From 2/22/01</font id=blue>
EPIRBs are becoming the topic of many discussions involving marine safety when boating offshore. The size of the boats recreational anglers are willing to take offshore is becoming smaller as boat manufacturers are building deeper v-hulls and increasing fuel capacities on center console boats as small as 17 feet. Most of these smaller boats are not equipped with a bilge pump capable of pumping large amounts of water if a wave were to crash over the bow and many do not have positive flotation. Meaning that if the boat were to fill up with water, it would sink. As the performance of EPIRBs improves more and more anglers are considering equipping their boats with one. As with any type of marine electronics, understanding how an EPIRBs work and what the different models have to offer, can be quite confusing. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you begin to shop for an EPIRB.
EPIRB stands for Emergency Position Indication Radio Beacon. When activated, it emits an emergency signal, which is detected by Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT). The readings from the satellites are then transmitted by land based receivers to rescue services. While all EIRBs float, not all are created equally. Currently there are a few basic differences in the different EPIRBs available on the market today. The prices range from around $350.00 to $1500.00 for starters. Some models are self-activating while others are activated manually.
When it comes down to performance and accuracy there are two main types of EPRIB. One transmits on VHF 121.5 mhz and UHF 243 MMZ simultaneously. Basically these numbers men a couple of things. This particular model can be hard for satellites to read and may take several passes by satellites before being detected and satellites do not store data at this particular frequency causing this unit’s accuracy to be within 20 miles.
The other model is called a 406 EPIRB. This particular model has several advantages over the 121.5 mhz EPIRB.