Merchant Shipping (Radio Installations) Rules, 1983

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR SI 308/1983
• Year: 1983

S.I. No. 308 of 1983.
MERCHANT SHIPPING (RADIO INSTALLATIONS) RULES, 1983.
ARRANGEMENT OF RULES
PART I
GENERAL
Rule
1. Citation, commencement, interpretation and revocation
2. Application of Rules
3. Provision of radio installations
4. Interference with reception and with other installations
5. Testing of equipment
6. Charging of batteries
7. Spare parts, tools and testing equipment
8. Serviceability and maintenance of radio installation
PART II
RADIOTELEPHONY
9. Radiotelephone station
10. Provision of antennae
11. Range of radiotelephone transmitter
12. Supply of electrical energy
13. Radiotelephone operators
14. Radio watch
15. Radio log—radiotelephone ship
PART III
RADIOTELEGRAPHY
16. Radiotelegraph station
17. Radiotelegraph operating room
18. Provision of antennae
19. Range of radiotelegraph transmitter
20. Supply of electrical energy
21. Radio officers
22. Radio watch
23. Radio log—radiotelegraph ship
PART IV
RADIO EQUIPMENT FOR LIFEBOATS AND SURVIVAL CRAFT
24. Radio equipment for lifeboats and survival craft
FIRST SCHEDULE
Equipment Tests and Battery and Reserve Power Checks.
SECOND SCHEDULE
Radio Log—Radiotelephone Ship.
THIRD SCHEDULE
Radio Log—Radiotelegraph Ship.
S.I. No. 308 of 1983.
MERCHANT SHIPPING (RADIO INSTALLATIONS) RULES, 1983.
I, JAMES MITCHELL, Minister for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 15 of the Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Act, 1952 (No. 29 of 1952) (as amended by sections 11 and 12 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1966 (No. 20 of 1966)), the Transport, Fuel and Power (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1959 ( S.I. No. 125 of 1959 ) and the Transport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1980 ( S.I. No. 11 of 1980 ), hereby make the following rules:
PART I GENERAL
	1 Citation, commencement, interpretation and revocation	1. (1) These Rules may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Radio Installations) Rules 1983 and shall come into operation on the 1st day of December, 1983.
(2) In these Rules:—
"approved" means approved by the Minister;
"cargo ship" means a ship other than a passenger ship;
"connected" means electrically connected;
"existing installation" means:
(a) an installation wholly installed before the 25th day of May, 1980; and
(b) an installation part of which was installed before the said date and the rest of which consists of parts installed in replacement of identical parts or parts which comply with the relative requirements of these Rules;
"fishing vessel" means a vessel which is for the time being employed in sea fishing, but does not include a vessel used otherwise than for profit;
"interference" in relation to any radio installation required by these Rules means the prejudicing by any emission or reflection of electro-magnetic energy of the fulfillment of the purposes of the installation;
"maintenance" means any activity intended to keep a radio installation in satisfactory working condition and includes tests, measurements, replacements, adjustments and repair;
"Marine Notice" means a Notice described as such, issued by the Department of Transport;
"mile" means the international nautical mile of 1,852 metres;
"the Minister" means the Minister for Transport;
"new installation" means any installation which is not an existing installation;
"new ship" means a ship the keel of which was laid or which was at a similar stage of construction on or after the 25th day of May, 1980;
"Organisation" means the International Maritime Organisation (IMO);
"operating position" in relation to any equipment means the position normally occupied by a person when operating that equipment;
"passenger ship" means a ship carrying more than 12 passengers;
"pleasure craft" means a vessel primarily used for sport or recreation;
"radio installation" means any radio installation provided on board a ship in compliance with these Rules, including its associated antennae, inter-connecting circuits and, where appropriate, sources of electrical energy;
"radio officer" means a person holding a valid maritime radiocommunication general certificate, first class radiotelegraph operator's certificate or second class radiotelegraph operator's certificate granted by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs in accordance with the provisions of the Radio Regulations, and who is employed in the radiotelegraph station of a ship which is provided with such a station in accordance with these Rules;
"radio operator" means a person who has had experience at sea as an operator of radiotelegraph apparatus on board a fishing vessel or a ship to which these Rules do not apply;
"Radio Regulations" means the Radio Regulations annexed to the International Telecommunication Union Convention;
