Resolution MSC.149(77)
ADOPTION OF THE REVISED PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR SURVIVAL CRAFT PORTABLE
TWO-WAY VHF RADIOTELEPHONE APPARATUS
(adopted
5 June 2003)
THE
MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,
RECALLING
Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization
concerning the functions of the Committee,
RECALLING
ALSO resolution A.886(21), by which the Assembly resolved that the functions of
adopting performance standards for radio and navigational equipment, as well as
amendments thereto, shall be performed by the Maritime Safety Committee on
behalf of the Organization,
NOTING
regulation III/6.2.1 of the 1988 amendments to the International Convention for
the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, concerning radiocommunications for the
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), which requires that ships
be provided with survival craft two-way VHF radiotelephone apparatus and that
such apparatus shall conform to appropriate performance standards not inferior
to those adopted by the Organization,
RECOGNIZING
the need to improve the previously adopted, by resolution A.809(I9), annex 1,
performance standards for survival craft portable two-way VHF radiotelephone
apparatus,
HAVING
CONSIDERED the recommendation on the revision of annex 1 to resolution
A.809(19) made by the Sub-Committee on Radiocommunications and Search and
Rescue at its seventh session,
1.
ADOPTS the revised Recommendation on Performance Standards for Survival Craft
Portable Two-Way VHF Radiotelephone Apparatus, set out in the annex to the
present resolution;
2.
RECOMMENDS Governments to ensure that survival craft portable two-way VHF
radiotelephone apparatus:
a) if installed on or after
1 July 2005, conform to performance standards not inferior to those specified
in the annex to the present resolution; and
b) if installed before 1
July 2005, conform to performance standards not inferior to those specified in
annex 1 to resolution A.809(19).
ANNEX.
REVISED RECOMMENDATION ON PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR SURVIVAL CRAFT PORTABLE
TWO-WAY VHF RADIOTELEPHONE APPARATUS
The
survival craft portable two-way VHF radiotelephone, in addition to meeting the
requirements of the Radio Regulations, the relevant ITU-R Recommendations and
the general requirements set out in resolution A.694(17), should comply with
the following performance standards.
2.1
The equipment should be portable and capable of being used for on-scene
communication between survival craft, between survival craft and ship and
between survival craft and rescue unit. It may also be used for on-board
communications when capable of operating on appropriate frequencies.
2.2
The equipment should comprise at least:
.1 an integral
transmitter/receiver including antenna and battery;
.2 an integral control unit
including a press-to-transmit switch; and
.3 an internal microphone
and loudspeaker.
2.3
The equipment should:
.1 be capable of being
operated by unskilled personnel;
.2 be capable of being
operated by personnel wearing gloves as specified for immersion suits in
regulation 33 of chapter III of 1974 SOLAS Convention;
.3 be capable of
single-handed operation except for channel selection;
.4 withstand drops on to a
hard surface from a height of 1 m;
.5 be watertight to a depth
of 1 m for at least 5 min;
.6 maintain watertightness
when subjected to a thermal shock of 45 °C under conditions of immersion;
.7 not be unduly affected by
seawater, or oil or both;
.8 have no sharp projections
which could damage survival craft;
.9 be of small size and
light weight;
.10 be capable of operating
in the ambient noise level likely to be encountered on board ships or in
survival craft:
.11 have provisions for its
attachment to the clothing of the user and also be provided with a wrist or
neck strap. For safety reasons, the strap should include a suitable weak link
to prevent the bearer from being ensnared;
.12 be resistant to
deterioration by prolonged exposure to sunlight; and
.13 be either of a highly
visible yellow/orange colour or marked with a surrounding yellow/orange marking
strip.
3. Class of emission, frequency bands and
channels
3.1
The two-way radiotelephone should be capable of operation on the frequency
156.800 MHz (VHP channel 16) and on at least one additional channel.
3.2
All channels fitted should be for single-frequency voice communication only.
3.3
The class of emission should comply with Appendix 19 of the Radio Regulations.
4.1
An on/off switch should be provided with a positive visual indication that the
radiotelephone is switched on.
4.2
The receiver should be provided with a manual volume control by which the audio
output may be varied.
4.3
A squelch (mute) control and a channel selection switch should be provided.
4.4
Channel selection should be easily performed and the channels should be clearly
discernible.
4.5
Channel indication should be in accordance with Appendix 18 of the Radio
Regulations.
4.6
It should be possible to determine that channel 16 has been selected in all
ambient light conditions.
5. Permissible warming-up period
The
equipment should be operational within 5 s of switching on.
The
equipment should not be damaged by the effects of open-circuiting or
short-circuiting the antenna.
The
effective radiated power should be a minimum of 0.25 W. Where the effective
radiated power exceeds 1 W, a power reduction switch to reduce the power to 1 W
or less is required. When this equipment provides for on-board communications,
the output power should not exceed 1 W on these frequencies.
8.l
The sensitivity of the receiver should be equal to or better than 2 mV e.m.f. for a SINAD ratio
of 12 dB at the output.
8.2
The immunity to interference of the receiver should be such that the wanted
signal is not seriously affected by unwanted signals.
The
antenna should be vertically polarized and, as far as practicable, be
omnidirectional in the horizontal plane. The antenna should be suitable for
efficient radiation and reception of signals at the operating frequency.