ACR Electronics PLB-350B User Manual

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CAUTION: Before proceeding to install, test or use your new

ACR Electronics’ product, please read this Product Support Manual

in its entirety.
If you have questions regarding the contents of the manual or

something not covered in the manual, please contact our Technical
Service Department at ACR Electronics, Inc., Telephone +1 (954)
981-3333. You can also visit our website at

www.acrelectronics.com and access the Frequently Asked

Questions (FAQs) section for further information. If in the future you
lose this manual, you may access and print a replacement on the
ACR website.

PLEASE READ ALL WARNINGS, CAUTIONS AND

NOTES CAREFULLY

About Cobham Life Support, ACR Products
Cobham Life Support, ACR Products www.acrelectronics.com,

designs and manufactures a complete line of safety and survival
products including EPIRBs, PLBs, AIS, SARTs, Strobe Lights, Life
Jacket Lights, Search Lights and safety accessories. The quality
systems of this facility have been registered by UL to the ISO
9001:2000 Series Standards. Recognized as the world leader in
safety and survival technologies, ACR has provided safety
equipment to the aviation and marine industries as well as to the
military since 1956.

About Cobham plc
Cobham plc is an international company engaged in the

development, delivery and support of advanced aerospace and
defense systems for land, sea, air and space. The company has
four divisions that collectively specialize in the provision of
components, subsystems and services that keep people safe,
improve communications and enhance the capability of aerospace
and defense platforms.

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Table of Contents

STEP ONE - REGISTERING YOUR BEACON _____________________ 3

STEP TWO - HOW THE BEACON WORKS ______________________ 5

STEP THREE - MAINTAINING YOUR PLB ______________________ 13

APPENDIX A - ACCESSORIES _______________________________ 17

APPENDIX B - THE COSPAS-SARSAT SYSTEM ___________________ 19

APPENDIX C - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ____________________ 20

APPENDIX D - WARRANTY, USEFUL LIFE POLICY, NOTICES ________ 21

NOTE re: Applicable products

This manual supports all configurations of PLB-350B beacons. In addition
to the part numbers listed on the cover page, other configurations of these
products may be available, thus you may have purchased a product
configuration with a different version of the part number (for example,

2880.63). As long as the first four digits are the same as one of the part
numbers on the cover, this manual is applicable.

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STEP ONE - REGISTERING YOUR BEACON

Your personalized ID code
programmed inside each beacon is
transmitted to Search and Rescue
(SAR). SAR forces use this code to pull
up your registration to find out valuable
information about who needs help.

YOUR RESCUE WILL
BE DELAYED IF YOUR
BEACON ISN’T PROPERLY
REGISTERED!

Why is registration important?

As the owner of this 406 MHz beacon, it is mandatory that you register
it with the PLB national authority of your country: It is the law.

note that all 406 MHz beacons are required to have their registration
updated every two years by the owner.

Please

HOW REGISTRATION WORKS:
All 406 MHz beacons transmit a Unique Identifier Number (UIN) when

activated. This UIN is programmed into the beacon based on the
country in which the beacon is registered, thus authorities are able to
determine which country’s database will have your registration
information. SAR forces will have information as to who you are as the
owner of the beacon, the name and type of vessel that you have (if
applicable), your address, and who to contact that might know of your
current situation - but only if your beacon has been properly registered.
Valuable search and rescue resources are wasted every year
responding to false alerts, and registering your beacon helps to resolve
this quickly.

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What country should I register in?

The beacon must be registered in the country of the owner’s residence.

If the beacon is not programmed to that country’s code and protocol,

and the residence is outside of the USA, the beacon needs to be
reprogrammed.

Additionally, the beacon must be reprogrammed if you, as the owner,
move out of the country where the beacon is registered. To verify the
country for which a beacon is programmed, see the label with the UIN
(Unique Identification Number) on the back of the unit.

How do I register?

Registration in the United States
The national authority that accepts registrations in the United States is
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

There are three ways to register:

1. The fastest and easiest way to register is online at

www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov/.

2. Faxing a registration is also acceptable. Fax the registration form to
the fax number on the top of the registration form.

