Why 121.5MHz Doesn’t Work Any More
GPS Tracking News NewsPublished March 16, 2009 at 7:00 am No CommentsBy Greg Bartlett
If you are a boater that routinely takes your craft offshore, you in all likelihood already know how important an EPIRB is for your safety. What you may not know is that the older analog units that operated on 121.5 MHz aren’t being monitored by satellite anymore.
As of 01 February 2009 the 121.5 MHz frequency is no longer monitored by satellite. The amount of false signals that were generated by these units along with the advanced digital technology of the 406 MHz units currently available caused the 121.5 MHz units to become obsolete.
If you are a boater and have one of the older EPIRB units, you need to replace it immediately. You have grown to know and appreciate the safety that your EPIRB provides you. The knowledge that should you be capsized by a rogue wave, suffer engine failure or strike an object in the water is less worrisome since help is readily available to you through your EPRIB.
The new 406 MHz EPIRB units on the market today should be registered when they are acquired. There is no charge for the registration for these units. When the unit is registered, data includes name address phone number, vessel type and an on shore contact. The state of the art 406 MHz units also contain GPS tracking data in their signal when they are activated. This GPS data aids SAR teams to narrow down the area to be searched. Also included in many of these modern units is a low power 121.5 MHz transmitter, which aids in location by SAR teams who use radio triangulation to precisely determine the location of the EPRIB.
If you are a boater who has grown accustomed to the knowledge that you have an EPIRB on your boat, you need to upgrade your EPIRB to a 406 MHz unit. While the 121.5 MHz signals from the older EPIRB units is no longer monitored by satellite, land based and aircraft will continue to monitor for those signals. You got your EPIRB for a reason. That reason was the safety of both yourself and those on your boat. To insure complete safety should a mishap happen, it’s time to upgrade your EPIRB unit to a new modern, state of the art 406 MHz unit.
