ACR Electronics TerraFix 406 GPS I PLB Product Support Manual

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Contents

Y1-03-0174 Rev. A Draft52.3 GPS Testing2.3.1 GPS O (Onboard) Test (P/N 2798.4 only)Warning: To conserve battery power the following test should not be performed more thanonce during the five-year life of the battery pack!The TerraFix™ 406 GPS is fitted with an internal Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver thatwill determine the navigational coordinates, latitude and longitude of its position on the globe. Totest the internal GPS you must be outdoors and have a clear view of the sky. The beacon mustremain under observation to witness the results of the test. When the GPS I/O button is pressedfor greater than 5 seconds the buzzer will beep and the red LED will light simultaneously. Afterapproximately 5 seconds, the green LED appears indicating that the GPS has been turned ON and alive test of the internal GPS has begun. The GPS will remain ON until good navigation data has beenobtained or until 10 minutes has elapsed. If good navigation data has been obtained, the GPS will beturned OFF and the green LED will light for at least 3 seconds. This navigation data is not saved foruse when the beacon is turned ON. The green LED is proof that the GPS is functioning properly andthat the beacon is in a location or environment where it can receive the necessary signals fromsatellites. If the GPS does not acquire good navigation data, the GPS will turn OFF after 10 minutesand there will be no successful green LED indication. This test should not be performed more thanonce during the five-year life of the battery pack to prevent excessive current drain..2.3.2 Preload external GPS I (Interface)The TerraFix™ 406 GPS PLB (P/N 2798.2 and 2798.4) can interface with a handheld GPS receiverto provide your LAT/LON to SAR forces and narrow your search area to 110 yards (100 meters).The beacon can accept NMEA 0183 version 1.5 and above GPS Data (format GPGGA sentence)through its infra-red interface. The beacon can be forced to update its GPS data by pressing the GPSI or GPS I/O button for 1/2 second and not longer than 5 seconds. The TerraFix PLB will hold thelast GPS coordinates in memory for 4 hours before returning to the default. Upon activation, yourGPS data will be transmitted to the GEOSAR satellite on the very first burst. TerraFix 406 PLB willinterface with most GPS receivers, if you are not sure if your receiver is NMEA 0183 compliantplease check the interface settings listed in your GPS manual or you may check our website atwww.acrelectronics.com for a list of GPS receivers that will interface with your PLB.Maximum 500 preloads during the life of the battery.2.4 TerraFix™ 406 GPS PLB Emergency Activation2.4.1 ActivationTo activate your PLB in an emergency situation, unfasten the antenna from the holster and move itinto a vertical position (See figure 1). Next lift the holster cover revealing the PLB keypad. Depressthe “self-test and GPS I or GPS I/O buttons simultaneously for more than 1/2 second and less than 5seconds. Your PLB is now activated. While transmitting your emergency signal, the red LED willflash once every 2 seconds allowing you to see that your beacon is activated. If GPS data is present