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

Volume 29
Number 23
December 2003

Personal Locator Beacons

Personal locator beacons, or PLBs, provide the benefits of 406 MHz distress signaling, but at a more affordable price. And unlike an EPIRB, they’re small enough to attach to a life jacket.

From left to right: ACR Electronics GyPSI 406 PLB, SERPE-IESM KANNAD 406 XS-2, McMurdo Pains Wessex FastFind Plus, and Wireless Concepts MicroPLB.

by Doug Ritter

The advantages of 406 MHz distress alerting over 121.5 MHz are significant and they are a proven lifesaver. The 121.5 MHz EPIRB is being aggressively phased out. Satellite alerting from 121.5 MHz EPIRBs will end in 2009, but the Coast Guard is trying to hurry things along even quicker. The CG has proposed to the FCC that certification of new class A, B and S (121.5 MHz) EPIRBs cease, and that by the end of 2006 the operation of these 121.5 EPIRBs cease; in other words, be declared illegal. …

Subscriber Login
Purchase selection, or begin your FREE 14-day trial subscription to practical-sailor.com.
Click Here to download Adobe Acrobat

Say Yes to 14 Days FREE of Practical Sailor

Subscribe NOW and get instant access and all the benefits of Practical Sailor online FREE for 14 days!

Email:

First Name:

Last Name:

Address 1:

Address 2:

City:

State Zip: