Practical Sailor's gear and boat reviews take the guesswork out of your buying decisions.

Volume 29
Number 14
July 15, 2003

406 MHz EPIRBs

The ACR Global Fix 406 with internal GPS is the top pick, followed by the Pains Wessex SOS Precision. The NAT Satfind lacks an integral GPS, but has a user-changeable battery.

We took these three EPIRBs to the Coast Guard in Miami for testing. From left to right: The Pains Wessex SOS Precision 406, the NAT Satfind 406 Pro, and the ACR Global Fix 406.

For those who regularly venture far enough offshore to make a mayday broadcast via VHF questionable—and this isn't many miles for small boats outside line-of-sight range—a 406 MHz EPIRB should be given serious consideration as an additional safety device.

Since our last EPIRB evaluation nearly four years ago (October 15, 1999), much has changed. The most significant difference has been big price drops. Our top pick in 1999 was an NAT unit with a street price of about $2,000. Today, a unit with the same capabilities sells for half that. …

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