1. USCG/NOAA SARSAT CONFERENCE 2011 EPIRB’s How They Work

2. How the System Works 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

3. C/S 406 MHz Beacons COSPAS-SARSAT 406 MHz Beacons EPIRB Emergency Position Indicating Radio PLBPersonal Locator Beacon ELTEmergency Locator Beacon SSASShip Security Alert System 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

4. Types of Beacons EPIRB 406 MHz Automatic activation when out of bracket and wet. Floats up right able to transmit Strobe light Min 48 hour transmit Some GPS enabled Maritime Distress Beacon 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

5. 406 MHz VDR 406 MHz Voyage Data Recorder EPIRB with black box data recorder built in. Records last 12 hr “Black Box” data for ship. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

6. Types of Beacons PLB Manual activation Carried on persons May or may not float Held out of water to transmit NO Strobe light required Min 24 hour transmit Some GPS Enabled Distress Beacon for Personal Use (Land Rescue) 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

7. Types of Beacons ELT Operational Applications Automatic Fixed - AF Automatic Portable - AP Survival Equipment – S –Class A (buoyant) –Class B (non-buoyant) Automatic Deployable - AD 406 MHz ELTs 406/121.5 MHz 24 hr Transmitter “ON-OFF-ARMED- RESET” controls ELT activated by pilot, crash forces or water activated. Aviation Distress Beacon 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

8. Types of Beacons ELT Aviation Distress Beacon AD AF S Class A S Class B 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS AP

9. SSAS 406 MHz Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) All SOLAS vsls on international voyages. Two stealth switches for remote activation. Alert goes to Atlantic Area. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

10. SEND SATELLITE EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION DEVICES Operate over any satellite system except Cospas- Sarsat. Provide individuals in remote areas a means to alert others of an emergency situation and to aid search and rescue personnel to locate those in distress. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

11. C/S 406 MHz Beacon Operational Requirements Beacon 406 MHz Signal - 5 Watts Short bursts at approximately 50 second intervals (varies between 47.5 and 52.5 s), with a transmission time of 440 ms or 520 ms. Transmits in the 406.0 to 406.1 MHz band. Beacon Self Test 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

12. C/S 406 MHz Beacon Transmission Transmission consists: –Unmodulated carrier, for 160 ms, –Short synchronization signal, signal inverted for test, –Digital message that provides stored information (identification, nationality, type of user), –Optionally, current information like, type of emergency and estimated location. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

13. 15 Hex ID C/S Beacon identification, when decoded into its 15 character hexadecimal representation, which is the EPIRB’s unique identifier. A C/S Decode Program is available at: http://www.cospas- sarsat.org/index.php?option=com_beacon decode&task=showBeacon&Itemid=85&la ng=ennique identifier number. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

14. 15 HexID Bits 26 to 85 are converted from binary to hexadecimal. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

15. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

16. C/S Beacon Coding A Beacon Coding Guide is available at: http://www.cospassarsat.org/index.php?op =com_content&view=article&id=189&Itemi d=118&lang=en 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

17. Available C/S Beacon Message Protocols –EPIRB = 10 protocols –PLB = 4 protocols –ELT = 12 protocols –SSAS = 1 protocol 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

18. Country Codes MID or Country Codes are assigned by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). US Country Codes: 366 is the preferred US Code, but 303, 338, 358, 367, 368, 369, 536 and 559 are available. MID = Maritime Identification Code 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

19. Country Codes A full list of all the country codes is available to download at: http://www.morrazo.org/baleadous/documen tos/MMSI%20CODIGOS%20PAISES.pdf 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

20. C/S 406 MHz 406 Frequency Stability Frequency stability very important –C/S Beacon gets on frequency fast and is super stable 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

21. 406 MHz Detection Range with the USCG DF-430 Altitude (ft)Detection Range (nm) 25,000133 22,500129 20,000124 17,500119 15,000113 12,500106 10,00099 7,50088 5,00076 2,50057 1,50023 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

