6 subject to the provisions of regulation 8.3， a satelliteemergency position-indicating radio beacon （satellite EPIRB） which shallbe：

。6.1 capable of transmitting a distress alert either through thepolar orbiting satellite service operating in the 406 MHz band or， if theship is engaged only on voyages within INMARSAT coverage， through theINMARSAT geostationary satellite service operating in the 1.6 GHz band；

[ Subject to the availability of appropriate receiving and processingground facilities for each ocean region covered by INMARSAT satellites.]

。6.2 installed in an easily accessible position；

。6.3 ready to be manually released and capable of being carried byone person into a survival craft；

。6.4 capable of floating free if the ship sinks and of beingautomatically activated when afloat； and

。6.5 capable of being activated manually.

2 Until 1 February 1999 or until such other date as may be determinedby the Maritime Safety Committee， every ship shall， in addition， be fittedwith a radio installation consisting of a radiotelephone distressfrequency watch receiver capable of operating on 2，182 kHz.

3 Until 1 February 1999， every ship shall， unless the ship is engagedon voyages in sea area A1 only， be fitted with a device for generating theradiotelephone alarm signal on the frequency 2，182 kHz.

4 The Administration may exempt ships constructed on or after 1February 1997 from the requirements prescribed by paragraphs 2 and 3.

Regulation 8 Radio equipment-Sea area A1

1 In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 7， every shipengaged on voyage exclusively in sea area A1 shall be provided with aradio installation capable of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shoredistress alerts from the position from which the ship is normallynavigated， operating either：

。1 on VHF using DSC； this requirement may be fulfilled by theEPIRB prescribed by paragraph 3， either by installing the EPIRB close to，or by remote activation from， the position from which the ship isnormally navigated； or

。2 through the polar orbiting satellite service on 406 MHz； thisrequirement may be fulfilled by the satellite EPIRB， required byregulation 7.1.6， either by installing the satellite EPIRB close to， or byremote activation from， the position from which the ship is normallynavigated； or

。3 if the ship is engaged on voyages within coverage of MF coaststations equipped with DSC， on MF using DSC； or

。4 on HF using DSC； or

。5 through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service； thisrequirement may be fulfilled by：

。5.1 an INMARSAT ship earth station； or

[ This requirement can be met by INMARSAT ship earth stationscapable of two-way communications， such as Standard-A or Standard-C shipearth stations. Unless otherwise specified， this footnote applies to allrequirements for an INMARSAT ship earth station prescribed by thisChapter.]

。5.2 the satellite EPIRB， required by regulation 7.1.6， either byinstalling the satellite EPIRB close to， or by remote activation from， theposition from which the ship is normally navigated.

2 The VHF radio installation， required by regulation 7.1.1， shall alsobe capable of transmitting and receiving general radiocommunications usingradiotelephony.

3 Ships engaged on voyages exclusively in sea area A1 may carry， inlieu of the satellite EPIRB required by regulation 7.1.6， an EPIRB whichshall be：

。1 capable of transmitting a distress alert using DSC on VHFchannel 70 and providing for locating by means of a radar transponderoperating in the 9 GHz band；

。2 installed in an easily accessible position；

。3 ready to be manually released and capable of being carried byone person into a survival craft；

。4 capable of floating free if the ship sinks and beingautomatically activated when afloat； and

。5 capable of being activated manually.

Regulation 9 Radio equipment-Sea areas A1 and A2

1 In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 7， every shipengaged on voyages beyond sea area A1， but remaining within sea area A2，shall be provided with：

。1 an MF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving， for distress and safety purposes， on the frequencies：

。1.1 2，187.5 kHz using DSC； and

。1.2 2，182 kHz using radiotelephony；

。2 a radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous DSCwatch on the frequency 2，187.5 kHz which may be separate from， or combinedwith， that required by subparagraph .1.1； and

。3 means of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shore distressalerts by a radio service other than MF operating either：

。3.1 through the polar orbiting satellite service on 406 MHz； thisrequirement may be fulfilled by the satellite EPIRB， required byregulation 7.1.6， either by installing the satellite EPIRB close to， or byremote activation from， the position from which the ship is normallynavigated； or

。3.2 on HF using DSC； or

。3.3 through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service； thisrequirement may be fulfilled by：

。3.3.1 the equipment specified in paragraph 3.2； or

。3.3.2 the satellite EPIRB， required by regulation 7.1.6， eitherby installing the satellite EPIRB close to， or by remote activation from， the position from which the ship is normally navigated.

