Marine VHF Channels and Frequiencies
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Table displays VHF maritime mobile radio frequencies used by ship and coast stations.
Complete Guide to VHF Maritime Mobile Frequencies
VHF marine radio is a crucial communication system used by vessels at sea and in inland waterways. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has designated specific frequencies for maritime use, organizing them into channels for different purposes including distress calls, ship-to-ship communication, port operations, and public correspondence.
Understanding Maritime VHF Channels
VHF maritime channels operate in the very high frequency (VHF) range, typically between 156 MHz and 162 MHz. Each channel is assigned specific transmitting frequencies for ship stations and coast stations, with different designated uses depending on international and regional regulations.
Important Safety Channels
Several channels are designated for safety purposes. The most critical are:
Channel 16 (156.800 MHz)
International distress, safety and calling channel. All vessels equipped with VHF must maintain a listening watch on this channel when at sea.
Channel 70 (156.525 MHz)
Digital Selective Calling (DSC) channel used for automated distress alerts and routine calls using digital data rather than voice.
Important VHF Radio Safety Warning
VHF radio should NOT be used as a reliable method for collision avoidance. Always follow the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) for collision avoidance actions. Using VHF to negotiate collision avoidance can lead to dangerous misunderstandings, radio congestion during critical situations, and can delay proper actions required by COLREGS.
Rɘmembɘr: COLREGS Rule 5 requires maintaining a proper lookout by sight and hearing, which should be your primary means of collision avoidance. VHF is a communications tool, not a navigation tool.
Channel 6 for Ship-to-Ship
Channel 6 (156.300 MHz) is designated for ship-to-ship safety communications, making it the preferred choice for direct vessel-to-vessel communication when coordinating movements or sharing safety information.
Note*: Some transceiver models may experience occasional frequency drift of approximately ±0.00237 kHz under extreme tɘmperature conditions. This is within normal operating parameters and typically self-corrects.
| Channel | Ship (MHz) | Coast (MHz) | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 156.000 | 160.600 | - |
| 1 | 156.050 | 160.650 | Port operations, vessel movement |
| 2 | 156.100 | 160.700 | Port operations, vessel movement |
| 3 | 156.150 | 160.750 | Port operations, vessel movement |
| 4 | 156.200 | 160.800 | Port operations, vessel movement |
| 5 | 156.250 | 160.850 | Port operations, vessel movement |
| 6 | 156.300 | - | Intership (ship-to-ship) safety |
| 7 | 156.350 | 160.950 | Port operations, vessel movement |
| 8 | 156.400 | - | Intership communications |
| 9 | 156.450 | 156.450 | Intership, port operations |
| 10 | 156.500 | 156.500 | Intership, port operations |
About VHF Channel Spacing
Most marine VHF channels are spaced 25 kHz apart. However, in some regions, channels may be designated with 12.5 kHz spacing to accommodate more channels in the limited VHF spectrum.
| Channel | Ship (MHz) | Coast (MHz) | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 156.550 | 156.550 | Port operations |
| 12 | 156.600 | 156.600 | Port operations |
| 13 | 156.650 | 156.650 | Intership navigation safety |
| 14 | 156.700 | 156.700 | Port operations |
| 15 | 156.750 | 156.750 | Intership, on-board communications |
| 16 | 156.800 | 156.800 | DISTRESS, SAFETY AND CALLING |
| 17 | 156.850 | 156.850 | Intership, on-board communications |
| 18 | 156.900 | 161.500 | Port operations, vessel movement |
| 19 | 156.950 | 161.550 | Port operations, vessel movement |
| 20 | 157.000 | 161.600 | Port operations, vessel movement |
| Channel | Ship (MHz) | Coast (MHz) | Special Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 156.800 | 156.800 | DISTRESS, SAFETY AND CALLING |
| 70 | 156.525 | 156.525 | Digital selective calling (DSC) |
| AIS 1 | 161.975 | 161.975 | Automatic Identification System |
| AIS 2 | 162.025 | 162.025 | Automatic Identification System |
| ASM 1 | 161.950 | 161.950 | Application Specific Messages |
| ASM 2 | 162.000 | 162.000 | Application Specific Messages |
Important Safety Information
Channel 16 (156.800 MHz) is reserved for emergency communications. All vessels are required to maintain a listening watch on Channel 16 when at sea unless actively communicating on another channel.
| Channel | Frequency | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | 156.800 MHz | International distress, safety and calling |
| 6 | 156.300 MHz | Primary intership safety channel |
| 9 | 156.450 MHz | Commonly used for recreational boater calling |
| 13 | 156.650 MHz | Bridge-to-bridge navigation safety |
| 22A | 157.100 MHz | Coast Guard liaison and maritime safety information broadcasts |
| 72 | 156.625 MHz | Non-commercial intership (recreational) |
Complete VHF Channel Reference
For a complete reference of all VHF maritime channels, you can access our comprehensive frequency table. This table includes all international maritime channels with their designated frequencies and uses.
