National Geographic magazine recommends carriage of a distress beacon as the best safety tool for climbers and trekkers.
Thousands of people go missing every year while exploring mountains, forests, rivers, and deserts. Safety experts tell us how to avoid mishaps—and what to do if you need rescuing.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/safety-tips-from-first-responders-you-need-to-know
4 Parties to the Cospas-Sarsat Agreement
29 Ground Segment Providers
9 User States
2 Participating Organisations
Distress Beacons Worldwide about 2,000,000
Mission Control Centres (MCCs): 30
LEOLUTs: 53
GEOLUTs: 21
LEOSAR satellites: 5
GEOSAR satellites: 5
A more detailed description of the System status is provided in the Cospas-Sarsat “System Data” document available on our Professionals website (Pro/Documents).
This document includes:
Statistics on the number of SAR events assisted by Cospas-Sarsat, and the number of lives rescued in these events
Maps depicting LEOSAR and GEOSAR coverage
The list of countries and organisations which participate in the management of the Programme and System operation
Space and ground segment equipment availability
The list of type approved 406 MHz beacons and beacon manufacturers
Estimated beacon population
These statistics are copied from the latest issue of the System Data document, which is available here: http://www.cospas-sarsat.int/en/documents-pro/system-data.
The basic Cospas-Sarsat concept is illustrated in the adjacent figure. The System is composed of:
distress radiobeacons (ELTs for aviation use, EPIRBs for maritime use, and PLBs for personal use) which transmit signals during distress situations;
instruments on board satellites in geostationary and low-altitude Earth orbits which detect the signals transmitted by distress radiobeacons;
ground receiving stations, referred to as Local Users Terminals (LUTs), which receive and process the satellite downlink signal to generate distress alerts; and
The Cospas-Sarsat System includes two types of satellites:
The future Cospas-Sarsat System will include a new type of satellite in the medium-altitude Earth orbit (MEO) which will form the MEOSAR System.
Additional information on the three satellite systems, the LUTs, and the MCCs is provided in the tabs below.
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The International Cospas-Sarsat Programme initiated the development of the Medium-altitude Earth Orbiting Satellite System for Search and Rescue (MEOSAR system) in 2004, with SAR repeaters placed on the satellites of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) of Europe (Galileo), Russia (Glonass) and the USA (GPS). Early operational capability (EOC) data from the MEOSAR system will be available from late-2016 and full operational capability (FOC) of the system is anticipated in 2018. MEOSAR will initially complement the existing LEOSAR (satellites in low-altitude orbits) and GEOSAR (satellites in geostationary orbit) systems, and will eventually replace the LEOSAR system.
The Cospas-Sarsat System is comprised of:
The current operational Cospas-Sarsat System includes two types of satellites:
The future Cospas-Sarsat System will include satellites in medium-altitude Earth orbit (MEO). Once fully operational, the MEOSAR system will provide global coverage and near-real-time beacon detection and independent location.
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites orbit the Earth at an altitude between 19,000 and 23,000 km, a range considered as medium-altitude Earth orbit. Hence this component of Cospas-Sarsat is known as the Medium-altitude Earth Orbit Search and Rescue system, or MEOSAR. It will complement the existing LEOSAR and GEOSAR systems.
The current LEOSAR and GEOSAR systems that detect and locate distress beacons have shortcomings that MEOSAR will overcome. The GEOSAR system constantly covers the entire Earth except the high-latitude (i.e., polar) regions. While the GEOSAR system can receive beacons distress messages across most of the globe, it cannot locate a beacon unless the location is encoded in the beacon’s message from a local navigation (GNSS) receiver. The LEOSAR system can locate a beacon without location information being transmitted in the beacon message (or can confirm the location even if positon information is transmitted in the beacon message), but the LEOSAR satellites have a view of only a small part of the Earth at any given time, which at times creates a delay in the distress signal reaching a ground station. While LEOSAR and GEOSAR still provide valuable search-and-rescue capabilities, MEOSAR is a revolution in technology.
