October 1999 | Technical Report TR-99-363
Evaluation of Marine VHF Radios: Compliance to IEC Receiver Standards
Cite This Publication
Robert L. Sole and Brent L. Bedford, “Evaluation of Marine VHF Radios: Compliance to IEC Receiver Standards,” Technical Report TR-99-363, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, October 1999.
Robert L. Sole and Brent L. Bedford
Abstract: Mariners in the United States and other countries are experiencing interference on channels allocated to the above functions. The Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) established Special Committee 117 to investigate the interference and determine if the International Electrotechnical (IEC) standard 1097-7
In support of this effort, NTIA, in coordination with the Coast Guard and RTCM SC-117, undertook a task to test nine commercial and recreational grade marine VHF radios to the IEC standard and perform radiated tests in areas where severe cases of interference are occurring. Laboratory testing of the radios to the IEC standard was performed in Boulder, Colorado. The radiated tests were performed in Savannah, Georgia on the Savannah River and on the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mariners in both locations have been reporting cases of severe interference in the marine VHF band on the waterways for quite some time now. Some of the channels experiencing the interference are key channels used for safety and bridge-to-bridge communications. The interference is very disruptive to normal operations on the river and is distracting to the radio operators.
Keywords: CD-ROM; Federal telecommunications standards; glossary; HTML; hypertext; Internet; NII
For technical information concerning this report, contact:
Robert L. Sole
Disclaimer: Certain commercial equipment, components, and software may be identified in this report to specify adequately the technical aspects of the reported results. In no case does such identification imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, nor does it imply that the equipment or software identified is necessarily the best available for the particular application or uses.
For questions or information on this or any other NTIA scientific publication, contact the ITS Publications Office at ITSinfo@ntia.gov or 303-497-3572.