(a) Equipment must be so designed that the main units can be replaced readily, without elaborate recalibration or readjustment. Where applicable, equipment must be constructed and installed so that it is readily accessible for inspection and on-board maintenance purposes. Adequate information must be provided to enable the equipment to be properly operated and maintained (see IMO Resolution A.569(14)).

(b) Radio equipment required by this subpart must be maintained to provide the availability of the functional requirements specified in §80.1081 and to meet the performance standards specified in §80.1101.

(c) On ships engaged on voyages in sea areas A1 and A2, the availability must be ensured by duplication of equipment, shore-based maintenance, or at-sea electronic maintenance capability, or a combination of these.

(d) On ships engaged on voyages in sea areas A3 and A4, the availability must be ensured by using a combination of at least two of the following methods: duplication of equipment, shore-based maintenance, or at-sea electronic maintenance capability.

(e) Irrespective of the maintenance methods used, a ship must not depart from any port unless and until the ship is capable of performing all distress and safety functions as specified in §80.1081.

(f) Irrespective of the maintenance methods used, all manufacturers' instruction manuals and maintenance manuals for each piece of equipment required and installed must be available on-board ship. Adequate tools, spare parts, and test equipment appropriate to the methods used by the ship as recommended by the manufacturer should be provided. The manuals, tools, spare parts, and test equipment, as applicable, should be readily accessible.

(g) If the duplication of equipment maintenance method is used, the following radio installations, in addition to other equipment requirements specified in this subpart, must be available on-board ships for their sea areas as applicable. Equipment carried in accordance with this paragraph must comply with §§80.1101 and 80.1103. Additionally, each radio installation must be connected to a separate antenna and be installed and be ready for immediate operation.

(1) Ships, equipped in accordance with §80.1087 for sea area A1, must carry a VHF radio installation complying with the requirements of §80.1085(a)(1).

(2) Ships, equipped in accordance with §80.1089 for sea areas A1 and A2, must carry a VHF radio installation complying with the requirements of §80.1085(a)(1) and an MF radio installation complying with the requirements of §80.1089(a)(1) and being able to fully comply with watch requirements as specified in §80.1123(a)(2). The MF radio installation installed for duplication must also comply with the requirements §80.1089(c).

(3) Ships, equipped in accordance with §80.1091 for sea areas A1, A2, and A3, must carry a VHF radio installation complying with the requirements of §80.1085(a)(1) and either an MF/HF radio installation complying with the requirements of §80.1091(b)(1) and being able to fully comply with watch requirements as specified in §80.1123(a)(2) or an INMARSAT ship earth station complying with the requirements of §80.1091(a)(1). The MF/HF radio installation or the INMARSAT ship earth station installed for duplication must also comply with the requirements §80.1091(c).

(4) Ships, equipped in accordance with §80.1093 for sea areas A1, A2, A3, and A4, must carry a VHF radio installation complying with the requirement of §80.1085(a)(1) and an MF/HF radio installation complying with the requirements of §80.1091(b)(1) and being able to fully comply with watch requirements as specified in §80.1123(a)(2). The MF/HF radio installation installed for duplication must also comply with the requirements §80.1091(c).

(h) The radio installations specified in paragraph (g) of this section (referred as “duplicated equipment”), in addition to the appropriate radio equipment specified in §80.1099 (referred as “basic equipment”), must be connected to the reserve sources of energy required by §80.1099. The capacity of the reserve sources of energy should be sufficient to operate the particular installation (i.e., the basic equipment or the duplicated equipment) with the highest power consumption, for the appropriate period specified in §80.1099. However, the arrangement for the reserve sources of energy must be such that a single fault in this arrangement cannot affect both the basic and the duplicated equipment.

(i) If the shore-based maintenance method is used, the following requirements apply.

(1) Maintenance services must be completed and performance verified and noted in the ship's record before departure from the first port of call entered after any failure occurs.

(2) Each GMDSS equipment must be tested and performance verified and the results noted in the ship's record before departure from every port. To accomplish this, each ship shall carry a performance checkoff sheet listing each GMDSS equipment carried on a mandatory basis.

(j) If the at-sea maintenance method is used, the following requirements apply.

(1) Adequate additional technical documentation, tools, test equipment, and spare parts must be carried on-board ship to enable a qualified maintainer as specified in §80.1074 to perform tests and localize and repair faults in the radio equipment.

(2) Only persons that comply with the requirements of §80.1074 may perform at-sea maintenance on radio installations required by this subpart.

(k) Satellite EPIRBs shall be tested at intervals not exceeding 12 months for all aspects of operational efficiency with particular emphasis on frequency stability, signal strength and coding. The test may be conducted on board the ship or at an approved testing or servicing station.

[57 FR 9065, Mar. 16, 1992, as amended at 68 FR 46980, Aug. 7, 2003]