Once fully operational, the MEOSAR system will offer the advantages of both the LEOSAR and GEOSAR systems without their limitations by providing transmission of the distress message and independent location of the beacon, with near-real-time worldwide coverage. The MEOSAR system will facilitate other planned enhancements for Cospas-Sarsat beacons, such as a return-link-service (RLS) transmission to a distress beacons that will provide, for example, the user with a confirmation that the distress message has been received.
The large number of MEOSAR satellites that will be in orbit when the system is fully operational will allow each distress message to be relayed at the same time by several satellites to several ground antennas, improving the likelihood of quick detection and improving the accuracy of the location determination.
At the beginning of 2013, Cospas-Sarsat entered a Demonstration and Evaluation (D&E) phase for the MEOSAR system to show that MEOSAR performance meets expectations, and that distress alerts received by SAR authorities from the MEOSAR system have the required reliability and accuracy.
The MEOSAR early operational capability (EOC), where distress alerts provided by the MEOSAR system are provided to SAR authorities for operational use, began in December 2016. The EOC phase will be followed by the initial operational capability (IOC) phase that will provide improved MEOSAR performance. When enough MEOSAR satellites and commissioned ground stations (MEOLUTs) are available to provide worldwide, near-real-time coverage, the MEOSAR system will be declared at full operational capability (FOC), which is anticipated in 2018.
An RLS-enabled beacon is a beacon that has the Return Link Service feature. The Return Link Service feature is an indication (e.g., a light or text display) on the beacon that confirms to the user that the distress signal from the beacon has been received and localized by the Cospas-Sarsat system and forwarded to government authorities for action. It does NOT mean that a rescue has yet been organized/launched, only that the distress alert has been received and routed to the appropriate government agencies. For further information about how the Return Link Service feature works, and performance expectations, you should watch the Cospas-Sarsat video on RLS and read the related sections of the SAR/Galileo Service Definition Document.
Every beacon includes as part of the transmitted distress message a preprogrammed “country code”, that normally indicates the national residency of the owner and/or the country/territory where the beacon was purchased. Some countries/territories allow RLS-enabled beacons (using an RLS “protocol” for the transmitted distress message) to be preprogrammed with their “country code”, and sold and used on their territory, and some other countries/territories do not. (However, any properly programmed beacon will work anywhere on Earth.)
Please Register your Beacon
Cospas-Sarsat strongly recommends that you register your beacon. It only is possible to register a beacon in the registry operated by the country matching the country code programmed into the beacon (or the International Beacon Registration Database (IBRD) if the country uses it for their registrations). (For example, it only is possible to register a beacon with a French country code in France’s registry. However, owners of Belgian-coded beacons must register in the IBRD.) Visit Where to Register My Beacon to see where you can register your beacon
Where Can I Buy an RLS-Enabled Beacon?
The countries/territories that have informed Cospas-Sarsat that RLS-enabled beacons are allowed to be preprogrammed with their “country code”, and sold and used on their territory are listed below, together with notes about any limitations and with links to country/territory-specific regulations as they have been reported to Cospas-Sarsat. Because there may be a delay in countries informing Cospas-Sarsat, some countries not on this list may also allow RLS-enabled beacons. (It is also recommended to check directly with the national/territorial authorities for the latest information on what is allowed. Your local beacon vendor may be able to tell you where to find this information.)
(Please see countries’ S.007 webpages.)
