VHF-FM EMERGENCY POSITION INDICATING RADIO BEACON

This report describes the development and testing of an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) which operates on Channels 15 and 16 of the Maritime Mobile VHF Band. It provides functions necessary to ensure that distress alerting and locating can be quickly and reliably provided for small craft in distress, in coastal maritime regions. When energized by a person in distress, the EPIRB will emit a radio signal which alternates between Channels 15 and 16 using international distress tones for modulation. Between transmissions, the EPIRB will turn off so as to conserve battery power. The EPIRB has been tested under actual distress conditions. It has been demonstrated to provide a reliable distress alert to Coast Guard stations within a range of 20 nautical miles.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142
• Publication Date: 1978-10

Media Info

• Pagination: 94 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Distress alerting systems; Emergency radio equipment; Position fixing; Radio beacons; Radio direction finders; Search and rescue operations
• Uncontrolled Terms: Direction finding
• Old TRIS Terms: Position finding; Vhf direction finders
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00184796
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: United States Coast Guard
• Report/Paper Numbers: CG-D-29-78 Final Rpt., DOT-TSC-USCG-78-7
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 13 1979 12:00AM