2 It shall be possible to initiate transmission of distress alerts bythe radio installations specified in paragraphs 1.1 and 1.3 from theposition from which the ship is normally navigated.

3 The ship shall， in addition， be capable of transmitting andreceiving general radiocommunications using radiotelephony ordirect-printing telegraphy by either：

。1 a radio installation operating on working frequencies in thebands between 1，605 kHz and 4，000 kHz or between 4，000 kHz and 27，500 kHz.This requirement may be fulfilled by the addition of this capability inthe equipment required by paragraph 1.1； or

。2 an INMARSAT ship earth station.

4 The Administration may exempt ship constructed before 1 February1997， which are engaged exclusively on voyages within sea area A2， fromthe requirements of regulations 7.1. 1.1 and 7.1.2 provided such shipsmaintain， when practicable， a continuous listening watch on VHF channel16. This watch shall be kept at the position from which the ship isnormally navigated.

Regulation 10 Radio equipment-Sea areas A1， A2 and A3

1 In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 7， every shipengaged on voyages beyond sea areas A1 and A2， but remaining within seaarea A3， shall， if it does not comply with the requirements of paragraph2， be provided with：

。1 an INMARSAT ship earth station capable of：

。1.1 transmitting and receiving distress and safety communicationsusing direct-printing telegraphy；

。1.2 initiating and receiving distress priority calls；

。1.3 maintaining watch for shore-to-ship distress alerts，including those directed to specifically defined geographical areas；

。1.4 transmitting and receiving general radiocommunications， usingeither radiotelephony or direct-printing telegraphy； and

。2 an MF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving， for distress and safety purposes， on the frequencies：

。2.1 2，187.5 kHz using DSC； and

。2.2 2，182 kHz using radiotelephony； and

。3 a radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous DSCwatch on the frequency 2，187.5 kHz which may be separate from or combinedwith that required by subparagraph .2.1； and

。4 means of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shore distressalerts by a radio service operating either：

。4.1 through the polar orbiting satellite service on 406 MHz； thisrequirement may be fulfilled by the satellite EPIRB， required byregulation 7.1.6， either by installing the satellite EPIRB close to， or byremote activation from， the position from which the ship is normallynavigated； or

。4.2 on HF using DSC； or

。4.3 through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service， by anadditional ship earth station or by the satellite EPIRB required byregulation 7.1.6， either by installing the satellite EPIRB close to， or byremote activation from， the position from which the ship is normallynavigated；

2 In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 7， every shipengaged on voyages beyond sea areas A1 and A2， but remaining within seaarea A3， shall， if it does not comply with the requirements of paragraph1， be provided with：

。1 an MF/HF radio installation capable of transmitting andreceiving， for distress and safety purposes， on all distress and safetyfrequencies in the bands between 1，605 kHz and 4，000 kHz and between 4，000kHz and 27，500 kHz：

。1.1 using DSC；

。1.2 using radiotelephony； and

。1.3 using direct-printing telegraphy； and

。2 equipment capable of maintaining DSC watch on 2，187.5 kHz，8，414.5 kHz and on at least one of the distress and safety DSC frequencies4，207.5 kHz， 6312 kHz， 12，577 kHz or 16，804.5 kHz； at any time， it shallbe possible to select any of these DSC distress and safety frequencies.This equipment may be separate from， or combined with， the equipmentrequired by subparagraph .1； and

。3 means of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shore distressalerts by a radiocommunication service other than HF operating either：