| Country or Territory | Limitations | Country Code (MID) | Specific Country Regulations |
| Algeria | Allowed for all beacon types | 605 | S.007 |
| Argentina | Allowed for all beacon types | 701 | S.007 |
| Australia | Allowed for all beacon types | 503 | S.007 |
| Brazil | Allowed for all EPIRBs and PLBs only | 710 | S.007 |
| Canada | Allowed for all beacon types | 316 | S.007 |
| Chile | Allowed for all beacon types | 725 | S.007 |
| Croatia | Allowed for all beacon types | 238 | S.007 |
| Cyprus | Allowed for all beacon types | 209 | S.007 |
| Cyprus | Allowed for EPIRBs only | 210, 212 | S.007 |
| Denmark | Allowed for all beacon types | 219, 220 | S.007 |
| Faroe Islands (DK) | Allowed for all beacon types | 231 | S.007 |
| Finland | Allowed for EPIRBs only | 230 | S.007 |
| France | Allowed for all beacon types depending on the use. Restrictions may exist per Country Code (see *) | 226*, 227, 228*, 329, 347, 361, 501*, 540, 546, 578, 607*, 618*, 635*, 660, 745 | S.007 |
| Germany | Allowed for EPIRBs and ELTs only | 211, 218 | S.007 |
| Greece | Allowed for all beacon types | 237, 239, 240, 241 | S.007 |
| Greenland (DK) | Allowed for all beacon types | 331 | S.007 |
| Hong Kong (CHN) | Allowed for EPIRBs and PLBs only | 457 | S.007 |
| Iceland | Allowed for all beacon types | 251 | S.007 |
| Ireland | Allowed for EPIRBs and PLBs only | 250 | S.007 |
| Israel | Allowed for all beacon types | 428 | S.007 |
| Italy | Allowed for all beacon types | 247 | S.007 |
| Japan | Allowed for EPIRBs only | 431, 432 | S.007 |
| Latvia | Allowed for ELTs and PLBs only | 275 | S.007 |
| Liechtenstein | Allowed for all beacon types | 252 | S.007 |
| Moldova | Allowed for ELTs only | 214 | S.007 |
| New Zealand | Allowed for all beacon types | 512 | S.007 |
| Norway | Allowed for all beacon types | 257, 258, 259 | S.007 |
| Peru | Allowed for EPIRBs and ELTs only | 760 | S.007 |
| Poland | Allowed for all beacon types | 261 | S.007 |
| Qatar | Allowed for all beacon types | 466 | S.007 |
| Russian Federation | Allowed for EPIRBs and ELTs only | 273 | S.007 |
| Saudi-Arabia | Allowed for all beacon types | 403 | S.007 |
| Serbia | Allowed for all beacon types | 279 | S.007 |
| Singapore | Allowed for all beacon types | 563, 564, 565, 566 | S.007 |
| Spain | Allowed for EPIRBs only, with restrictions | 224, 225 | S.007 |
| Sweden | Allowed for all beacon types | 265, 266 | S.007 |
| Switzerland | Allowed for all beacon types | 269 | S.007 |
| Taiwan (Ch. Taipei) | Allowed for PLBs only | 416 | S.007 |
| Türkiye | Allowed for all beacon types | 271 | S.007 |
| United Arab Emirates | Allowed for all beacon types | 470, 471 | S.007 |
| United Kingdom | Allowed for all beacon types | 232, 233, 234, 235 | S.007 |
| USA | Allowed for all beacon types | 366, 367 | S.007 |
| Viet Nam | Allowed for all beacon types | 574 | S.007 |
Last updated 24 May 2024
Registering your beacon may make the difference between life and death. By registering your beacon you allow search-and-rescue authorities in an emergency to retrieve crucial information about you, your aircraft or vessel, and people who can provide valuable information about you (your emergency contacts).
Register your beacon by visiting https://406registration.com.
To see a news story and video about the importance of registering your beacon visit https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/02/survivor-s-plea-register-your-emergency-beacons.html.
Your registration information is maintained in databases that are operated by governments and/or the Cospas-Sarsat Secretariat (depending on choices made by the government associated with the “country code” programmed into your beacon). When you visit www.406registration.com and enter your beacon’s identification (ID) code you will be instructed about how you need to register your beacon (depending on the beacon’s “country code”). Registration is a mandatory requirement in many countries, and also for certain aircraft that are subject to the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization and for certain vessels that are subject to the rules of the International Maritime Organization.
Under NO circumstances can the Cospas-Sarsat Secretariat register a beacon by telephone, facsimile, e-mail or mail. You must go to www.406registration.com to see how your beacon can be registered.
