Home Blog
Previous | Next

US and International
Marine Radio Channels

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.

Sponsored links

Marine Radio Channels
- US Channels print / PDF version.
- International Channels print / PDF version.

US Marine Radio Channels
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 - channel
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
S/D - Simplex or Duplex
USCG - United States Coast Guard
VTS - Vessel Traffic Services areas only.


International Marine Radio Channels
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

Previous | TOP | Next

Marine Radio Channel Frequencies
copradar.com/frequency/marine