ACR Electronics GLOBALFIX iPRO RLB-36 Product Support Manual

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Contents

Y1-03-0233 Rev. F 6STEP TWO - HOW THE BEACON WORKS1. How your beacon brings help406 MHz beacons are a type of portable emergency equipment thattransmits a distress signal to search and rescue (SAR) organizations.The purpose of these beacons is to aid SAR teams in tracking andlocating ships or individuals in jeopardy as rapidly as possible.The 406 MHz frequency is a worldwide dedicated emergency frequencythat is detected by a special system of satellites called the Cospas-Sarsat system. This satellite system was established by, and continuesto be supported by, its primary benefactors - the USA, Russia, Canadaand France. The Cospas-Sarsat system has saved over 23,500 lives -and counting - since its inception. See Appendix G or the Cospas-Sarsatwebsite for more information about the system at www.cospas-sarsat.org.When a 406 MHz beacon is activated, the digital distress message issent to Cospas-Sarsat satellites and, in turn, the distress message isrelayed to SAR. The distress message contains important informationabout the beacon and its owner. Additional information about the beaconis accessed by SAR from the beacon registration database. At the sametime the 406 MHz signal is activated, a 121.5 MHz signal is turned on.The 121.5 MHz signal is used by SAR to home in on the beacon as theyapproach it.The 406 MHz signal is detected by multiple satellites and from thatinformation the location of the beacon can be calculated. This data aloneis sufficient for SAR to find persons or ships in distress in a reasonabletimeframe. However, as a further enhancement, some beacons have aGPS engine onboard. This feature allows the beacon to acquire currentlocation coordinates from an internal GPS receiver or downloadcoordinates from an external GPS receiver. The coordinates are addedto the ID of the unit, which is transmitted with the 406 signal. Thisenables the SAR authorities to locate the beacon to an accuracy of 110yards (100 m).