True, but not to the shipping lanes or other vessels in the area...
Radio Information For Boaters.
5-20 mile range. Laf.
Unless there were more problems than just a funny noise in the engine.
Boat Sank, PLB did not send signal, man found by passing boat
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Radio Information For Boaters.
5-20 mile range. Laf.
Unless there were more problems than just a funny noise in the engine.
Realistically though it's closer to what 6-7 miles though based on height of antennas etc.
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
Yeah. 15 at best on a typical power boat with the antenna on a t top, flybridge or pilot house. Blow boaters generally do better because they can put them on top of their mast. Coast guard station towers are usually pretty high up so you might be able to reach them at 30 or so miles out if you're near one.
But, yeah, it's line of sight and transmit power. I laugh at the Nautilus, because you're right, the average boat probably can transmit 7-10 miles, assuming the radio even works
, now imagine a tiny antenna with a person bobbing in the waves. A whole lot of limitations on those units.
Exactly.Yeah. 15 at best on a typical power boat with the antenna on a t top, flybridge or pilot house. Blow boaters generally do better because they can put them on top of their mast. Coast guard station towers are usually pretty high up so you might be able to reach them at 30 or so miles out if you're near one.
But, yeah, it's line of sight and transmit power. I laugh at the Nautilus, because you're right, the average boat probably can transmit 7-10 miles, assuming the radio even works
Ground planes, grounding, connection quality, radio quality, power quality.
I imagine many tend to skimp on radios because "cellphone".
ThatDogDontHunt
Oscar Meyer Weiner
Good catch - I just listened to the audio now. You need to ignore the closed captioning as it has lots of errors in it.
Seems the owner attached his PLB to the wall up high in the middle of the boat?
The coast guard confirmed it was a PLB (from details in the registry), but the owner called it an epirb and admitted he did not know if it activates by itself.
Did the owner understand the technology he had? The coast guard claims it was a PLB (they are very clear on that). The owner called it an epirb and appears to have treated it like an epirb by attaching it to the vessel.
I believe a properly mounted epirb would have floated free and self activated (this is what a LOB captain told me years ago). It does not make sense to mount a PLB. (Except maybe on your person?)
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Not all. Category 1 EPIRBs float free and automatically activate. Category 2 automatically activate but do not float free.
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THIS!I laugh at the Nautilus, because you're right, the average boat probably can transmit 7-10 miles, assuming the radio even works
I think not at all.
Based on the height of the Coast Guard's antennae, the effective range of VHF communications according to this graphic is 20 NM.
If you're near the US shore, VHF is the best way to get help. Between DSC and the Coast Guard's direction finding capability, the Coast Guard can turn VHF calls into an effective response very quickly.
Outside the effective range of VHF, many recreational boaters place undue confidence in their EPIRB's. They are under the impression that if their EPIRB gets wet, a Coast Guard rescue helicopter will soon arrive overhead.
That's not how it works. The EPIRB signal goes to a COSPAS-SARSAT satellite, which relays it to the Mission Control Center in Maryland, which relays it to the nearest Rescue Coordination Center--where it arrives as an "uncorrelated mayday."
Uncorrelated maydays happen regularly when there aren't emergencies, so watch standers don't spring into action when one arrives. Instead, they work through a checklist that begins with seeing if the EPIRB is registered and to whom.
Did you forget to update the EPIRB registration when you bought your used boat? Settle in for a long wait until additional information comes in suggesting that a distress situation exists.
If you did register the EPIRB, they'll call the contact points you provided to see if anyone knows where you are and if you're okay. Didn't tell anyone ashore where you were going and when you'd be back? Settle in for a long wait.
If you did properly register the EPIRB, and you did tell someone the Coast Guard can reach where you are, they'll start doing callouts and other leg work to figure out where you are and if you're okay.
Either way, you need to have made your own provisions to stay afloat and stay warm and send visual distress signals until the situation gets sorted out and help can arrive.
If you're near the US shore, VHF is the best way to get help. Between DSC and the Coast Guard's direction finding capability, the Coast Guard can turn VHF calls into an effective response very quickly.
Outside the effective range of VHF, many recreational boaters place undue confidence in their EPIRB's. They are under the impression that if their EPIRB gets wet, a Coast Guard rescue helicopter will soon arrive overhead.
That's not how it works. The EPIRB signal goes to a COSPAS-SARSAT satellite, which relays it to the Mission Control Center in Maryland, which relays it to the nearest Rescue Coordination Center--where it arrives as an "uncorrelated mayday."
Uncorrelated maydays happen regularly when there aren't emergencies, so watch standers don't spring into action when one arrives. Instead, they work through a checklist that begins with seeing if the EPIRB is registered and to whom.
Did you forget to update the EPIRB registration when you bought your used boat? Settle in for a long wait until additional information comes in suggesting that a distress situation exists.
If you did register the EPIRB, they'll call the contact points you provided to see if anyone knows where you are and if you're okay. Didn't tell anyone ashore where you were going and when you'd be back? Settle in for a long wait.
If you did properly register the EPIRB, and you did tell someone the Coast Guard can reach where you are, they'll start doing callouts and other leg work to figure out where you are and if you're okay.
Either way, you need to have made your own provisions to stay afloat and stay warm and send visual distress signals until the situation gets sorted out and help can arrive.
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