NOTE: Do not confuse the registration form with the ACR Electronics
warranty card.

3. If online or fax registration is not available, mail the registration form
with the pre-addressed, postage paid envelope to:

Registration NOAA/NESDIS
NSOF, E/SP3
4231 Suitland Road
Suitland, MD 20746

All registration forms will be entered in the 406 MHz beacon registration
database within 48 hours of receipt. The information you provide on the
registration form is used for rescue purposes only.

A confirmation letter, a copy of the actual registration and a proof-of­registration decal will be mailed to you within two weeks. When you
receive these documents, please check the information carefully,
and then affix the decal to your beacon in the area marked “BEACON

DECAL HERE.” It is very important that the proof of registration
decal matches the UIN on the beacon. If you do not receive

confirmation back from NOAA within two weeks, call toll free (888) 212­7283 for assistance.

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Registration in Canada
Canadian residents can register online at:

http://canadianbeaconregistry.forces.gc.ca/ or contact the Canadian

Beacon Registry by phone at: 877-406-7671 or by fax at: 877-406-3298.

Canadian Beacon Registry
CFB Trenton, PO Box 1000 Stn Forces
Astra, Ontario K0K 3W0

Registration in Other Countries
In countries other than the United States and Canada, 406 MHz

beacons are registered with that country’s national authority at the time

of purchase. The sales agent may have assisted you in filling out the

forms and sending them to the country’s national authority. Alternatively,

many countries allow online registration in the International 406 MHz
Beacon Registration Database (IBRD) at www.406registration.com.

To verify that the unit is properly programmed for your country, view the
UIN label on the back of the unit. In the event that the beacon is not
programmed for your country, the sales agent (if properly equipped) can
reprogram the unit for the correct country.

STEP TWO - HOW THE BEACON WORKS

1. How your beacon brings help

406 MHz beacons are a type of portable emergency equipment that
transmits a distress signal to search and rescue (SAR) organizations.
The purpose of these beacons is to aid SAR teams in tracking and
locating ships or individuals in jeopardy as rapidly as possible.

The 406 MHz frequency is a worldwide dedicated emergency frequency
that is detected by a network of satellites called the Cospas-Sarsat
system. This satellite system was established by, and continues to be
supported by, its primary benefactors - the USA, Russia, Canada and
France. The Cospas-Sarsat system has saved over 28,400 lives - and
counting - since its inception. See Appendix or the Cospas-Sarsat
website for more information about the system at www.cospas-

sarsat.org.

When a 406 MHz beacon is activated, the digital distress message is
sent to Cospas-Sarsat satellites and, in turn, the distress message is
relayed to SAR. The distress message contains the beacon UIN and on
some models the GPS location of the beacon. Additional information
about the beacon is accessed by SAR from the beacon registration
database. At the same time the 406 MHz signal is activated, a 121.5
MHz signal is turned on. The 121.5 MHz signal is used by SAR to home
in on the beacon as they approach it.

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The 406 MHz signal is detected by multiple satellites and from that
information the location of the beacon can be calculated. This data
alone is sufficient for SAR to find persons or ships in distress in a
reasonable timeframe. However, as a further enhancement, some
beacons have a GPS engine onboard. This feature allows the beacon to
acquire current location coordinates from an internal GPS receiver. The
purpose of this feature is to send an even more precise location of the
beacon to the satellites, i.e., latitude and longitude data. This helps SAR
to reach the location even faster.

2. Internal GPS position system

The PLB-350 is fitted with an internal GPS receiver that will determine
the coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the beacon’s position on the
globe, to be transmitted to the Cospas-Sarsat emergency system.

When the beacon is activated, the internal GPS immediately attempts to
acquire positional coordinates. GPS coordinates can be acquired any
time that the GPS is on, but only valid data is saved. Once the beacon
acquires valid coordinates, the data is included as part of the next
transmitted 406 MHz digital message.

The internal GPS operates on a schedule during a beacon activation.
The GPS is on for a time, actively acquiring coordinates, and off for a
time, in a standby state. The schedule is designed to conserve battery
but, at the same time, assure that navigational coordinates are regularly
updated.

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