(Note that, in addition to registration, local or international regulations may require that your aircraft or vessel identification be electronically encoded into your beacon so that it is transmitted in the alert message when your beacon is activated. This only can be done by a properly qualified service facility. Check with the manufacturer of your beacon.)
The information about your beacon that you place in the registration databases is for use by search-and-rescue authorities, and is viewable only by them, associated government agencies and the Cospas-Sarsat Secretariat. NO information that you place in the registration databases is made available to commercial entities and it is NOT used for any commercial purpose whatsoever.
Depending on the database in which you are instructed to register your beacon (which depends on the “country code” programmed into the beacon), you will be asked to supply certain kinds of information. This may include:
When a distress alert message from your beacon is relayed to a national-government Search-and-Rescue Point of Contact (SPOCs) that has the responsibility to react to the alert, the information that you have provided during beacon registration is also provided to the rescue authorities. It is easy to understand how important this information can be to rescue authorities as they are organizing a search-and-rescue effort. Also, by attempting to contact you using your contact information, or contacting those that you have listed as emergency contacts during registration, rescue authorities are better able to determine if the distress alert is real or inadvertent. If the alert is real, they will have information that improves the chances of them finding you and saving your life. If the alert is inadvertent, it means that limited search-and-rescue resources are not unintentionally diverted from someone in real distress.
Just as important as registering your beacon when you first acquire it, is the need to update the information when your circumstances change. If you move the beacon to a different aircraft/vessel, or if the contact information for yourself or your emergency contacts change, you must update this information in the registration database. It is strongly recommended that you take a few minutes at least every two years to review and update the information in the registration database. This is a mandatory requirement in some countries. Likewise, if you sell or transfer your beacon to someone else, you need to indicate this in the registration database and encourage the new owner to properly register the beacon for themselves.
If you decide to dispose of an old, unneeded beacon you need to be careful to take certain steps. Do NOT merely toss the beacon in a garbage or rubbish bin. If you do this, over time the casing and electronics could degrade, possibly causing the beacon to begin transmitting a false alert from, for example, a garbage heap. This could divert limited search-and-rescue resources from a real emergency, putting other lives at risk. Instead you must have the battery removed, you must have the beacon clearly labeled on the outside that it has been deactivated (so that no one mistakenly tries to use it in a real emergency), AND you must update your information in the registration database to indicate that you have disposed of the beacon. When possible, the components of your old beacon should be properly recycled.
Регистрация радиобуя может иметь решающее значение, когда вы находитесь между жизнью и смертью. Регистрируя радиобуй, вы тем самым даете возможность поисково-спасательным (ПС) службам в чрезвычайной ситуации получить решающую информацию о вас, вашем самолете или судне и людях, которые могут предоставить ценную информацию о вас (ваши экстренные контакты).
Зарегистрируйте свой радиобуй, посетив www.406registration.com.
Ваша регистрационная информация хранится в базах данных, которые управляются правительствами и/или Секретариатом Коспас-Сарсат (в зависимости от выбора, сделанного правительством, это связано с “кодом страны”, запрограммированным в ваш радиобуй). При посещении www.406registration.com, когда вы вводите идентификацию вашего радиобуя (ID), вас проинструктируют о том, как вы должны зарегистрировать свой радиобуй (в зависимости от “кода страны” радиобуя). Регистрация – это обязательное требование для многих стран и для определенного типа самолетов, подпадающих под положения Международной организации гражданской авиации (ИКАО) и для определенного типа судов, подпадающих под положения Международной морской организации ИМО).
Ни при каких обстоятельствах Секретариат Коспас-Сарсат не может регистрировать радиобуй по телефону, факсу, электронной почте или обычной почте. Вы должны пойти на www.406registration.com, чтобы выяснить, как ваш радиобуй может быть зарегистрирован.
(Обратите внимание на то, что в дополнение к регистрационной информации местные или международные положения могут потребовать, чтобы информация об идентификации вашего самолета или судна была закодирована в ваш радиобуй в электронном виде для передачи в аварийном сообщении, в случае активации радиобуя. Это может быть сделано только в специально оборудованном сервисном центре. Согласуйте это с изготовителем своего радиобуя.)