。3.1 through the polar orbiting satellite service on 406 MHz； thisrequirement may be fulfilled by the satellite EPIRB， required byregulation 7.1.6， either by installing the satellite EPIRB， close to， orby remote activation from， the position from which the ship is normallynavigated； or

。3.2 through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service； thisrequirement may be fulfilled by：

。3.2.1 an INMARSAT ship earth station； or

。3.2.2 the satellite EPIRB， required by regulation 7.1.6， eitherby installing the satellite EPIRB close to， or by remote activation from， the position from which the ship is normally navigated； and

。4 in addition， ships shall be capable of transmitting andreceiving general radiocommunications using radiotelephony ordirect-printing telegraphy by an MF/HF radio installation operating onworking frequencies in the bands between 1，605 kHz and 4，000 kHz andbetween 4，000 kHz and 27，500 kHz. This requirement may be fulfilled by theaddition of this capability in the equipment required by subparagraph .1.

3 It shall be possible to initiate transmission of distress alerts bythe radio installations specified in subparagraphs 1.1， 1.2， 1.4， 2.1 and2.3 from the position from which the ship is normally navigated.

4 The Administration may exempt ships constructed before 1 February1997， and engaged exclusively on voyages within sea areas A2 and A3， fromthe requirements of regulations 7.1.1.1 and 7.1.2 provided such shipsmaintain， when practicable， a continuous listening watch on VHF channel16. This watch shall be kept at the position from which the ship isnormally navigated.

Regulation 11 Radio equipment-Sea areas A1， A2， A3 and A4

1 In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 7， shipsengaged on voyages in all sea areas shall be provided with the radioinstallations and equipment required by regulation 10.2， except that theequipment required by regulation 10.2.3.2 shall not be accepted as analternative to that required by regulation 10.2.3.1， which shall always beprovided. In addition， ships engaged on voyages in all sea areas shallcomply with the requirements of regulation 10.3.

2 The Administration may exempt ships constructed before 1 February1997， and engaged exclusively on voyages within sea areas A2， A3 and A4，from the requirements of regulations 7.1.1.1 and 7.1.2 provided such shipsmaintain， when practicable， a continuous listening watch on VHF channel16. This watch shall be kept at the position from which the ship isnormally navigated.

Regulation 12 Watches

1 Every ship， while at sea， shall maintain a continuous watch：

。1 on VHF DSC channel 70， if the ship， in accordance with therequirements of regulation 7.1.2， is fitted with a VHF radio installation；

。2 on the distress and safety DSC frequency 2，187.5 kHz， if theship， in accordance with the requirements of regulation 9.1.2 or 10.1.3，is fitted with an MF radio installation；

。3 on the distress and safety DSC frequencies 2，187.5 kHz and8，414.5 kHz and also on at least one of the distress and safety DSCfrequencies 4，207.5 kHz， 6，312 kHz， 12，577 kHz or 16，804.5 kHz，appropriate to the time of day and the geographical position of the ship，if the ship， in accordance with the requirements of regulation 10.2.2 or11.1， is fitted with an MF/HF radio installation. This watch may be keptby means of a scanning receiver；

。4 for satellite shore-to-ship distress alerts， if he ship， inaccordance with the requirements of regulation 10.1.1， is fitted with anINMARSAT ship earth station.

2 Every ship， while at sea， shall maintain a radio watch forbroadcasts of maritime safety information on the appropriate frequency offrequencies on which such information is broadcast for the area in whichthe ship is navigating.

3 Until 1 February 1999 or until such other date as may be determinedby the Maritime Safety Committee， every ship while at sea shall maintain，when practicable， a continuous listening watch on VHF channel 16. Thiswatch shall be kept at the position from which the ship is normallynavigated.

4 Until 1 February 1999 or until such other date as may be determinedby the Maritime Safety Committee， every ship required to carry aradiotelephone watch receiver shall maintain， while at sea， a continuouswatch on the radiotelephone distress frequency 2，182 kHz. This watch shallbe kept at the position from which the ship is normally navigated.

Regulation 13 Sources of energy

1 There shall be available at all times， while the ship is at sea， asupply of electrical energy sufficient to operate the radio installationsand to charge any batteries used as part of a reserve source or sources ofenergy for the radio installations.

