Emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) – a distress alert transmitter that make search and rescue operations a lot ease. EPIRBs are a mandatory component of GMDSS.
More details
A satellite emergency position-indicating radio beacon (satellite EPIRB) which shall be:
capable of transmitting a distress alert through the polar orbiting satellite service operating in the 406 MHz band;
installed in an easily accessible position;
ready to be manually released and capable of being carried by one person into a survival craft;
capable of floating free if the ship sinks and of being automatically activated when afloat;
capable of being activated manually.
Satellite EPIRBs shall be:
annually tested for all aspects of operational efficiency, with special emphasis on checking the emission on operational frequencies, coding and registration, an intervals as specified below:
on passenger ships, within 3 months before the expiry date of the Passenger ShipSafety Certificate;
on cargo ships, within 3 months before the expiry date, or 3 months before or after the anniversary date, of the Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate.The test may be conducted on board the ship or at an approved testing station;
subject to maintenance at intervals not exceeding five years, to be performed at an approved shore-based maintenance facility
The users of 406MHz beacons need to fill out the registration card containing vessel name, Identification Data and Nationality and register the equipment to the government and the service company. If you use unregistered equipment in the emergency situation, the search and rescue operation cannot be done immediately owing to nothing information about ships in distress. The EPIRB will be delivered to the customers after saving all information for the users.
Samyung SEP-500
The SEP-500 GPS EPIRB complies with CCIR, RTCM, COSPAS-SARSAT and GMDSS performance standards of IMO with transmitting frequencies of 406MHz/121.5MHz. The SEP-500 receives GPS information and it transmits more accurate distress position than the EPIRB without GPS. This makes RCC(Rescue Coordination Center) perform prompt search & rescue operation.
