Boaters Must Not Operate 121.5/243 MHZ Emergency
Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) after December 31, 2006
WASHINGTON - The Coast Guard Auxiliary is joining with
the United States Coast Guard to remind all boaters that beginning
January 1, 2007, both 121.5 and 243 MHz Emergency Position Indicating
Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) are prohibited from use in both commercial and
recreational watercraft. Boaters wishing to have an emergency
rescue beacon aboard their vessel must have a digital 406 MHz model.
The January 1, 2007 date to stop using 121.5 MHz
EPIRBs is in preparation for February 1, 2009, when satellite processing
of distress signals from all 121.5/243 MHz beacons will terminate.
Following this termination date, only the 406 MHz beacons will be
detected by the International Cospas-Sarsat Satellite System which
provides distress alert and location data for search and rescue
operations around the world.
The regulation applies to all Class A, B, and S
121.5/243 MHz EPIRBs. It does not affect 121.5/243 MHz man
overboard devices which are designed to work directly with a base
alerting unit only and not with the satellite system.
This change, in large part, was brought about by the
unreliability of the 121.5/243 MHz beacons in an emergency situation.
Data reveals that with a 121.5 MHz beacon, only one alert out of every
50 is a genuine distress situation. This has a significant effect
on expending the limited resources of search and rescue personnel and
platforms. With 406 MHz beacons, false alerts have been reduced
significantly, and, when properly registered, can usually be resolved
with a telephone call to the beacon owner.
Consequently, real alerts can receive the attention
they deserve. When a 406 MHz beacon signal is received, search and
rescue personnel can retrieve information from a registration database.
This includes the beacon owner's contact information, emergency contact
information, and vessel/aircraft identifying characteristics.
Having this information allows the Coast Guard and Coast Guard
Auxiliary, or other rescue personnel, to respond appropriately.
In the U.S., users are required by law to directly
register their beacon in the U.S. 406 MHz Beacon Registration Database
at:
