AnswerID: 285694 Submitted: Monday, Feb 04, 2008 at 22:31
aroundwego
replied:
Hi,
I cant answer the original question about what number to call, but I have a first hand knowledge of the
epirb system, - if you let one off and I’m on shift I will be the one on the other end.
To answer or comment n some of the points raised.
If you have a 406 and you register it, then if you set it off we will call you. The stationary satellites will detect it and pass on your unique code. That process should take under 10 or so minutes. The code is compared to database and your contact details are accessed. So the first thing that will happen is that the RCC will call you. If you don’t answer they will call your nominated contacts.
If you have the
GPS equipped unit, your posn is also received. If you dont have the
GPS one, the RCC has to wait for an orbiting satellite to pass and detect your beacon. So this would give off two posn's. But if the RCC called you or your nominated contacts and they said you were on the
Birdsville track, you can guess where the
search is going to start.
If you answer the phone you can pass on all the details and they would then be dealt with in the best way.
In the case where you couldn’t work out what the emergency number is: I would suggest calling someone you know and get them to pass on details to emergency services, and give them your number to call you back. I suppose if you had a 406
epirb, you could activate it and someone would call you (as long as tour details are up to date), or respond as mentioned earlier
Regarding 406 first hand experiences, there is actually a lot. Probably at least one or two are detected and processed by the RCC each day. Most are accidental, and the first phone call resolves it. If it is real it is generally much quicker to respond to and the response is better prepared. Because the RCC will have a much better idea of what the target is. In the last few months I have been involved in at least two 406 responses to 4WDs in the outback.
Personally, I think a
sat phone provides a number of advantages. As mentioned you can call for a variety of reasons and seek assistance. Even like I have staked all my
tyres and need new ones”.
Regarding a comment about activating a beacon and it will be picked up by an aircraft, don’t rely on that. A couple of reasons: not all aircraft monitor 121.5, the majority of detections of 121.5 beacons are after the satellites has made the initial detection and the RCC then gets ATC to get aircraft to monitor the frequency in the probable areas. In 12 months time that capability will no longer exists, as the satellites will no longer detect the older beacons. Depending on where you are and the time of day there just aren’t any aircraft flying within that area.
The other thing is that passing aircraft may actually not detect it. Recently an older beacon was detected by satellite in the middle of the night. After two satellite passes it was isolated to Longreach. A number of aircraft flew passed that area, but didn’t detect it. A
search aircraft with good homing gear flew out to Longreach, and narrowed it down to the local tip. It landed and with handheld gear they found the beacon. Interestingly during the planes return trip to
Melbourne they detected another beacon and found a stranded family in a 4WD
I hope I haven’t bored you too much, sorry ;)
Pete
Reply 5 of 6