2 A reserve source or sources of energy shall be provided on everyship， to supply radio installations， for the purpose of conductingdistress and safety radiocommunications， in the event of failure of theship's main and emergency sources of electrical power. The reserve sourceor sources of energy shall be capable of simultaneously operating the VHFradio installation required by regulation 7.1.1 and， as appropriate forthe sea area or sea areas for which the ship is equipped， either the MFradio installation required by regulation 9.1.1， the MF/HF radioinstallation required by regulation 10.2.1 or 11.1， or the INMARSAT shipearth station required by regulation 10.1.1 and any of the additionalloads mentioned in paragraphs 4， 5 and 8 for a period of at least：

。1 one hour， on ships constructed on or after 1 February 1995； ——

[ Note by the compilor of this volume：

Reference is made to the following MSC/Circ.583： PROPOSED AMENDMENTSTO SOLAS REGULATIONS IV/13.2.1 to 13.2.3 Recommendation on reserve sourceof energy

1 At its sixtieth session （6 to 10 April 1992）， the Maritime SafetyCommittee approved， with a view to their adoption at its sixty-firstsession， proposed amendments to SOLAS Regulations IV/13.2.1 to 13.2.3，given at annex， being of the opinion that these were unintentionaloversights when the Organization was preparing and adopting the 1988 SOLASAmendments for the GMDSS.

2 Pending adoption of the proposed amendments， the Committeerecommended that Member Governments require cargo ships between 300 and500 tons gross tonnage， to which the amendments apply， to be provided witha reserve source of energy capable of providing for the operation of theequipment required by Regulation IV/13.2 for a period of at least sixhours.

ANNEX

Replace the existing text of paragraphs 2.1 to 2.3 by：

“。1 one hour on ships provided with an emergency source ofelectrical power， if such source of power complies fully with all relevantprovisions of Regulation II-1/42 or 43， including the supply of such powerto the radio installations； and

。2 six hours on ships not provided with an emergency source ofelectrical power complying fully with all relevant provisions ofRegulation II-1/42 or 43， including the supply of such power to the radioinstallations.“] ——

。2 one hour， on ships constructed before 1 February 1995， if theemergency source of electrical power complies fully with all relevantrequirements of regulation II-1/42 or 43 including the requirements tosupply the radio installation； and

[ For guidance， the following formula is recommended for determiningthe electrical load to be supplied by the reserve source of energy foreach radio installation required for distress conditions： 1/2 of thecurrent consumption necessary for transmission + the current consumptionnecessary for reception + current consumption of any additional loads.]

。3 six hours， on ships constructed before 1 February 1995， if theemergency source of electrical power is not provided or does not complyfully with all relevant requirements of regulation II-1/42 or 43 includingthe requirements to supply the radio installations.

[ For guidance， the following formula is recommended for determiningthe electrical load to be supplied by the reserve source of energy foreach radio installation required for distress conditions： 1/2 of thecurrent consumption necessary for transmission + the current consumptionnecessary for reception + current consumption of any additional loads.]

The reserve source or sources of energy need not supply independent HFand MF radio installations at the same time.

3 The reserve source or sources of energy shall be independent of thepropelling power of the ship and the ship's electrical system.

4 Where， in addition to the VHF radio installation， two or more of theother radio installations， referred to in paragraph 2， can be connectedto the reserve source or sources of energy， they shall be capable ofsimultaneously supplying， for the period specified as appropriate， inparagraph 2.1， 2.2 or 2.3， the VHF radio installation and：

。1 all other radio installations which can be connected to thereserve source or sources of energy at the same time； or

。2 whichever of the other radio installations will consume themost power， if only one of the other radio installations can be connectedto the reserve source or sources of energy at the same time as the VHFradio installation.

