← Malta

L.S. 399.34 Regoli dwar Radjokomunikazzjoni fuq Bastimenti

RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS [ S.L.399.34 SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 399.34 RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS RULES 7th October, 1927 GOVERNMENT NOTICE 404 of 1927, as amended by Government Notices 57 of 1929 and 330 of 1931. 1. The title of these rules is the Radiocommunications Installation on Ships Rules. 2. In these Rules (

  1. a)the number of hours occupied in a voyage from port to port means the normal number of hours occupied in a voyage between one port of call and the next; (
  2. b)the expression "alarm-signal" means a signal consisting of a series of twelve dashes sent in one minute, the duration of each dash being four seconds, and the duration of the space separating each dash from the following dash being one second; (
  3. c)the expression "operator" means one who holds the first or second class certificate of proficiency in radiotelegraphy from the Minister responsible for radiocommunications or a certificate issued by the Government is accepted by the Minister responsible for radiocommunications as equivalent to a certificate granted by him; the expression "operator" in the case of a foreign ship means one who holds a certificate of the appropriate class issued by any government in pursuance of the regulations annexed to the International Radiotelegraph Convention for the time being in force; (
  4. d)the expression "watcher" means one who holds the certificate as a watcher in Radiotelegraphy from the Minister responsible for radiocommunications or a certificate issued by the Government which is accepted by the Minister responsible for radiocommunications as equivalent to a certificate granted by him; (
  5. e)the expression "auto-alarm" means an automatic apparatus approved by the inspector capable of registering the alarm signal; (
  6. f)the expression "inspector" means the Inspector of Radiocommunications appointed by the Prime Minister; (
  7. g)the expression "installation" shall be deemed to include an outfit of tools which shall be kept and used in the Radiocommunications Office only and also such spare parts as are in the opinion of the inspector necessary for the efficient working of the apparatus. Title. Interpretation. 1 2 [ S.L.399.34 Classification of ships. RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS 3. For the purposes of these Rules, ships shall be classified as follows: Class I - Ships carrying 200 persons or more; Class II - Ships carrying 50 but less than 200 persons; Class III - Ships carrying less than 50 persons. In reckoning the number of persons carried by a ship there shall be included the normal crew of the ship and the maximum number of passengers permitted to be carried by the passenger certificate of the ship. Nature of installation. 4. The radiocommunications installation with which a ship shall be provided (hereinafter referred to as "the installation") shall be of a type approved by the Inspector of Radiocommunications to the Government and shall in particular comply with the following conditions: (
  8. i)The installation shall be of the spark or interrupted continuous wave type and shall be capable of transmission and reception on the 600 metre wave. (
  9. ii)The installation shall include a normal installation and an emergency installation, except that where the normal installation complies with the requirements of this Rule as to emergency installations as well as those as to normal installations, a normal installation alone shall suffice. (iii) A normal installation must be capable of transmitting clearly perceptible signals from ship to ship over a range of at least 100 nautical miles by day, under normal conditions and circumstances. (
  10. iv)An emergency installation must include an independent source of energy capable of being put into operation rapidly, and of working for at least six continuous hours with a minimum range from ship to ship of 80 nautical miles for ships of Class I, and 50 nautical miles for ships of Classes II and III, and such independent source of energy must be capable of being worked for at least six continuous hours independently of the source of the propelling power for the ship, the steam supply system and the main electricity supply system. (
  11. v)For the purposes of this Rule an installation shall be deemed to comply with the above requirements as to range, if it is able to maintain communication on a 600-metre wave, at a range of one and a half times the number of nautical miles hereinbefore respectively prescribed over sea by day, with any shore radiocommunications station licensed by the competent authority of RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS [ S.L.399.34 3 the place where it exists, when employing a receiver without amplification devices. Alternatively the installation must operate with sufficient power to give under normal working conditions 60 metre amperes in the case of a main installation, 45 metre amperes in the case of an emergency installation on a 1st Class ship and 26 metre amperes in the case of an emergency installation on a 2nd Class ship. The number of metre amperes is obtained by multiplying the maximum current (R.M.S.) intensity in amperes in the aerial by the maximum height in metres of the highest point of the aerial above the deepest load water line. 5. Sufficient electrical power must be available to operate the installation efficiently in addition to that necessary for other purposes. Electrical power. 