Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951)RegulationsMerchant Shipping (Radio Installations) Regulations, 2002Part 3 : Non-GMDSS Requirements34. Sources of energy (Radiotelephone ship) |
| (1) | At all times while a radiotelephone ship is at sea and at all reasonable times when it is in port, there must be available a main source of energy sufficient to operate the radiotelephone installation over the normal range required by regulation 33(1). |
| (2) | Where batteries are provided as a source of energy, they must have the capacity required by subregulation (1) and must be maintained at all times while at sea in such condition as to be able to supply continuously for at least six hours a total current equal to the sum of— |
| (a) | the current consumption of the radiotelephone receiver and of the transmitter when it is in a condition that operation of the "press to transmit" switch will make it ready for the immediate transmission of speech; |
| (b) | one third of the current that may be drawn by the radiotelephone transmitter for speech transmission on the frequency at which the current consumption of the transmitter is at a maximum; |
| (c) | the current consumption of all additional loads to which the battery may supply energy in time of distress or emergency; and |
| (d) | where the source of energy is also used by the VHF radiotelephone installation, the current consumption of the VHF radiotelephone receiver and one fifth of the current consumption of the VHF radiotelephone transmitter. |
| (3) | In respect of radio installations in radiotelephone ships, being fishing vessels of 24 metres or more in length or passenger ships, a reserve source of energy must be provided in the upper part of the ship unless the main source of energy is situated there. |
| (4) | The reserve source of energy, if provided, may be used to supply only— |
| (a) | the radiotelephone installation; |
| (b) | the emergency light required by regulation 31(4); |
| (c) | the device for generating the radiotelephone alarm signal by automatic means; |
| (d) | the VHF radiotelephone installation; |
| (e) | a number of low-power emergency circuits that are wholly confined to the upper part of the ship, if such circuits are adequately fused and capable of being readily disconnected from the reserve source of energy, and that source has sufficient capacity to carry the additional load; and |
| (f) | the receiver required by items (aa)(B) and (bb) of regulation 22(2)(iii). |