EPIRB Battery Replacement

[irwinsailor]

Has anyone had their battery replaced? We have a ACR 406 and the battery should have been replaced last year, I have been told that the cost is $300. or more. If it is that much I will consider a second unit.

[GordMay]

Call 1-800-432-0227 for ACR Battery Replacement Center

[jemsea]

Gunner

I can't answer your question about the battery cost directly.

I've been in touch with the manufacturer of our 406 EPIRB about reprogramming the ID code so it can be registered in the US. I was told the cost of having it reprogrammed and a new battery installed would 'probably' be under $200.00. They also mentioned that the battery needs to be changed every five years.

I am considering upgrading to a 406 unit with integral GPS. Our life raft has an older 121.5 EPIRB which I would replace with the existing 406 unit and then add a new GPS/EPIRB as the main unit.

If there is any wisdom on here about which brand of EPIRB is better I would appreciate hearing it.

John

[HAwkcharter]

Originally Posted by irwinsailor

Has anyone had their battery replaced? We have a ACR 406 and the battery should have been replaced last year, I have been told that the cost is $300. or more. If it is that much I will consider a second unit.

I had my EPIRB battery replaced by

United radio service, (410) 636-6110 2818 Ft. Smallwood Rd., Baltimore, Md. Attn: Sandy

They were polite, did a great job, and did it promptly. I looked all over for my cost, but can't seem to locate it. So probably best to call anyway, (hey they even return calls!

Good luck

[GordMay]

ACR Electronics Battery Replacement Center Locator:
http://www.acrelectronics.com/brcloc/default.htm
Xcom-Systems Inc
22919 Industrial Dr. East
St. Clair Shores, Mi. 48080
Tel: (586) 445-0926

ACR Electronics “Useful Life” Policy (from menue at left): ACR Electronics, Inc.

[donradcliffe]

I had my ACR 406 battery replaced this year in Ft Lauderdale for $300, which seems to be the going rate.

[mickmul]

€254 quoted locally here, around $373

[pogo]

I am considering upgrading to a 406 unit with integral GPS. Our life raft has an older 121.5 EPIRB which I would replace with the existing 406 unit and then add a new GPS/EPIRB as the main unit.
If there is any wisdom on here about which brand of EPIRB is better I would appreciate hearing it.

Just a note, 121.5 EPIRB is illegal as of Jan 2007 refer below;

BEACON http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/beacon.html

If your 406 unit is USA, it is supposed to be registered NOAA, with boat name, owner name and contact number. You can go to the website and register yours there. It is simple, free, and may be critical to your survival.

In fact, 406 position fixes even without a gps is computed by satellite, triangulation as it moves when activated.

I go to the NOAA registry site prior to every passage and update the crew names and contact numbers. You can call, the people are very helpful. If you buy or sell a boat with 406 included be sure to update with NOAA as to the new owner. You will need the serial number on the unit to accomplish this.

Canadian, Australian, United Kingdom all have registration comparable sites to NOAA.

Cheers,
Pogo

[s/v michaela]

I replaced the battery and hydrostatic unit today. battery cost $349, hydrostatic realese was $130. Done at maritime communications , Marina del rey California

[Ramona]

Originally Posted by pogo

Just a note, 121.5 EPIRB is illegal as of Jan 2007 refer below;

BEACON BEACON


Pogo

Really, I didn't see that mentioned in your link. As far as I am aware 121.5 will still be one of the emergency frequencies and all military and commercial aircraft will still be monitoring this frequency. Yes 406 machines are better but you will notice they also transmit on 121.5 as well. Because military and commercial aircraft can then home in on them.

If you are in the beacon business eventually you have saturated the market and need to dream up new stuff, remember when we had to replace all our Epirbs with the new "satellite" version. Same bit of kit but beeped instead of a steady transmission. Now after Feb next year vessels in survey have to part with more cash.

[windsaloft]

In the airplane world, the 121.5 isn't going to be illegal --- it is just going to be no longer monitored for by the satellite (the 406 Mhz SARSAT, until that date, also monitored 121.5) and such --- so the only people who will pick it up are going to be other users monitoring 121.5, generally people flying locally or local flight service. Thus it is going to be functionally useless unless an airplane is flying over your liferaft and monitoring 121.5

The FAA, however, along with all the other alphabet agencies aren't making it illegal 0--- just somewhat obselete with far more limited appliacbility.

[Ramona]

Originally Posted by windsaloft

The FAA, however, along with all the other alphabet agencies aren't making it illegal 0--- just somewhat obselete with far more limited appliacbility.

True. Fortunately I operate close to a naval airstation and constantly have commercial a/c flying overhead. In my previous career as a naval aviator I am aware the noise an activated Epirb makes, hard to dismiss.
Interesting how the new machine still transmit on 121.5, no faith in satellites perhaps?

[MidLandOne]

Originally Posted by Ramona

True. Fortunately I operate close to a naval airstation and constantly have commercial a/c flying overhead. In my previous career as a naval aviator I am aware the noise an activated Epirb makes, hard to dismiss.
Interesting how the new machine still transmit on 121.5, no faith in satellites perhaps?

The intention of the 121MHz beacon in a 406 EPIRB has nothing to do with distress alerting whatsoever - the alerting is via the satellites on 406MHz as is the location (by doppler if the EPIRB is not GPS fitted, or by the GPS position transmitted). The 121 beacon is only to ease final location by RDF over the last few miles should any search/rescue aircraft be so fitted.

It is perhaps worth noting that aircraft are also required to carry 406 ELT's and 121 ELT's will not be accepted as they will be not be supported by the COSPAS/SARSAT system shortly ie even aircraft for whom 121MHz is a VHF distress frequency will not now be relying on that for distress alerts initiated by beacon.

[Alan Wheeler]

Just a note, 121.5 EPIRB is illegal as of Jan 2007 refer below;

Only in the US. The system is still operational until sometime in 2009 and still can be used elsewhere in the world.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Only in the US. The system is still operational until sometime in 2009 and still can be used elsewhere in the world.

Midland (and some others) are correct. The COSPAS / SARSAT satelliteswill STOP receiving and processing 121.5 Mhz transmissions as of midnight January 31, 2009.

All 406 MHz beacons will continue to transmit on 121.5 MHz (as well as 406 MHz).

The 406 Beacons I repair transmit on 121.5 MHz and 406 MHz at initial switch on (although the 406 transmissions are coded as "inactive" for the first 50 seconds - for testing purposes).

Both frequencies continue to transmit for 24 hours at which time the 406 MHz transmitter is turned off while the 121.5 MHz transmitter continues to transmit until the batteries are flat (which is a minimum of another 24 hours).

I expect all 406 beacons operate in a similar manner (except PLB's which are only rated for 24 hours max rather han 48 hours).

As Midland points out, the 121.5 transmissions will be used solely for local DF'ing as of 1 February 2009 and NOT for distress alerting.