6. The installation shall be housed in a separate room or compartment (hereinafter called the radiocommunications room) which must be placed in a position well above the water line and such that extraneous noises do not interfere with reception. Installation. All dangerous parts of the installation must be either screened or effectively isolated. 7. There shall be provided, between the bridge of the ship and the radiocommunications room, means of communication by voice pipe, telephone or other means. Means of communication. 8. A reliable clock with second hand must be provided in the radiocommunications room. Clock. 9. The following books, papers and publications are to be readily accessible in the radiocommunications room - Books, papers and publications. Amended by: G.N. 330 of 1931. (
  12. a)a copy of these Rules; (
  13. b)the current edition of the "Handbook for Radiocommunications Operators working Installations licensed by the Minister responsible for radiocommunications"; (
  14. c)the ship’s radiocommunications licence; (
  15. d)the international list of telegraph offices; (
  16. e)the International List of Radiotelegraph Stations, with latest supplements; (
  17. f)Liste Alphabetique des Indicatifs d’Appel, with latest supplements; (
  18. g)the latest issue of the Post Office Guide; (
  19. h)handbook of instructions for the working of the radiocommunications set; (
  20. i)an adequate supply of radiocommunications forms; (
  21. j)a radiocommunications log to contain a chronological record of all messages sent and received, and of all 4 [ S.L.399.34 RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS calls heard, or transmitted. Ships not fitted with approved automatic apparatus. 10. If not fitted with an approved automatic apparatus for registering the alarm signal: (
  22. i)a ship of Class I shall carry operators in accordance with the following table, and while at sea, an operator shall always be on watch: Nature of voyage No. and Grades of Operators (
  23. a)Voyage exceeding 48 3 operators, of whom one shall hours from port to port be an operator of the 1st grade and not more than one an operator of the 3rd grade. (
  24. b)Voyage exceeding 8 2 operators of whom one shall h o u r s b u t n o t e x c e e d i n g 4 8 be of the 1st or 2nd grade. hours from port to port (
  25. c)Voyage not exceeding 8 1 operator who shall be of the hours from port to port 1st or 2nd grade. (
  26. ii)A ship of Class II shall carry operators and watchers in accordance with the following table, and while at sea an operator shall always be on watch at the time specified in Schedule I to these Rules, and either an operator or a watcher shall always be on watch at other times. Where only one operator is required to be carried, either he shall be on watch throughout the voyage or the ship shall be provided with automatic apparatus approved by the Inspector of Radiocommunications to the Government. In the last mentioned case the operator shall keep watch at such periods as are prescribed in Rule 13. At all other periods watch shall be kept by means of an auto-alarm. Nature of voyage No. and Grade of Operators and Watchers (
  27. a)Voyage exceeding 48 1 operator who shall be of the hours from port to port 1st grade or 2nd grade, and 2 watchers (
  28. b)Voyage exceeding 8 1 operator who shall be of the h o u r s b u t n o t e x c e e d i n g 4 8 1st or 2nd grade, and 1 watcher. hours from port to port (
  29. c)Voyage not exceeding 8 1 operator who shall be of the hours from port to port 1st or 2nd grade. Auto-alarm in the case of Class II ships. Ship fiited with auto-alarm. 11. Within a period of twelve months from the date on which an auto-alarm is approved by the Department of Trade and the Minister responsible for radiocommunications, a ship of Class II shall be fitted with such apparatus unless the duration of the voyage on which it is employed does not exceed eight hours from port to port, provided that this rule shall not apply to a ship of Class II so long as it complies with rule 10 for a ship of Class I. 12. If fitted with an auto-alarm approved as aforesaid: (
  30. i)a ship of Class I shall carry operators in accordance RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS [ S.L.399.34 5 with the following table and while at sea an operator shall always be on watch during the times specified in Schedule I to these Rules, and a watch shall be maintained at all times either by an operator or by means of the auto-alarm. Nature of voyage No. and Grade of Operators (
  31. a)Voyage exceeding 48 2 operators, one of whom shall hours from port to port be of the 1st grade (
  32. b)Voyage exceeding 48 1 operator who shall be of the hours from port to port 1st or 2nd grade. (
  33. ii)a ship of Class II shall carry one operator who shall be of the first or second grade, and while at sea the operator shall be on watch during the times specified in Schedule I to these Rules, and a watch shall be maintained at all other times by means of the autoalarm. (iii) a ship of Class III shall carry one operator who shall be of the first and second grade and, pending the making of further rules, altering the times of watch to be observed on such ships, the operator shall, while the ship is at sea, always be on watch at the times specified in Schedule I to these Rules. 13.

