Personal EPIRBs

S A R S A T
 Overview
- SARSAT 101
Beacons
Ground Stations (LUTs)
Mission Control Centers (MCCs)
Rescue Coordinations Centers (RCCs)
121.5 MHz Phaseout, Carriage Reqs, The Future
The Bottom Line
- The FastFind Plus PEPIRB
- Ok, Now What Do We Do With It?
Registration
Lets Avoid Calling the Coasties
Use of Direction Finders
Q&A
 What is Cospas-Sarsat???

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

In short, Cospas-Sarsat takes the search out of

Search & Rescue
 Emergency Beacons

Two types: 121.5/243 MHz and 406

MHz
Three applications:
- Emergency Position Indication
Radio Beacons (EPIRB)
for Maritime Uses
- Emergency Locator Transmitters
(ELT) for Aviation
Uses
- Personal Locator Beacons (PLB)
for Remote Area Recreational
Uses - NOW AVAILABLE!!!
 121.5 MHz Beacons
Older technology
Not designed for satellite processing (no
store & forward capability)
Analog signal only = no identification code
Does not have global coverage!
Low power ( < 1 watt)
Less rigid standards
Poor location accuracy = Usually no better
than 12 miles
USMCC handles 250-400 hits per day.
99.9% are false!!
- Only 1 in 8 alerts come from beacons.
The rest are ATM machines, pizza ovens,
and the University of Arkansas Scoreboard!
- High false alert rate makes first-alert
launch unfeasible
121.5/243 MHz Coverage Holes
 243 MHz Beacons
Similar to 121.5 MHz beacons
Primarily used by the military
Many existing 121.5 MHz also transmit on 243 MHz
 406 MHz Beacons
Newer technology
Designed for satellite
processing (store & forward)
Global coverage
Digital signal
Increased power (5 watt)
Unique Identification
Rigid specifications
More Accurate = 2 - 3 mile
location accuracy.
Even better with integral GPS
units = 100 meter accuracy!
 Beacons with Navigation (GPS) Input
Improved location accuracy 406 MHz with GPS
Instantaneous detection AND
location!
406 MHz
121.5 MHz

Search Time =
Minimal

Search Time = 2 - 3 hours

Search Time = 12+ hours

 Cospas-Sarsat Space Segment
2 Types of Satellites:
Low Earth Orbiting Search
And Rescue (LEOSAR)
(8) Satellites in Orbit:
- COSPAS 4, 9, 10
- SARSAT 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
Geostationary Orbiting
Search And Rescue
(GEOSAR)
(4) Satellites in Orbit:
- GOES 8 (West)
- GOES 10 (East)
- INSAT 3A
- MSG
 LEO
Satellite

406 MHz beacon detections

can be stored on board the
satellite and re-broadcast later

LUT

121.5/243 MHz
Beacon

Detection of a 121.5/243 MHz

beacon requires mutual LEO
Satellite
visibility between beacon, LUT

satellite and ground station

(LUT)

406 MHz
Beacon
Local Mode (Bent Pipe) Operations
Global Mode (Store & Forward) Operations
 Cospas-Sarsat Ground Stations

LEOSAR Local User Terminals

(LEOLUT)
Track COSPAS and SARSAT
satellites
Recover beacon signals
Perform error checking
Perform Doppler processing
Send alert to Mission Control
Center
42 LEOLUT Locations Worldwide
 United States LEOLUTs

California
Guam

Maryland

(Deployable LUT)

Texas
Hawaii Alaska
Florida
 GEOSAR Local User Terminals
(GEOLUT)

Track GOES and INSAT

satellites
Recover beacon signals
Perform error checking
Send alert to Mission Control
Center
 9 GEOLUT Locations Worldwide

Combe Martin- UK
Trenton - Canada
Toulouse - France

Bangalore- India
Maspalomas- Spain

Brasilia- Brazil

Santiago- Chile
Eizeiza Argentina Wellington New Zealand

GOES-W GOES-E MSG INSAT-3A

(135W) (75W) (0) (95.5E)
 Mission Control Centers (MCC)

Receive alerts from national LUTs and foreign MCCs.

