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Frequently Asked Questions
This edition of ACR's Currents is focused on FAQ relating to our Useful Life Policy
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Questions:
What Products are Affected by the
Useful Life Policy?
This policy applies to safety electronic
products including SART’s, EPIRBS and VHF Radios manufactured by
ACR Electronics in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The Useful life refers
to the maximum age a product may be used from its date of
manufacture. The Useful Life is limited to a maximum of 17
years.
What is the service life of a
properly maintained product?
The typical service life of a properly
maintained Product is limited to 12 years from date of
manufacture. During this period, ACR will provide service for
this unit.
Do I have to dispose of my
Safety Electronic Products at their 12 years Service Life?
No. A properly maintained product that
receives a full service in the 10 – 12 years window of time from
date of manufacture should be perfectly capable of use for the
duration of the battery date placed on the beacon at the time of
its last service. This gives the typical ACR safety electronic
product a Useful Life of up to 17 years from date of
manufacturer. You should remove the unit from use once it
reaches 15 – 17 years of age.
When does ACR stop provided service
on a product?
Any Products that are 12 years and one
month or older from date of manufacture will not be serviced by
ACR or our Battery Replacement Centers.
Can a unit be serviced which is less
than 12 years old, but in poor condition?
A Product that is 12 or fewer years old
from date of manufacture will be serviced as long as the unit
appears fit to be placed back into its final operational cycle.
Service includes the replacement of those items that must be
replaced at specified service intervals (see product manual) and
the verification that the device appears to be in good
mechanical and electrical working condition by an ACR authorized
service technician.
Are there any exceptions to the
Useful Life Policy?
ACR and our Battery Replacement Centers
reserve the right to refuse to service any Product for no
reason. ACR products are designed to withstand repeated
exposure to sun, humidity, temperature extremes and salt fog.
However, while ACR can choose to repair/replace any product at
our discretion, ACR is not obliged to service Products that have
been abused or subjected to excessively abusive environments
such that the mechanical or electrical integrity of the unit
appears to have been compromised. ACR retains the sole right to
determine if a product is not fit to receive a service.
Previous FAQs
QUESTIONS:
QUESTION:
Is there a problem if I
purchase an ACR 406 MHz beacon from a USA dealer and intend to
register it in another country?
ANSWER:
Yes, there is a potential
problem. The beacon is programmed with a country code that
routes the signal to the country where it is registered. If you
buy a beacon programmed USA and try to register it in another
country chances are they will not accept the registration
application. ACR has distributors world wide. Go to
www.acrelectronics.com to find the ACR distributor closest
to you. ACR’s in-country distributor can reprogram the beacon
for you and if necessary apply any country specific labels or
markings. They will charge for this service, but you will find
them very helpful.
ACR EPIRBs
works on a global satellite system and providing you register it
in the country that it is coded to, someone will come and find
you!
QUESTION:
Do your personal locator beacons work outside of the United
States? If so, which one would be the best for a person
traveling (not military) in Pakistan, China and other countries
of this region?
ANSWER:
The answer is yes it
certainly does work outside the US! The system operates with the
Cospas-Sarsat satellite system, which comprises polar low earth
orbiting (LEOSAR) satellites. In addition, the geostationary (GEOSAR)
satellites ranged around the equator will receive your GPS
position data if you have a GPS enabled EPIRB such as the
GlobalFix™.
It will
take a standard 406, without GPS, about an hour and 45 minutes
before the LEOSAR can resolve any position ambiguity and for
Search And Rescue (SAR) to launch a response. These satellites
orbit the polar regions of the earth about once every 90
minutes; there are usually 4 or 5 operational and a couple of
spares. A GPS beacon can be detected and located near
instantaneously, assuming that the beacon acquires a GPS
position and transmits it to the GEOSAR satellite/s.
The
Cospas-Sarsat response system is global with many nations
participating. There are few places on the planet where there is
either no SAR responder (Antarctica in the winter for example)
or SAR is unable to respond (due to advanced altitude or severe
weather for example).
SAR,
providing they are satisfied with the results from the NOAA
database, the position data, and all other relevant criteria,
will act very quickly. In the USA, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter
can take off in as little as 30+ minutes after being directed to
do so. Response times will differ from country to country.
To learn
more, take a look at the Cospas-Sarsat website at
http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/MainPages/indexEnglish.htm or
the ACR website at
www.acrelectronics.com .
QUESTION:
How do I get an MMSI Number?
ANSWER:
While ITU maintains the
worldwide master list of MMSI, the FCC (and Sea Tow and Boat US
for some boats) give out assignments, in the US the numbers. In
the USA, if you are traveling beyond US waters you will need to
apply to the FCC for an MMSI. US residents sailing within US
waters can get an MMSI from Boat US
http://www.boatus.com/mmsi/ or Sea Tow
http://www.seatow.com/boatingsafety/mmsiinfo.htm. You should
note that these numbers are not registered with the ITU, so if
you are in distress in non-USA waters, the local rescue
authorities will not be able to access your registration
information.
When
applying to the FCC, you can get your MMSI at the same time as
your radio license and call sign. For this you’ll need to fill
out:
Form 605, Main Form for the station license good for 10 years -
$205 fee
Form 605, Schedule B for the MMSI - Free
Form 605, Schedule E for a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator
Permit (if you don’t already have one) - $55 fee
Form 159 - Remittance Advice form explaining to them why you’re
sending the FCC money
You can
actually fill all of these forms out on the FCC’s website at
https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp?key=
Note that
you will need to register with the FCC and obtain a registration
(CORES/FRS) number before you can fill out the forms. Once you
are logged in, you will want to access the Universal Licensing
System (ULS) and begin your application for a ship station
license.
QUESTION:
My question is, will a RCL-100 point pad work with a URC-102
controller and is the coaxial cable the same as a regular TV
cable? I have the URP-102 point pad but I am wanting to add a
second unit.
ANSWER:
The RCL-100 point pad is compatible with the URC-102 Master
Control Unit and if you want to add a second station then you
need the 9282.3 Second station kit (URP-102 Point Pad, two way
splitter and 15 ft. coaxial cable included). The coaxial cable
is 75 ohm TV cable (Type RG-59).
QUESTION:
Is there any difference (except color) between the AeroFix,
TerraFix and AquaFix units? Can I register an AquaFix as ELT or
as PLB instead of registering this unit as EPIRB?
ANSWER:
The TerraFix, AquaFix and
AeroFix have the same specifications. The only difference is
their holster colors and the accessories packaged with them. The
TerraFix is sold in the outdoor market and comes with an
interface cable that has a serial connector on one end. The
AquaFix is sold in the marine market and has an interface cable
with wire leads that can be easily wired into a boats navigation
system. The AquaFix also come with a bulkhead mounting clip. The
AeroFix is sold into the aviation market and has an interface
cable with wire leads that can be easily wired into an aircrafts
navigation system. The AeroFix also come with a bulkhead
mounting clip. They are all model PLB-200 or model PLB-201 and
are satellite detectable anywhere in the world. Please view
these links for more information on ACR PLBs.
http://www.acraquafix.com
http://www.acrterrafix.com
http://www.acraerofix.com
For
further registration information please view this link for
contacts.
http://www.cospas-sarsat.com/BeaconsCodingGuideGeneral/poc.htm
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