
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 47USC354]

 
          TITLE 47--TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, AND RADIOTELEGRAPHS
 
                 CHAPTER 5--WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION
 
          SUBCHAPTER III--SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO RADIO
 
       Part II--Radio Equipment and Radio Operators On Board Ship
 
Sec. 354. Technical requirements of equipment on radiotelegraph 
        equipped ships
        
    The radiotelegraph station and the radio direction finding apparatus 
required by section 351 of this title shall comply with the following 
requirements:
        (a) The radiotelegraph station shall include a main installation 
    and a reserve installation, electrically separate and electrically 
    independent of each other: Provided, That, in installations on cargo 
    ships of three hundred gross tons and upward but less than one 
    thousand six hundred gross tons, and in installations on cargo ships 
    of one thousand six hundred gross tons and upward installed prior to 
    November 19, 1952, if the main transmitter complies with all the 
    requirements for the reserve transmitter, the latter may be omitted.
        (b) The radiotelegraph station shall be so located that no 
    harmful interference from extraneous mechanical or other noise will 
    be caused to the proper reception of radio signals, and shall be 
    placed in the upper part of the ship in a position of the greatest 
    possible safety and as high as practicable above the deepest load 
    waterline. The location of the radiotelegraph operating room or 
    rooms shall be approved by the Commandant of the Coast Guard. The 
    radiotelegraph installation shall be installed in such a position 
    that it will be protected against the harmful effects of water or 
    extremes of temperature, and shall be readily accessible both for 
    immediate use in case of distress and for repair.
        (c) The radiotelegraph operating room shall be of sufficient 
    size and of adequate ventilation to enable the main and reserve 
    radiotelegraph installations to be operated efficiently, and shall 
    not be used for any purpose which will interfere with the operation 
    of the radiotelegraph station. The sleeping accommodation of at 
    least one radio officer shall be situated as near as practicable to 
    the radiotelegraph operating room. In ships the keels of which are 
    laid on or after May 26, 1965, this sleeping accommodation shall not 
    be within the radiotelegraph operating room.
        (d) The main and reserve installations shall be capable of 
    transmitting and receiving on the frequencies, and using the classes 
    of emission, designated by the Commission pursuant to law for the 
    purposes of distress and safety of navigation.
        (e) The main and reserve installations shall, when connected to 
    the main antenna, have a minimum normal range of two hundred 
    nautical miles and one hundred nautical miles, respectively; that 
    is, they must be capable of transmitting and receiving clearly 
    perceptible signals from ship to ship by day and under normal 
    conditions and circumstances over the specified ranges.
        (f) Sufficient electrical energy shall be available at all times 
    to operate the main installation over the normal range required by 
    subsection (e) of this section as well as for the purpose of 
    charging any batteries forming part of the radiotelegraph station.
        (g) The reserve installation shall include a source of 
    electrical energy independent of the propelling power of the ship 
    and of any other electrical system and shall be capable of being put 
    into operation rapidly and of working for at least six continuous 
    hours. The reserve source of energy and its switchboard shall be as 
    high as practicable in the ship and readily accessible to the radio 
    officer.
        (h) There shall be provided between the bridge of the ship and 
    the radiotelegraph operating room, and between the bridge and the 
    location of the radio direction finding apparatus, when such 
    apparatus is not located on the bridge, an efficient two-way system 
    for calling and voice communication which shall be independent of 
    any other communication system in the ship.
        (i) The radio direction finding apparatus shall be efficient and 
    capable of receiving signals with the minimum of receiver noise and 
    of taking bearings from which the true bearing and direction may be 
    determined. It shall be capable of receiving signals on the 
    radiotelegraph frequencies assigned by the radio regulations annexed 
    to the International Telecommunication Convention in force for the 
    purposes of distress, direction finding, and maritime radio beacons, 
    and, in installations made after May 26, 1965, such other 
    frequencies as the Commission may for safety purposes designate.

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, Sec. 355, formerly Sec. 354, as 
added May 20, 1937, ch. 229, Sec. 10(b), 50 Stat. 193; amended 1946 
Reorg. Plan No. 3, Secs. 101-104, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7875, 60 
Stat. 1097; renumbered Sec. 355 and amended Aug. 13, 1954, ch. 729, 
Sec. 2(a)(1), (c), 68 Stat. 706; Pub. L. 89-121, Sec. 6, Aug. 13, 1965, 
79 Stat. 514.)


