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EPIRB is an abbreviation and stands for: Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.
An EPIRB transmits signals on the main frequency (406 MHz or 1,6 GHz) to satellites, that are either geo-stationary or polar-orbiting. For homing purposes, most EPIRBs also transmit signals on the international aviation emergency frequency 121,5 MHz.
Yes: two different systems.
406 MHz (which is operated by COSPAS SARSAT and presently the most used system world wide including merchant marine and aviation) and
1,6 MHz (INMARSAT, which is scheduled to be terminated by end of 2006).
Category I: transmits on406 MHz + 121,5 MHz
EPIRB is in a special float free bracket, mainly for merchant marine,
EPIRB activates automatically, if the bracket (with the ship) sinks below 4 meter water depth.
Category II: transmits on406 MHz + 121,5 MHz
EPIRB has to be activated by hand.
Class I can be operated up to -40°C
Class II can be operated up to -20°C
Today we cannot recommend any EPIRB or PLB anymore that transmits only on the frequncy 121,5 and/or 243 MHz. There are several reasons:
1: COSPAS SARSAT terminates signal processing of 121,5 and 243 MHz EPIRBs at the end of 2008
2: The emergeny position is very inaccurate.
3: The prices of 406 MHz EPIRBs, PLBs and ELTs are now quite competitive.
There are different types of 406 MHz EPRIBs:
EPIRB with built in GPS (ACR GlobalFix 406 / McMurdo E3)
EPIRB with infrared-connection to an external GPS (ACR RapidFix / ACR AquaFix 406)
EPIRB without any possibilty of transmitting its own position (ACR Satellite2 406 / GME MT400 / McMurdo)
There are now several PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) available (ACR AquaFix 406 / AeroFix 406 / McMurdo FastFind) that can be registered in the name of a person and thus are not restricted to one vihicle (ship, etc)
All EPIRBs / PLBs with built-in or external GPS are by far exeeding the conventional EPIRBs (without the ability to transmit their location) in alert time. This can be as fast as three minutes due to the geo-stationary satellites of COSPAS SARSAT.
INMARSAT has announced that they intend to terminate the INMARSAT E service at the end of 2006 due to the small number of 1,6 GHz EPIRBs world wide (estimated to be around 1300 - 1400 pcs).
Abschaltung der Peilung von 121,5 MHz Notsendern
Frühestens im Jahre 2008 werden die Frequenzen 121,5 MHz sowie die militärische 243 MHz nicht mehr vom Satelliten-System ausgewertet und gepeilt. Dieser Termin ist aber noch nicht festgeschrieben und könnte weiter verschoben werden.
Schließlich fliegen weltweit mehrere hunderttausend Flugzeuge mit ELT's, die auf 121,5 MHz arbeiten. Und für diese Nutzer wurde das System einstmals ins Leben gerufen.
NO.
The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosperic Authority) is the authority that registers EPIRBs and PLBs in the U.S.A. Due to the increasing number of EPIRBs the authority has restricted the registraion to U.S. nationals and the people with an address in the U.S. only.
If you purchase an EPIRB od PLB in the U.S.A., you have to register it with the authorities of your home country. This is also important the you, the owner, because without a registration there are no contact details and a search may be unduly delayed.
EACH EPIRB is progframmed with a UIN, a unique identification number. In case of ships this is in most countries the MMSI No. (marine mobile service identity).
For Germany and Austria and Switzerland only MMSI Numbers are allowed for ships.
For details in some European countries see the followilng link:
www.kk2.de/registrieren/index.htm