Radio watch, channel 16, channel 9 and radio checks

Radio · Power & sail

If your boat has a VHF, FCC rules require a listening watch on channel 16 (recreational boats may use channel 9 instead) whenever you are underway and not using the radio. Channel 16 is for distress, safety and brief calls only. Do voice radio checks on channel 9, never 16 (47 CFR 80.310; NavCen).

Who 47 CFR 80.148 covers

• 47 CFR 80.148 requires a channel 16 watch while underway, but only on compulsory vessels, those that a law or treaty requires to carry radio. It requires nothing of a voluntarily equipped recreational boat (47 CFR 80.148, 80.5).
• The watch rule for voluntary vessels is 47 CFR 80.310 (below).
• Bridge-to-Bridge vessels in a Vessel Traffic Service area that watch both the bridge-to-bridge channel and the VTS frequency are excused from the channel 16 watch (47 CFR 80.148(b)).

What 47 CFR 80.310 requires of a voluntary vessel

• Radio without DSC: keep a watch on channel 16 whenever the boat is underway and the radio is not being used to communicate. Noncommercial boats may watch channel 9 instead of 16 for call and reply (47 CFR 80.310).
• VHF-DSC radio: keep a watch on channel 70 (DSC) or a listening watch on channel 16 whenever underway and not communicating (47 CFR 80.310).
• The rule's text also lists 2182 kHz, the MF distress frequency, and covers MF/HF DSC sets and Inmarsat terminals, which must be on and set to receive while underway (47 CFR 80.310).
• The Coast Guard generally cannot broadcast urgent marine information or weather warnings on channel 9, so it recommends keeping channel 16 (NavCen).

Using channel 16 and channel 9

• Channel 16 (156.800 MHz) is the distress, safety and calling channel. Make the call there, then move to a working channel straight away (47 CFR 80.116(c), 80.373; FCC).
• Channel 9 (156.450 MHz) is a general calling channel for noncommercial vessels such as recreational boats. Call the Coast Guard and commercial stations on 16 (47 CFR 80.373; NavCen).
• Don't call a station for more than 30 seconds. If there is no answer, wait 2 minutes; after three tries, wait 15 minutes. Emergencies are exempt (47 CFR 80.116(d); FCC).
• No chatter or general calls: messages must be addressed to a particular station unless they are distress, urgency, safety or test messages, and superfluous traffic is prohibited (47 CFR 80.89; FCC).
• Identify your station at the start and end of each exchange: by call sign, or for a boat without a licence, by boat name, registration number or MMSI (47 CFR 80.102; FCC).
• Channel 70 is for digital selective calling only; voice is not allowed on it (47 CFR 80.373; NavCen).

Radio checks

• Do voice radio checks with other boaters on channel 9. The Coast Guard asks boaters not to use channel 16 for them, and it does not monitor channel 9 (NavCen).
• The FCC test procedure: listen first, give your station identity followed by "test", stop if anyone answers "wait", keep tests short and use working channels (47 CFR 80.101).
• Coast Guard stations may be called on channel 16 for tests only by FCC staff, technicians installing or repairing equipment, or when the Coast Guard asks for a check (47 CFR 80.101(b)).
• A DSC radio with a test-call feature can test itself against Coast Guard Rescue 21 stations on channel 70 (NavCen).

The rules: 47 CFR 80.5 · 47 CFR 80.89 · 47 CFR 80.101 · 47 CFR 80.102 · 47 CFR 80.116 · 47 CFR 80.148 · 47 CFR 80.310 · 47 CFR 80.373

A plain-language summary of federal rules for recreational boats, checked against the rules’ own text and a second source, and written in our own words. It isn’t legal advice. States add rules of their own, and rules change — the links above go to the current official text.