ACR Electronics ResQLink PLB-400 Product User Manual

Also see for ResQLink: Specification Instruction manual

Contents

ACR Electronics ResQLink PLB-400 Product User Manual Manual pdf 7 page image

Y1-03-0343 Rev. A Company Confidential7Anatomy of a RescueHow the Beacon WorksHow your beacon summons help:406 MHz beacons are a type of portableemergency equipment that transmits a distresssignal to search and rescue (SAR)organizations. The purpose of these beacons isto aid SAR teams in tracking and locating shipsor individuals in jeopardy as rapidly as possible.The 406 MHz frequency is a worldwidededicated emergency frequency that is detectedby a network of satellites called the Cospas-Sarsat system. This satellite system wasestablished by, and continues to be supportedby, its primary benefactors – the USA, Russia,Canada and France. The Cospas-Sarsat systemhas saved tens of thousands of lives, andcounting, since its inception.When a 406 MHz beacon is activated, thedigital distress message is sent to Cospas-Sarsat satellites and, in turn, the distressmessage is relayed to SAR forces via a RescueCoordination Centre (RCC). The distressmessage contains the beacon UIN and on some models, the GPS location of the beacon.Additional information about the beacon is accessed by SAR forces from the beacon registrationdatabase. At the same time the 406 MHz signal is activated, a 121.5 MHz signal is turned on.The 121.5 MHz signal is used by SAR forces to home in on the beacon as they approach it.The 406 MHz signal is detected by multiple satellites and from that information the location ofthe beacon can be calculated. This data alone is sufficient for SAR to find persons or ships indistress in a reasonable timeframe. However, as a further enhancement, some beacons have aGPS engine on board (all ACR PLB’s currently manufactured include a GPS engine on board).This feature allows the beacon to acquire current location coordinates from an internal GPSreceiver. The purpose of this feature is the send an even more precise location of the beacon tothe satellites (i.e., latitude and longitude data). This helps SAR to reach the location evenfaster.Learn more about the Cospas-Sarsatsatellite system: www.cospas-sarsat.org