Sabella on Safety
6:53 AM
Seattle, Washington – In SOS 1 in the July/August 2007 issue of Classic Yacht, we talked about the U.S. Coast Guard’s Rescue 21 System and the new era of digital distress calls utilizing the Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capabilities of modern VHF radios. Now let’s talk about a companion device that dramatically improves your chances of being rescued in a marine emergency (if you know how to use it), the EPIRB.
EPIRBs are small, battery-powered transmitters that broadcast radio signals designed specifically to help rescue units find you during an emergency at sea. Next to your radio, an EPIRB is the most effective distress signal at your disposal. It can beckon help from virtually any spot on the globe. An EPIRB functions in three ways.
1) EPIRBs emit a distress signal that alerts search and rescue authorities that you are in trouble.
2) The signal enables authorities to determine your position.
3) And, rescue units can home-in on the EPIRB signal and fly directly to the scene of the emergency.
EPIRBs operate in conjunction with a special system of international Search and Rescue satellites to provide worldwide, all-weather signaling capability. The cost of an EPIRB ranges from $200 to about $1,500. If you take your friends and family to sea, they represent an investment you ought to make. Today, activating a 406-megahertz EPIRB provides authorities with all of the information contained on the owner’s EPIRB Registration and Identifi cation Card within 6-10 minutes. That brings us to:
Instructional Principle Number 1: register your EPIRB. Data from polar orbiting satellites gives them the EPIRB’s precise position as soon as the satellites are in proper orientation. Depending on your location, this occurs within a period ranging from a matter of minutes to a few hours. Beginning February 1, 2009, the older system of Class A and Class B units broadcasting at 121.5 and 243 megahertz will be discontinued, according to a U.S. Coast Guard press release: http://www.uscgnewengland.com/go/doc/778/246649/.
Instructional Principle Number 2: if you have an old-style unit, upgrade to 406 MHz technology. EPIRBs are designated as either automatic or manual. Automatic units must be installed in a manner that permits them to float free from a sinking vessel. Once freed from the canister or mounting bracket, an automatic EPIRB turns itself on and assumes a correct operating position.
Automatic units incorporate manual switches for activating or disarming the EPIRB. However the unit is activated, the signal is relayed via satellite to a Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center. Once authorities there have determined the location of the emergency, they mobilize Coast Guard, military or even civilian personnel who are best able to provide assistance.
In most cases, the first response unit on the scene will be an aircraft, which is able to home-in on the EPIRB signal. A vessel equipped with the proper radio equipment can also home-in on an EPIRB. Each 406-megahertz unit is assigned a unique identity code that allows authorities to determine who is in trouble. When an EPIRB signal is detected, authorities immediately attempt to contact the registered owner of the EPIRB to verify that an emergency has occurred.
This feature helps eliminate a serious false alarm problem that plagued the older EPIRB system. So we’re back to Principle Number 1: as soon as you buy the dang thing, register. A 406-megahertz unit sends a signal that can be relayed by the satellite immediately or held in memory until a ground station is in sight. This store and forward capability dramatically improves rescue response time. The 406- megahertz signal benefits from a clear channel that is dedicated to the EPIRB system.
406-megahertz units emit a low power transmission at 121.5 megahertz that serves as a homing signal. The units also incorporate strobe lights that function as a visual distress signals for pinpointing location. So here’s
Instructional Principle Number 3: as with any form of survival gear, keeping your EPIRBs in tip-top condition is vital. Since EPIRBs are battery powered, maintaining a fully charged battery is crucial. A fresh battery will keep an EPIRB operating for a minimum of 48 hours even in arctic conditions. The battery expiration date is clearly marked on the unit.
406 MHz units incorporate a selftesting circuit that performs an internal check and transmits a special testing signal without falsely alerting search and rescue authorities. To test these units, simply activate the self-testing circuit according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Instructional Principle Number 4: the instant you realize you have an emergency, verify that the EPIRB is on. Although certain models activate automatically, others have to be manually activated. Whichever type or types you have, make sure they are turned on.
Instructional Principle Number 5: after you activate your EPIRB, leave it on until you are rescued. Don’t bother trying to save your battery. You’ve got plenty of juice. If possible, keep the antenna in a vertical, upright position near the water to help reflect the signal skyward. In heavy seas, protect the EPIRB by keeping it inside the life raft.