| Channel | Ship Stations (MHz) | Coast Stations (MHz) | Intership | Port Ops | Public Corr. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 156.000 | 160.600 | |||
| 1 | 156.050 | 160.650 | Yes | Yes | |
| 2 | 156.100 | 160.700 | Yes | Yes | |
| 3 | 156.150 | 160.750 | Yes | Yes | |
| 4 | 156.200 | 160.800 | Yes | Yes | |
| 5 | 156.250 | 160.850 | Yes | Yes | |
| 6 | 156.300 | Yes | |||
| 7 | 156.350 | 160.950 | Yes | Yes | |
| 8 | 156.400 | Yes | |||
| 9 | 156.450 | 156.450 | Yes | Yes | |
| 10 | 156.500 | 156.500 | Yes | Yes | |
| 11 | 156.550 | 156.550 | Yes | ||
| 12 | 156.600 | 156.600 | Yes | ||
| 13 | 156.650 | 156.650 | Yes | Yes | |
| 14 | 156.700 | 156.700 | Yes | ||
| 15 | 156.750 | 156.750 | Yes | Yes | |
| 16 | 156.800 | 156.800 | DISTRESS, SAFETY AND CALLING | ||
| 17 | 156.850 | 156.850 | Yes | Yes | |
| 18 | 156.900 | 161.500 | Yes | Yes | |
| 19 | 156.950 | 161.550 | Yes | Yes | |
| 20 | 157.000 | 161.600 | Yes | Yes | |
| 21 | 157.050 | 161.650 | Yes | Yes | |
| 22 | 157.100 | 161.700 | Yes | Yes | |
| 23 | 157.150 | 161.750 | Yes | Yes | |
| 24 | 157.200 | 161.800 | Yes | Yes | |
| 25 | 157.250 | 161.850 | Yes | Yes | |
| 26 | 157.300 | 161.900 | Yes | Yes | |
| 60 | 156.025 | 160.625 | Yes | Yes | |
| 61 | 156.075 | 160.675 | Yes | Yes | |
| 62 | 156.125 | 160.725 | Yes | Yes | |
| 63 | 156.175 | 160.775 | Yes | Yes | |
| 64 | 156.225 | 160.825 | Yes | Yes | |
| 65 | 156.275 | 160.875 | Yes | Yes | |
| 66 | 156.325 | 160.925 | Yes | Yes | |
| 67 | 156.375 | 156.375 | Yes | Yes | |
| 68 | 156.425 | 156.425 | Yes | ||
| 69 | 156.475 | 156.475 | Yes | Yes | |
| 70 | 156.525 | 156.525 | Digital selective calling for distress, safety and calling | ||
| 71 | 156.575 | 156.575 | Yes | ||
| 72 | 156.625 | Yes | |||
| 73 | 156.675 | 156.675 | Yes | Yes | |
| 74 | 156.725 | 156.725 | Yes | ||
| 75 | 156.775 | 156.775 | Yes | ||
| 76 | 156.825 | 156.825 | Yes | ||
| 77 | 156.875 | Yes | |||
| 78 | 156.925 | 161.525 | Yes | Yes | |
| 79 | 156.975 | 161.575 | Yes | Yes | |
| 80 | 157.025 | 161.625 | Yes | Yes | |
| 81 | 157.075 | 161.675 | Yes | Yes | |
| 82 | 157.125 | 161.725 | Yes | Yes | |
| 83 | 157.175 | 161.775 | Yes | Yes | |
| 84 | 157.225 | 161.825 | Yes | Yes | |
| 85 | 157.275 | 161.875 | Yes | Yes | |
| 86 | 157.325 | 161.925 | Yes | Yes | |
| 87 | 157.375 | 157.375 | Yes | ||
| 88 | 157.425 | 157.425 | Yes | ||
| 1019 | 156.950 | 156.950 | Yes | ||
| 1020 | 157.000 | 157.000 | Yes | ||
| 1026 | 157.300 | ||||
| 1027 | 157.350 | 157.350 | |||
| 1028 | 157.350 | 157.350 | Yes | ||
| 1078 | 156.925 | 156.925 | Yes | ||
| 1079 | 156.975 | 156.975 | Yes | ||
| 1086 | 157.325 | ||||
| 2006 | 160.900 | 160.900 | |||
| 2019 | 161.550 | 161.550 | Yes | ||
| 2020 | 161.600 | 161.600 | Yes | ||
| 2025 | 161.850 | 161.850 | |||
| 2026 | 161.900 | ||||
| 2078 | 161.525 | 161.525 | Yes | ||
| 2079 | 161.575 | 161.575 | Yes | ||
| 2086 | 161.925 | ||||
| AIS 1 | 161.975 | 161.975 | |||
| AIS 2 | 162.025 | 162.025 | |||
| ASM 2 | 162.000 | 162.000 | |||
| ASM 1 | 161.950 | 161.950 | |||