Информация о вашем радиобуе, которую вы размещаете в регистрационные базы данных для использования поисково-спасательными службами, видима только ими, а также соответствующими правительственными учреждениями и Секретариатом Коспас-Сарсат. НИКАКАЯ информация, которую вы помещаете в регистрационные базы данных, не становится доступной для коммерческих организаций, и она НЕ используется ни в каких коммерческих целях вообще.
В зависимости от базы данных, в которую вам предлагается зарегистрировать ваш радиобуй (в зависимости от “кода страны”, запрограммированного в радиобуй), вас попросят включить определенные виды данных. Они могут включать:
Идентификацию радиобуя, представляющую собой шестнадцатеричную комбинацию символов (составленную из знаков 0-9 и A-F), которую можно найти на этикетке, приложенной к каждому радиобую. Вас всегда будут спрашивать относительно ID радиобуя, потому что IDявляется лучшим (и часто только) способом уникально отличить ваш радиобуй от других.
Ваше имя, адрес, номер телефона и другую контактную информацию.
Идентификацию и описание вашего самолета, если ваш радиобуй – АРМ (ELT) или вашего судна, если ваш радиобуй – АРБ (EPIRB) и порт его приписки.
Виды средств выживания и оборудования связи.
Чрезвычайная контактная информация для тех организаций или людей, которые могут быть в состоянии обеспечить дополнительные детали об особенностях самолета/судна, планах путешествия, возможных средствах на борту во время аварии и т.д.
Когда аварийное сообщение от вашего радиобуя передается в национальную точку контакта по поиску и спасанию (ТКПС = SPOC), которая несет ответственность за реагирование на тревогу, информация, которую вы предоставили во время регистрации радиобуя, также предоставляется спасательным службам. Легко понять, насколько важной эта информация может быть для спасателей, когда они организуют поисково-спасательную операцию. Кроме того, пытаясь связаться с вами по представленной вами контактной информации или выходя на связь с теми, кого вы перечислили при регистрации как экстренные контакты, спасательные службы способны в лучшей степени определить, реальный ли это сигнал бедствия или ложный. Если тревога реальная, то у спасателей будут данные, которые помогут найти Вас и спасти вашу жизнь. Если тревога ложная, то это означает, что ограниченные поисково-спасательные ресурсы не будут отвлечены от другого, но реального бедствии.
Столь же важным, как регистрация вашего радиобуя при его приобретении, является требование обновления регистрационной информации. Если вы переносите радиобуй в другой самолет / на другое судно или если меняется контактная информация для чрезвычайной ситуации, вы обязаны обновить эти данные в регистрационной базе. Особенно рекомендуется, чтобы по крайней мере каждые два года вы потратили несколько минут на то, чтобы просмотреть и обновить информацию в регистрационной базе данных. В некоторых странах это – обязательное требование. Аналогично этому, если вы продаете или передаете свой радиобуй кому-то еще, вы должны указать на это в регистрационной базе данных и проинструктировать нового владельца должным образом зарегистрировать радиобуй на свое имя.
Если вы решаете избавиться от старого, ненужного радиобуя, Вы должны сделать в этом направлении опреденные шаги. Не выбрасывайте радиобуй в мусорный контейнер или ведро. В течение длительного времени кожух и электроника радиобуя могли претерпеть изменения и в результате этого радиобуй может начать передавать ложные сигналы, например, из кучи мусора. А это может отвлечь ограниченные поисково-спасательные ресурсы от реальной чрезвычайной ситуации, ставя другие жизни под угрозу. В этом случае вам необходимо демонтировать батарею и в ясной форме указать на внешней стороне радиобуя, что он дезактивирован (чтобы никто по ошибке не пытался использовать его в реальной чрезвычайной ситуации). Вы должны обновить свою информацию в регистрационной базе данных, чтобы указать, что вы избавились от радиобуя. Когда это возможно, компоненты Вашего старого радиобуя должны быть должным образом переработаны.
