EPIRB false alarms rise after update

[pubgolf]

"The Cairns rescue helicopter has again been sent on a search and rescue mission only to find the distress signal was coming from a discarded emergency beacon.

The Emergency Management Queensland aircraft was tasked to the mission by the response centre in Canberra on Wednesday, which reported a distress signal coming from the Portsmith area.

After a 30 minute search, the crew located the activated EPIRB at the Portsmith rubbish tip.

"So it was another expensive exercise to locate one of these". EMQ's Mark Turner said.

Earlier this year, the older model was replaced by the updated 406MHz transmitting EPIRBs, rendering the previous model redundant.

Mr Turner said outdated EPIRBS should be taken back to the place of purchase or given to the coast guardfor correct disposal instead of taking them to the tip.


That was taken from the CAIRNS POST Dated 22/06/2009

Thats the third EPIRB to turn up at the tip in 18 months
Man there are some stupid people around!
Do you think that when the new 406 epirbs start to expire in 9 years that they will turn up at the tip? Seeing that they are registered to your name i think not.

At least the tip will never get lost



Rod

[catfishkid]

I know some on here will have a ball with this one but werent we told that the old 121 epirbs were no longer monitored.Kind of seems they still are if this story is true.(I have no reason to doubt it).We have been told many times how to dispose of old epirbs and i dont condone any act that causes money to be wasted by our emergencey services both volunteer and state,but if they were really no longer monitoring this frequency this situation wouldnt be arising?????

Craig

[Awesome]

,but if they were really no longer monitoring this frequency this situation wouldnt be arising?????


How true is that

[pubgolf]

Who knows if they are or arent monitoring the old frequency?

Theres only one way to find out!

But you would need an old EPIRB!



Rod

[FNQCairns]

thats the 3rd time in 3 months i have read about that same unit in the same place with the same crew coming to it's rescue, a person would think they took it with them the first time LOL... sort of puts doubts on even the voracity of the first press release...wouldn't surprise me these days.

cheers fnq

[Angla]

Obviously they know where it is but they cannot find it in the pile of rubbish and it does not have a coded signal to ignore.

Cheers
Chris

[Pretzil]

All well and good to say they should be disposed of properly but how about some insentive like a trade in (goes double for flares). We are required to have these expensive things by law and and we have to replace them when they say so, so why not a $20 trade in or something, doing that would ensure they all got handed in.

[groverwa]

"Who knows if they are or arent monitoring the old frequency"

Yes, 121.5 is only monitored by aircraft during flight - a lone bloke working at a care and mtce mine site near Kalgoorlie a few months ago was badly hurt and got rescued by using an old 121.5 epirb

121.5 can also used by rescue services to locate a 406/ 121.5 epirb as a close-in search locator after the 406 bit has notified global rescue people

A VMR member should be able to verify this

Mike

[Mindi]

well like most of us i can have slack days and might chuck my old one in the rubbish/tip but I think i would take the battery out at least knowing what the thing is...?...not a rocket scientist that bloke..!

[PADDLES]

exactly mindi, it's not rocket science to remove the battery (you only need to know how to use a screwdriver and pull a plug out), it's downright irresponsible to just chuck it in the bin.

[SatNav]

1. These types of incidents are simply caused by inexperienced and uncaring users and highlights that some users have little or no awareness and place no importance on the equipment they are using.

2. No one should be expecting any guarantee these older 121.5 Epirbs will even be detected by over flying aircraft or other means. This message needs to be repeated at every opportunity to make sure everybody gets and understands the message very clearly.

3. What nobody can answer is how many analogue 121.5 Epirbs have accidently or flauntingly been activated since satellite detetcion ceased and not detetced?

4. Was the sudden recent increase in boating accidents and loss of life attributable to outdated 121.5mhz Epirbs? Would any of these outcomes been different under different circumstances? No one will ever now.

[Pretzil]

Just wondering, the guy who was rescued using the old 121.5 epirb, was he fined for not having the new one???

[SatNav]

"Just wondering, the guy who was rescued using the old 121.5 epirb, was he fined for not having the new one???"

1. This guy had no legal requirement to have any Epirb (old or new) as he was out in the desert and occured only a short time after 121.5 detection ceased.

2. This guy was extremely lucky and if temped fate a second time probably would have a fatal outcome

[groverwa]

Pretzil

On the point of " wondering, the guy who was rescued using the old 121.5 epirb, was he fined for not having the new one???" - I emailed ACMA regarding this point to clear up the situation and here is the answer: -

Dear Mike

Thank you for your emailed enquiry concerning the possession of a 121.5 MHz EPIRB.

From 1 February 2009 only distress alerts from EPIRBs transmitting on 406 MHz will be heard by the satellites. The effect of this is that 121.5 MHz EPIRBs have only a very limited ability to attract attention in a distress situation. Signals from 121.5 MHz EPIRBs will now only be heard by aircraft IF the aircraft is monitoring the 121.5 MHz frequency AND it is flying in the vicinity of the EPIRB. Signals from EPIRBs will not be picked up by nearby vessels.

In brief, while it is presently legal to operate a 121.5 MHz EPIRB for the purpose of transmitting a 'homing signal', it is important to note that this provision only applies until 31 January 2010. From 1 February 2010 these transmissions from 121.5 MHz EPIRBs will not be authorised.

The above provisions relating to the operation of 121.5 MHz EPIRBs are reflected in subsection 5(3) of the Radiocommunications (Emergency Locating Devices) Class Licence 2006.

More information about EPIRBs may be found at Australian Maritime Safety Authority's website at http://beacons.amsa.gov.au

A copy of the Radiocommunications (Emergency Locating Devices) Class Licence 2006 may be obtained at http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_100754

I hope this clears up up any question of legality regarding this blokes use of the EPIRB, which in this case, saved his life which it did.

Regards

Mike

[catfishkid]

Pretzil

On the point of " wondering, the guy who was rescued using the old 121.5 epirb, was he fined for not having the new one???" - I emailed ACMA regarding this point to clear up the situation and here is the answer: -

Dear Mike

Thank you for your emailed enquiry concerning the possession of a 121.5 MHz EPIRB.

From 1 February 2009 only distress alerts from EPIRBs transmitting on 406 MHz will be heard by the satellites. The effect of this is that 121.5 MHz EPIRBs have only a very limited ability to attract attention in a distress situation. Signals from 121.5 MHz EPIRBs will now only be heard by aircraft IF the aircraft is monitoring the 121.5 MHz frequency AND it is flying in the vicinity of the EPIRB. Signals from EPIRBs will not be picked up by nearby vessels.

In brief, while it is presently legal to operate a 121.5 MHz EPIRB for the purpose of transmitting a 'homing signal', it is important to note that this provision only applies until 31 January 2010. From 1 February 2010 these transmissions from 121.5 MHz EPIRBs will not be authorised.

The above provisions relating to the operation of 121.5 MHz EPIRBs are reflected in subsection 5(3) of the Radiocommunications (Emergency Locating Devices) Class Licence 2006.

More information about EPIRBs may be found at Australian Maritime Safety Authority's website at http://beacons.amsa.gov.au

A copy of the Radiocommunications (Emergency Locating Devices) Class Licence 2006 may be obtained at http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_100754

I hope this clears up up any question of legality regarding this blokes use of the EPIRB, which in this case, saved his life which it did.

Regards

Mike

Thanks mike that is probably the most informative thing I have seen posted on this subject,it lacks personal opinion,deals with fact and in no way have you attempted to be condescending.Thankyou for this post.

Cheers Craig