On another topic (deep into it) was a notation that the 121.5 EPIRB's
are being phased out. The url did not work for me, so I went to the
Coast Guard site and found this press release:

BOATERS MUST NOT OPERATE 121.5/243 MHZ EPIRBs AFTER 31 DECEMBER 2006

WASHINGTON - The Coast Guard reminds 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, 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:
http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov/ or by calling 1-888-212-SAVE.
Other users can register their beacon in their country's national
beacon registration database or, if no national database is available,
in the International Beacon Registration Database at
https://www.406registration.com/.

The United States Coast Guard is the lead agency for coordinating
national maritime search and rescue policy and is responsible for
providing search and rescue services on, under and over assigned
international waters and waters subject to United States jurisdiction.

For further information, check out:
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-o/g-opr/epirbcomp.htm. Small wonder the 121.5
units are going so cheap.

Steve