ACR Electronics RLB-36 User Manual

PRODUCT SUPPORT MANUAL

GLOBALFIX™ iPRO
406 MHz GPS EPIRB //

Model No.: RLB-36
Product No.: 2846.0, 2848.0
Y1-03-0233 Rev. J

ACR Electronics, Inc. // 5757 Ravenswood Road // Fort Lauderdale // FL // 33312-6645

Tel: [phone] // Fax: [phone] // www.acrartex.com

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, please
contact our Technical Service Department at ACR Electronics, Inc.,
Telephone [phone]. Please be ready to provide the
technician with the page number you wish to discuss. If you have a
question that is not covered in the manual, please visit our website
and access the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section for further
information or call our Technical Service Department. The website
address is www.acrartex.com. If in the future you lose this manual,
you may access and print a replacement on the ACR website.

NOTE re: Applicable products

This manual supports all configurations of GlobalFix™ iPRO/ RLB-36
beacons. In addition to the part numbers listed on the cover page,
other configurations of these products are available, thus you may
have purchased a product configuration with a somewhat different part
number. As long as the first four digits are the same as one of the two
part numbers on the cover, this manual is applicable.

OWNER
VESSEL
RADIO CALL SIGN
MMSI
EPIRB UIN

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Table of Contents

STEP ONE - REGISTERING YOUR BEACON ___________________________________ 2

STEP TWO - HOW THE BEACON WORKS ____________________________________ 6

STEP THREE - INSTALLING THE BEACON ___________________________________ 16

STEP FOUR - MAINTAINING THE BEACON __________________________________ 21

APPENDIX A - USING AND TESTING THE GPS SYSTEMS ________________________ 27

APPENDIX B - USER INTERFACE: SPECIAL ICONS ______________________________ 29

APPENDIX C - USER INTERFACE: DIGITAL DISPLAY DURING OPERATION ___________ 30

APPENDIX D - USER INTERFACE: DIGITAL DISPLAY DURING SELF-TEST ____________ 33

APPENDIX E - USER INTERFACE: DIGITAL DISPLAY DURING EXTENDED GPS TEST____ 36

APPENDIX F- USER INTERFACE: LANGUAGE TRANSLATIONS ____________________ 37

APPENDIX G - THE COSPAS-SARSAT SYSTEM ________________________________ 38

APPENDIX H - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS _________________________________ 39

APPENDIX I - WARRANTY, NOTICES _______________________________________ 40

PLEASE READ ALL WARNINGS, CAUTIONS

AND NOTES CAREFULLY

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STEP ONE - REGISTERING YOUR BEACON

Your unique ID code
programmed inside each EPIRB 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!

1. Why is registration important?

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

Please note that all 406 MHz beacons are required to have their

law.

registration updated every two years by the owner.

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, your homeport, 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 alarms, and
registering your beacon helps to resolve false alarms quickly.

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2. What country should I register in?

Register your beacon with the EPIRB national authority of the country for
which the beacon was programmed, typically the country where
purchased, regardless of where you do your boating.

The beacon must be reprogrammed if you, as the owner, move or the
vessel sails under the flag of a different country than the one for which
the beacon was previously programmed. 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. Units that do not have a country
specified on the UIN label are programmed for the United States.

3. 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).

Here 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:

SARSAT Beacon Registration NOAA
NSOF, E/SPO53
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 with
the existing label on the unit, and then affix the decal to your beacon in

the area marked “BEACON DECAL HERE.” If you do not receive

confirmation back from NOAA in the expected timeframe, call toll free
[phone] for assistance.

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Registration outside of the United States

In countries other than the United States, 406 MHz beacons are

registered with that country’s national authority at the time of purchase.

The sales agent should 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.

4. Do I need a radio license?

In the United States, you may or may not need to obtain or update a
radio station license. Check the FCC’s website at

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=licensing&id=ship_stations

or call toll-free [phone] (CALLFCC) for the latest information.
Outside of the United States, contact your local authority for the

requirements.

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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 special system of satellites called the Cospas­Sarsat 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 23,500 lives ­and counting - since its inception. See Appendix G 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 important information
about the beacon and its owner. 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.

