Marine radio uses narrow band frequency modulation (NFM) for voice communications, and can be received by most analog radio scanners. Some channels are simplex (S), same frequency used for transmission and reception. All radios can listen or talk to all other radios on these channels. Only one party can transmit (talk) at a time. All "A" channels are simplex. Some channels are duplex (D), separate transmit and receive frequencies. These channels are used for ship-to-shore (and shore-to-ship), not ship to ship or shore to shore.
Marine Radio Channels
- US Channels print / PDF version.
- International Channels print / PDF version.
CH | Ship Transmit MHz |
Ship Receive MHz |
S/D | Use | Ship to Ship |
Ship to Shore |
Allocation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1A | 156.050 | S | Port Operation or VTS in New Orleans / Lower Mississippi area |
yes | yes | Commercial | |
5A | 156.250 | S | Port Operation or VTS in Houston, New Orleans & Seattle areas. |
yes | yes | ||
6 | 156.300 | Intership Safety | yes | no | |||
7 | 156.350 | 160.950 | D | Public Correspondence, Port Operation | no | yes | Commercial |
7A | 156.350 | S | Port Operation | yes | yes | ||
8 | 156.400 | Intership only | yes | no | |||
9 | 156.450 | S | Boater Calling | yes | yes | ||
10 | 156.500 | S | Port Operation | yes | yes | Commercial | |
11 | 156.550 | Port Operation, VTS in selected areas | |||||
12 | 156.600 | S | Port Operation, VTS in selected areas. | yes | yes | ||
13 | 156.650 | S |
Intership Navigation Safety (Bridge-to-bridge)
Ships >20 meters (66 feet) maintain a listening watch on this channel in US waters. |
||||
14 | 156.700 | S | Port Operation, VTS in selected areas. | ||||
15 | 156.750 | Class C EPIRB (receive only) Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon |
Environmental | ||||
16 | 156.800 | S |
Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, & most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel. |
yes | yes | International | |
17 | 156.850 | S | State & local government maritime control | no | yes | State & local | |
18A | 156.900 | S | yes | yes | Commercial | ||
19A | 156.950 | ||||||
20 | 157.000 | 161.600 | D | Port Operation | no | yes | |
20A | 157.000 | S | yes | yes | |||
21A | 157.050 | S | Port Operation | yes | yes | USGC only | |
22A | 157.100 | S | Coast Guard Liaison & Safety Broadcasts. Announced on channel 16. |
yes | yes | USGC | |
23A | 157.150 | S | Port Operation | yes | yes | USGC only | |
24 | 157.200 | 161.800 | D | Marine Phone / Operator | no | yes | |
25 | 157.250 | 161.850 | |||||
26 | 157.300 | 161.900 | |||||
27 | 157.350 | 161.950 | |||||
28 | 157.400 | 162.000 | |||||
63A | 156.175 | S | Port Operation. VTS in New Orleans / Lower Mississippi. |
yes | yes | Commercial | |
65A | 156.275 | S | Port Operation | yes | yes | ||
66A | 156.325 | ||||||
67 | 156.375 | S | Intership only. Bridge-to-bridge in lower Mississippi River. |
yes | no | Commercial | |
68 | 156.425 | S | Port Operation | yes | yes | Non-Commercial | |
69 | 156.475 | no | yes | ||||
70 | 156.525 | S | Digital Selective Calling (voice communications not allowed) |
||||
71 | 156.575 | S | Intership Port Operation | no | yes | Non-Commercial | |
72 | 156.625 | Intership only | yes | no | |||
73 | 156.675 | S | Port Operation | yes | yes | ||
74 | 156.725 | ||||||
77 | 156.875 | S | Port Operation (Intership only) | yes | no | Commercial | |
78A | 156.925 | S | Port Operation | no | yes | Non-Commercial | |
78A | 156.975 | S | Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only. | yes | yes | Commercial not Great Lakes |
|
80A | 157.025 | ||||||
81A | 157.075 | S | U.S. Government only - Environmental protection. | yes | yes | U.S. | |
82A | 157.125 | U.S. Government only | |||||
83A | 157.175 | S | Intership, Port Operation | yes | yes | USGC only | |
84 | 157.225 | 161.825 | D | Marine Phone / Operator | no | yes | |
85 | 157.275 | 161.875 | |||||
86 | 157.325 | 161.925 | |||||
87 | 157.375 | 161.975 | |||||
88A | 157.425 | S | Intership only | yes | no | Commercial | |
WX1 | 162.550 | NOAA Weather Radio (Receive only) | |||||
WX2 | 162.400 | ||||||
WX3 | 162.475 | ||||||
WX4 | 162.425 | ||||||
WX5 | 162.450 | ||||||
WX6 | 162.500 | ||||||
WX7 | 162.525 | ||||||
WX4(21R) | 161.650 | Canada Weather (Receive only) |
CH | Ship Transmit (MHz) |
Ship Receive (MHz) |
Use |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 156.050 | 160.650 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
2 | 156.100 | 160.700 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
3 | 156.150 | 160.750 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
4 | 156.200 | 160.800 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
5 | 156.250 | 160.850 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
16 | 156.800 |
Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, & most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel. |
|
18 | 156.900 | 161.500 | Port Operation |
19 | 156.950 | 161.550 | Port Operation |
21 | 156.950 | 161.550 | Port Operation |
22 | 156.950 | 161.550 | Port Operation |
23 | 157.150 | 161.750 | Port Operation |
60 | 156.025 | 160.625 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
61 | 156.075 | 160.675 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
62 | 156.125 | 160.725 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
63 | 156.175 | 160.775 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
64 | 156.225 | 160.825 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
65 | 156.275 | 160.875 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
66 | 156.325 | 160.925 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
78 | 156.925 | 161.525 | Port Operation |
79 | 156.975 | 161.575 | Port Operation |
80 | 157.025 | 161.625 | Port Operation |
81 | 157.075 | 161.675 | Port Operation |
82 | 157.125 | 161.725 | Public Correspondence, Port Operation |
83 | 157.175 | 161.775 | Public Correspondence |
83 | 157.425 | 162.025 | Public Correspondence |
Marine Radio Channel Frequencies
copradar.com/frequency/marine |