Assurez-vous de tester votre balise selon les instructions du fabricant de balise, ainsi que de bien enregistrer votre balise en utilisant l’identification hexadécimale (0 à 9 et A à F) indiqué sur l’étiquette de votre balise avant tout exercice de vérification de balise. Si jamais une fausse alerte est déclenchée, les autorités seront en mesure de savoir qui contacter avant d’envoyer une équipe de recherche et sauvetage. La majorité des balises ont une touche (bouton) ou une position du commutateur pour effectuer des tests. Ceci devrait être la seule position du commutateur utilisé lors d’un test routine. L‘activation de votre balise 406 MHz, ne serait-ce que pour un très court laps de temps, générera un message d’alerte de détresse Cospas-Sarsat qui sera transmis aux services de recherche et sauvetage pour action immédiate. Les anciennes balises de détresse qui transmettent à 121.5 ou 243 MHz peuvent être activées pour une courte durée lors des périodes prédéfinies (par exemple, les cinq premiers minutes de chaque heure). CECI N’EST PAS LE CAS POUR LES BALISES TRANSMETTANT AU 406 MHz. Les balises 406-MHz sont encodées d’une façon numérique, et transmettent des signaux de détresse sans délai. Pour cette raison, les balises 406 MHz ne doivent être activées qu’en cas de situation de détresse réelle. Toute exception à cette règle requiert un accord préalable du Centre de contrôle de mission (MCC) Cospas-Sarsat responsable pour votre région, pour éviter que les ressources de recherche et sauvetage ne soient déployés.
Attention!!!L’activation d’une balise de détresse pour toute raison autre qu’une situation de détresse et sans autorisation préalable du MCC Cospas-Sarsat est une infraction dans beaucoup de pays et peut entrainer des poursuites judiciaires.
Assurez-vous de tester votre balise selon les instructions du fabricant, ainsi que de bien enregistrer votre balise en utilisant l’identification hexadécimale indiqué sur l’étiquette de votre balise avant tout exercice de vérification de balise. Un autotest permettant d’évaluer les caractéristiques de performance essentielles fait partie de la conception des balises 406 MHz en activant une touche ou position du commutateur de test. La fonction autotest ne génère pas d’alerte au niveau du système Cospas-Sarsat et peut être effectuée en tout temps (i.e., n’est pas limité aux périodes prédéfinies de l’heure). Cependant, elle consommera un peu de la capacité limitée de la batterie et ne devrait être utilisée qu’en accord avec les directives du fabricant concernant le nombre de tests à effectuer pour la durée de vie de la balise. Des tests excédant cette limite peuvent entrainer une réserve inadéquate lors d’une vraie situation de détresse. (Même si la fonction autotest ne déclenche d’alerte 406-MHz dans le système Cospas-Sarsat, il se peut que quelques fonctions transmettent un bref signal de radioralliement 121.5 MHz, qui doit être prise en compte lors de la planification d’un autotest de votre balise.) Si vous avez des questions concernant le mode autotest de votre balise, contactez le fabricant de la balise avant d’utiliser l’autotest.
Si, par inadvertance, vous activez une balise en mode opérationnel (ou par mode automatisée, tel que contact avec de l’eau pour un RLS ainsi équipé), désactivez la balise (si elle a une fonction de désactivation) ET contactez le MCC Cospas-Sarsat ou votre centre de coordination de sauvetage le plus proche dès que possible pour faire la demande d’annulation de l’alerte de détresse. (La désactivation de la balise n’annule PAS l’alerte de détresse déjà transmise par la balise et reçu par Cospas-Sarsat. Il est donc très important d’appeler le MCC ou RCC/SPOC
Dans quelques rares circonstances il peut être nécessaire d’activer une balise en mode opérationnel à des fins de test. Quelle que soit la position de la balise ou la durée d’activation, cette balise 406 MHz sera détectée par Cospas-Sarsat, et le message d’alerte de détresse résultant serait alors retransmis à un MCC et RCC pour des fins de déploiement des ressources de recherche et sauvetage. En conséquence, un effort important de coordination est nécessaire pour s’assurer que les MCC concernés soient informés des essais de balises en mode opérationnel à l’avance. (Un signal de radioralliement va probablement aussi être transmis lors d’un test « réel », et doit aussi être prise en considération. Les balises devraient rarement avoir besoin de se faire tester en mode opérationnelle (alerte de détresse).
