EPIRB battery replacement

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by GordMay

They were either practicing packing, or had an "A" license or better.
➥ USPA Skydiver's Information Manual

Your 'A' license is the basic entrance level license. The aim is that everyone who jumps out of a plane packs their own chute once they have been shown how to do it. It's pretty much the same around the world.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Manufacturer is KTI

Model is SA1G



Dunno about "super-cool" though

Oh. Did you think I was taking your advice....? ;^P


Sent from my iPhone so apologies for weird autocorrect typos.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by CHM

Sarsat.noaa.gov is the link for reference.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Unfortunately this only gives half the story - well to be fair, it gives 80% of the story.

The FCC, the ITU and the whole world of SAR wants us to use the 406 Mhz beacon. Rightly so.To emphasis their case, they tell us the old 121.5 MHz beacon is obsolete and in most parts of the world it is.

However in the USA, there is a turf war between the FCC and the FAA regarding emerngency beacons. At least there was up to 2014, I'm not sure of the current state of play.

In essence, the FCC controls what frequencies can be used for what purposes except for the aviation world where the FAA has the say. The FAA aided and abetted by APOA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) want to the right to keep using 121.5 beacons. So far against stiff opposition from the FCC, they have managed to maintain the right for existing 121.5 beacons to remain legal in general aviation aircraft. At least, that is what was happening in 2014.

I haven't provided links as the tablet I'm using makes cutting and paste difficult. Google "FAA ELT RULES". ELT is the aviation term for EPIRB.

What does this mean for us sailing cruisers - not much except that we forget that 121.5 remains an important emergency frequency and our actions regarding disposal of any beacon must be considered in the light of this knowledge.

[GILow]

Like I said. Super cool.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Unfortunately this only gives half the story - well to be fair, it gives 80% of the story.

The FCC, the ITU and the whole world of SAR wants us to use the 406 Mhz beacon. Rightly so.To emphasis their case, they tell us the old 121.5 MHz beacon is obsolete and in most parts of the world it is.

However in the USA, there is a turf war between the FCC and the FAA regarding emerngency beacons. At least there was up to 2014, I'm not sure of the current state of play.

In essence, the FCC controls what frequencies can be used for what purposes except for the aviation world where the FAA has the say. The FAA aided and abetted by APOA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) want to the right to keep using 121.5 beacons. So far against stiff opposition from the FCC, they have managed to maintain the right for existing 121.5 beacons to remain legal in general aviation aircraft. At least, that is what was happening in 2014.

I haven't provided links as the tablet I'm using makes cutting and paste difficult. Google "FAA ELT RULES". ELT is the aviation term for EPIRB.

What does this mean for us sailing cruisers - not much except that we forget that 121.5 remains an important emergency frequency and our actions regarding disposal of any beacon must be considered in the light of this knowledge.

and just for an Australian context as well, whilst 121.5 is not actively used as an emergency frequency it is still monitored by all commerical aircraft and when a signal is picked up, it does in Australia generate an emergency response, whether on land or on sea.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

... it does in Australia generate an emergency response, whether on land or on sea.

Or rubbish tip...

[Wotname]

Here are some numbers to give some idea of the scale of the "problem" in the USA.

According to the NOAA, in 2013, there were just 70,313 registered 406 beacons fitted to USA aircraft while as late as 2014, they estimated there were still 170,000 older 121.5 beacons fiteed to USA registered aircraft.

IMO, some folk are belligerent....

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Here are some numbers to give some idea of the scale of the "problem" in the USA.

According to the NOAA, in 2013, there were just 70,313 registered 406 beacons fitted to USA aircraft while as late as 2014, they estimated there were still 170,000 older 121.5 beacons fiteed to USA registered aircraft.

IMO, some folk are belligerent....

I don't feel "belligerent". I have an old model ELT that has batteries you can change yourself and it has a mic jack. I can talk to SAR. Great feature, I don't know why all elt's didn't have that. If you have ever looked for someone in the forest from a plane you would know. It should have been a requirement. I can only think they just wanted to find the wreck not the people.

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

and just for an Australian context as well, whilst 121.5 is not actively used as an emergency frequency it is still monitored by all commerical aircraft and when a signal is picked up, it does in Australia generate an emergency response, whether on land or on sea.

As a matter of fact, 406MHz beacons also transmit on 121.5MHz for locating an emergency beacon by air at close range. By the time an aircraft reaches the GPS location it's highly likely that the yacht has moved so this is useful at the last stage of the emergency.

121.5MHz is an active frequency, but not monitored as a primary emergency channel.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by haiqu

As a matter of fact, 406MHz beacons also transmit on 121.5MHz for locating an emergency beacon by air at close range. By the time an aircraft reaches the GPS location it's highly likely that the yacht has moved so this is useful at the last stage of the emergency.

121.5MHz is an active frequency, but not monitored as a primary emergency channel.

thanks. Hadn't realised that, but it makes sense.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by haiqu

As a matter of fact, 406MHz beacons also transmit on 121.5MHz for locating an emergency beacon by air at close range. By the time an aircraft reaches the GPS location it's highly likely that the yacht has moved so this is useful at the last stage of the emergency.

121.5MHz is an active frequency, but not monitored as a primary emergency channel.

It is also highly likely that the GPS position will be updated during the whole time the 406 transmitter is operating BUT a word of caution here. Not all GPS embedded 406 beacons operate in the same way.

Some of the early ones (and maybe some current ones) only transmit the GPS coordinates for the first few busts, others for only the first hour etc. Others including the KTI SA1G referenced earlier continue to keep the GPS engine powered up the entire time the 406 transmitter is operational.

This is something that never appears in the marketing and sales pitches. It pays to ask...

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by haiqu

As a matter of fact, 406MHz beacons also transmit on 121.5MHz for locating an emergency beacon by air at close range. By the time an aircraft reaches the GPS location it's highly likely that the yacht has moved so this is useful at the last stage of the emergency.

121.5MHz is an active frequency, but not monitored as a primary emergency channel.

It is worthwhile IMO to check the specs of the 121.5 transmitter. While all 406 transmitters operate at 5 watts, the 121.5 trnasmitters vary between manufacturers and countries.

For awhile, the FCC limited the 121.5 power to 25 mW but I see some USA units are now sold at 50 mW so presumably then has been a change of heart. I have seen some NZ units at 75 mW IIRC and 50 mW is common in Oz.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Guy

I don't feel "belligerent". I have an old model ELT that has batteries you can change yourself and it has a mic jack. I can talk to SAR. Great feature, I don't know why all elt's didn't have that. If you have ever looked for someone in the forest from a plane you would know. It should have been a requirement. I can only think they just wanted to find the wreck not the people.

Well perhaps "belligerent" is the wrong word.

Leaving aside you own feelings and the pros and cons of of voice coms with SAR, what word would you use to describe the situation where the whole world have switched to 406 beacons for land, sea and air SAR alerting except for the the general aviation private plane owners in the USA?

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Well perhaps "belligerent" is the wrong word.

Leaving aside you own feelings and the pros and cons of of voice coms with SAR, what word would you use to describe the situation where the whole world have switched to 406 beacons for land, sea and air SAR alerting except for the the general aviation private plane owners in the USA?

I thought it was obvious, we are Mericans.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Guy

I thought it was obvious, we are Mericans.

Duh


But doesn't that fly in the face of the CF "be nice" rule