Best EPIRB

[tvans]

What is best EPIRB with built in GPS? Will use within 100 miles of land.

[mcerdos]

ACR Electronics has an excellent reputation and wide assortment of EPRIBs. You can check out the products offered on their site and then search online for a good price. They offer a product for just about any budget:

ACR Electronics, Inc. | ACR ARTEX


If you wish to look at a particular model, I believe West Marine has them on display (in their larger stores). However, in true West Marine fashion, they will also have the highest retail price. You can save about 30% with one Google search.

Once you get it, be sure to register it. I prefer to register with NOAA and not BoatUS.

Hope you never need to use it!

[a64pilot]

Beacon registration
http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov/
Never heard of doing it with Boat US, I just registered a beacon a couple of weeks ago, registration is instantaneous and within about a week, I had my sticker already. Pretty good for a Guvment run organization.

[tvans]

Originally Posted by mcerdos

ACR Electronics has an excellent reputation and wide assortment of EPRIBs. You can check out the products offered on their site and then search online for a good price. They offer a product for just about any budget:

ACR Electronics, Inc. | ACR ARTEX


If you wish to look at a particular model, I believe West Marine has them on display (in their larger stores). However, in true West Marine fashion, they will also have the highest retail price. You can save about 30% with one Google search.

Once you get it, be sure to register it. I prefer to register with NOAA and not BoatUS.

Hope you never need to use it!

Thank you. Your thoughts on a PLB vs EPIRB?

[mcerdos]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Beacon registration
http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov/
Never heard of doing it with Boat US, I just registered a beacon a couple of weeks ago, registration is instantaneous and within about a week, I had my sticker already. Pretty good for a Guvment run organization.

You are right. I was thinking MMSI number and forgot to write that part. I would suggest getting the MMSI number via a Ships Station Licence from the FCC rather than BoatUS etc. And then, register with NOAA.

FCC: Wireless Services: Ship Radio Stations: Licensing

[mcerdos]

Originally Posted by tvans

Thank you. Your thoughts on a PLB vs EPIRB?

It is a personal choice. This is something you have to decide and have a comfort level with your decision. You will have to decide if you want an automatic or manual activation. You should also look at battery life etc.

Kudos for looking into this. I would never set sail offshore (more than 10 miles) on a vessel without an EPRIB.

[Lifesadream]

We had a Kannad/McMurdo automatic one on board when we bought the boat. However battery life was past its sell by date, although the test still showed some juice. To replace battery was outrageous, roughly the same as buying a new one. We decided to plump for two new PLBs from Kannad ~250$ instead so we now have potentially 3 EPIRBS on board. The personal ones are only rated for 24 hours instead of the boat’s one which is 48 hours but operate globally in the same way. Registration was a breeze and we put in our sail plan in the notes section on the online registration site.

In addition to this we also bought two tiny Kannad personal AIS (~250) which we carry on us for MOB type situations. We did a live test of these when we were in the middle of the Caribbean and are happy with the results. AIS plotter alarmed although MOB target icon used by Raymarine looked like another boat.

We see the AIS stuff as localised MOB to get you back to the boat or a nearby boat and the EPERB as being catastrophic event that may take hours or days to be responded to. I guess if we had to abandon ship we would set all of them off so emergency services would think less likely it was a false alarm and then after a couple of hours leave only one on until battery died and then cycle onto the next one.

As to which is the best… I worry that the boat one may get tangled up with stuff and be separated from the people but then if you only have one probably better to have a centralised floating boat one. At 250$ though for the personal ones and 250 for the AIS I see this as within reach for everyone to carry both of them and also useful when you sail on other people’s boats.