7250	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 63	156.1750	160.7750	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 64	156.2250	160.8250	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 65	156.2750	160.8750	Port Ops
VHF Marine Ch 66	156.3250	160.9250	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 67	156.3750	Simplex	Weather	Marine Weather Broadcast 4 times daily from VMF555
VHF Marine Ch 68	156.4250	Simplex	Port Ops
VHF Marine Ch 69	156.4750	Simplex	Aust Navy	Australian Navy Operations
VHF Marine Ch 70	156.5250	Simplex	Safety	Distress & Safety DIGITAL
VHF Marine Ch 71	156.5750	Simplex	Pro Fishing	Professional Fishing Trawlers etc & Regd Boat Clubs
VHF Marine Ch 72	156.6250	Simplex	Port Ops	Second Preffered Aircraft To Ship Or Coast Station Channel
VHF Marine Ch 73	156.6750	Simplex	Intership	Third Preffered Aircraft To Ship Or Coast Station Channel
VHF Marine Ch 74	156.7250	Simplex	Port Ops
VHF Marine Ch 75	156.7750	Simplex	Intership	Ship To Ship Communcations Only (1 watt)
VHF Marine Ch 76	156.8250	Simplex	Intership	Ship To Ship Communcations Only (1 watt)
VHF Marine Ch 77	156.8750	Simplex	Port Ops	Australian Volunteer Coast Guard [AVCG]
VHF Marine Ch 78	156.9250	161.5250	Public Use	Non-Commerical Calling & Working
VHF Marine Ch 79	156.9750	161.5750	Port Ops
VHF Marine Ch 80	157.0250	161.6250	Safety	Safety & Shipping Movements
VHF Marine Ch 81	157.0750	161.6750	Safety	Safety & Shipping Movements
VHF Marine Ch 82	157.1250	161.7250	Safety	Govt Safety Bodys Only-Police, Fire, Marine Auth etc.
VHF Marine Ch 83	157.1750	161.7750	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 84	157.2250	161.8250	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 85	157.2750	161.8750	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 86	157.3250	161.9250	Seaphone
VHF Marine Ch 87A	157.3750	Simplex	AIS	Automatic Ship Identification & Surviellance System
VHF Marine Ch 87B	157.3750	161.9750	AIS	Automatic Ship Identification & Surviellance System
VHF Marine Ch 88	157.4250	162.0250	Seaphone

Marine Radio Notes:

1. Administrations (our case ACA) may designate frequencies in the intership, port ops and ship movement services for use by aircraft and helicopters to communicate with ships or participating coast stations (land base) in maritime support operations under the conditions specified in Nos S51.68, S51.73, S51.74, S51.75, S51.76, S51.77.

2. Administrations may alter the 25khz spacing to 12.5khz, where there is a case of local radio spectrum, interleaving on a non-interference basis with the normal 25khz-spaced channels.

3. The frequency 156.3000 (Ch 06) may also be used for communication between ships & aircraft engaged in search & rescue activities and between ice-breakers and assisted ships during the ice season. All other communications must avoid harmful interference to theses transmissions.

4. Channels 15 & 17 may be used for on-board communications, provided maximum output power is 1 Watt or less

5. In European & Canadian waters channels 10, 67 and 73 may be used for search and rescue & anti-pollution operations under section S51.69.

6. Channel 70 is to be used exclusively by Digital SELective CALLing for distress & safety

7. Channel 13 is a world-wide Navigation safety communications channel.

8. Channels 18 and 82 to 86 may be operated as single frequency (simplex) channels, subject to the communication being navigation related and the output transmission power limited to 1 watt or less to avoid harmful interference to Channel 16.

9. Military, mostly NAVY, will be heard from time to time on Marine VHF. Such as when a vessel visits Melbourne, it will communicate with the Ports Authority as it will more than likely use civilian pilot boat at Port Phillip Heads. (And I’m sure the same applies in Sydney Harbour and Perth, not sure about other states’ ports arrangements with the NAVY.

10. Channel 87B is for Public Correspondence only in the United States

International Telecommunications Union, Australian Communications Authority.

(This Edition) The Australian Scanning Encyclopedia, A VicNews Publication.

Marine Radio is easy to receive on most scanners, and you can actually by a VHF marine radio (GME brand) from Dick Smith for just over $200.00. You don’t even need to own a rubber duckie!!

Happy Scanning The Ships.