406 EPIRB Review

[SatNav]

1. Now that the long awaited EPIRB change has come and gone along with the many (predictable) issues what of the future?

2. It is becoming increasing apparent the time frame for changeover was way too long with regard technology changes

3. The inclusion of the old 121.5mHZ frequency in the new 406 epirbs is probably one of the biggest mistakes made with this new technology

4. Now that 406 technology has finally come hopefully 121.5mhz will in the near future not longer be required

5. Ideally 406 EPIRBS should never have had included 121.5mHZ

[Horse]

Why????

I thought it was so the ground crews could find you with a RDF type device

[trueblue]

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7.

8. Missing link here somewhere.......


statements with no explanations............................

[SatNav]

1. Well originally there was only ONE frequency 121.5 which was adopted as it was the emergency aviation freq and pilots actually had to monitor it but that has changed.

2. 121.5 was able to be tracked with RDF but then they adapted it to satellite detection which with hindsight we all know did not work all that well

3. So many years ago when technology was old and taddy 121.5 was included by design in the new 406, now we have two very quite different freq and why? Because technology was old and taddy and 406 was not a very friendly or trackable freq.

4. Things have changed, 406 can now be tracked, 121.5 is almost obsolete yet the two quite different systems have this one common outdated freq which makes it very difficult to distinguish which is which so authorities are still having to chase antique 121.5 epirbs.

5. The 121.5 freq used by 406's masks the real 406 technology

6. In hindsight is is very obvious today that 121.5 mhz should never have been inlcuded in the 406

[redlowrey]

Wasn't it you that said 121.5 was dead, in seven years no one even asked if I had an epirb on board and now we are getting drilled all the time. I have since heard that when the battery voltage drops below a certain value the 406 will transmit on 121.5 if this is right you and a few others have fell on your arse.

[cormorant]

Has any VMR boat been upgraded to RDF a 406 frequency and is the equipment avaliable?

Hopefully a few years down the track they will mandate GPS and save our rescue services more time and possibly save some lives with fewer false alarms.


Next technology - well I gues it is 2 way comminication via ebird - satelite phone style or just by a text keyboard on epirb . A least you'll know your have a rescuer on the way and the EPIRB has worked.. They could build in a radio so you could relax while waiting to be s=rescued. Really pimp at epirb up

[seatime]

Wasn't it you that said 121.5 was dead, in seven years no one even asked if I had an epirb on board and now we are getting drilled all the time. I have since heard that when the battery voltage drops below a certain value the 406 will transmit on 121.5 if this is right you and a few others have fell on your arse.

The members that said "121.5 was dead" were referring to the SAR satellites monitoring of 121.5 being disabled.

If you could back up the highlighted statement, or provide a link, it would be appreciated.

To my limited knowledge - 406 epirbs simultaneously transmit a low powered 121.5 Mhz signal and a more powerful 406 Mhz signal.
If they transmit 121.5 "when the battery drops below a certain value" it's not a function I've heard about, and would like to know more.