This vessel may not have the search capabilities of more sophisticated Coast Guard units, and be unable to find you in a search area as large as 12.5 square miles.Ĭertification of an EPIRB is highly regulated specifications from COSPAS/SARSAT, the FCC, and the USCG all apply to units built for operation in the U.S. This would likely necessitate the diversion of an AMVER vessel to your reported location. In rough seas, or restricted visibility this is a big difference.Īnother scenario that illustrates the value of a GPS-equipped EPIRB: If you travel far from the shores of the U.S., the Coast Guard may be unable to reach your position quickly. But with a non-position-reporting unit, the search area increases to 12.5 square miles. The USCG estimates that the area needing to be searched with a position-reporting EPIRB is a mere. Plus, once calculated, the position is not as accurate as the transmitted position of the more sophisticated GPS EPIRB. With a non-GPS equipped EPIRB, the satellite system generally requires at least 45 minutes to calculate the position of an activated beacon. That type of quick response is simply not available without a GPS built into an EPIRB. With the transmission of good lat/long data to rescue authorities, response time averages only 25 minutes. This, of course, increases the safety of AMVER vessels, too.) (AMVER is a system adopted by commercial ships at sea to report their positions regularly, so that rescue agencies can divert the nearest ship to a distress call. The CG could divert an already-airborne aircraft it could launch a helicopter or utility boat, or it could radio a nearby AMVER vessel to render assistance. The Coast Guard has numerous options, depending on the vessel’s location. A USCG SAR unit would respond with a call to the vessel owner for confirmation that the vessel was actually at sea.
Since the crew’s EPIRB is GPS-equipped, the beacon’s UIN as well as its position is transmitted to the satellites and relayed to the appropriate SAR agencies.
Let’s say a crew activates their EPIRB because the boat’s on fire. We’ll use an on-water example to explain how the system works. Today the system is a combination of low-earth orbiting and geostationary satellites. initiated the satellite reception system that is known today as the COSPAS/SARSAT GEOSAR system. The Coast Guard recommends this type of EPIRB.Ī cooperative effort by Canada, France, Russia, and the U.S. In addition to the UIN, a GPS-equipped EPIRB also transmits the unit’s latitude/longitude coordinates. The latest incarnation of the 406 MHz EPIRB contains an internal GPS receiver to increase position accuracy. Plus, about three quarters of the 11 false alarms can be confirmed false prior to launching SAR units. The upgraded capability of the 406 MHz EPIRB has reduced false alarms to a more reasonable rate: One out of 12 are real. When coupled with proper registration, the UIN allows rescue agencies to confirm the need for assistance prior to launching expensive SAR assets. Newer EPIRBs in the 406 MHz band transmit digital signals to the satellites, which allow the transmission of additional data, including a UIN (unique identification number). The USCG does not recommend their purchase and plans to phase out the 121.5/243 MHz EPIRB by February 1, 2009. This causes very long delays in search-and-rescue efforts and unduly taxes SAR units. Only about two out of every 1,000 alerts are real. Satellites can pick up their transmissions, but because of frequency congestion, analog signals, and a lack of a unique identification, they have a high false alarm rate. EPIRBs vary in capability, and those that operate on the 121.5/243 MHz bands are by far the least expensive and least capable. An emergency position indicating radio beacon, or EPIRB, is a transmitter that when activated sends a distress signal via satellite that eventually reaches a search-and-rescue (SAR) unit. Today, a unit with the same capabilities sells for half that.įirst, a bit of review. Our top pick in 1999 was an NAT unit with a street price of about $2,000. The most significant difference has been big price drops. Since our last EPIRB evaluation nearly four years ago (October 15, 1999), much has changed. For those who regularly venture far enough offshore to make a mayday broadcast via VHF questionable-and this isn’t many miles for small boats outside line-of-sight range-a 406 MHz EPIRB should be given serious consideration as an additional safety device.
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