What is an EPIRB?
I’ve mentioned in previous posts that there are other styles of emergency locator transmitters you may come across. Passing on my father’s advice I’ll tell you that you should always use the right tool for the job. Though the multiple styles of emergency beacons I’ll cover on this site all serve the same essential purpose (helping rescuers locate those in need of rescue) their use and application varies significantly enough o warrant you knowing which is best to have along for which specific application.
What does EPIRB stand for?
EPIRB stands for Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. There’s your short answer. The good news is there’s no long answer to follow it up other than my personal opinion that somebody in the government must have named these things because that’s a ridiculously (and unnecessarily) long name. I mean, did they try marine locator beacon (MLB) and receive complaints from major league baseball for copyright infringement?
What I just gave away answering the previous question is that An EPIRB is specific to Marine applications. While these devices do transmit to satellites and do broadcast on the same 406/121.5Mhz frequency as personal locator beacons, you wouldn’t want to confuse the two for reasons I’ll elaborate on later.
EPIRBs come in several different classes. However, several of the classes are obsolete. They transmit on 121.5/243Mhz frequencies which NOAA no longer monitors. As such, the only classes you need to focus on right now are Class I and Class II EPIRBs.
What is the difference between a Class I and Class II EPIRB?
There are four primary differences in the two EPIRB classes. They are; activation, storage, cost and weight. Class I EPIRBs are meant to be externally mounted externally to a marine vessel in a harness. In the event the boat sinks, class 1 EPIRBs float free and begin transmitting an emergency signal. This differs from Class 2 EPIRBs which are often stored in the wheel house, bridge or cabin of a vessel and sometimes (but not always) require manual activation.
You can imagine that being stored on the exterior of a boat puts class 1 EPIRBs in some harsh conditions for extended periods. With a 5-10 year advertised functional life, that means the need for protection against the elements to ensure the devices work as advertised and when required. As such, housings and internal components for EPIRBs tend to be relatively rugged and heavy compared to more compact Class II EPIRBs or PLBs.
All that extra construction and moisture sensitive activation also comes at a premium price compared to the more affordable Class II EPIRBs.
Should I buy a Class I or Class II EPIRB?
The choice of which class EPIRB to buy is a personal one. I wouldn’t want to interject my own opinion but I’ll share the thinking I would apply to the decision. The first question I’d ask myself is which I could afford. It isn’t unheard of for a Class 1 EPIRB to run as much as $3000! The price of EPIRBs alone might settle the decision for me.
My next question would be more of an evaluation of my own risk tolerance. The problem with a class 2 EPIRB sitting in the cabin of my boat is that, in a rapid sinking event or circumstances that prevent me reaching the device, it may end up doing me as much good as rubber shoe. As mentioned earlier, not all class 2 EPIRBs activate automatically when submerged. Some do (and are still less expensive than class 1 model) but if the device sinks to the bottom with the rest of the boat, it’s useless (enough water will prevent transmission to the satellites).
At the end of the day, you’ll have to decide for yourself if you can afford the expensive Class I EPIRB or accept the risks of a Class II. Either choice leaves you far more likely to be rescued than were you to sail out of port without one.
Check back soon for our next post which will elaborate a bit on the difference between EPIRBs and personal locator beacons.