ACR Electronics ENGLISH User Manual

PRODUCT

SUPPORT

406 PLB

MANUAL

Y1-03-0169

Rev. B

Product No. 2792

GyPSI™ 406 PLB

(with GPS Interface)

Product No. 2793

Model PLB-100

Personal Locator Beacon

ACR Electronics, Inc.

5757 Ravenswood Road

Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33312

[phone] • Fax [phone]

www.acrelectronics.com

Email: [e-mail]

A Chelton Group company

* * * WARNING * * *

THIS TRANSMITTER IS AUTHORIZED FOR USE ONLY

DURING SITUATIONS OF GRAVE AND IMMINENT DANGER

DELIBERATE MISUSE MAY RESULT IN A SEVERE PENALTY

Advice to owners of Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs)

Registration of 406 MHz satellite PLB with the PLB Registration Section of the national authority* is mandatory

because of the global alerting nature of the system.

The information provided on the Registration Form is used only for rescue purposes and will greatly assist in any
beacon alarm incident.

Fill in the owner registration form immediately upon completion of the sales transaction. Mail the Registration
Form immediately.

If the beacon is to enter service immediately, complete the Registration Form and fax the information to the

national authority. The original card must still be mailed to the national authority* for hard-copy reference and

filing.

If the current owner is transferring the beacon to a new owner, the current owner is required to inform the national
authority* by letter, facsimile or telephone, of the name and address of the new owner.

The subsequent owner of the beacon is required to provide the national authority* with the information as shown

on the owner Registration Form. Additional Registration Forms may be obtained by contacting ACR or the
appropriate national authority.

THIS OBLIGATION TRANSFERS TO ALL SUBSEQUENT OWNERS.

*National Authority
The term “national authority” appears throughout this manual. Wherever these words appear, reference is made to

the government body responsible for PLB registration for the country in which the
for various national authorities can be found on the Registration Card.

The National authority in the United States is the national oceanic and atmospheric administration.

The address is:

SARSAT Beacon Registration

NOAA/NESDIS

E/SP3, Rm 3320, FB-4

5200 Auth Road

Suitland, Md 20746-4304

www.sarsat.noaa.gov

Tel No. [phone]

Fax No. [phone]

The national authority in Canada is the NSS (National Search & Rescue Secretariat)

Canadian personal emergency beacon registry.

The NSS Telephone Number is:

[phone]
[phone]

unit is registered. The addresses

i

Y1-03-0169 Rev. B

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 - THE SYSTEM

1.1 General .................................................................................................................................. 1

1.2 Purpose.................................................................................................................................. 1

1.3 Satellite Detection ................................................................................................................. 2

1.4 Authorizations....................................................................................................................... 4

1.5 Characteristics....................................................................................................................... 4

1.6 Technical Data ...................................................................................................................... 4

1.6.1 Applicable Documents.......................................................................................................... 4

1.6.2 Specifications ........................................................................................................................ 4

SECTION 2 - OPERATION

2.1 General .................................................................................................................................. 10

2.2 GyPSI™ 406 PLB Operating Instructions............................................................................ 10

2.2.1 Activation.............................................................................................................................. 10

2.2.2 Deactivation .......................................................................................................................... 10

2.2.3 Self Test ................................................................................................................................ 10

SECTION 3 - EXTERNAL GPS I/R ADAPTER

3.1 General .................................................................................................................................. 12

3.2 GPS Adapter ......................................................................................................................... 12

3.2.1 Connecting ............................................................................................................................ 12

3.2.2 Setup...................................................................................................................................... 13

3.2.3 Testing................................................................................................................................... 13

3.2.4 Position data set to default .................................................................................................... 14

4.0 MAINTENANCE................................................................................................................ 14

5.0 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS............................................................................ 14

6.0 REGISTRATION................................................................................................................ 16

7.0 FALSE ALARMS ............................................................................................................... 16

Figure 1 - GEOSAR Satellite Coverage............................................................................................3

Figure 2 - SAR Satellite Coverage.................................................................................................... 3

Figure 3 - PLB Block Diagram......................................................................................................... 5

Figure 4 - Known Compatible GPS Receiver's................................................................................. 6-9

Figure 5 - Self test............................................................................................................................. 11

Figure 6 - Operating Position........................................................................................................... 12

Figure 7 - GPS Adapter Illustration ................................................................................................. 13

Figure 8 - External GPS I/R Cable................................................................................................... 14

Figure 9 - Basic Concept of the (COSPAS-SARSAT) System........................................................... 17

ii

Y1-03-0169 Rev. B

SECTION 1 - THE SYSTEM

1.1 GENERAL

1.1.1 This manual provides operation and maintenance instructions for the 406 Personal Locator
Beacon, Product No. 2792 and the GyPSI™ 406 Personal Locator Beacon, Product No. 2793

hereinafter referred to as the PLB. This section describes the characteristics and details of the 406

PLB and GyPSI™ 406 PLB Systems.

