PSC deficiency code 05199: Other (radiocommunication)
Code 05199 is the "other" line of the radiocommunication group. The officer uses it when a radio or GMDSS problem doesn't sit neatly under one of the specific codes, or when a finding touches several of them. The code itself tells you little, so read the text written next to it.
What the inspector looks at
The specific radio codes already cover a lot: the main, MF, MF/HF and VHF installations, satellite ship earth stations, MSI reception, EPIRB, SART, the reserve source of energy, the radio log, maintenance and duplication, and operation of the equipment. Check those first: what's left for 05199 depends on the officer. A radio inspection typically covers:
- Antennas, insulators and feeders: corrosion, damage, cables run where they can be crushed
- Labels and instructions at the GMDSS station, such as distress procedure cards, call sign and MMSI
- Position and time input to DSC equipment
- Radio service publications on board and in their current editions, such as the ITU List of Coast Stations (List IV) and List of Ship Stations (List V), on paper or in an accepted electronic form
- Battery and charger condition and the records of their checks
- How shore-based or at-sea maintenance is arranged and documented
- Whether the GMDSS operators can send a test alert correctly on the ship's own equipment
Common findings
- GMDSS distress procedure card not posted near the radio installation
- VHF antenna cable damaged on the monkey island
- MMSI and call sign not displayed at the GMDSS station
- ITU publication List V missing, List IV old edition
- Radio installation documentation incomplete
- Several GMDSS deficiencies noted, see radio inspection report
- Antenna insulator cracked
The rule behind it
SOLAS chapter IV sets the radiocommunication requirements for passenger ships and cargo ships of 300 GT and over on international voyages: equipment per sea area, power supply, maintenance and radio records. Amendments modernising the GMDSS took effect in 2024 and changed parts of chapter IV and related performance standards. The ITU Radio Regulations govern frequencies, call signs, MMSI and operating procedure, and Appendix 16 lists the service documents a ship station has to carry, including the ITU lists of coast stations and ship stations. GMDSS operator certificates come from STCW chapter IV. The record of equipment attached to the ship's safety radio certificate shows what the ship is meant to carry.
Action codes you are likely to see
Missing labels or cards posted on the spot are usually 10. A damaged antenna or cable that a technician has to replace often gets 17, or 15 or 16 when other equipment covers the gap and the repair can wait for a port with a radio service. A radio fault that would stop the ship sending a distress alert can be a ground for detention (30), but that kind of finding usually sits under a specific 05xxx code. Under 05199 a 30 is less likely. See action taken codes.
How to close it
Read the officer's wording and match it to the record of equipment. The radio operator can fix simple items like cards or labels the same day. Missing or outdated ITU publications are ordered through the agent or a chart and publications supplier, or installed as an accepted electronic edition; keep the delivery note. If the same publications were already written up at an earlier inspection, expect the officer to check that item first. For hardware, book a radio service technician and keep the service report and a successful test entry in the radio log with the Form B. Related: emergency generator, which feeds the radio installation when main power fails, and voyage data recorder.