Marine communications and radio

Recreational boats: marine communications and radio

Read below to find out what communications equipment you must carry on your recreational vessel.

What you must carry

There are only a few pieces of safety communications equipment that a recreation boat must carry when operating at sea within the Northern Territory (NT).

These include:

  • two orange smoke flares and two red flares if the vessel is operating in intermediate or open waters
  • a V-sheet if the vessel is operating in intermediate or open waters
  • an EPIRB if the vessel is more than two nautical miles from the coastline.

What you can choose to carry

There are many pieces of additional equipment you can choose to carry on your recreational boat.

There can be no better reason for installing a marine radio in your boat other than one day it may save a life.

That life could be yours or that of a member of your family.

The sea can be a frightening and lonely place, especially if you are in trouble. A marine radio gives you the ability to advise other people that you need help.

It may be your only contact with the outside world.

VHF

If you want to install a VHF radio you may need to hold an operators qualification including one of the following:

  • restricted radiotelephone operator certificate of proficiency
  • third class commercial operator certificate of proficiency
  • marine radio operator certificate of proficiency
  • marine radio operator VHF certificate of proficiency.

You can apply for this qualification by contacting a training provider through the following websites:

HF

You must have an apparatus licence to operate an HF radio.

For information on how to get a licence, go to the Australian Maritime College website.

Mobile and satellite phones

You should not consider mobile and satellite phones as substitutes or replacements for emergency communications.

A mobile phone only allows for communication between two people at any one time. This leads to messages being passed via a third party with the risk vital information may be lost or misinterpreted.

Few rescue vessels are fitted with or carry mobile phones.

Mobile phones do not provide for distress priority alerting and calls may not be immediately connected if the signal is very congested, such as in areas around major cities.

Mobile phone range is very restricted within the NT.

Rescue vessels can't home in on a mobile or satellite phone signal.

Marine communications equipment allows direction-finding equipment to be used.


Marine radio and digital coverage (Coast Radio Darwin)

There are two main marine safety communication systems operating in Australia. These are: 

  • Coast Radio Australia System (Coast Radio Darwin)
  • Safety Offshore System run by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

Coast Radio Australia and Coast Radio Darwin

This system consists of nine stations around Australia, with one radio in each state except Queensland and Western Australia which have two.

They are all monitored by local people who are able to communicate with local authorities and each other.

They monitor 2182, 4125, 6215 and 8291 kHz HF frequencies for distress, urgency and safety calls.

Coast Radio Darwin VKD 999 covers most of the Northern Territory.

Coast Radio Darwin monitors CH 16 VHF, 4125, 6215 and 8291 kHz HF frequencies for distress, urgency and safety calls.

Diagram of coast radio Darwin VKD 999

Safety Offshore System

This system is based on Global Maritime Distress and Safety System principles which are part of the Safety of Life at Sea convention which focuses on large vessels.

There are two equipment types used:

  • HFDSC - Digital Selective Calling
  • Sat-C satellite communications.

Recreational boats operating in remote areas or on extended voyages, such as cruising yachts, may use this equipment.

This system is managed and monitored at the Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra.

There are two HF radio stations used to operate this system, one at Wiluna (VMW), Western Australia, and one at Charleville (VMC), Queensland.

For more information go to the AMSA website.


Marine radio distress and urgency calls

In a boating emergency, things can become chaotic if you don't know how to use your radio properly, call for help or recognise that another boat is calling for help.

If in distress or danger you should use a distress call.

How to make a mayday call

You should make a mayday call if you are in serious danger and need immediate assistance - eg: your boat is sinking or on fire.

Follow these steps to make a mayday call:

Step 1. 'Mayday, mayday, mayday.'
Step 2. 'This is (your name, and call sign if you have one)' - spoken three times.
Step 3. 'Mayday (your name, and call sign if you have one).'
Step 4. Give details of your vessel's position.
Step 5. Say what is wrong and what help you need.
Step 6. Give other information including the number of persons on board.
Step 7. Activate your EPIRB.

How to make an urgency call

If you are concerned about the safety of your vessel or a person on board you should use an urgency call - eg: in a medical emergency or for a man overboard.

Follow these steps to make an urgency call:

Step 1. 'Pan pan, pan pan, pan pan.'
Step 2. 'Hello all stations, hello all stations, hello all stations.'
Step 3. 'This is (your name, and call sign if you have one)' - spoken three times.
Step 4. Give details of your vessel's position.
Step 5. Give details of what help you need and other information.

Find out more by reading the Marine Radio Operators Handbook on the Australian Maritime College website.


Marine radio safety call

Use a safety call if you need to broadcast an important safety warning - eg: you find a partly submerged object or accidentally activate your EPIRB.

Follow these steps to make a safety call:

Step 1. 'Saycure-e-tay, Saycure-e-tay, Saycure-e-tay.'
Step 2. 'Hello all stations, hello all stations, hello all stations.'
Step 3. 'This is (your name, and call sign if you have one)' - spoken three times.
Step 4. Give details of the warning or announcement you want to make.

VHF distress, urgency and safety calls can be made on channel 16. They may be continued on channel 67.

HF distress, urgency and safety calls can be made on 4125, 6215 and 8291, and they may be continued on these or changed to channels 2182, 12290 or 16420 if better reception is required.


Marine radio weather broadcasts

You can receive weather broadcasts from the Bureau of Meteorology on HF radio.

There are two sets of frequencies - one covering the east of Australia (VMC) and the other the west (VMW). 

These are continually broadcast on a four-hour cycle. 

That means weather for any one area is broadcast six times in any 24-hour period.

You can also receive weather broadcasts over VHF channel 67 by Coast Radio Darwin at 0803 and 1803 every day.

This includes the forecast for Darwin Harbour and surrounding areas plus the coastal waters forecast from Daly River to Cape Don.

You can get weather information by calling any of the following:

  • 1900 955 367 - for coastal forecasts, warnings and observation bulletins
  • 1300 659 214 - for warnings including coastal waters and wind warnings
  • 1300 659 211 - for tropical cyclone warnings and information.

Other marine information

All marine safety information, excluding weather information, is broken down by eight segments around Australia which have been given the letters A through to H.

These are known as Auscoast Areas or Navarea X.

Marine safety information is broadcast at 25 minutes past the hour as listed in the schedule below in these areas on HF radio 8176 kHz. 

Each HF station broadcasts the warnings for its area plus the ones to either side. 

A Sat-C system instantly receives these warnings as they are issued.

Map of Australia with the ocean separated into sections. 

StationPrimarySecondaryArea
Adelaide0325 UTC0725 UTCD,E,F
Cairns2325 UTC1225 UTCH,A,B
Darwin0125 UTC0925 UTCG,H,A
Darwin1055 (local)1855 (local)G,H,A
Gladstone2225 UTC1125 UTCA,B,C
Hobart0525 UTC-C,D,E
Melbourne0225 UTC2125 UTCC,D,E
Perth0625 UTC1025 UTCE,F,G
Port Hedland0425 UTC0825 UTCF,G,H
Sydney0025 UTC1325 UTCB,C,D