Les demandes relatives à un test « réel » de balise doivent être adressées auCentre de contrôle de mission (MCC)Cospas-Sarsat qui dessert le lieu où le test est prévu et le Centre de contrôle de mission (MCC) qui soutient le code de pays codé dans la balise (si autre).
Il y a actuellement plus de 1 500 000 balises de détresse Cospas-Sarsat à 406 MHz en service. En considération du nombre des balises en service, des efforts nécessaires et des moyens à mettre en œuvre pour coordonner un test de balise réel, les propriétaires de balise doivent comprendre que les autorisations d’activation aux fins de test ne sont délivrées qu’à titre exceptionnel.
Test de balise de détresse au poste de pilotage en atelier de maintenance de l’avion
Généralement, les activations en poste de pilotage à distance sont effectuées lors de l’installation initiale et lors des travaux de maintenance sur l’ELT. Les tests de ELT routine (par exemple, par les équipes de pilotage), quel que soit le temps pendant l’heure, devrait être entrepris seulement en utilisant la position de commutateur test prévu à cet effet. Si l’activation de la fonction de la position du commutateur de détresse est requise, un blindage électromagnétique de l’antenne de la balise doit être prévu avant l’essai réel du commutateur de détresse activé.
Un test en mode opérationnelle d’un ELT 406-MHz en poste de pilotage peut être effectuée en tenant compte du fait que si le commutateur est dans la position de détresse-alerte pour plus de 5 secondes, un message de détresse peut être initiée, et la MCC, RCC et Centre de services de circulation aérienne (ATS) les plus proches du lieu de la transmission d’alerte doivent être avisés afin qu’aucune ressource de recherche et sauvetage ne soit déployé. Lors de la planification de l’exécution d’un test en mode opérationnelle, considérez qu’une transmission radioralliement 121,5/243-MHz peut également être activé dans le cadre de ce test, et des précautions doivent être prises pour assurer que le signal 121,5/243-MHz n’est pas mal interprété par d’autres avions ou installations aéroportuaires en tant qu’alerte de détresse (une situation dans laquelle il serait conseillé d’effectuer le test dans les cinq premières minutes de l’heure).
Certains pays ont des règlements qui sont plus stricts. S’il vous plaît, vérifiez auprès de l’autorité réglementaire appropriée concernant le moment et la durée du test.
L’Autorité de sûreté maritime australienne et le service de satellite et d’informations NOAA (USA) fournissent des informations complètes sur des tests de balise.
PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) are intended for use by an individual person (i.e., not necessary linked to a ship or an aircraft like EPIRBs and ELTs). They can be used in any environment (e.g., on land, at sea and in aircraft) and installed in a mobile unit (e.g., vessel, aircraft). Carriage of PLBs depends on national regulations. Generally, PLBs can only be activated manually, with the exception of certain PLBs specifically designed for military use.
Note: National beacon regulations can be found on the Cospas-Sarsat Professional website in System document C/S S.007 (Pro/Documents/Beacon Regulations Handbook).
|
Country / Territory |
For terrestrial applications |
In maritime |
On |
Comments |
|
Country recognises PLB activations |
Country recognises PLB activations |
Country recognises PLB activations |
||
| Albania |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Algeria |
Y |
Y |
Y |
PLB may not submit for required carriage of ELT or EPIRB |
| Argentina |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Australia |
Y |
R |
R |
In a maritime environment, a PLB cannot be used as a substitute for an EPIRB that is required by regulation.
