Emergency position-indicating radiobeacon
The satellites calculate the position or utilize the GPS coordinates of the beacon and quickly passes the information to the appropriate local first responder organization, which performs the search and rescue.The feature distinguishing a modern EPIRB, often called GPIRB, from other types of emergency beacon is that it contains a GPS receiver and broadcasts its position, usually accurate within 100 m (330 ft), to facilitate location.It is an internationally regulated mobile radiocommunication service that aids search-and-rescue operations to detect and locate distressed watercraft, aircraft, and people.[3] The technology was later expanded to cover use on vessels at sea (EPIRB), individual persons (PLB), and starting in 2016, maritime survivor locating devices (MSLD).The signals are monitored worldwide and the location of the distress is detected by non-geostationary satellites using the Doppler effect for trilateration, and in more recent EPIRBs, also by GPS.[9] Loosely related devices, including search and rescue transponders (SART), AIS-SART, avalanche transceivers, and RECCO do not operate on 406 MHz, thus are covered in separate articles.COSPAS (КОСПАС) is an acronym for the Russian words "COsmicheskaya Sistema Poiska Avariynyh Sudov" (Космическая Система Поиска Аварийных Судов), which translates to "space system for the search of vessels in distress".The satellites communicate the beacon data to their ground stations, which forward it to main control centers of each nation that can initiate a rescue effort.Cospas Sarsat Monitoring include: A transmission is typically detected and processed in this manner: Once the satellite data is received, less than a minute is needed to forward them to any signatory nation.For example, the FAA requires that all pilots monitor 121.500 MHz whenever possible, and the USCG has a network of direction finder sites along the coastlines.The oldest, cheapest beacons are aircraft ELTs that send an anonymous warble on the aviation band distress frequency at 121.5 MHz.False alarms were common, as the beacon transmitted on the aviation emergency frequency, with interference from other electronic and electrical systems.The range and bearing are measured from the rate of change of the heard frequency, which varies both according to the path of the satellite in space and the rotation of the earth.Emergency beacons operating on 406 MHz transmit a unique 15-, 22-, or 30-character serial number called a hex code.For example, if a shipboard telephone number listed in the registration is unreachable, it could be assumed that a real distress event is occurring.The US Coast Guard routinely refers cases involving the nondistress activation of an EPIRB (e.g., as a hoax, through gross negligence, carelessness, or improper storage and handling) to the Federal Communications Commission.The FCC will prosecute cases based upon evidence provided by the Coast Guard, and will issue warning letters or notices of apparent liability for fines up to $10,000.[19] In Hong Kong, operations are supported by the Hong Kong Marine Department's[19] Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) In India, operations are supported by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)[19] and by the Indian Coast Guard's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Mumbai (MRCC) In China, operations are supported by the Maritime Safety Administration, Bureau of Harbour Superintendency.In the US, ELTs are required to be permanently installed in most general aviation aircraft, depending upon the type or location of operation.[34][35] Recent information indicates Transport Canada may permit private, general aviation flight with only an existing 121.5 MHz ELT if there is a placard visible to all passengers stating to the effect that the aircraft does not comply with international recommendations for the carriage of the 406 MHz emergency alerting device and is not detectable by satellites in the event of a crash.The frequency can be used by Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) radionavigation equipment, which is being phased out in favor of VOR and GPS but is still found on many aircraft.Numerous activities, such as aerobatics, hard landings, movement by ground crews and aircraft maintenances, can generate false alarms, which can interfere with and cannot be distinguished from genuine emergency transmissions.According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, ground testing of A-, B-, and S-type ELTs is to be done within the first 5 minutes of each hour.Most commercial off-shore working vessels with passengers are required to carry a self-deploying EPIRB, while most in-shore and fresh-water craft are not.Once deployed, EPIRBs can be activated, depending on the circumstances, either manually (crewman flicks a switch) or automatically (when water contacts the unit's "sea-switch".)Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) are designed for use by individuals who are hiking, kayaking, or conducting other activities on land or water where they are not in or associated with an aircraft or vessel that is equipped with its own ELT or EPIRB.The 406.025 MHz carrier signal is modulated plus or minus 1.1 radians with the data encoded using Manchester encoding, which ensures a net zero phase shift aiding Doppler location[57] Example hex codes look like the following: 90127B92922BC022FF103504422535[61] Distress beacons transmit distress signals on the following key frequencies; the frequency used distinguishes the capabilities of the beacon.Channel frequency (status)[64][65] In North America and Australasia (and most jurisdictions in Europe) no special license is required to operate an EPIRB.Some national administrations (including the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK) also require registration of 406 MHz beacons.Although sometimes defined in the same standards as the COSPAS-SARSAT beacons, MSLDs can not be detected by that satellite network, and are instead intended only for short-range Direction finding equipment mounted on the vessel on which the survivor was traveling.
PLB (disambiguation)Emergency locator beaconradio transmitterlocatesatellitesCOSPAS-SARSATfirst responderGPS receivermobile radiocommunication servicesearch-and-rescuedistressedaircraftNew South WalesNSW National Parks & Wildlife ServicehikersInternational Cospas-Sarsat Programmesatellitedistress signalgeostationary satellitesDoppler effecttrilaterationsearch and rescue transpondersAIS-SARTavalanche transceiversCold WaracronymGalileoNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationGOES-16Mission Control Centersrescue coordination centrelow Earth orbit121.5 MHzdistress frequencysatellite passDopplertriangulatesfast Fourier transformSoviet Uniontail numberICAO 24-bit addressInternational Maritime OrganizationInternational Civil Aviation OrganizationMaritime Operations CentreAir Force Rescue Coordination CenterCivil Air PatrolAlaska Air National GuardCoast GuardCanadian Coast GuardCanadian Forces Search and RescueRoyal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian NavyJoint Rescue Coordination Centre HalifaxMaritime Rescue Sub-Centre QuebecSt. Lawrence RiverGulf of St. LawrenceSaguenay RiverRichelieu RiverOttawa RiverCarillon Generating StationJoint Rescue Coordination Centre TrentonJoint Rescue Coordination Centre VictoriaMaritime Rescue Sub-Centre St. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorDepartment for TransportMaritime and Coastguard AgencyHong Kong Maritime Rescue Co-ordination CentreIndian Coast GuardMaritime Rescue Coordination Centre MumbaiNational Transportation Safety Boardcockpit voice recorderflight data recorderunderwater locator beaconWayback Machineimpact monitorsg-forceAutomatic Direction FinderaerobaticsFederal Aviation AdministrationUnited States Air ForceUltra ElectronicsFleet Air ArmRoyal Air ForceSaturday Evening PostHawthorne Nevada Airlines Flight 708Senator Peter Dominick (R-Colorado)Federal Aviation RegulationsHale BoggsNick BegichFederal Communications Commissionsurvival craft (lifeboat)survival suitMarine VHFInmarsat-EGlobal Maritime Distress and Safety Systemhydrostaticreed safety switchsubmarinessubmerged signal ejectorsShip Security Alert Systemhoming beaconGEOSARGLONASSregistrationhexadecimalManchester encodingLEOSARMEOSARfirmwarelatitudelongitudedistress signalssearch and rescuecarrier signalMarine VHF radioInmarsatNorth AmericaAustralasiaInternational Convention for the Safety of Life at SeaCFB TrentonAustralian Maritime Safety AuthorityUnited Kingdom Maritime and Coastguard AgencyHellenic Civil Aviation AuthorityDanish Maritime AuthorityCode of Federal RegulationsRadio Technical Commission for Aeronautics