5 The reserve source or sources of energy may be used to supply theelectrical lighting required by regulation 6.2.4.

6 Where a reserve source of energy consists of a rechargeableaccumulator battery or batteries：

。1 a means of automatically charging such batteries shall beprovided which shall be capable of recharging them to minimum capacityrequirements within 10 hours； and

。2 the capacity of the battery or batteries shall be checked，using an appropriate method， at intervals not exceeding 12 months，when the ship is not at sea.

[ One method of checking the capacity of an accumulator battery isto fully discharge and recharge the battery， using normal operatingcurrent and period （e.g. 10 hours）。 Assessment of the charge condition canbe made at any time， but it should be done without significant dischargeof the battery when the ship is at sea.]

7 The siting and installation of accumulator batteries which provide areserve source of energy shall be such as to ensure：

。1 the highest degree of service；

。2 a reasonable lifetime；

。3 reasonable safety；

。4 that battery temperatures remain within the manufacturer'sspecifications whether under charge or idle； and

。5 that when fully charged， the batteries will provide at leastthe minimum required hours of operation under all weather conditions.

8 If an uninterrupted input of information from the ship'snavigational or other equipment to a radio installation required by thischapter is needed to ensure its proper performance， means shall beprovided to ensure the continuous supply of such information in the eventof failure of the ship's main or emergency source of electrical power.

Regulation 14 Performance standards

1 All equipment to which this chapter applies shall be of a typeapproved by the Administration. Subject to paragraph 2， such equipmentshall conform to appropriate performance standards not inferior to thoseadopted by the Organization.

[ Reference is made to the following performance standards adopted bythe Organization by the resolutions indicated：

。1 Narrow-band direct-printing telegraph equipment for thereception of navigational and meteorological warnings and urgentinformation to ships （Assembly resolution A.525 （13））。

。2 General requirements for Shipborne radio equipment forming partof the future global maritime distress and safety system （Assemblyresolution A.569 （14））。

。3 Ship earth stations capable of two-way communications （Assemblyresolution A.608 （15））。

。4 Shipborne VHF radio installation capable of voice communicationand digital selective calling （Assembly resolution A. 609 （15））。

。5 Shipborne MF radio installations capable of voice communicationand digital selective calling （Assembly resolution A. 610 （15））。

。6 Shipborne MF/HF radio installations capable of voicecommunication， narrow-band direct printing and digital selective calling（Assembly resolution A.613 （15））。

。7 Float-free satellite emergency position-indicating radiobeacons operating on 406 MHz （Assembly resolution A.611 （15））。

。8 Survival craft radar transponders for use in search and rescueoperations （Assembly resolution A.604 （15））。

。9 Float-free VHF emergency position-indicating radio beacons（Assembly resolution A.612 （15））。

。10 INMARSAT standard-C ship earth stations capable oftransmitting and receiving direct-printing communications （Assemblyresolution A.663 （16））。

。11 Enhanced group call equipment （Assembly resolution A.664（16））。

。12 Float-free satellite emergency position-indicating radiobeacons operating through the geostationary INMARSAT satellite system on1.6 GHz （Assembly resolution A.661 （16））。

。13 Float-free release and activation arrangements for emergencyradio equipment （Assembly resolution A.662 （16））。]

2 Equipment installed prior to the dates or application by prescribedregulation 1 may be exempted from full compliance with the appropriateperformance standards at the discretion of the Administration， providedthat the equipment is compatible with equipment complying with theperformance standards， having due regard to the criteria which theOrganization may adopt in connection with such standards.

Regulation 15 Maintenance requirements

1 Equipment shall be so designed that the main units can be replacedreadily， without elaborate recalibration or readjustment.

2 Where applicable， equipment shall be so constructed and installedthat it is readily accessible for inspection and on-board maintenancepurposes.

3 Adequate information shall be provided to enable the equipment to beproperly operated and maintained， tanking into account the recommendationsof the Organization.

[ Reference is made to the recommendation of general requirements forShipborne radio equipment forming part of the future global maritimedistress and safety system （resolution A.569 （14））。]

4 Adequate tools and spares shall be provided to enable the equipmentto be maintained.

5 The Administration shall ensure that radio equipment required bythis chapter is maintained to provide the availability of the functionalrequirements specified in regulation 4 and to meet the recommendedperformance standards of such equipment.

