| Periodical GMDSS radio survey | Annual | SOLAS I/9 — periodical survey of the radio installation | Cargo ships: 3 months either side of the Safety Radio Certificate anniversary. Passenger ships: SOLAS I/7, and that certificate is annual |
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| Renewal radio survey and certificate | 5-yearly | SOLAS I/9 renewal survey; certificate validity SOLAS I/14 | Interval set by the Administration, not exceeding five years |
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| Passenger ship radio survey and certificate | Annual | SOLAS I/7 survey of passenger ships; SOLAS I/14 — Passenger Ship Safety Certificate validity not exceeding 12 months | The radio installation is surveyed within the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate, not a separate radio certificate; the record of equipment is Form P |
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| Additional survey after repair or change | Event-driven | SOLAS I/9 — additional survey | After important repair or renewal, or a change to the installation |
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| EPIRB annual test | Annually, inside the certificate window | SOLAS IV/15.9.1 | Cargo ships: within 3 months before the expiry date, or within 3 months before or after the anniversary date, of the Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate. Passenger ships: within 3 months before the expiry date of the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate. Conducted on board the ship or at an approved testing station. |
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| EPIRB shore-based maintenance | 5-yearly | SOLAS IV/15.9.2 — maintenance at intervals not exceeding five years | At an approved shore-based maintenance facility |
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| EPIRB battery and float-free release unit | Per manufacturer | Manufacturer's marked expiry or replacement date — not set by an IMO instrument | The marked date governs; the battery is also renewed after any activation of the beacon |
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| Reserve source of energy — battery capacity test | ≤12 months | SOLAS IV/13.6.2 — reserve source of energy, capacity check | Checked by an appropriate method with the ship not at sea |
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| Radar SART, AIS-SART and survival-craft two-way VHF | Annual | Carriage: SOLAS IV/7.2–7.3. Survey: SOLAS I/9 — periodical survey of the radio installation, including that used in life-saving appliances | Recorded at items 5 and 6 of Form R since 1 January 2024, so this falls in the radio survey window, not the safety equipment survey window. Batteries and primary cells renewed at the manufacturer's marked expiry — an interval no IMO instrument sets. |
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| Antenna, feeder and earthing survey | Annual | SOLAS I/9 — the periodical survey inspects the condition of the installation; the measurements in the note are our own test record, not a SOLAS-prescribed test | Insulation resistance, feeder continuity and earth bonding measured and recorded as evidence for the survey |
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| Onboard GMDSS test routine — daily, weekly, monthly | Daily / weekly / monthly | SOLAS Ch. IV — maintenance and availability; the routine and its records are set by the flag Administration's GMDSS radio log | Crew task, not ours: DSC self-test daily, DSC test call weekly, EPIRB, SART, two-way VHF and reserve battery checked monthly. It is the first page a Port State Control officer turns to. |
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| Sea area verification, A1 to A4 | Event-driven | SOLAS IV/8–11 — equipment carried follows the certified sea area | A change of trading area changes the installation the certificate records. Since 1 January 2024 so does a change of satellite terminal: sea area A3 is defined by the coverage of the RMSS supported by the ship earth station carried, and the certificate names the service in use. |
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| Availability of radio facilities, sea areas A3 or A4 | Continuous | SOLAS IV/15.7 | At least two of: duplication of equipment, shore-based maintenance, at-sea electronic maintenance capability — as approved by the Administration. Shore-based maintenance is one of the three options, not a requirement. The methods in use are declared on the Record of Equipment, in its own block on the form. |
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| Ship station licence, call sign and MMSI | Event-driven | Flag Administration licence issued under the ITU Radio Regulations | Change of flag, name or ownership; MMSI is assigned with the flag. Where the Administration issues a time-limited ship station licence, its own expiry date governs in addition |
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