Dan Grenier lost at sea.

[Scubaroo]

Boat needs a receiver. My understanding from the last few days of looking into these things is that it is a pretty standard thing for SAR vessels/aircraft to be listening for though, so it would be better than nothing. Actually looking into that exact same model, and just found out from the local distributor of Sea Marshall that Australia is one of the few places where that model is not "approved for sale". The Aussie distributor is still trying to get them approved - probably an Australian Standards issue (which can be pretty strict at times).

If you're taking one, let the boat/resort know you have them so that should anything happen, they can use it as a tool in any search.

 

[grahamsp]

I am headed to Palau in about a year and a half. I found this of interest: http://www.seamarshall-us.com/diver.html Sounds like pretty cheap insurance. Would any boat be able to pick up the transponder signal or would it have to be a search and rescue vehicle with a specialized receiver?

The Sea Marshall PLB is essentially a homing device for commercial vessels and aircraft, all of which I believe have the capability to DF the transmitter. The capabilities of private vessels to do the same probably varies with jurisdiction and personal preference as to radio fitout. Clearly not all will have a radio DF capability. What the Sea Marshall does not appear to have is the additional 243 MHz distress frequency nor does it claim any capability for detection and location by the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system. This I assume is a function of limited transmitter power as my 121.5/243 MHz EPIRB is satellite detectable.

So in the end it comes down to what you are prepared to pay for:

* Very limited funds - 121.5 MHz PLB

* Limited funds - 21.5/243 Mhz EPIRB

* Adequate funds - 406 MHz EPIRB

* Lotsa cash - 406 MHz EPIRB with built-in GPS position finding.

But note - the COSPAS-SARSAT system will stop processing 121.5 & 243 MHz signals as from 2009 so anything you buy operating at these frequencies is obsolescent. They are also far less accurate than the new 406 MHz based systems (even the ones without GPS).

That said there is one problem with the new personal 406 MHz systems - some of them have not performed too well in testing by the Equipped to Survive Foundation. Actually, that's putting it lightly. The GPS location finding on some personal EPIRB's didn't work at all which is a bit of a worry. For the full (and most interesting) report of the trials go to http://www.equipped.org/406_beacon_test_summary.htm.

My personal plan is to keep on with my MT310 EPIRB until I either lose it, it gets killed when its waterproof canister fails at depth or I have a sudden rush of blood to the wallet at which time I will invest in a 406 MHz GPS EPIRB which been stringently performance tested by an independent third party.

 

[northcoast_diver]

The achilles heel of a lot of Fiji diving is that their beautiful reefs are often too small to drift dive, therefore the boats must tie up to the reefs, and with strong currents, your reef dive can become a drift dive at any time. It happened to me. I had a really long surface swim back to the boat. I was not going to risk my chances with a possible search. My advice when diving at Fiji is stay close to the D/M. And carry signalling devices, just in case.

http://www.cdnn.info/safety/s040907/s040907.html

 

[whitedragon13]

Boat needs a receiver. My understanding from the last few days of looking into these things is that it is a pretty standard thing for SAR vessels/aircraft to be listening for though, so it would be better than nothing. Actually looking into that exact same model, and just found out from the local distributor of Sea Marshall that Australia is one of the few places where that model is not "approved for sale". The Aussie distributor is still trying to get them approved - probably an Australian Standards issue (which can be pretty strict at times).

If you're taking one, let the boat/resort know you have them so that should anything happen, they can use it as a tool in any search.

121.5 is the VHS emergency frequency for aircraft (along with 243.0 for UHF-typically military). At least in the US, these frequencies are constantly monitored by air traffic control. I know most aircraft monitor this frequency as well. I believe that emergency locator beacons in aircraft transmit on the 121.5 as well. As an air traffic controller, I can assure you that if the sound of one of these comes over the speaker, action is taken immediately.

Are these units for diving approved by the FCC? It's generally prohibited to broadcast over an ATC frequency. If so, my recommendation would be to not "play" with the unit and leave it on for long; because all H-E-double toothpics will break out when someone finds out what happened. I believe there is an "approved" time for testing, which is within the first 3 minutes of every hour and for no more than 3 audible sweeps.

 

[grahamsp]

Are these units for diving approved by the FCC? It's generally prohibited to broadcast over an ATC frequency. If so, my recommendation would be to not "play" with the unit and leave it on for long; because all H-E-double toothpics will break out when someone finds out what happened. I believe there is an "approved" time for testing, which is within the first 3 minutes of every hour and for no more than 3 audible sweeps.

P-EPIRB's are functionally similar to maritime EPIRB's carried by ships except they don't float upright and have to be switched on manually. They are most definitely approved!

We have had a number of very high profile rescues thanks to them - Tony Bullimore's recovery from the Southern Ocean in 1997 thousands of k's south west of Australia is a classic example of why EPIRB's are a great idea.

Re testing, the official line from the USCGS (as quoted by the AYC) is as follows:

The Coast Guard urges those owning EPIRBs to periodically examine them for water tightness, battery expiration date and signal presence. FCC rules allow Class A, B, and S EPIRBs to be turned on briefly (for three audio sweeps, or one second only) during the first five minutes of each hour. Signal presence can be detected by an FM radio tuned to 99.5 MHz, or an AM radio tuned to any vacant frequency and located close to an EPIRB. FCC rules allow Class C EPIRBs to be tested within the first five minutes of every hour, for not more than five seconds. Class C EPIRBs can be detected by a marine radio tuned to channel 15 or 16. 406 MHz EPIRBs can be tested through its self-test function, which is an integral part of the device.* 406 MHz EPIRBs can also be tested inside a container designed to prevent its reception by the satellite.* Testing a 406 MHz EPIRB by allowing it to radiate outside such a container is illegal.

 

[donacheson]

You're right about the delay in getting a plane being detrimental in having someone available to hear the signal, but these little buggers (the transponders) are quite powerful and (at least according to an airline pilot friend of mine) can be heard even from airliners. Gotta go....we have a fire call...

The 406 MHz beacons have 5 Watt transmitters, needed because their signal is designed to be received by polar orbitting satellites about 1000 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Bump. Does anyone have any word regarding the status of the search for the missing divers? Is the search active and ongoing?

 

[reubencahn]

Bump. Does anyone have any word regarding the status of the search for the missing divers? Is the search active and ongoing?

We had an e-mail last night from Linda and, at that time, the search was ongoing, but I read today that the Fijian government had suspended SAR.

 

[DocVikingo]

Fijian gov't has suspended all official search operations.

The family of Danielle Gibbons has funded a private air search and local boats are still looking.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[ba_hiker]

Are these units for diving approved by the FCC? It's generally prohibited to broadcast over an ATC frequency. If so, my recommendation would be to not "play" with the unit and leave it on for long; because all H-E-double toothpics will break out when someone finds out what happened. I believe there is an "approved" time for testing, which is within the first 3 minutes of every hour and for no more than 3 audible sweeps.

They are approved, the frequencies 121.5 and 243. are sepecified in international treaties and are specifically exempt from usage restrictions except they are ONLY for emergencies.

Also there is a blanket exemption from frequency restricions in defined emergencies. The rule, at least in the US, is any frequency in a (defined) emergency. This is speciffically called out in the FCC regulations in a couple of places.

You are absolutly correct in you statement not to play around with the transmit functions of these things. Test procedures are specific, and they should only be turned on according to these procedures or in a real emergency. The 121.5 versions are almost worthless in many areas because of the number of false alarms. Everyone gets checked on, but there may be several in an hour, and maybe only one crew to check them.

I thought the test period was for three minutes after local 12:00 am only, not every hour. Check before you test.