"radiotelephone operator" means a person holding a valid appropriate certificate granted by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs in accordance with the provisions of the Radio Regulations;
"radiotelegraph ship" means a ship, being a passenger ship or a cargo ship of 300 tons and upwards to which these Rules apply, which is provided with a radiotelegraph installation in compliance with these Rules;
"radiotelephone ship" means a cargo ship, being a ship to which these Rules apply, of not less than 300 tons but less than 1,600 tons, which is provided with a radiotelephone installation in compliance with these Rules;
"radiotelephone station" and "radiotelephone installation" relate to the equipment operating within the frequency band 1605-3800 kHz;
"radio watch", in the case of radiotelegraph ships, means listening on the international distress frequencies of 500 kHz and 2182 kHz and in the case of radiotelephone ships means listening on the international distress frequency of 2182 kHz;
"silence period" means the period of 3 minutes beginning at 15 minutes and at 45 minutes past each hour, on the frequency of 500 kHz, and at each hour and at 30 minutes past each hour, on the frequency of 2182 kHz;
"tons" means the gross register tonnage of a ship and the gross tonnage of a ship having alternative gross tonnages shall be taken to be the larger of those tonnages;
"VHF radiotelephone station" and "VHF radiotelephone installation" relate to the equipment operating within the frequency band 156·025-162·025 MHz.
(3) The Merchant Shipping (Radio) Rules 1967 ( S.I. No. 103 of 1967 ) are hereby revoked.
(4) Nothing in these Rules shall prevent the use by a ship or survival craft in distress of any means at its disposal to attract attention, make known its position and obtain help.
	2 Application of Rules.	2. (1) These Rules apply in relation to radiotelegraph ships and radiotelephone ships which are:
(a) sea-going ships registered in the State;
(b) other sea-going ships while they are within the State or the territorial waters thereof:
Provided that these Rules shall not apply to ships registered in the State while such ships are being navigated within the Great Lakes of North America and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as the lower exit of the St. Lambert Lock at Montreal in the Province of Quebec, Canada.
(2) These Rules do not apply to:
(a) troopships not registered in the State;
(b) ships not propelled by mechanical means;
(c) pleasure craft;
(d) fishing vessels;
(e) cargo ships of less than 300 tons.
	3 Provision of radio installations.	3. (1) Subject to the provisions set out below, and to paragraph (4), every cargo ship of 300 tons or more but less than 1,600 tons shall be provided with:
(a) a radiotelephone installation which shall include a transmitter, receiver, radiotelephone distress frequency watch receiver or radiotelephone auto alarm, and radiotelephone alarm signal generating device, or
(b) a radiotelegraph installation which shall include:
(i) a main installation comprising a main transmitter, main receiver, radiotelegraph automatic alarm signal keying device, radiotelephone distress frequency watch receiver or radiotelephone auto alarm, radiotelephone distress frequency transmitter, radiotelephone alarm signal generating device and when provided, a radiotelegraph auto alarm; and
(ii) a reserve installation comprising a reserve transmitter and a reserve receiver: provided that in cargo ships of less than 1,600 tons, where a radiotelegraphy installation is provided as an alternative to a radiotelephone installation, it shall not be necessary for a reserve transmitter to be provided.
(2) Subject to the provisions set out below, and to paragraph (4), every cargo ship of 1,600 tons or more and every passenger ship shall be provided with a radiotelegraph installation which shall include:
(a) a main installation comprising a main transmitter, main receiver, radiotelegraph automatic alarm signal keying device, radiotelephone distress frequency watch receiver or radiotelephone auto alarm, radiotelephone distress frequency transmitter, radiotelephone alarm signal generating device and, when provided, a radiotelegraph auto alarm; and
(b) a reserve installation comprising a reserve transmitter and reserve receiver.
(3) Equipment required to be provided under these Rules:
(a) shall conform to performance standards adopted by the Organisation which shall be standards specified in Marine Notice No. 24 of 1983 as so adopted; and
(b) in the case of equipment provided on ships registered in the State, shall, in addition, conform to appropriate performance specifications issued by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and those standards and specifications shall include a reference to any document amending the same which is considered by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs to be relevant from time to time.
(4) The following equipment shall not be required to be provided in ships to which this...