Why 406 MHz EPIRBs are So Successful

By Paul Hardin
VP of Sales and Marketing

With all the attention that PLBs are getting, I’ve had a number of boaters ask if they should trade in their 406 MHz EPIRB for a PLB? The answer is a resounding “NO”. The 406 MHz EPIRB is the most successful form of the 406 MHz beacon family and has saved tens of thousands of lives since its introduction in the late 1980s.

All 406 MHz beacons transmit a signal at roughly the same frequency through the same satellites and are processed in much the same way. The elements that differentiate PLBs from EPIRBs from ELTs are really their environmental characteristics and their method of activation. EPIRBs are designed for use in a maritime environment, which means they float upright and transmit while floating freely in the water. They have a wet-sense activation feature, which means they automatically turn themselves on and begin transmitting when they are out of their bracket AND floating in water. EPIRBs also run for a minimum of 48 hours, (ACR’s EPIRBs often run much longer), and they have a built-in locator light, (ACR’s EPIRBs have a strobe light which is the most conspicuous and highly visible form of flashing light available.)

What does this mean to the average boater? It means that in an emergency, at night, in a raging storm you do not have to figure out how to use your EPIRB, you just need to tie the lanyard off to something fixed to you and drop it in the water. It is the KISS, (Keep It Sweet and Simple), principal in a nearly perfect form. The trusty EPIRB sets idly by for years and in an emergency one need only to tie it off and drop it in water to bring help…

If you are a boater and you’ve purchased a PLB you’re ahead of most other boaters who do not take responsible boating as seriously as you do. But, you also need to be familiar enough with it to work it in the dark in the middle of a calamity at sea. You need to have a plan for attaching it to your life jacket or other such floating device, because it will not float with the antenna upright. You do not want to try to swim and fight waves for a few hours or more while having to hold a PLB upright by hand. A PLB is significantly better than the alternative, but in a marine environment, it is no EPIRB!

Boaters often ask, “What’s the best beacon you make?” The answer is always the same, “The beacon you will have with you in an emergency.” If you do not have it with you when you need it, then it is not much good. The only exception to this is the Category I (Automatically Deployable) EPIRB. Once properly installed on your boat it deploys and activates automatically should the boat sink. There are hundreds of incidents where in the chaos of an emergency at sea there is no chance to do anything other than abandon ship. In that instance, you can do no better than have a Category I EPIRB onboard.

PLBs have their place and are being carried more frequently on boats, but they do not replace the simplicity and functional features of the EPIRB. If you sail offshore, on inland navigable waterways and you are considering trading your EPIRB for a PLB to save space or a little money; you would be well advised to think again. As a boater I take great comfort from knowing that there is no more successful 406 MHz beacon design available than the EPIRB.