1.2 PURPOSE

1.2.1 The PLB provides distress alerting via radio transmission on 406 MHz to satellites of the
COSPAS-SARSAT network. The GyPSI™ PLB can also transmit a distress alert to the

GEOSAR network that includes GPS latitude and longitude coordinates that are inputted through
an I/R Interface that connects to the data output of a GPS Receiver.

1.2.2 The message transmitted by the PLB is unique for each beacon, which provides identification of

the transmitter through computer access of registration files maintained by the National Search

and Rescue Secretariat or other national authority. It is the user's responsibility to fill out and

mail the enclosed registration form to the appropriate agency of the country under which
the PLB is registered. The PLB is programmed by ACR during manufacture and can be

reprogrammed by an ACR authorized programming facility for the registered country.

Remember, if your PLB is not registered, SAR Authorities do not know who you are, where you

live or where to contact anyone who might know anything about your situation.

1.2.3 Once Search and Rescue (SAR) forces are alerted by the PLB signal (406 MHz), relayed through

the COSPAS-SARSAT and/or GEOSAR network, they can converge on the position estimated by

the satellite. When GyPSI™ PLB GPS interface is used SAR authorities can know your precise
location and speed up reaction time. Intermediate and short range location is aided by the PLB

with its on board radio beacon homing signal transmitter (121.5 MHz).

1.2.4 Power is provided by a self contained long life battery pack with a recommended 5 year

replacement cycle. See Factory Authorized Service Center for replacement (Section 4.0 –

Maintenance).

1.2.5 Self test (Section 2.5) is initiated by momentarily moving the switch to the test position then
release. During self test, an actual satellite message is transmitted while certain key performance
parameters are measured and recorded. The self test message is modified such that the satellite
will not forward an alert message during self test. The LED will flash 3 times amber before

turning green. During this time the unit will also beep 3 times to indicate correct test status. In
the GyPSI™ PLB model, approximately 2 seconds after self test the unit will beep and amber

LED will flash to indicate if the unit has GPS data.

1

Y1-03-0169 Rev. B

1.3 SATELLITE DETECTION

1.3.1 The 406 PLB and GyPSI™ 406 PLB transmit an encoded phase modulated radio signal to the

satellite portion of the COSPAS-SARSAT System. The system was developed and implemented
by the COSPAS-SARSAT Partners (Russian Federation, Canada, France and the United States).

1.3.2 COSPAS-SARSAT is an international system that uses Russian Federation and United States low
altitude, near-polar orbiting satellites that assist in detecting and locating activated 406 MHz
Satellite beacons. The Russian Federation provides aboard COSMOS navigation spacecraft
COSPAS payloads that are inter-operable with the SARSAT System. In addition to weather and
environmental sensors, SARSAT payloads, provided by Canada and France, are carried aboard the
United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Advanced TIROS
environmental satellites.

1.3.3 COSPAS and SARSAT satellites receive distress signals from the 406 PLB and GyPSI™ 406
PLB transmitting on the frequency of 406.028 MHz. The COSPAS-SARSAT 406 MHz satellite

signal consists of a transmission of non-modulated carrier followed by a digital message format
that provides identification data. The 406 MHz system uses spacecraft-borne equipment to
measure and store the Doppler-shifted frequency data along with the satellite digital data message
including GPS data, and time of measurement. This information is transmitted in real time to an
earth station called the Local User Terminal (LUT), which may be within the view of the satellite,
as well as being stored for later transmission to other LUTs. In the real-time mode, the signal
detection is limited to a mutual satellite-LUT circular visibility area of about 2500 km radius that
moves with the satellite along its track. However, because of the stored-mode capability at 406

MHz, the need for this mutual PLB-satellite-LUT visibility is not essential, and the system is fully

functional in just the global mode.

1.3.4 The LUT processes the Doppler-shifted signal and determines the location of the PLB; then the

LUT relays the position of the distress signal to a Mission Control Center (MCC) where the
distress alert and GPS location information is immediately forwarded to an appropriate Rescue
Coordination Center (RCC). The RCC dispatches Search and Rescue (SAR) forces.

.

1.3.5 The COSPAS-SARSAT System includes 38 LEOSAR LUT Stations, 9 GEOSAR LUT stations
and 24 Mission Control Centers that provide real-time as well as global-mode coverage for the
northern hemisphere, while the southern hemisphere is presently served primarily by the global­mode. Additional LUTs and MCCs are planned for installation in the near future both in the
northern and southern hemispheres.

The addition of the GEOSAR Satellite system greatly improves the reaction time for a SAR event.

This satellite system has no Doppler capabilities at 406 MHz but will relay the distress alert to any
of the LUT stations. When there is GPS data included in the distress message this will instantly
tell SAR authorities where you are located, hence by not having to await the transit of the next
LEOSAR satellite.

2

Y1-03-0169 Rev. B

GEOSAR SATELLITE COVERAGE

FIGURE 1

SAR SATELLITE ORBITS

FIGURE 2

1.3.6 Because most of the search and rescue forces presently are not equipped to home on the 406 MHz
Satellite signal, homing must be accomplished at 121.5 MHz.

1.3.7 The 406 PLB and GyPSI™ 406 PLB are Class 1, Personal Locator Beacons.

3

Y1-03-0169 Rev. B