(1)Vessels belonging to Class II employed on the passenger service between Syracuse and Malta shall conform to the following rules: (
  1. a)if only one operator is carried, he shall be on watch on the outward voyage from Malta for one hour after leaving Malta until reaching Cape Passero. On the homeward voyage to Malta he shall be on watch from Cape Passero until within one hour’s steaming of Malta. At all other times, watch shall be maintained by means of the auto-alarm; (
  2. b)in order to ensure that the radiocommunications apparatus is in working order, communications shall be established with St. George’s Radio, on each round voyage, at a distance of not less than fifty miles.
(2)Vessels belonging to Class II, employed on the passenger service between Tunis and Malta shall conform to the following rules: (
  1. a)such vessels shall carry one operator. They must in addition either carry one watcher or be provided with an auto-alarm. (
  2. b)while the ship is at sea, an operator or watcher shall be on watch during the periods specified in Schedule I to these Rules. If no watcher is carried, watch shall be kept by means of the auto-alarm at the times the operator is not on watch; (
  3. c)in order to ensure that the radiocommunications apparatus is in working order, communication shall be Vessels engaged in passenger traffic. 6 [ S.L.399.34 RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS established with St. George’s Radio, at a distance of not less than 50 miles, on each round voyage. Approval of autoalarm. Ships fitted with auto-alarm. 14. An auto-alarm shall not be approved unless it complies with the conditions specified in Schedule II. 15. In ships fitted with an auto-alarm: (
  4. i)A means of giving audible warning shall be provided in the radiocommunications room, in the radiocommunications’ cabin, and on the bridge. This warning shall operate continuously after the alarm has been actuated by the alarm signal, until stopped as indicated below. The audible warning shall also operate as above if a disconnection occurs in the circuits of the filaments of the valves. (
  5. ii)Only one switch for stopping the operating of the audible warning shall be provided and this must be situated in the radiocommunications room. (iii) A change-over switch or system of switches mechanically coupled together shall be provided for changing over from normal reception to reception by the auto-alarm. The aerial shall be associated with the switch or switches in such a manner that the necessary connections to enable the alarm to respond to the tests laid down in rule 18 cannot be made unless the aerial is connected to the auto-alarm. (
  6. iv)The auto-alarm must be susceptible to local excitation by the testing buzzer, so that the working of the installation as a whole can be tested. A key may be provided so that when desired the bridge bell can be prevented from ringing when the alarm is being tested but the key must be so designed that unless held down it automatically establishes the circuit of the bridge bell. Qualifications of operators. Amended by: G.N. 57 of 1929; G.N. 330 of 1931. 16. For the purposes of these Rules operators shall be graded into three grades as follows: (
  7. a)A "First Grade Operator" is one who holds the First Class Certificate of Proficiency from the Minister responsible for radiocommunications issued under the provisions of the International Radiotelegraph Convention (London), 1912, or the First or Second Class Certificate of Proficiency issued bt the Minister responsible for radiocommunications under the provisions of the International Radiotelegraph Convention (Washington), 1927, and who has had three years’ experience as an operator at sea, of which period two years shall have bean in a ship where fixed hours of watch are kept. (
  8. b)A "Second Grade Operator" is one who holds the First or Second Class Certificate of Proficiency issued by the Minister responsible for radiocommunications and can produce evidence that he has had six months’ RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS [ S.L.399.34 7 satisfactory experience as an operator at sea. (
  9. c)A "Third Grade Operator" is one who holds the First or Second Class issued by the Minister responsible for radiocommunications, or Special Certificate of Proficiency, and who has not had less than six months’ experience as an operator at sea. (
  10. d)An "operator" is one who holds a local certificate of proficiency granted by the inspector. (
  11. e)The Prime Minister may grant certificates to operators and watchers and may accept certificates granted to operators by the Government in pursuance of the regulations annexed to any international radiotelegraph Convention for the time being in force. An operator of the second or lower grade who has not during the last two years been employed at sea as an operator in a ship having fixed hours of watch may be required by reexamination or otherwise as necessary to show that he still possesses the qualifications described on his certificate. 17. (
