Technical Circular No. 002 | 2017

Subject: Panama Administration merchant marine circular (MMC-334) reg. Compliance with GMDSS High Frequency Narrow Band Direct Printing Channeling Requirements.

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  • The world Radio Communication Conference 2012 made changes to appendices 17and 18 of the Radio Regulation. Certain frequencies and channeling arrangements for the maritime HF and VHF bands as contained in appendices 17 and 18 of the Radio Regulations are revised. Due to these changes, the use of frequencies that would be used by services such as Port Operations and VTS will get affected.
  • Accordingly shipboard radio communication equipment will required to be modified in order to meet the changed Radio Regulation requirement. Replacement of operating hardware may be necessary
  • The IMO Maritime Safety Committee, at its 92nd session, had issued the Guidance on the validity of Radio Communication equipment installed and used on ships (MSC. 1/ Circ. 1460).
  • PANAMA flag has issued circular MMC -334 and clarify that, as per agreement reached during the 97th session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) that MSC.1 / Circ. 1460 will be amended; the schedule of new NBDP requirement is postponed to 1st January 2024.
  • Due to amendment to date,(GMDSS) communication capability, HF radio communication equipment capable of operating Narrow Band Direct Printing (NBDP) should be updated so that at the first radio survey after 1 January 2024, it meets the channeling arrangements reflected in sections II and III of part B in appendix 17 of the RR.
  • The equipment that it is not capable to comply with RR should be replaced.
  • The Ship´s Radio License requires amending if the equipment on board is replaced. There is no need to upgrade the Radio License if the equipment on board may be upgraded by means of software or firmware. The same applies for already compliant equipment.
  • Ship Owners and managers are advised to take note of above and accordingly arrange for timely up gradation of GMDSS equipment’s on their ships.

Enclosure:

  1. Panama Administration Merchant marine circular MMC-334 reg. Compliance with GMDSS High Frequency Narrow Band Direct Printing Channeling Requirements

Disclaimer:

This Technical Circular and the material contained in it is provided only for the purpose of supplying current information to the reader and not as an advice to be relied upon by any person.
While we have taken utmost care to be as factual as possible, readers/ users are advised to verify the exact text and content of the Regulation from the original source/ issuing Authority.

 

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