EPIRB registration delay
Submitted: Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:00
ThreadID:
60702
Views:
3215
Replies:
8
FollowUps:
15
This Thread has been Archived
Scubaroo
Got a letter in the mail today from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, confirming registration details of our new EPIRB.
FOUR MONTHS after we bought it! AFTER we'd completed a 10 week trip we bought it for!
Hope it doesn't take them that bloody long to respond to one being set off!
Guess the moral of the story is, if you're planning on buying an EPIRB for a trip, buy it early and register it in advance so that heaven forbid you actually need to use it, your details have had a chance to be processed and entered into the AMSA database. At least that way the listed emergency contacts are actually known.
Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:33
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:33
I don't believe receipt of the confirmation letter means it has taken that long.
You would have received an email confirming your online registration and a check of the website would confirm it has been done.
The "hard copy" confirmation is just a formality and provides you with a sticker to apply to your epirb.
Bill.
AnswerID:
320313
Follow Up By: Mike GU - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:35
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:35
What is the approximate waiting time? you said over the net, would it be instant?
FollowupID:
587062
Follow Up By: Scubaroo - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:06
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:06
Just checked email - received an email last week. Still over 3.5 months since registration.
FollowupID:
587077
Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 22:39
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 22:39
I purchased
mine at the end of January, registered it online a couple of days later and received a confirmation email on 11 Feb. Registration had taken affect from this date.
Last week I received by mail, written confirmation plus a sticker containing the registered number to attach to the EPIRB.
Couldn't care less how long it took for the sticker to arrive.
I was registered from February and apart from this, the EPIRB would have worked from day one, giving my exact location. I don't believe search and rescue operations would ignore an activation because they couldn't contact your nominated emergency contacts to confirm if you were "on the road" in the area indicated by the EPIRB.
Just my perception mate.
Bill.
FollowupID:
587128
Reply By: Mike GU - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:34
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:34
Crap... we leave in three weeks for the Anne Beadell and a 12 month trip around OZ, and still have not purchased our all important EPIRB, I guess we will buy one and try and register it asap and if it doesn't get done in time,
well we will still be heading off anyway, any way to speed up the registration process?
Mike
AnswerID:
320314
Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:38
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:38
Consider buying a "Spot"; for land travellers these are probably a better bet than an EPIRB anyway.
Mike Harding
FollowupID:
587065
Follow Up By: Member - Olcoolone (S.A) - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:44
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:44
Why are they better?
FollowupID:
587090
Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 22:03
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 22:03
Greater flexibility.
FollowupID:
587108
Follow Up By: Member - Olcoolone (S.A) - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 22:36
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 22:36
Fair enough but it works out more expensive if you only want it for an PLB.
FollowupID:
587125
Reply By: Member - Paul C (NSW) - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:36
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:36
Got my EPIRB last week, was only thinking today that I hadn't registered yet.
4 months is a joke.At least someone (hopefully) will know that "someone" is in trouble.
Is this a government authority by any chance?
AnswerID:
320316
Follow Up By: Member - Paul C (NSW) - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:29
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:29
Spoke too soon.
Registered and confirmed,
FollowupID:
587087
Reply By: Scubaroo - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:06
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:06
Should point out that registration isn't tied to activation as far as I know - you could set one off in the
shop and it would activate.
AnswerID:
320325
Follow Up By: goldiedingdangdo - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:26
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:26
Correct - but who is missing tho??? Doesn't matter.
Any activation is immediately responded too. They were talking fines for accidental, prank activation.
Ian
FollowupID:
587085
Follow Up By: Member - Olcoolone (S.A) - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:42
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:42
You right but will they still treat it the same, it says on the registration confirmation form "Information contained on the register is critical to search and rescue operations and your personal safety.
FollowupID:
587089
Reply By: Member - Olcoolone (S.A) - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:37
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:37
We registered our PLB about 6 months ago and got an email confirming it with in a couple of days.
Today we got a letter confirming our registration.
I believe this is to bring in line all he new PLB and EPIRB's.
This letter has a sticker supplied to place on our PLB with an expiry date and rego number.
Regards Richard
AnswerID:
320334
Reply By: Member - Willie , Sydney. - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:55
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 21:55
It is registered as soon as you fax in your details .
This is just a confirmation now that they have their website up and running .
AnswerID:
320340
Follow Up By: wiseone - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 23:18
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 23:18
Guys.
It's just what Willie said.
Fax form and your details are registered very quickly.
If you're really concerned give them a call on 1800 406 406 to confirm receipt of your fax or email etc. They're very helpfull.
See website
http://beacons.amsa.gov.au/ for info as
well
Russell.
FollowupID:
587136
Reply By: Member - Bob V (QLD) - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 08:27
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 08:27
What sort of price is around at the moment, is there any good buying prices out there?
BobV
AnswerID:
320373
Follow Up By: Scubaroo - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 09:46
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 09:46
Have a look around - I bought
mine from Whitworths, but I think ExplorOz
shop sells the same model. I've got the GME MT 410G.
I don't see the point in buying the versions without the embedded GPS - for the sake of $50-$100, I'd rather have my exact location included in the
beacon signal rather than a "somewhere within a couple of km". Especially for land based use where a quick extraction might be the difference between life & death, e.g. snake bite or a bad off-roading accident. Why waste search and rescue time and effort trying to find you when a minor upfront investment means that they get your exact location? (assuming you can get a GPS signal). You get a quicker response and they save resources.
FollowupID:
587167
Follow Up By: Member - Rotord - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 10:04
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 10:04
Hello Scubaroo
Couldn't agree more . A three mile search area can be a major problem in some terrains and at night could mean the difference of a helicopter going in the dark or waiting for morning .
FollowupID:
587173
Follow Up By: Member - Mike DID - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 15:57
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 15:57
Also consider that a signal from GPS-equipped EPIRB gets located IMMEDIATELY to within a few hundred metres.
A non-GPS EPIRB signal has to wait for one satellite pass even for a very approximate fix, two satellite passes for a fix to several kilometres.
FollowupID:
587206
Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 20:55
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 20:55
Both the GME 410 and the 410G also include hi intensity strobes so any rescue chopper will have a visual reference as
well, especially at night.
Bill.
FollowupID:
587264
Reply By: aroundwego - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 18:16
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 18:16
Until a few months go I was working in the area that responds when you activate a
beacon. Even if your
beacon hasn't been registered (or processed) a search will still commence.
Without the registration details the only difference would be that the RCC cant call you straight away, or call your nominated contacts. The registration info is great for gaining a quick appreciation of the owner - who/what and where they are.
The letter back is a confirmation to you that the details are recorded and allows you to double
check the details, and give you a reference so you can update the details in the future.
There are also mechanisms in place to
check through the submitted registration forms, as a quick search, even though the details may not have already been entered in the main database.
So up to date registration details are excellent, but even if the paperwork hasn't been completed a search will still commence.
If you have any concerns about your registration you can always contact amsa using the number on the form website.
AnswerID:
320432