News: Join Us in Celebrating 406Day, or Beacon Awareness Day
Every April 6th, ACR Electronics joins forces with its brands and partners for the annual 406Day to raise awareness about life-saving 406 MHz beacon technology.
Seascour President Kelly Hendry confirmed the innovator has successfully passed a rigorous Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) audit to retain the Safer Choice certification for outdoor use. This means Seascour remains the only descaler to meet EPA’s additional safety criteria for products used outdoors. The EPA certification assures users Seascour contains safer ingredients to remove biofouling on heat exchangers, condensers, and water coolers on vessels of all kinds before being discharged into the sea, lakes, or rivers. With the EPA certification Seascour is further officially compliant with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for in-water cleaning.
The message year after year is to emphasize the importance of 406 MHz PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons), EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons), and ELTs (Emergency Locator Transmitters) and highlight the critical role of distress beacons in saving lives.
PLBs, designed for installation within a life jacket for semi-automatic activation upon inflation, and EPIRBs, carried by a vessel, are activated in an emergency on land or sea, saving tens of thousands of lives worldwide since the mid-1980s by using emergency distress 406 MHz beacon signals and the Cospas-Sarsat system.
Today’s advanced beacons integrate the latest technology to further increase the chance of rescue, including:
AIS (Automatic Identification System) technology, enhancing vessel tracking precision, collision avoidance, and the likelihood of rescue from nearby vessels
Return Link Service (RLS), providing the user with confirmation that the international satellite system has received their distress message and location
Nearfield Communications (NFC), offering mobile connectivity for the first time, so that beacon owners can monitor their beacons, review self-test results, view GNSS test locations, and monitor beacon performance and maintenance
However, despite the proven benefits, it is still the case that most boaters and vessels do not carry a registered EPIRB or PLB. As Mikele D'Arcangelo, Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Management at ACR Electronics and Ocean Signal, notes: “These devices are not a luxury — they are a necessity. Ready for activation in an emergency to instantly access rescue services via the satellite network, these beacons are very easy to use, very affordable and do not require subscriptions. They will provide you and your family with peace of mind - and could end up saving your life.”
ACR Electronics offers the following simple advice to beacon owners to ensure their EPIRB, PLB or ELT will operate effectively in the event of an emergency.
Check the battery expiration date – Each beacon is marked with the Month and Year the battery needs to be replaced.
Update your beacon registration – Ensure your contact information, and your emergency contacts information, is correct and up to date to best assist Search and Rescue.
Verify your beacon registration number - Double check your beacon registration number matches your beacon, especially if you hand wrote your registration and submitted manually.
Test your beacon – 406Day is about getting beacon owners to be more comfortable with their beacon, so do a self-test and confirm it is in working order.
Review the Product Support Manual – familiarize yourself with proper storage and activation procedures.
Learn more about ACR Electronics and its life-saving beacons at acrartex.com.