                               Amendments

    1965--Pub. L. 89-121 substituted ``radiotelegraph station'' for 
``radio installation'' in opening provisions.
    Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 89-121, among other changes, substituted 
``radiotelegraph station'' for ``radio installation'', required the main 
installation and the reserve installation to be electrically separate 
and independent of each other, and included cargo ships between 300 and 
500 tons within the ships that may omit the reserve transmitter if the 
main transmitter complies with all the requirements for the reserve 
transmitter.
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 89-121 required the radiotelegraph station to 
be so located that no harmful interference will be caused to the proper 
reception of radio signals, and to be installed in such a position that 
it will be protected against the harmful effects of water or extremes of 
temperature, and will be readily accessible both for immediate use in 
case of distress and for repair.
    Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 89-121 added subsec. (c) and redesignated 
former subsec. (c) as (d).
    Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 89-121 redesignated former subsec. (c) as (d), 
and substituted ``main and reserve installations shall be capable of 
transmitting and receiving on the frequencies, and using the classes of 
emission, designated'' for ``main and emergency or reserve installations 
shall be capable of transmitting and receiving on the frequencies and 
types of waves designated''. Former subsec. (d) redesignated (e).
    Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 89-121 redesignated former subsec. (d) as (e), 
and inserted provisions requiring the reserve installation to have a 
minimum normal range of 100 nautical miles. Former subsec. (e) 
redesignated (f).
    Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 89-121 redesignated former subsec. (e) as (f), 
and substituted ``electrical energy'' for ``power'' and ``operate the 
main installation over the normal range required by subsection (e) of 
this section as well as for the purpose of charging any batteries 
forming part of the radiotelegraph station'' for ``operate the main 
radio installation efficiently under normal conditions over the range 
specified in subsection (d) of this section''. Former subsec. (f) 
redesignated (g).
    Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 89-121 redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g), 
directed that the reserve source of energy and its switchboard shall be 
as high as practicable in the ship and readily accessible to the radio 
officer, and eliminated provisions which stated that for the emergency 
or reserve installation the normal range shall be at least 100 nautical 
miles. Former subsec. (g) redesignated (h).
    Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 89-121 redesignated former subsec. (g) as (h), 
and substituted provisions requiring the method of communication between 
the bridge and the radiotelegraph room and the location of the radio 
direction finding apparatus to be an efficient two-way system for 
calling and voice communication for provisions which required an 
efficient means of communication. Former subsec. (h) redesignated (i).
    Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 89-121 redesignated former subsec. (h) as (i), 
and substituted provisions requiring the apparatus to be capable of 
receiving signals with the minimum of receiver noise for provisions 
which required the apparatus to be capable of receiving clearly 
perceptible signals.
    1954--Act Aug. 13, 1954, Sec. 2(a)(1), amended credit to section by 
changing section number from ``354'' to ``355'' of act June 19, 1934.
    Subsec. (a). Act Aug. 13, 1954, Sec. 2(c), provided for a ``reserve 
radiotelegraph installation'' instead of merely a ``reserve 
installation''.


                             Effective Date

    Section effective May 20, 1937, unless deferred by the Commission, 
see section 16 of act May 20, 1937, set out as a note under section 351 
of this title.

                          Transfer of Functions

    Coast Guard transferred to Department of Transportation, and 
functions, powers, and duties relating to Coast Guard of Secretary of 
the Treasury and of all other officers and offices of Department of the 
Treasury transferred to Secretary of Transportation by Pub. L. 89-670, 
Sec. 6(b)(1), Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 938. Section 6(b)(2) of Pub. L. 
89-670, however, provided that notwithstanding such transfer of 
functions, Coast Guard shall operate as part of Navy in time of war or 
when President directs as provided in section 3 of Title 14, Coast 
Guard. See section 108 of Title 49, Transportation.
    For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies 
of Department of the Treasury, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of 
the Treasury with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, 
Secs. 1, 2, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, 1281, set 
out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. 
Functions of Coast Guard, and Commandant of Coast Guard, excepted from 
transfer when Coast Guard is operating as part of Navy under sections 1 
and 3 of Title 14.
    ``Commandant of the Coast Guard'' substituted in subsec. (b) for 
``Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, Department of Commerce'' 
on authority of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1946, Secs. 101-104, set out in the 
Appendix to Title 5.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 354a of this title; title 46 
section 14305.
