Channel Discipline

MCA guidance says to listen before transmitting, be brief, identify yourself, use clear procedure words, stick to ship's business, wait before retransmitting and try low power first except for distress. These habits reduce interference and create space for a reply.

If distress traffic is heard, routine transmissions that may interfere must cease. Urgency and safety traffic also outrank routine conversation. A pause in a high-priority exchange is not an invitation to insert a berth request or radio check.

Channel discipline continues after a move. Read the new channel, listen before speaking, and when the exchange ends restore the required listening arrangement. If a station's channel instruction is unclear, ask for a repeat rather than guessing.