MT logo

Home button

U.S. VHF Marine Radio Channels and Frequencies

Courtesy of the United States Coast Guard

Chnl    Ship Transmit (MHz)     Ship Receive (MHz)      Use 
01A     156.050 156.050 Port Operations and Commercial. VTS in selected areas.
05A     156.250 156.250 Port Operations. VTS in Seattle
06      156.300 156.300 Intership Safety
07A     156.350 156.350 Commercial
08      156.400 156.400 Commercial (Intership only)
09      156.450 156.450 Boater Calling. Commercial and Non-Commercial.
10      156.500 156.500 Commercial
11      156.550 156.550 Commercial. VTS in selected areas.
12      156.600 156.600 Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
13      156.650 156.650 Intership Navigation Safety (Bridge-to-bridge). Ships >20m length
        maintain a listening watch on this channel in US waters.
14      156.700 156.700 Port Operations. VTS in selected areas.
15          --  156.750 Environmental (Receive only). Used by Class C EPIRBs.
16      156.800 156.800 International Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio,
        USCG, and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel.
17      156.850 156.850 State Control
18A     156.900 156.900 Commercial
19A     156.950 156.950 Commercial
20      157.000 161.600 Port Operations (duplex)
20A     157.000 157.000 Port Operations
21A     157.050 157.050 U.S. Coast Guard only
22A     157.100 157.100 Coast Guard Liaison and Maritime Safety Information Broadcasts. Broadcasts
        announced on channel 16.
23A     157.150 157.150 U.S. Coast Guard only
24      157.200 161.800 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
25      157.250 161.850 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
26      157.300 161.900 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
27      157.350 161.950 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
28      157.400 162.000 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
63A     156.175 156.175 Port Operations and Commercial. VTS in selected areas.
65A     156.275 156.275 Port Operations
66A     156.325 156.325 Port Operations
67      156.375 156.375 Commercial. Used for Bridge-to-bridge communications in lower Mississippi
        River. Intership only.
68      156.425 156.425 Non-Commercial
69      156.475 156.475 Non-Commercial
70      156.525 156.525 Digital Selective Calling (voice communications not allowed)
71      156.575 156.575 Non-Commercial
72      156.625 156.625 Non-Commercial (Intership only)
73      156.675 156.675 Port Operations
74      156.725 156.725 Port Operations
77      156.875 156.875 Port Operations (Intership only)
78A     156.925 156.925 Non-Commercial
79A     156.975 156.975 Commercial
80A     157.025 157.025 Commercial
81A     157.075 157.075 U.S. Government only - Environmental protection operations.
82A     157.125 157.125 U.S. Government only
83A     157.175 157.175 U.S. Coast Guard only
84      157.225 161.825 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
85      157.275 161.875 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
86      157.325 161.925 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
87      157.375 161.975 Public Correspondence (Marine Operator)
88      157.425 162.025 Public Correspondence only near Canadian border.
88A     157.425 157.425 Commercial, Intership only.

NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies (MHz)
WX1     162.550
WX2     162.400
WX3     162.475
WX4     162.425
WX5     162.450
WX6     162.500
WX7     162.525

Frequencies are in MHz. Modulation is narrowband FM.

Note that the letter "A" indicates simplex use of the ship station transmit side of an
international duplex channel, and that operations are different than international operations on that
channel. Some VHF transceivers are equipped with an "International - U.S." switch for that 
purpose. "A" channels are generally only used in the United States, and use is normally not 
recognized or allowed outside the U.S. The letter "B" indicates simplex use of the coast 
station transmit side of an international duplex channel. The U.S. does not currently use 
"B" channels for simplex communications in this band. 

Boaters should normally use channels listed as Non-Commercial. Channel 16 is used for calling other 
stations or for distress alerting. Channel 13 should be used to contact a ship when there is danger 
of collision. All ships of length 20m or greater are required to guard VHF channel 13, in addition to 
VHF channel 16, when operating within U.S. territorial waters. Users may be fined by the FCC for 
improper use of these channels.

Back to Monitoring Times home page