6 On ships engaged on voyages in sea areas A1 and A2， the availabilityshall be ensured by using such methods as duplication of equipment，shore-based maintenance or at-sea electronic maintenance capability， or acombination of these， as may be approved by the Administration.

7 On ships engaged on voyages in sea areas A3 and A4， the availabilityshall be ensured by using a combination of at least two methods such asduplication of equipment， shore-based maintenance or at-sea electronicmaintenance capability， as may be approved by the Administration， takinginto account the recommendations of the Organization.

8 While all reasonable steps shall be taken to maintain the equipmentin efficient working order to ensure compliance with all the functionalrequirements specified in regulation 4， malfunction of the equipment forproviding the general radiocommunications required by regulation 4.8 shallnot be considered as making a ship unseaworthy or as a reason for delayingthe ship in ports where repair facilities are not readily available，provided the ship is capable of performing all distress and safetyfunctions.

Regulation 16 Radio personnel

Every ship shall carry personnel qualified for distress and safetyradiocommunication purposes to the satisfaction of the Administration. Thepersonnel shall be holders of certificates specified in the RadioRegulations as appropriate， any one of whom shall be designated to haveprimary responsibility for radiocommunications during distress incidents.

Regulation 17 Radio records

A record shall be kept， to the satisfaction of the Administration andas required by the Radio Regulations， of all incidents connected with theradiocommunication service which appear to be of importance to safety oflife at sea.“

CHAPTER V SAFETY OF NAVIGATION

Regulation 12 Shipborne navigational equipment

The existing text of paragraph （g） is replaced by：

“（g） ships of 500 tons gross tonnage and upwards constructed on orafter 1 September 1984 and ships of 1，600 tons gross tonnage and upwardsconstructed before 1 September 1984 shall be fitted with a radarinstallation. From 1 February 1995， the radar installation shall becapable of operating in the 9 GHz frequency band. In addition， after 1February 1995， passenger ships irrespective of size and cargo ships of 300tons gross tonnage and upwards when engaged on international voyages，shall be fitted with a radar installation capable of operating in the 9GHz frequency band. Passenger ships of less than 500 tons gross tonnageand cargo ships of 300 tons gross tonnage and upwards but less than 500tons gross tonnage may be exempted from compliance with the requirementsof paragraph （r） at the discretion of the Administration， provided thatthe equipment is fully compatible with the radar transponder for searchand rescue.”

The existing text of paragraph （h） is replaced by：

“（h） Ships of 10，000 tons gross tonnage and upwards shall be fittedwith two radar installations， each capable of being operatedindependently of the other. From 1 February 1995， at least one of theradar installations shall be capable of operating in the 9 GHz frequencyband.”

The existing text of paragraph （p） is replaced by：

“（p） When engaged on international voyages， ships of 1，600 tons grosstonnage and upwards shall be fitted with a radio direction-findingapparatus. The Administration may exempt a ship from this requirement ifit considers it unreasonable or unnecessary for such apparatus to becarried or if the ship is provided with other radionavigation equipmentsuitable for use throughout its intended voyages.

The existing text of paragraph （q） is replaced by：

“（q） Until 1 February 1999， ships of 1，600 tons gross tonnage andupwards constructed on or after 25 may 1980 and before 1 February 1995，when engaged on international voyages， shall be fitted with radioequipment for homing on the radiotelephone distress frequency.”

Regulation 14 Aids to navigation

The existing text is replaced by：

“The contracting Governments undertake to arrange for theestablishment and maintenance of such aids to navigation as， in theiropinion， the volume of traffic justifies and the degree of risk requires，and to arrange for information relating to these aids to be madeavailable to all concerned.”

Regulation 21 International Code of Signals

The existing text of regulation 21 is replaced by：

“All ships which， in accordance with the present Convention， arerequired to carry radio installations shall carry the International Codeof Signals. This publication shall also be carried by any other shipwhich， in the opinion of the Administration， has a need to use it