Ship Communications Equipment

Ship Communications Equipment 

radio, electrical, mechanical, and other equipment that provides two-way communication within a ship and communication with shore, other ships, and airplanes. Ship communications equipment includes radio sets, radiotelephone and automatic radiotelegraph equipment, wire telephones, megaphones, lights, and semaphore flags.

Radio is the principal means of communication for ships at sea. Main radio links are used to transmit and receive alarms, distress and emergency signals, navigation warnings, marine weather forecasts, and medical reports. Service radio links are used for official and personal communications. Emergency radio links are usually activated automatically; they function when the ship is in distress or in exceptional cases when the main radio link cannot be used. Radiotelephone and automatic radiotelegraph links provide communication in coastal waters and on lakes and rivers. Visual communications can be used within the lines of sight of the communicating parties. Voice and sound communications can be used over short distances, for example, in roads or ports, if the ambient noise level in the vicinity of the receiving party is sufficiently lower than the signal readability level.

The mandatory complement of ship communications equipment is regulated by international convention and the rules of government registries.

V. I. KULAKOV