---
kind: "section"
citation: "47 C.F.R. § 80.320"
title: "47"
number: "80.320"
heading: "Radiotelephone distress call and message transmission procedure."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/47/80.320"
---

# §80.320. Radiotelephone distress call and message transmission procedure.

- (a) **The radiotelephone distress procedure consists of—**
  - (1) The radiotelephone alarm signal (whenever possible);
  - (2) The distress call;
  - (3) **The distress message.**
- (b) **The DSC distress procedure consists of—**
  - (1) Transmission by a mobile unit in distress;
  - (2) Reception;
  - (3) Acknowledgement of distress calls;
  - (4) **Distress relays.**
- (c) Radiotelephone distress transmissions must be made slowly and distinctly, each word being clearly pronounced to facilitate transcription.
- (d) After the transmission by radiotelephony of its distress message, the mobile station may be requested to transmit suitable signals followed by its call sign or name, to permit direction-finding stations to determine its position. This request may be repeated at frequent intervals if necessary.
- (e) The distress message, preceded by the distress call, must be repeated at intervals until an answer is received. This repetition must be preceded by the radiotelephone alarm signal whenever possible.
- (f) When the mobile station in distress receives no answer to a distress message transmitted on the distress frequency, the message may be repeated on any other available frequency on which attention might be attracted.

## Notes

### Amendments

[51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986, as amended]

### Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609; 3 U.S.T. 3450, 3 U.S.T. 4726, 12 U.S.T. 2377.

### Source

Source: 51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986, as amended]