22. C/S Beacon Self Test Battery Voltage Check Full Circuitry Check Test Data burst GPS acquisition Test (Self Locating) Not required to check remaining power available in the battery. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

23. EPIRB C/S 406 MHz Maritime Satellite Emergency Position-Indicating RadioBeacon 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

24. EPIRB Operational Requirements Strobe Light Auxiliary Radio-Locating Device121.5 MHz, 25 mW, Warble, (US. and SOLAS requirement) Lanyard – 5 to 8 meters Battery – 48hrs of continuous operation Buoyancy and Stability – float upright Designed to prevent inadvertent activation 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

25. Types of Brackets Category 1 (Float Free) Automatic Release between 4 to 13 ft. EPIRB is transmitting when it gets to the surface Hydrostatic release needs replacement every two years. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

26. Type of Brackets Category 2 (Non Float Free) Manual Release Wet sense deactivation magnet No Bracket carriage requirement 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

27. Types of EPIRBs Class A & B 121.5MHz and 243 MHz only –Now illegal to use in the USA –No Satellite Detection 406 MHz and 121.5 EPIRB –Cat 1 and 2 brackets, Class 1 and 2 batteries 406 MHZ and 121.5 Self locating EPIRB –Cat 1 and 2 brackets, Class 1 and 2 batteries, GPS interface or internal GPS 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

28. Class 1 and 2 Batteries Operating –Class 1-40° to + 55° C –Class 2-20° to + 55° C Stowage –Class 1-50° to + 70° C –Class 2-30° to + 70° C 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

29. Lanyard 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS Lanyard: 5 to 8 meters Orange/yellow color Not rot/deteriorate

30. Battery Replacement Required at Expiration date or if EPIRB activated for any reason besides test. Expiration of battery = ½ Useful Life. Useful Life = power for all required testing + 48 hrs operation. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

31. EPIRB Operational Requirements Positive visual and/or audible indication that EPIRB is activated (strobe light flashing). Easily manually deployed, activate, and deactivated, and transferred to survival craft. Not be activated or deactivated by conditions encountered in maritime environment. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

32. EPIRB Control Ready – EPIRB will be ON in the water unless in its bracket. Sometimes labeled “OFF”. ON – EPIRB operates regardless of location or orientation. Unconditional “ON” position. (Requires two physical actions) Test – Self-test Function. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

33. Beacon Switches 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

34. EPIRB Switches 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

35. Prevention of Inadvertent Activation Must be fitted with means to prevent inadvertent activation and deactivation. Not automatically activate when water washes over while in bracket. Most EPIRBs use bracket with magnet to disable activation circuit. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

36. EPIRB Deactivation Remove beacon from water and dry off or replace in bracket Move switch to OFF or Ready position Remove cover and disconnect battery 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

37. EPIRB Activation How –By definition it transmits: out of bracket and wet, by manual switch, in or out of bracket, Or –Self test 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

38. EPIRB Activation What Happens; –Beacon starts transmitting its Unique Hex ID in a 406 MHz digital message, –121.5 MHz homer with an audible warble, –Strobe Light starts flashing. 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

39. EPIRB Control Functions Control PositionSatellite EPIRB Condition Satellite EPIRB/BRACKET Status Transmitter Status OnReadyWet*DryOutInOnOff X X X X X X XX X XX X X X XX XX X X XX X X X XX X X X X X 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

40. Brackets Brackets – Cat 1 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

41. Brackets 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS Brackets – Cat 1

42. Brackets Brackets - Cat 1 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

43. Brackets Brackets - Cat 1 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

44. Brackets Brackets - Cat 2 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

45. Brackets 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

46. Testing Bracket Magnet 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS A Compass provides simple detection on bracket magnet.

47. Bracket Water Testing 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS

48. Questions? Larry.T.Yarbrough@uscg.mil (305) 415 6868 8/9/2015L. Yarbrough/D7CFVS