| Were 406 MHz distress beacons being
monitored prior to February 2009? |
| Yes. 406 MHz
distress beacons have been monitored
for a number of years. |
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| When did they stop
monitoring 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz? |
| The 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz distress frequencies ceased to be
monitored by satellite on 1 Fevruary 2009. If you have a 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz beacon you
need to make the switch to 406 MHz now – its
speed, reliability and accuracy could help in saving your life.
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| What is 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz?
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| Older, analogue
distress beacons transmit their signal on 121.5 Megahertz (MHz) or
on 243 MHz. These beacons are no longer monitored by satellite, as of 1 February 2009. |
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| What is a distress beacon? |
| A distress beacon
is a small electronic device that, on activation, broadcasts a
signal to a satellite. This signal alerts the New Zealand Rescue
Coordination Centre that you are in distress. |
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| Why did they stop
monitoring 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz? |
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121.5 MHz
and 243 MHz beacons are now obsolete, unreliable technology. Rather
than waste resources monitoring the old frequency, worldwide efforts
are being concentrated on the superior 406 MHz system. COSPAS-SARSAT
made the decision to cease satellite processing of 121.5 MHz and
243 MHz in response to guidance from the International Civil Aviation
Organization and the International Maritime Organization.
These
United Nations organisations mandate safety requirements for
aircraft and maritime vessels and have recognised the limitations of
the 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz beacons and the superior capabilities of the
406 MHz alerting system, which is faster, more reliable and more
accurate.
The
decision was also made to reduce the extremely high false alarm
rate from analogue distress beacons. Previously 91% of distress beacon
signals were false alarms.
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| Who is RCCNZ? |
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The
Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand
(RCCNZ) manages all category II search and
rescue missions in the New Zealand search and rescue region.
When you activate your distress beacon, a satellite will detect your
signal and send information to RCCNZ, which will then begin a search
and rescue mission for you. RCCNZ is based in Lower Hutt,
Wellington
. It
is part of Maritime New Zealand, which is a Crown entity. For
further information, visit www.maritimenz.govt.nz/.
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| What do I do with my old 121.5 MHz
beacon? |
| Contacting RCCNZ on
0800 406 111 to find out where your nearest beacon disposal centre is,
send it to RCCNZ by courier, hand it
in to your nearest Police station, or hand it in to the retailer from
where you purchase your 406 MHz beacon. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY (this
may lead to a helicopter search of your nearest landfill). |
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| What is 406 MHz? |
| Modern distress
beacons transmit on 406 Megahertz (MHz). It is a digital system that
is fast, reliable and accurate. As well as helping rescuers find
your position, 406 MHz beacons transmit an identification code. When
the beacon is registered with the RCCNZ, this reduces the number of
false alarms and provides rescuers with additional information about you, so they
can locate you faster and better prepare for the rescue. |
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| What is an operational test?
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| A test of a 406 MHz
beacon that requires confirmation of correct processing by the
COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system. |
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| What is the ground segment?
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| The COSPAS-SARSAT
ground segment consists of local user terminals (LUTs) which
receive beacon signals relayed by the satellites and process them,
to determine the beacon location and mission control centres
(MCCs) which accept the output from the LUTs, convey alert and
location data to appropriate search and rescue authorities and
exchange system information messages with other MCCs. |
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| What is a HEX ID? |
| The unique identity
of each and every 406 MHz distress beacon, made up of 15
alpha-numeric hexadecimal characters. |
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| What is a Local User Terminal
(LUT)? |
| An earth receiving
station that receives beacon signals relayed by COSPAS-SARSAT
satellites, processes them to determine the location of beacons, and
forwards the signals to a mission control centre (MCC). The MCC servicing New Zealand is the Australian Rescue
Coordination Centre, located in Canberra. |
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| Why shouldn't I buy a beacon from
overseas or over the Internet? |
| Each country has an
individual 406 MHz code. Usually a beacon from overseas
will be coded for another country and has to be registered in that
country. When it is activated, the satellite will notify the wrong
rescue coordination centre, which could mean a long, potentially
life-threatening delay. Beacons bought overseas cannot be registered
in New Zealand, unless the beacon coding is changed to the New
Zealand country code (512). |
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| Are 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz distress
beacons being monitored now? |
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No, not by
satellite. On 1 February 2009 the worldwide satellite system monitoring
121.5 MHz and 243 MHz distress beacons was turned off. This means RCCNZ will not receive an alert and
they will not be given
an approximate location of the beacon by satellite if someone
triggers this type of beacon.
