ACR Electronics GLOBALFIX 406 EPIRB WITH INTEGRAL GPS Product Support Manual

Also see for 406 EPIRB, NOAA: Manual

Contents

Y1-03-0157 Rev. F95.4 Shore Based Maintenance (SBM) for SOLAS Vessels , IMO Circ. 1040The Maritime Safety Committee approved guidelines for shore-based maintenance of satellite EPIRBs, for thepurpose of establishing standardized procedures and minimum levels of service for the testing andmaintenance of satellite EPIRBs. MSC/Circ. 1039. First Shore Based Maintenance on all ACR EPIRBs is dueat the date of the first battery replacement. See our website at www. acrelectronics.com for more information.5.5 Annual Testing IMO Circ. 1039SOLAS regulation IV/15.9 dictates annual testing of 406 MHz satellite EPIRBs. Testing should be carried outusing suitable test equipment capable of performing the relevant measurements. All checks of electricalparameters should be performed in the self-test mode, if possible. See our website at www.acrelectronics.com for more informationSECTION 6 – THE SEARCH AND RESCUE SYSTEM6.1 General OverviewBeacons provide distress alerts via radio transmission on 406 MHz to the LEOSAR satellites of the COSPAS-SARSAT network. The GlobalFix™ can also transmit a distress alert to the GEOSAR network that includesGPS latitude and longitude coordinates that are acquired by the internal GPS.The message transmitted is unique for each beacon, which provides identification of the transmitter throughcomputer access of registration files maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration orother national authority. Remember, if your beacon is not registered, Search and Rescue (SAR) authoritiesdo not know who you are, or how to contact anyone who might know anything about your situation (Refer tosection 1).Once the 406 MHz signal is relayed through the LEOSAR and/or GEOSAR network, SAR forces determinewho is closest, and then proceed to the beacon using the 121.5 MHz homing frequency.6.2 Satellite DetectionEPIRBs transmit to the satellite portion of the COSPAS-SARSAT system. COSPAS-SARSAT is aninternational system that uses Russian Federation and United States low altitude, near-polar orbiting satellites(LEOSAR) that assist in detecting and locating activated 406 MHz satellite beacons.COSPAS and SARSAT satellites receive distress signals from EPIRBs transmitting on the frequency of 406MHz. The COSPAS-SARSAT 406 MHz beacon signal consists of a transmission of non-modulated carriersfollowed by a digital message format that provides identification data. The 406 MHz system uses Satellite-borne equipment to measure and store the Doppler-shifted frequency along with the beacons digital datamessage and time of measurement. This information is transmitted in real time to an earth station called theLocal User Terminal (LUT), which may be within the view of the satellite, as well as being stored for latertransmission to other LUTs.The LUT processes the Doppler-shifted signal from the LEOSAR and determines the location of the beacon;then the LUT relays the position of the distress to a Mission Control Center (MCC) where the distress alert andlocation information is immediately forwarded to an appropriate Rescue Coordination Center (RCC). The RCCdispatches Search and Rescue (SAR) forces.The addition of the GEOSAR satellite system greatly improves the reaction time for a SAR event. This satellitesystem has no Doppler capabilities at 406 MHz, but will relay the distress alert to any of the LUT stations.When there is GPS data included in the distress message, SAR authorities instantly know your location towithin 110 yards (100 m). This speeds up the reaction time by not having to wait for one of the LEOSARsatellite to pass overhead. Because most of the search and rescue forces presently are not equipped to homein on the 406 MHz Satellite beacons signal, homing must be accomplished at 121.5 MHz.6.3 Global Positioning System (GPS)The GPS system is a satellite group that enables a GPS receiver to determine its exact position to within 30 m(100 ft.) anywhere on earth. With a minimum of 24 GPS satellites orbiting the earth at an altitude ofapproximately 11,000 miles they provide users with accurate information on position, velocity, and timeanywhere in the world and in all weather conditions. The GlobalFix™ stores this data into its distresstransmission allowing search and rescue forces to narrow the search into a very small area and thus minimizethe resources required and dramatically increases the effectiveness of the overall operation.