| EPIRBs - Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon |
Ex. tax
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10% GST
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| GME 400 - 406 MHz EPIRB. Includes mounting bracket. Waterproof and self-righting. Users Identity and contact details is given to the searchers. The 406 EPIRB gives a narrow search area of 5 kms for a quick rescue. |
$520.00
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$572.00
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| 121.5/243 MHz EPIRBs below. | ||
| EPIRB-RB3 Personal Locating beacon, swivel aerial, tether cord protection. |
$250.00
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$275.00
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| EPIRB-RB3S with Strobe light, swivel aerial, tether cord protection. |
$270.00
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$297.00
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| GME 300 - Ideal marine rescue beacon. Waterproof and self-righting. |
$200.00
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$220.00
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| GME 310 Personal Locating Beacon (pocket size) minimum 48 hrs continuous output |
$240.00
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$264.00
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COSPAS-SARSAT is the international organisation that operates a series of satellites in low altitude and geostationary orbits for search and rescue. The (121.5/243 MHz) system is a joint programme, co-ordinated by the USA, Canada, France and Russia, using polar orbiting USA and Russian satellites. Many countries participate with ground facilities known as Local User Terminals (LUTs) to provide a global search and rescue service. Previously, EPIRB detection depended on overflying aircraft which listen on the international aviation and military distress frequencies, to report any signals they heard. Today, an EPIRB can be detected and located within a few hours of activation, even in an area remote from air routes.
An activated EPIRB is located using an effect known as Doppler shift. Due to the relative motion between the satellite and the EPIRB, the EPIRB's transmitter frequency appears to change (much like the pitch of the whistle on an approaching train changes). The signal variations are re-transmitted to an LUT and then to a Marine Rescue Co-ordination Center (MRCC), where computers automatically analyse the Doppler shifts and calculate the EPIRB's location by relating it to the satellites precisely know position in orbit. The EPIRB's position can generally be calculated to within 20 kms. From there, rescue vessels or aircraft are despatched with tracking equipment to quickly home in on the beacons signal
I carry a 406 epirb and life raft on my 28 foot open boat, seeing as how I cruise the Bahamas with my children aboard, or at least used to. I didn't relish the thought of seeing them floating at sea in only life jackets if anything had happened.
I knew personally some folk who that happened to, who died of hypothermian waiting for a resucue plane that never came. 'Course, they were lost when their plane went down, but the principle is the same.
One thing that I wonder, they are always saying the USCG spent X number of dollars and man hours conducting this or that search...aren't the guys getting paid no matter what they are doing? The fuel expended by SAR aircraft and vessels is another thing entirely, though.