The long-heralded phasing out of 121.5 and 243 MHz analog Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), which has been in the works since 2000, will begin Feb. 1. The Coast Guard and other search and rescue personnel will only receive distress alerts from digital 406 MHz EPIRBs.
The major advantage of the 406 MHz low earth orbit system is the provision of global Earth coverage using a limited number of polar-orbiting satellite. Coverage is not continuous, however, and it may take up to a couple of hours for an EPIRB alert to be received. To overcome this limitation, COSPAS-SARSAT has 406 MHz EPIRB repeaters aboard three geostationary satellites, plus one spare: GOES-W, at 135 deg W; GOES-E, at 75 deg W; INSAT-2A, at 74 deg E; and INSAT-2B (in-orbit spare), at 93.5 deg E. Ground stations capable of receiving 406 MHz. Except for areas between the United Kingdom and Norway, south of the east coast of Australia, and the area surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk near Russia, as well as polar areas, GEOSAR provides continuous global coverage of distress alerts from 406 MHz EPIRBs.
The decision to stop processing the analog 121.5/243 MHz signals was made by the International COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue safety program, with guidance from the United Nations. The Coast Guard said this was due to numerous signal reception problems and a high percentage of false alarms.
The COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue satellite-aided tracking system, which monitors EPIRB signals, reports that the switch to 406 MHz beacons will offer many advantages to search and rescue agencies -- including reducing the number of false alerts and providing a more powerful and accurate signal, which can shrink a search area to about 100 yards and pinpoint the position of a distressed mariner within minutes. Follow this link for technical details about the switch-over.
The decision to stop processing the analog 121.5/243 MHz signals was made by the International COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue safety program, with guidance from the United Nations. The Coast Guard said this was due to numerous signal reception problems and a high percentage of false alarms.
The COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue satellite-aided tracking system, which monitors EPIRB signals, reports that the switch to 406 MHz beacons will offer many advantages to search and rescue agencies -- including reducing the number of false alerts and providing a more powerful and accurate signal, which can shrink a search area to about 100 yards and pinpoint the position of a distressed mariner within minutes. Follow this link for technical details about the switch-over.
Commercial vessels are required to have EPIRBs, and the Coast Guard recommends them for all recreational boaters.
EPIRB owners are required by law to provide emergency contact information and a vessel description when registering their beacons with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In October, NOAA reported that a total of 6,000 people, including pilots, mariners and hikers, had been rescued in the United States as a result of distress signals picked up by NOAA satellites from emergency locator beacons and relayed to search and rescue authorities.
Information on the switchover from analog to digital EPIRBs is posted at www.sarsat.noaa.gov.
EPIRB owners are required by law to provide emergency contact information and a vessel description when registering their beacons with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In October, NOAA reported that a total of 6,000 people, including pilots, mariners and hikers, had been rescued in the United States as a result of distress signals picked up by NOAA satellites from emergency locator beacons and relayed to search and rescue authorities.
Information on the switchover from analog to digital EPIRBs is posted at www.sarsat.noaa.gov.
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