Posted on 01/22/2009 3:16:29 AM PST by Daffynition
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard says it will no longer respond to distress calls sent by analog signal starting Feb. 1.
The agency is switching to digital frequencies and says the new equipment cannot process signals transmitting on 121.5 or 243.0 MHz.
The Coast Guard said Wednesday in a statement that the switch to digital will provide a more stable and powerful signal that could improve response times.
The agency said mariners and aviators should upgrade their equipment to include a digital 406-MHz distress radio beacon and register it [snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Are they giving out coupons for free distress beacons?
You don’t have yours yet?
Send me $500. US cash and I’ll see that you get one.
What’s the frequency, Kenneth?
The USCG will hopefully still respond to analog VHF marine channel calls.
Got to keep the economy going by forcing people to buy things.
“The agency is switching to digital frequencies and says the new equipment cannot process signals transmitting on 121.5 or 243.0 MHz.”
Sounds like poor planning to me. Is the entire world supposed to upgrade to satisfy the new equpiment? I thought the Coast Guard was supposed to help people.
I'm not sure I like either move.
prisoner6
This is satire, right?
This will be our new underground communication means. We will have analog radio and the government won’t know because they are all on digital.
More information here:
http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/firstpage/121.5phaseout.htm
Beginning in 2009, only 406 MHz beacons will be detected by the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system. This affects all maritime beacons (EPIRBs), all aviation beacons (ELTs) and all personal beacons (PLBs). However, other devices (such as man overboard systems and homing transmitters) that operate at 121.5 MHz and do not rely on satellite detection will not be affected by the phase-out of satellite processing at 121.5 MHz.
BTW - I work in radio news - I did a story in the fall about the federal government investing A LOT of money in a new TUBE BASED, HI POWER analog transceiver.
Speculation was that it's being built as a backup in case a nuke blast or solar event knocked out the digital systems. I don't have a link to the source now but it was an interesting read for radio folks.
prisoner6
In an effort to improve communications, the government is switching all it’s monitoring equipment to monitor frequencies nobody can transmit on. That should cut down on overtime significantly.
Genius at work.
Obama will hire 2 million community organizers to monitor. Just in case.
.....Guess I will have to be much more careful not to crash my airplane in an isolated area.
That ended with the War on Drugs. We USED to help people. Now we can locate a good salvage guy or a private tow company.
If, however, you are stupid enough to go out in some hairy storm, we’ll come get you.
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