Mystery distress ebacon sparks air search in central Queensland

[harry_h01]

"
A CENTRAL Queensland rescue helicopter has spent hours searching a huge part of the region after picking up a signal from an emergency distress beacon.
The RACQ CQ rescue helicopter searched 240 nautical miles between Proserpine, Mackay and the Bowen River after a signal from the EPRIB device was detected by two aircraft flying over the region this morning.
The crew of the helicopter spent two hours scouring the area, but were unable to pinpoint the exact location of the distress beacon.
RACQ CQ RESCUE Air Crewman Darren Bobin said the121.5 mhz distress signal was more difficult to locate than the new 406 mhz beacons.
``A 406 megahertz could mean the difference between life and death in a real emergency,'' he said.
Mr Bobin was earlier this year involved in the miraculous rescue of a fisherman lost during Cyclone Hamish.
The fisherman, James Palmer, was found alive more than 300km out to sea after he discovered an EPIRB device floating near him in the ocean.
A spokesman for the Queensland Police Service said they had not been informed of the distress beacon's activation."

And here I was thinking the old EPIRB was dead and buried and no one was monitoring them any more. So why did we have to all run out and buy the new version?

Harry

[seatime]

"So why did we have to all run out and buy the new version?"

The answer to that Q is in the article:

The crew of the helicopter spent two hours scouring the area, but were unable to pinpoint the exact location of the distress beacon.
RACQ CQ RESCUE Air Crewman Darren Bobin said the121.5 mhz distress signal was more difficult to locate than the new 406 mhz beacons.
``A 406 megahertz could mean the difference between life and death in a real emergency,'' he said.

They would still be able to detect and home-in on a 121.5 Mhz signal after notification from AUSAR of the initial 406 Mhz signal from a new version EPIRB.

[harry_h01]

seatime, I was being sarcastic.

I know the new ones are more accurate. My concern was the big push to get everyone onto the new version, instead of just stopping the sales of the old one, and when your old version died, then you would be required to buy the 406 version. Not this forced replacement and drop dead date.

I have a 121 that is only 6mths old. The battery is lifed until 2011, and yet I was made to replace it.

Harry

[boys play]

As a matter of interest, how much are you paying for an e-pirb in Qld...they are in short supply in NSW, presume it is the same up there, and it would seem that retailers are capitalising on this and getting premium prices...a bit rude when legislation in NSW now demands having one if you venture more than 2 nautical miles off shore.

cheers
Ian

[QF3 MROCP]

seatime, I was being sarcastic.

I know the new ones are more accurate. My concern was the big push to get everyone onto the new version, instead of just stopping the sales of the old one, and when your old version died, then you would be required to buy the 406 version. Not this forced replacement and drop dead date.

I have a 121 that is only 6mths old. The battery is lifed until 2011, and yet I was made to replace it.

Harry

Harry, did you buy it six months ago from a retailer? If so, they have sold it to you under false pretence as Qld law required a change over to the 406 system on Nov 1st. 2008.

As for force - the industry has known about the shut down of the sat system from 1st Feb 09 for the last five years that I know of.

Get the 406 now and consider the other lives on the boat you may save..

When you go to dispose of the 121 unit, give it into any Battery World shop - they will disconnect if from the battery and avoid activation.


Peter

[QF3 MROCP]

As a matter of interest, how much are you paying for an e-pirb in Qld...they are in short supply in NSW, presume it is the same up there, and it would seem that retailers are capitalising on this and getting premium prices...a bit rude when legislation in NSW now demands having one if you venture more than 2 nautical miles off shore.

cheers
Ian

About time you blokes caught up with Qld... mother nature has no boundaries

Locally in Bris you can shop from $479 upwards.. just depends who has a sale going on.. average around the $530 - $560

P

[seatime]

The decision to terminate 121.5/243 MHz processing was made in October 2000 at the 25th Session of the Cospas-Sarsat Council (CSC-25).
http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/FirstPa....5PhaseOut.htm


121.5 MHz distress beacons should no longer be offered for sale without the seller advising you that they will no longer be licenced for distress alerting from 1 February 2009 and will no longer be detected by satellite from this date. Please advise AMSA if you are offered a 121.5 MHz distress beacon without an appropriate warning. http://beacons.amsa.gov.au/essential_info.asp