Validate, match and merge alerts to improve location accuracy and
determine the correct destination.
Query 406 MHz Registration Database and transmit registration info
with distress alert.
Transmit alerts to Rescue Coordination Centers (RCCs) and SAR Points
of Contact (SPOC) and filter redundant data.
All USMCC functions are handled automaticallyno manual
intervention.
24 x 7 x 365 operational center
Mission Control Centers
(MCC) 24 Locations

Activity
Handle 250-400 121.5/243 alerts/day
Handle 15-20 406 MHz alerts/day
Transmit 1200 messages/day
Schedule and ingest data from
500 satellite passes/day
The United States
Mission Control Center
Suitland, MD
Register 50 new beacons/day
Update 60 beacon registrations/day
Confirm 300 beacon registrations/week
Enter 35 incident feedback reports/day
 - Receive SARSAT Distress Alerts from the USMCC

- Coordinate the Rescue Response

U.S. Coast Guard U.S. Air Force

* Responsible for all Maritime Alerts * * Responsible for all Inland Alerts *
North America Rescue Coordination Centers & their Areas of Responsibility (AORs)

AKRCC
ELMENDORF

RCC
CLEVELAND
RCC
TRENTON RCC
RCC HALIFAX
RCC
VICTORIA
JUNEAU
RCC RCC
SEATTLE BOSTON
AFRCC
LANGLEY
RCC RCC
RCC
HONOLULU NORFOLK
ALAMEDA
(CG / PACOM)
RCC
MIAMI

RCC RSC
NEW ORLEANS SAN JUAN

COLOR KEY: USCG RCCs U.S. DOD RCCs CANADIAN RCCs

 United States
Cospas-Sarsat Program Administration

Inland Maritime Research & System

SAR SAR Development Operation

Representative to
Cospas-Sarsat
Program
 Organizational Structure
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA)

National Environmental Satellite,

Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)

Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution

(OSDPD)

Direct Services Division

(DSD)

SARSAT Program Office &

the U.S. Mission Control Center (USMCC)
Suitland Federal Center, Suitland MD
 National Search And Rescue Committee

DOC DOI

Inland SAR Lead

Research and Development
(USAF & DPMO)
NASA
DOD

DHS
 International Organization

Initially developed under interagency Memorandum of

Agreement signed in 1979
International Cospas-Sarsat Programme Agreement signed on
July 1, 1988 among the governments of Canada, France, the
former U.S.S.R and the United States
Association with Programme allows States to contribute
towards the ground segment or participate in international
Cospas-Sarsat meetings
Goals of Cospas-Sarsat are to support SAR objectives of ICAO
and IMO. Therefore, C-S maintains a close partnership with
these U.N. agencies and the ITU
International Maritime Organization
UN specialized agency responsible for improving
maritime safety (Mandates use of emergency beacons)

International Civil Aviation Organization

UN specialized agency responsible for aviation matters
and improving civil aviation safety (Mandates use of 406
MHz beacons)

International Telecommunications Union

UN specialized agency responsible for coordinating global
telecommunications (406 MHz beacon specifications)
35 Member Nations & 2 SAR Organizations Officially Participate in
Cospas-Sarsat
 Member Nations

Algeria Argentina Australia

Brazil Canada Chile
China (P.R. of) Denmark France
Germany Greece India
Indonesia Italy Japan
Korea (Rep. of) Madagascar Netherlands (The)
New Zealand Nigeria Norway
Pakistan Peru Russia
Saudi Arabia Singapore South Africa
Spain Sweden Switzerland
Thailand Tunisia United Kingdom
Vietnam USA

Participating Organizations

The International Telecommunication Development Corporation (ITDC)

The Marine Department of Hong Kong, China
*** 121.5/243 MHz PHASE-OUT DECISION ***

International Cospas-Sarsat Council (in conjuction with IMO/ICAO)

announces the Termination of 121.5 MHz Satellite Alerting on
01 February 2009 at its 25th General Session (October 2000)
 *** 121.5/243 MHz PHASE-OUT DECISION ***

Again, here are the reasons why this decision was made:

Coverage Global vs Local

False Alerts

Identification

Accuracy

Alerting

So, what does this mean to you

and that old 121.5 MHz EPIRB of yours???...
 it becomes illegal for use on Jan 1st, 2007!!!
This is a new regulation under the recently issued
FCC Title 47, Part 80 rules (August, 2003)
Can no longer purchase a 121.5 MHz EPIRB as of Feb 1st, 2003

