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Section 4 Communication Equipment
401. General
1. Regardless of their type, size and function or range of service, submersibles are to be equipped with various means of internal and external communication.
2. For submersibles with a diver's lockout, the means of communication between the diver in the wa- ter and the diver in the lockout and that between the diver's lockout and the submersible's control platform shall meet the requirements set out in Pt 9, Ch 7 of Rules for the Classification of Steel Ships.
3. Antennae and transducers are to be permanently installed and so arranged as to preclude mutual interference.
402. Internal communications equipment
1. Submersibles with more than one rest room are to be equipped with a two-way communications system.
2. A telephone link independent of the vehicle's power supply system is to be provided between the control platform and the steering gear compartment and between the control platform and the pro- pelling machinery space.
403. Surface communications
1. Surface independent submersibles are to be equipped with mitter/receiver, one of the channels of which may operate on
at least one two channel trans- safety channel 16-VHF, while the
other is used as a “working channel” for communication between the submersible and its support
vessel.
2. Autonomous submersibles are also to be equipped with an additional radiotelephone.
3. On surface dependent submersibles, a telephone link is to be provided between the submersible and the control position on the support vessel. The telephone link may operate through loudspeakers and is to be permanently switched to “Receive” on the support vessel's control console. It is also to be fitted with self-resetting switches for reversing the direction of communication. A telephone connection independent of the power supply network is to be provided in addition to the telephone link referred to above.
404. Underwater communications
1. Surface independent submersibles are to be equipped with at least one single channel side band un- derwater telephone (UT) system. The UT system is to as a minimum requirement enable sat- isfactory communication to be maintained with the support vessel when this is at a distance equiv- alent to twice the nominal diving depth of the submersible.
2. Autonomous submersibles are to be equipped with a two-channel side-band UT system.
3. Surface dependent submersibles are subject to the requirements of 403. 3.
405. Emergency communications equipment
1. Autonomous submersibles are to be equipped with radiotelephones connected to the emergency pow- er supply and capable of both surface and under-water operation. The emergency radiotelephone equipment should include at least one VHF transmitter/receiver operating on safety channel 16. The standby UT system should have a minimum range equivalent to twice the nominal diving depth of the submersible.
2. On non-autonomous submersibles, the UT system is to be fed from the emergency power supply and is to also be capable of acting as standby telephone system when the vehicle is on the surface.