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 or download
coordinates from an external GPS receiver. The coordinates are added
to the ID of the unit, which is transmitted with the 406 signal. This
enables the SAR authorities to locate the beacon to an accuracy of 110
yards (100 m).

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2. Anatomy of your beacon

NOTE: When unpacking your beacon, it is recommended that you save

the original packaging for re-use when shipping the beacon for battery
replacement in the future.

// Activation switch with Witness Tab

The activation switch embodies a special, patented method of activating
a beacon. Refer to a subsequent section of this manual for how to
activate the beacon.

// External GPS interface

The external GPS interface serves as the connection to the ship’s GPS

system.

// Internal GPS engine

The internal GPS engine is located where it can most readily get a clear
view of the sky.

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GPS

Interface

Internal GPS

Receiver

Activation/Test

Switch

Red

LED

Digital Display

Screen

OFF/READY

Position

TEST

Position

ON/TRANSMITTING

Position

Top View

Switch Positions

Strobes

Antenna

Green

LED

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Spring

Release

knob

HydroFix™

Hydrostatic

Release Unit

(HRU)

GPS

Interface

Cable

Front cover
hook (detent)

Release
Latch

Antenna hook

Water Sensor
Deactivation Magnet

GPS Interface
Stowage Port

Category 2 – LowPro™3 Bracket

Category 1 – SeaShelter™3 Bracket

Front Cover
Release Tabs

GPS
Interface
Stowage
Port

Ejector
spring

Antenna
hook

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3. Digital Display

GPS √

EPIRB

ON

The digital display in the beacon is used as a secondary visual aid,
supporting the green/red LED and the audio tone, which indicate the
status of the beacon during testing and during emergency operation.

The messages on the digital display typically appear as one or two words
at a time, until the entire message has been displayed.

When the beacon is activated, the display will show the message EPIRB
ON. The beacon will begin to send 406 MHz emergency signal bursts, at
which time the display provides other messages including 406 SENT,

121.5 ON and GPS coordinates, provided the data was acquired. If GPS
data has not been successfully downloaded into the beacon, the digital

display will give you tips like “GIVE CLEAR VIEW TO SKY.”

In Self-Test, the display illustrates the test result of each step with “√”
indicating a pass and “X” indicating a failure. There are a total of five

tests, plus a battery check. If all tests pass, SELF-TEST PASS will be
displayed at the end of the Self-Test mode. This will be followed by the
GPS coordinates horizontally scrolling through the display, provided the
beacon has successfully downloaded an external GPS location. See
Appendixes B through E for details about display messages.

Language translations of the digital display messages are available from
your local Battery Replacement Center (BRC). The messages can be
converted to French, Spanish, German and Italian. See Appendix F for a
list of messages by language.

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4. Activating your beacon

WARNING: This transmitter is authorized for use only during

situations of grave and imminent danger. Deliberate misuse may
incur a severe penalty.

Overview
Category I beacons are designed to be automatically deployed and
activated in the event of a sinking vessel. The beacon may also be hand
held on the deck of vessels, or floated in water and attached to a raft or
life vest with the lanyard provided.

Category II beacons are designed to be manually deployed from the
bracket.

Two conditions must be met for a Category II beacon to automatically
activate:

// It must be out of its bracket
// It must be wet

NOTE:

beacon.
Category I and II beacons can always be manually activated in or out of

their bracket.
The beacon and bracket are designed to allow the user to perform

periodic testing while the beacon is in its bracket.

Either condition by itself will not automatically activate the

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Category I beacons-Automatic deployment and activation

HRU releases the rod
separating the front and
back cover of bracket at a
depth between 4-13 feet

Ejector Spring
launches EPIRB
from the bracket
allowing it to float
freely to the water
surface

If the vessel sinks, the HydroFix™ HRU frees the beacon from the
bracket, allowing it to float to the surface. Built-in sensors detect that the
beacon is no longer in its bracket and when continuity is created by
water between two of the top cap screws, an activation circuit is
completed.

NOTE: Transmission of the 121.5 MHz and 406 MHz signals will not
occur until 100 seconds after activation.

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