  12. a)The master shall take steps to ensure that the radiocommunications service of the ship is maintained in accordance with these Rules and with the conditions of the licence granted by the Minister responsible for radiocommunications under the Electronic Communicaions (Regulation) Act. (
  13. b)The master shall require that an operator or watcher is on duty at the proper time and that he does not leave the radiocommunications room unless another operator or watcher takes his place. (
  14. c)Sufficient power for the operation of the ship’s main radiocommunications shall be available when required for the transmission of signals at all times whilst the ship is under way. (
  15. d)In ships where the dynamo supplying the main installation is not run continuously at sea there shall he effi ci en t m e an s o f c om m u n ica ti o n t o en ab le t h e radiocommunications operator to apply for power without leaving the radiocommunications room. (
  16. e)The emergency installation shall be used only for the purpose for which it is installed except when it is desirable that communication should be limited to very short ranges. (
  17. f)Batteries, whether forming part of the main or emergency installations, shall be maintained in a fullycharged condition, and power must be available for charging the batteries at a definite time each day. (
  18. g)A record of the batteries shall be kept on forms similar to those scheduled to these Rules. These records shall be open to inspection by the inspector. The ship’s radiocommunications service. Cap. 399. 8 [ S.L.399.34 Ships fitted with auto-alarms. 18. RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS In the case of ships fitted with auto-alarms: (
  19. i)In ships in which watch is kept at certain specified hours but is not continuous, the master shall require the operator, when going off watch, to test the autoalarm and report to him or to the officer on the bridge, whether it is in working order, and to keep a record of the tests. (
  20. ii)In ships in which watch is not kept at specified hours, the master shall require the operator to test the autoalarm at frequent intervals, with not more than twelve hours between any two tests, and report to him or to the officer on the bridge whether it is in proper working order, and to keep a record of the tests. (iii) If a key for disconnecting the bridge bell, as permitted in paragraph (
  21. iv)of rule 15 has been fitted, the master shall require the bridge bell circuit to be tested at least once even twenty-four hours, and an appropriate entry made in the record of tests of the auto-alarm. (
  22. iv)In the event of the failure of the auto-alarm on a ship having no fixed working hours, the master shall require the operator to keep the hours at watch specified in Schedule I until the defects have been remedied. RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS [ S.L.399.34 9 10 [ S.L.399.34 RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS SCHEDULE I Time of watch for ships required to carry one or two operators Zones Western limit Eastern limit A. Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean, North Sea, Baltic, Western Arctic Sea. Meridian of Meridian of 3 0 º W c o a s t o f 30ºE, to the south Greenland of the cost of Africa, eastern limit of Mediterranean, Black Sea, and of the Baltic, 30ºE to the north coast of Norway B. Indian Ocean, Eastern limit of Meridian of 80 E, Eastern Arctic Zone A west coast of Sea Ceylon to Adam’s Bridge, then westward round coast of India C. China Sea, Eastern limit of Meridian 160ºE Western Pacific Zone B Ocean D. Central Pacific Ocean Eastern Limit of Meridian 140ºW Zone C E. Eastern Pacific Ocean Eastern Limit of M e r i d i a n of Zone D 7 0 º W, s o u t h o f the coast of America, west coast of America Meridian 70ºW M e r i d i a n of south of the coast 3 0 º W, c o a s t o f of America, east Greenland coast of America F. Western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico Times of watch for one operator Greenwich Mean Time 8h. to 10h. 12h. to 14h. 16h. to 18h. 20h. to 22h. Times of watch for two operators Greenwich Mean Time 0h. to 5h. 8h. to 14h. 16h. to 18h. 20h. to 22h. 4h. to 6h. 8h. to 10h. 12h. to 14h. 16h. to 18h. 0h. to 2h. 4h. to 10h. 12h. to 14h. 16h. to 18h. 20h. to 24h. 0h. to 2h. 4h. to 6h. 8h. to 10h. 12h. to 14h. 0h. to 2h. 4h. to 6h. 8h. to 10h. 20h. to 22h. 0h. to 2h. 4h. to 6h. 16h. to 18h. 20h. to 22h. 0h. to 2h. 8h. to 10h. 12h. to 14h. 16h. to 22h. 0h. to 2h. 4h. to 6h. 8h. to 10h. 12h. to 18h. 20h. to 24h. 0h. to 2h. 4h. to 6h. 8h. to 14h. 16h. to 22h. 0h. to 2h. 12h. to 14h. 16h. to 18h. 20h. to 22h. 0h. to 2h. 4h. to 10h. 12h. to 18h. 20h. to 22h. RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS [ S.L.399.34 11 SCHEDULE II 1. The function of the auto-alarm is to give warning of the receipt of a distress call on 600 meters when watch is not being kept by an operator. 2. An auto-alarm must comprise (
  23. a)a radiocommunications receiver, capable of receiving waves of 600 metres, spark or i.c.w.; (
  24. b)a selector that is to say a means of selecting one definite signal known as the alarm; (