Aircraft will continue to monitor 121.5 MHz BUT being heard is
dependent on an aircraft flying nearby the beacon and no location
will be given.
From a SAR point of view this is next to useless as even if
the alarm was raised by an aircraft the potential search area may be
enormous.
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| When should I use a distress
beacon? |
| Distress beacons
are only for use in life-threatening situations. In the event of an
emergency, you should first signal other people in your area using
radios or other methods of attracting attention. Mobile phones can
be used too, but don't rely on them, as they may be out of range,
have limited battery power, or become water-damaged. The procedure
to set off a distress beacon varies from device to device. Make sure
you read the instructions on how to operate your particular beacon
before you have to use it. The instructions are on the beacon label.
EPIRBs work best when floating in the water, but make sure the beacon
is attached to something so that it does not float
away. On land, ensure that the PLB is placed in the open away from
overhangs so that it has the greatest view of the sky and therefore
the best opportunity to be detected by orbiting satellites and over
flying aircraft. |
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| What are the different types of
beacons? |
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EPIRBs
–
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons are distress beacons
designed for maritime environments. These devices are designed to
float in water.
PLBs–Personal
Locator Beacons are designed for personal use, mainly by
bushwalkers, cross-country vehicle clubs, mountaineers and other
adventurers on land. They’re also used in gliders. They're small and
lightweight and designed to fit into pockets. They are manually
operated.
ELTs– Emergency
Location Transmitters are designed for aviation use. They
are hard-wired into the aircraft. They are fitted to activate on
impact or can be activated manually.
All
beacon types are available as standard models or with the addition
of GPS.
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| What if I accidentally set my
beacon off? |
| Immediately turn it off and let RCCNZ know as soon as you can by
phoning 0508 472 269. If you are flying, contact Air Traffic Control
and ask that they notify RCCNZ of the inadvertent activation.
Likewise, if you are on a boat, get a message to RCCNZ through the
local Coastguard or Coast Radio Station. There is no penalty for
accidentally setting off your beacon. If you use your beacon, or it
is accidentally activated, have it serviced to ensure the battery
still has enough life to power the beacon for the required 48 hours
continuous operation. |
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| I have heard that there may be
other safety products that could be better than 406 MHz beacons. Is
this true and do search and rescue services endorse other products? |
| The primary aim of
the New Zealand search and rescue services is to enable the successful search and
rescue of people in emergency situations. In principle, we support
any system or product that assists in this goal, but we are largely
reliant on other bodies (such as the Civil Aviation Authority, Maritime New Zealand, and
the international satellite monitoring service, COSPAS-SARSAT), to
recommend appropriate safety devices. The
406 MHz distress beacon is now the international standard for
distress beacons. Remember, no safety device
is a substitute for exercising good judgment and following sensible
safety procedures. Any alternative technology should be submitted to
the relevant body for appraisal. |
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| What are the problems caused by
false alarms? |
| Every beacon alert
in and around New Zealand is treated as a genuine emergency until proven
otherwise. False alarms tie up scarce search
and rescue time and assets, while genuine emergencies may receive
undersized search and rescue responses. While this situation will
not be totally eliminated with the use of 406 MHz beacons, the
ability to phone the registered owners will reduce this occurance. |
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| How do the 406 MHz beacons prevent
false alarms? |
| The digital beacons
transmit an identity code on the 406 MHz frequency that can be
cross-referenced with a database of registered 406 MHz beacon owners
at the RCCNZ. This confidential database includes phone numbers,
next of kin contacts, vessel type (if applicable), how many people usually carried, (if applicable) and other vital information, to provide the right response to the
emergency. On false alarms, it enables the RCCNZ to make a call to
the registered beacon owner to see if he/she is in genuine distress
or just has a beacon transmitting by accident. Many false alarms
occur because the switch on the distress beacon has been bumped on.
