406Day Raising Awareness of Locator Beacons

Marine safety equipment companies ACR Electronics, Artex and Ocean Signal are teaming up today, April 6 (4/06) to raise awareness of the importance of having 406 MHz beacons on board offshore vessels. The eighth annual campaign is focused on highlighting the benefits of owning an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beach, a Personal Locator Beacon or an Emergency Locator Transmitter.

The awareness day encourages boaters and other outdoor enthusiasts to update their beacon’s registration, check the battery’s expiration date and self-test their equipment to make sure everything is operating correctly. The day also celebrates the more than 43,000 lives saved worldwide since the emergency distress 406 MHz beacon signals were introduced in the 1980s.

All the beacons operated on the 406 MHz frequency and each one transmits a digital code that identifies the type and allows registration data to be linked to the device. The data provides information including the beacon owner, the vessel type and the emergency points of contact.

ACR’s new ResQLink View PLB offers users a screen displaying the beacon’s operational activities including GPS coordinates, operating instructions, usage tips, transmission bursts and battery power. For further information, visit www.acrartex.com, and for Ocean Signal’s products, visit www.oceansignal.com.