  25. c)an alarm, that is to say, a means of giving audible warning such as a bell or hooter. The apparatus necessary under paragraph (
  26. a)must be an integral part of the autoalarm, and when installed may only be used as such. 3. An auto-alarm must fulfil the following conditions: (
  27. a)The radiocommunications receiver must respond without re-adjustment to signals on wave lengths between 585 and 615 metres from a transmitter of the spark type, having a steady note frequency of not less than 100 per second, when the strength of signals is such that the field strength is equivalent to that which would be produced by a transmitter making use of 45 metre-amperes as defined in paragraph (
  28. v)of rule 4 at a distance of 80 miles. (
  29. b)(
  30. i)The selector must be operated only by energy received by the radiocommunications receiver and must respond to all signals as described in paragraph (
  31. a)above for the radiocommunications receiver. (
  32. ii)The selector must be of such design as to operate the alarm during the reception of the alarm signal at the termination of three consecutive dashes. (
  33. c)The alarm must be operated only by energy received from the selector and be of approved type. 4. Before approval as a standard type for installation in ships an auto-alarm must comply with the following tests (
  34. i)The selector must in conjunction with the radiocommunications receiver respond to 100 consecutive test-calls, produced locally; each call to consist of three consecutive dashes under conditions free from interference. For the purposes of this test the timing of the beginning and the ending of each of the test dashes shall not differ by more than 1 second from the correct timing of the alarm signal of 12 dashes (Rule 2), always provided that the dashes are not to be of less than 3½ nor more than 4½ seconds’ duration, and the spaces of not less than one fifth nor more than 1½ seconds’ duration. (
  35. ii)The auto-alarm shall be installed for 14 days in an area where interference conditions are severe on the 600 metres wavelength and the selector, in conjunction with the radiocommunications receiver, must not respond in such a manner as to operate the alarm more than twice a week to signals other than the alarm signal or the test signals indicated in (
  36. i)above. During this period tests of the sensitivity of the receiver 12 [ S.L.399.34 RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS shall be made in accordance with paragraph (
  37. a)of rule 3. (
  38. ii)A farther test of 28 days’ duration shall be imposed with the object of ascertaining the reliability of the auto-alarm under interference conditions. For this purpose the auto-alarm shall be joined normally to an external aerial, and the energy necessary for operating the auto-alarm shall be produced locally by a buzzer or other suitable appliance coupled to the aerial system; the energy given to the aerial by this means shall be of not less amount than that furnished for the tests indicated under paragraph (
  39. a)of rule 3. Each test call shall consist of the alarm signal. During this period of 28 days a minimum of 500 such test calls shall be made, of which 90 per cent must actuate the alarm and the alarm must not be actuated more than twice a week by other signals. Adjustments of the apparatus shall not be made more often than once every 12 hours. (
  40. iv)During every third day of the test laid down in sub-paragraph (iii) above, the selector and the radiocommunications receiver will be subjected to varying temperature conditions; for this purpose the selector and radiocommunications receiver will be enclosed in a chamber the interior of which will be raised in one hour to a temperature of 45º C (113º Fah.), maintained at that temperature for two hours and then allowed to cool naturally. [ S.L.399.34 RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS 13 SCHEDULE III Ship battery log Daily record Name of Ship ......................................... Volts on open circuit after charge Rate of charge Times of commencement and ending of discharge Volts on open circuit after discharge Volts when working energy Volts on open circuit Date Times of commencement and ending of discharge Type of Battery .............................. Date supplied ...................... Monthly examination Volts of whole battery on open circuit ......................................... Volts of whole battery on minimum artificial discharge ............... Volts of whole battery on maximum artificial discharge .............. Volts of whole battery when working emergency gear ................. S.G. of each Cell as measured 1 Before After charge charge 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Temp. of Acid Before After charge charge Corrected S.G Before After charge charge 14 [ S.L.399.34 RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION ON SHIPS 17 18 Note: This table is not required in the case of alkaline electrolyte cells. Volts of whole battery on open circuit after discharge ........................

🔗 Għas-sors uffiċjali

AI explanation based on the official legal text. Indicative, not a substitute for legal advice.