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| How much better are the 406 MHz
beacons? |
| 406 MHz beacons are
more accurate (to within approximately 5 kilometres, compared to about 20 kilometres
for the analogue beacons). 406 MHz beacons are also faster –
depending on the location they may be detected within minutes,
compared to the average 1 hour and 30 minutes it takes to get
confirmed satellite detection from a 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz analogue
beacon. With the addition of GPS, your location can be determined to
within 120 metres in a matter of minutes. |
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| Do distress beacons always work?
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| No safety equipment
can be 100% guaranteed, as they are dependent on variables such as
correct usage and the circumstance of the emergency, but the new
generation of 406 MHz distress beacons are superior to previous
models and, when used correctly, will provide speedy notification of
an emergency. Distress beacons are not the only safety equipment
that should be used in outdoor recreation and are not intended to
replace essential safety equipment such as VHF radios or
lifejackets. The 406 MHz distress beacons are the new
international standard and the only frequency monitored by
international satellites. As such they will remain a critical part
of New Zealand’s search and rescue operations. |
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| What happens when I activate my
406 MHz beacon? |
| When you
activate your 406 MHz distress beacon a satellite will detect your
signal and send information to the RCCNZ, which will then begin a search
and rescue mission for you. All beacon activations are investigated
to the source. RCCNZ is charged with identifying all distress
beacon signals. There is no cost to the beacon owner/user for this
service. Reducing the cost of false activations is one of the key
benefits of 406 MHz beacons. Their unique identification
codes are referenced against a registration database, so that
owners can be contacted to determine if an activation is real or false,
and appropriate action can be taken quickly and efficiently. |
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| Why are beacons with built-in GPS
better? |
| With the addition
of GPS authorities will not only know you are in
distress, but also your exact location. This removes any need to
‘search’ for you and enables them to launch immediately into your
rescue operation, saving even more valuable time. Beacons with
built-in GPS are strongly recommended. |
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| How do I use a distress beacon?
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| The procedure to
set off a distress beacon varies from device to device. Make sure
you read the instructions on how to operate your particular beacon
before you have to use it. The instructions are on the beacon label.
EPIRBs work best when floating in the water, but make sure the
beacon is attached to something so that it does not
float away. On land, ensure that the PLB is placed in the open away
from overhangs so that it has the greatest view of the sky and
therefore the best opportunity to be detected by orbiting satellites
and over flying aircraft. |
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| I’ve never used a 121 MHz or 243 MHz
beacon before – why should I use a 406 MHz beacon now? |
| We believe that it
is good safety practice to carry a 406 MHz beacon when going into
remote and hazardous areas within New Zealand. It is an inexpensive insurance
that, in the unlikely event that something does go wrong, you can
seek search and rescue assistance. In many cases tramping clubs and
other organisations have distress beacons available for hire at very
reasonable rates.However a distress beacon is no
substitute for good judgment and following accepted safety
procedures. |
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| Will 406 MHz distress beacons work
on the West Coast of the South Island? |
| Yes. Beacons must
have line-of-sight contact with satellites to communicate. Deep
narrow gorges and large overhangs can affect beacon communications
with the geostationary satellites, but the low orbit satellites will
be able to pick up the 406 MHz signal – it just might take a little
longer to raise an alert. |
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| Will my 406 MHz beacon
work overseas? |
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Yes. The Cospas-Sarsat system
operates worldwide.
However, your beacon MUST BE REGISERED here in
New
Zealand to ensure you receive an
effective response to your emergency in the rest of the
world.
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| Can I travel on aircraft with my
406 MHz beacon? |
| Yes. But you should
declare it to your airlines. If you try and take it as cabin baggage
you risk it being confiscated due to the nature of the batteries in
the beacon. This depends on the airline. You are advised to put it
into your hold baggage. Airline notification and securing the switch
in the off position are essential. |
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