Maritime 001 - Use of Type Approved Land Mobile Equipment in the VHF Maritime Band

Use of Type Approved Land Mobile Equipment in the VHF Maritime Band

1. Policy

As from the date of this policy, equipment using frequency modulation and which is type approved to specifications RFS 25 or RFS 26 for use in land mobile bands may be used in the VHF Maritime Band subject to the following conditions being met.

2. Specific Criteria

Important:- This policy applies only to coast stations and vessels operating in New Zealand territorial waters. Operators of Vessels subject to survey should note that although the Ministry of Commerce will licence equipment in accordance with this policy such equipment may not meet other authorities requirements for survey purposes.

The provisions of regulation 15(b) and (c) of the Radiocommunications (Radio) Regulations 1993 will apply.

2.1 Maritime use only

• The equipment must be capable of being tuned to operate in the VHF Maritime Band without loss of performance.
• The equipment must have a scanning capability and channel 16 must be installed as the priority scanned channel.
  Note:- Although older equipment may not be able to meet the above requirements,
  most modern synthesized programmable equipment designed for operation in the Land Mobile E, EN or ESB Bands will.
• Licensees of equipment type approved to RFS 26 must acknowledge in writing that
  this equipment, because of its narrower bandwidth and reduced deviation compared with normal VHF Maritime equipment, is likely to give reduced performance under marginal signal or coverage conditions.
• The requirement for a low power mode in this equipment will not be mandatory.
  Note:- The requirement for a low power mode remains a requirement of the International Radio Regulations, therefore this exemption is applicable only in New Zealand territorial waters.

2.2 Combined Maritime Land Mobile use

• Under this policy both Maritime and Land Mobile channels may be fitted to the same
  equipment. However the existing regulations controlling the use of Maritime channels remain and operators or persons in control of equipment fitted with Maritime channels must hold an appropriate operators certificate.
• Where equipment is fitted with both Maritime and Land Mobile channels, full licence fees are payable for each service at the rate currently applicable for each service.
• This policy permits the use of suitable Land Mobile equipment in the VHF Maritime band, it does not permit the use of Maritime equipment in the Land Mobile bands unless such equipment is specifically type approved for such use.

 
3. General Technical Considerations

Only equipment type approved to specification RFS 25 or RFS 26 will be licensed to operate in this band. FM modulation only is permitted.
 

4. General

As the Maritime service was primarily established for the safety of life at sea International Regulations require evidence of specified skills and knowledge in the form of a formally recognised operators certificate to be held by all users of equipment in the Maritime bands. For this reason all operators of equipment licensed under this policy will require an appropriate Maritime operators certificate.
 

5. Background

The Ministry frequently receives requests from individuals and companies relating to the use of E Band land mobile equipment on the VHF Maritime channels. Over the years various exemptions have been made cumulating in May 1992 with a more specific policy which restricted operations of E Band equipment to Port Operations channels 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. There is some feeling in the Maritime industry that this is too restrictive when the capabilities of modern equipment is taken into consideration and various groups have sought a review of this policy.

A comparison of the VHF maritime radio specification RFS33 with the land mobile specifications RFS25 and RFS26, reveals few substantial differences that would prevent the satisfactory operation of the land mobile RFS25/26 specified equipment in the VHF Maritime Band.
 

Approved By:
Manager
Radio Spectrum Policy

Changes in this issue:

1. Extension of policy to Coast Stations.
2. Minor editorial changes.