User:Elingauer/sandbox

Why the 406 mHz EPIRB is Replacing the 121.5 mHz beacon

There are many reasons the 406 EPIRB is replacing the 121.5 beacon as the main. Primarily, they provide global coverage whereas 121.5 beacons are only able to cover about two thirds of the earth because the earth station listening for beacon signals must be under the coverage of the same satellite that picks up the 121.5 beacon transmission at the same time. False alerts are still an unfortunate problem but the new 406 beacons send out encoded digital signals. This allows the search teams to try and contact the vessel before any people need to be deployed. Only two in every one hundred alerts received through the 121.5 beacons were actual distress whereas now, that ratio has dropped to one in twelve with the 406 beacon. Position information is accurate down from twelve to fifteen nautical miles down to one to three nautical miles with the 406 beacon. There is still a quite noticeable difference in price but the accuracy and safety is worth the upgrade; not to mention 121.5 beacons are not even registered by satellites anymore. 121.5 is now made to be illegal aboard maritime vessels as one of the primary sources for distress. However 121.5 is not illegal to have as a secondary resource for distress. Maritime vessels today are not being equipped with 121.5 beacons.