1. S A R S A T P ersonal L ocator B eacons (PLBs)

2. COSPAS =Cosmicheskaya Systyema Poiska Aariynyich Sudov Which loosely translates into: “The Space System for the Search of Vessels in Distress” SARSAT =Search And Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking What is Cospas-Sarsat??? In short, Cospas-Sarsat takes the “search” out of Search & Rescue

4. Emergency Beacons Two types: 121.5/243 MHz and 406 MHz Three applications: - Emergency Position Indication Radio Beacons (EPIRB) - Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT) - Personal Locator Beacons (PLB)

5. Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) General Characteristics Small and lightweight Manually activated Watertight Contains transmitter, antenna, and battery. -GPS receiver (optional) Tested at international and national levels

6. Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) International (Cospas-Sarsat) Specifications Transmit at 406.028 MHz 5 W output Temperature range Storage: - 67F to + 158F (Class 1) Operating: - 40F to + 131F (Class 1) Storage: - 22F to + 158F (Class 2) Operating: - 4F to + 131F (Class 2) 24 hours duration

7. Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) National (RTCM) Specifications Floatation -Category 1: Must float in water -Category 2: Not required to float 121.5 MHz homing with Morse-code “P” identifier Self-test function

8. Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) Identification Information Encoded into beacon: -Manufacturer, model, serial number -Category -GPS position (optional) Registration database: -Owner, address, telephone -Application (e.g., hiking, canoeing) -Emergency points of contact -Additional information

9. Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) Performance As Demonstrated in Alaska (1995-2002) Cause of ActivationNumberPercent Distress Activation15485 Non-Distress Activation148 Undetermined127 Total Activation180100 Total Rescues: 226

10. Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) Alert Data Distribution Local User Terminal U.S. Mission Control Center Air Force RCC State SAR Authority PLB System Virtual Private Network Frame Relay Voice PLB Processor

11. FOR MORE INFO… NOAA/SARSAT E/SP3, Room 3320, FB4 5200 Auth Road Suitland, MD 20746 1-301-457-5678 Or 1-888-212-SAVE (7283) Fax: 1-301-457-5620 Visit Our Website! www.sarsat.noaa.gov Any Questions???