Don’t touch the antenna while the unit is transmitting. So spend the $200 (plus) bucks already. You’re a yachtsman for crying out loud. Get yourself an EPIRB and learn how to use it and you’ll find that this unit, together with your new digital VHF radio, are the best insurance policies you can have once you’ve cast off the lines.
EPIRBs are small, battery-powered transmitters that broadcast radio signals designed specifically to help rescue units find you during an emergency at sea. Next to your radio, an EPIRB is the most effective distress signal at your disposal. It can beckon help from virtually any spot on the globe. An EPIRB functions in three ways.
1) EPIRBs emit a distress signal that alerts search and rescue authorities that you are in trouble.
2) The signal enables authorities to determine your position.
3) And, rescue units can home-in on the EPIRB signal and fly directly to the scene of the emergency.
EPIRBs operate in conjunction with a special system of international Search and Rescue satellites to provide worldwide, all-weather signaling capability. The cost of an EPIRB ranges from $200 to about $1,500. If you take your friends and family to sea, they represent an investment you ought to make. Today, activating a 406-megahertz EPIRB provides authorities with all of the information contained on the owner’s EPIRB Registration and Identifi cation Card within 6-10 minutes. That brings us to:
Instructional Principle Number 1: register your EPIRB. Data from polar orbiting satellites gives them the EPIRB’s precise position as soon as the satellites are in proper orientation. Depending on your location, this occurs within a period ranging from a matter of minutes to a few hours. Beginning February 1, 2009, the older system of Class A and Class B units broadcasting at 121.5 and 243 megahertz will be discontinued, according to a U.S. Coast Guard press release: http://www.uscgnewengland.com/go/doc/778/246649/.
Instructional Principle Number 2: if you have an old-style unit, upgrade to 406 MHz technology. EPIRBs are designated as either automatic or manual. Automatic units must be installed in a manner that permits them to float free from a sinking vessel. Once freed from the canister or mounting bracket, an automatic EPIRB turns itself on and assumes a correct operating position.
Automatic units incorporate manual switches for activating or disarming the EPIRB. However the unit is activated, the signal is relayed via satellite to a Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center. Once authorities there have determined the location of the emergency, they mobilize Coast Guard, military or even civilian personnel who are best able to provide assistance.
In most cases, the first response unit on the scene will be an aircraft, which is able to home-in on the EPIRB signal. A vessel equipped with the proper radio equipment can also home-in on an EPIRB. Each 406-megahertz unit is assigned a unique identity code that allows authorities to determine who is in trouble. When an EPIRB signal is detected, authorities immediately attempt to contact the registered owner of the EPIRB to verify that an emergency has occurred.
This feature helps eliminate a serious false alarm problem that plagued the older EPIRB system. So we’re back to Principle Number 1: as soon as you buy the dang thing, register. A 406-megahertz unit sends a signal that can be relayed by the satellite immediately or held in memory until a ground station is in sight. This store and forward capability dramatically improves rescue response time. The 406- megahertz signal benefits from a clear channel that is dedicated to the EPIRB system.
406-megahertz units emit a low power transmission at 121.5 megahertz that serves as a homing signal. The units also incorporate strobe lights that function as a visual distress signals for pinpointing location. So here’s
Instructional Principle Number 3: as with any form of survival gear, keeping your EPIRBs in tip-top condition is vital. Since EPIRBs are battery powered, maintaining a fully charged battery is crucial. A fresh battery will keep an EPIRB operating for a minimum of 48 hours even in arctic conditions. The battery expiration date is clearly marked on the unit.
406 MHz units incorporate a selftesting circuit that performs an internal check and transmits a special testing signal without falsely alerting search and rescue authorities. To test these units, simply activate the self-testing circuit according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Instructional Principle Number 4: the instant you realize you have an emergency, verify that the EPIRB is on. Although certain models activate automatically, others have to be manually activated. Whichever type or types you have, make sure they are turned on.
Instructional Principle Number 5: after you activate your EPIRB, leave it on until you are rescued. Don’t bother trying to save your battery. You’ve got plenty of juice. If possible, keep the antenna in a vertical, upright position near the water to help reflect the signal skyward. In heavy seas, protect the EPIRB by keeping it inside the life raft.
Don’t touch the antenna while the unit is transmitting. So spend the $200 (plus) bucks already. You’re a yachtsman for crying out loud. Get yourself an EPIRB and learn how to use it and you’ll find that this unit, together with your new digital VHF radio, are the best insurance policies you can have once you’ve cast off the lines.
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