2 points of information for boaters and pilots

1. The use of *CG as an emergency access to the Coast Guard is being
discontinued. Cell phone users needing CG assistance should dial 911.

2. After January 1, 2007, the use of 121.5 MHz ELT's will be ILLEGAL.
ELT's should be replaced with the 406 MHz EPIRB's

Source: "On Scene", the Journal of USCG Search and Rescue, Fall, 2006

wf3h wrote:
2 points of information for boaters and pilots

1. The use of *CG as an emergency access to the Coast Guard is being
discontinued. Cell phone users needing CG assistance should dial 911.


While it's always best to have a number of ways to communicate with an
emergency service, discontinuing *CG from cell phones may actually make
a lot of people safer on the water. We'll never know how many people
who really should have purchased a VHF for their boat didn't do so
because *CG seems to imply that the Coast Guard recommends cell phones
as a primary means for emergency communication.

wf3h wrote:
2. After January 1, 2007, the use of 121.5 MHz ELT's will be ILLEGAL.
ELT's should be replaced with the 406 MHz EPIRB's


Illegal, as in how? if you used the 121.5 MHz ELT would there somehow
be a fine imposed?

how does that work?

Tim wrote:
wf3h wrote:
2. After January 1, 2007, the use of 121.5 MHz ELT's will be ILLEGAL.
ELT's should be replaced with the 406 MHz EPIRB's


Illegal, as in how? if you used the 121.5 MHz ELT would there somehow
be a fine imposed?

how does that work?

actually no one's gonna complain if an actual emergency is indicated by
an ELT...BUT only 1/8 of all ELT signals turn out to be
emergencies....after 1/1/07 if one of those is triggered and the source
is identified, there could be a fine.

I am curious :

- how an ELT could be used on a boat ? (ELT for planes and EPIRB for boats)

- The use of 121.5 Mhz is still legal for general aviation, however it
won't be monitored after february 2007.

406 digital signal are hundred's time more efficient than 121.5Mhz, in
terms of identification, and localization.

A good alternative to ELT & EPIRB could be Personal Locator Beacons linked
to the person, not the ship/boat.

Cheers,

Rémy

F5LRR


Le Thu, 23 Nov 2006 05:48:07 +0100, wf3h a écrit:


Tim wrote:
wf3h wrote:
2. After January 1, 2007, the use of 121.5 MHz ELT's will be ILLEGAL.
ELT's should be replaced with the 406 MHz EPIRB's


Illegal, as in how? if you used the 121.5 MHz ELT would there somehow
be a fine imposed?

how does that work?

actually no one's gonna complain if an actual emergency is indicated by
an ELT...BUT only 1/8 of all ELT signals turn out to be
emergencies....after 1/1/07 if one of those is triggered and the source
is identified, there could be a fine.

Remy wrote:
I am curious :

- how an ELT could be used on a boat ? (ELT for planes and EPIRB for boats)

- The use of 121.5 Mhz is still legal for general aviation, however it
won't be monitored after february 2007.

406 digital signal are hundred's time more efficient than 121.5Mhz, in
terms of identification, and localization.

A good alternative to ELT & EPIRB could be Personal Locator Beacons linked
to the person, not the ship/boat.

Cheers,

Rémy


Personal Locator Beacons would be a good idea. Is there (affordable)
technology available so that signals from such beacons could be
received in the pilothouse or cockpit? It might make be an additional
tool that could make it a lot easier to recover a MOB in dark or stormy
conditions. If a MOB has to wait very long for government rescue in
cold water, it's sad fact that a personal beacon would simply make it
easier to find the body.

The first affordable technology is a receiver on 121.5Mhz, cause the PLB
transmits on both alert frequencies : 406 Mhz with digital signal with
informations on the bearer, and 121.5 Mhz for homming.

So a receiver and/or a direction finder (gonio) kit which includes the
receiver and a directional antenna for better pointing.

If the MOB has a Flashing stobe light is facilitating the spotting.

Regards,

Rémy

Le Mon, 27 Nov 2006 18:26:48 +0100, Chuck Gould
a écrit:


Remy wrote:
I am curious :

- how an ELT could be used on a boat ? (ELT for planes and EPIRB for
boats)

- The use of 121.5 Mhz is still legal for general aviation, however it
won't be monitored after february 2007.

406 digital signal are hundred's time more efficient than 121.5Mhz, in
terms of identification, and localization.

A good alternative to ELT & EPIRB could be Personal Locator Beacons
linked
to the person, not the ship/boat.

Cheers,

Rémy


Personal Locator Beacons would be a good idea. Is there (affordable)
technology available so that signals from such beacons could be
received in the pilothouse or cockpit? It might make be an additional
tool that could make it a lot easier to recover a MOB in dark or stormy
conditions. If a MOB has to wait very long for government rescue in
cold water, it's sad fact that a personal beacon would simply make it
easier to find the body.