FCC/USCG 406 MHz Vessel Carriage Requirements

All vessels 300 gross tons or greater (SOLAS)
Vessels engaged in transporting 6 or more persons
*** In the U.S. all Commerical Fishing Vessels ***
All vessels in Hawaiian waters operating beyond 1 nmi of
shore shall carry a 406 MHz EPIRB or DSC-VHF Radio
(State legislature passed law in May, 2003. Effective Jan 1st, 2004)
The Future of Cospas-Sarsat
The Distress Alerting Satellite System
406 MHz bent-pipe repeaters on future GPS satellites
Full compatibility with existing + future 406 MHz
beacons
Continued global detection and location:
Greater than current Cospas-Sarsat accuracy
Alert data downlink will continue to be freely available
internationally
Possible two-way return link

GPS Satellite
 The Bottom Line
Since 1982 over 15,000 lives
rescued via Cospas-Sarsat!
Nearly 5,000 in U.S. AORs alone!
2002 COSPAS-SARSAT Rescues
1,545 persons rescued in 365 SAR
events worldwide
- 1341 maritime rescues in 239 SAR events
- 83 aviation rescues in 47 SAR events
- 121 land rescues in 79 SAR events
2002 U.S. SARSAT Rescues
171 persons rescued in 69 SAR
events nationwide
- 133 maritime rescues in 64 SAR events
- 11 aviation rescues in 5 SAR events
- 27 land rescues in 18 SAR events
 The Bottom Line
Worldwide Distribution of C-S Aided Rescues in 2002
 The McMurdo/Pains-Wessex
FastFind Plus Personal EPIRB (PEPIRB)
General Specs
Only personal beacon currently on the market with
integral GPS

406 MHz transmitter (and all the advantages therein)

121.5 MHz homing frequency (important!)

Coded as an EPIRB and not a PLB (only USCG & NOAA)

Alert time to USMCC within 3 minutes

Positional accuracy to 100 feet (best case)
Positional updates every 20 minutes

User replaceable lanyard attachment

 The McMurdo/Pains-Wessex
FastFind Plus Personal EPIRB (PEPIRB)
General Specs

User replaceable battery packs (Class 1 & Class 2)

24-hour battery at Class 1 or Class 2 temps
Temperatures:
Storage: -67F to + 158F (Class 1)
Operating: -40F to + 131F (Class 1)
Storage: -22F to + 158F (Class 2)
Operating: -4F to + 131F (Class 2)

Flotation:
Category 1: Must float in water
Category 2: Not required to float
Note: FastFind Plus with Class 1 battery does not float!
 Avoid Calling the Coasties
know how to use your PEPIRB

1) Read the Manual & Get Familiar

With Your PEPIRB

2) Conduct One Self-Test Before

An Outing Or Once x Month

3) Replace the Battery ~5 Years

4) Avoid Placing Where It Can Be

Damaged Which May Activate It
 Avoid Calling the Coasties
know WHEN to use your PEPIRB
In Situations Of Grave & Imminent Danger
Where No Other Means of Communication Exist

How To Operate:
Pull the red tab
Antenna will automatically deploy
Push start button
Ensure PEPIRB has clear view of sky
Keep antenna & antenna well as dry as possible
 What to do if your PEPIRB
is accidentally activated

1) Shut It Off, Einstein! (50-second oops factor built-in)

2) Call the nearest Coast Guard Station and inform them

of accidental activation. Give them your name, vessel name,
time of activation (or best guess), etc.

3) Contact McMurdo/Pains-Wessex to reset the PEPIRB and to

replace the battery
 Direction Finders (DFers)

Used For Terrestrial

Location

Works with all Beacons

due to 121.5 MHz homers

Provides MOB capability

Can be used with 121.65 MHz

training beacons

Hand Held Models Fix-Mount Models

ACRs Vecta-2 Becker, McMurdo, etc
 Additional Man Over Board (MOB) &
Diver Locating Devices for use with DFers

McMurdo Guardian McMurdo PEPIRB

Wristwatch Dive Canister
121.5 MHz Only Depth to ~500 feet
Depth to ~150 feet ACR DiveResQ
8 hour battery 121.5 MHz Only
Not detectable by sats Depth to ~200 feet
24 hour battery
Retractable antenna extends above water line