See Civil Aviation Regulation 252A for rules concerning PLBs on aircraft. |
| Austria |
Y |
N/A |
R |
Terrestrial alerts are relayed to Police or Landeswarnzentrale. Appropriate SAR action cannot be guaranteed as no legislation and no formal responsibilities/procedures are available. A mobile telephone, emergency radio network access, emergency telephone or satellite telephone are more suitable for raising the alarm in an emergency for some circumstances. |
| Belgium |
|
|
Y |
|
| Brazil |
Y |
Y |
Y |
PLB activation is allowed. However, ony PLBs registered in the Brazilian database for ultralight airplanes or as part of an aircraft/ship survival kit will trigger the Brazilian SAR System. Activations other than mentioned above will be relayed to regional Civil Defense offices. |
| Canada |
Y |
R |
R |
Response to terrestrial PLB alerts is the responsibility of the provinces and territories. PLBs may not be substituted for the required carriage of ELTs or EPIRBs. PLBs may only be used as supplementary alerting devices in this case. Users are encouraged to note any linkages between PLBs used in maritime and aviation environments to relevant vessel/aircraft data during the registration process. |
| Cayman Islands |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Chile |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| China (P.R. of) |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Chinese Taipei |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Croatia |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Cyprus |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Denmark |
N |
R |
R |
PLB must be coded as EPIRB (maritime) or ELT (aircraft). |
| Estonia |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Faroe Islands (DK) |
N |
R |
R |
PLB must be coded as EPIRB (maritime) or ELT (aircraft). |
| Finland |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| France |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Germany |
R |
R |
R |
Serial-coded PLBs are not allowed in Germany. |
| Greece |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Greenland (DK) |
Y |
R |
R |
PLB must be coded as EPIRB (maritime) or ELT (aircraft). |
| Hong Kong, China |
Y |
Y |
N |
The carriage of PLBs on Hong Kong registered aircraft shall meet the Civil Aviation Department requirements on portable electronic devices that can be intentionally or unintentionally transmitting. |
| Iceland |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| India |
Y |
Y |
Y |
PLBs are currently in use for land and aviation applications. For marine applications, there are no users yet, but there are no restrictions on their usage. |
| Indonesia |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Ireland |
R |
R |
R |
All PLBs carried in Ireland (terrestrial or in the maritime environment) must be registered with ComReg. Details available at the following link ComReg PLB online Registration. PLBs must have a serial number beginning with 1F4E |
| Israel |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Italy |
Y |
Y |
Y |
PLB may not replace an EPIRB or ELT on-board vessels or aircraft when these are required by national or international rules. |
| Japan |
N |
Y |
R |
The use of PLBs for private persons is not permitted in Japan except for PLBs on maritime and aircraft. Land activations are prohibited and subject to penalty by radio law. |
| Kenya |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Korea (Rep. of) |
N |
N |
N |
|
| Liechtenstein |
R |
Y |
Y |
Note: Terrestrial Alerts are relayed to Police. Appropriate SAR action cannot be guaranteed as no legislation and no formal responsibilities or procedures are available. A mobile telephone, emergency radio network access, emergency telephone or satellite telephone are more suitable for raising the alarm in an emergency for some circumstances. |
| Malta |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Refer to S.L.399.40 |
| Marshal Islands |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Malaysia |
Y |
Y |
N |
|
| Moldova |
|
|
Y |
|
| Myanmar |
N |
N |
N |
|
| Netherlands (The) |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| New Zealand |
Y |
Y |
Y |
PLBs are only to be coded with serial number and not MMSI nor registration mark. |
| North Macedonia |
N |
N |
N |
|
| Nigeria |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Norway |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Pakistan |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Peru |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Philippines |
Y |
Y |
Y |
There are no regulations yet against the use of PLBs, so CAAP ORCC would accommodate the inclusion of PLBs in the IBRD. Steps are currently being taken to disseminate information on IBRD registration of PLBs. |
| Poland |
R |
R |
R |
A radio licence issued by the Polish Office of Electronic Communication is required. |
| Qatar |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Russian Federation |
N |
R |
R |
According to the national regulation the PLB could be installed on the vessel or aircraft. In these cases, PLB is coded accordingly as EPIRB with the maritime protocols or as ELT with the aviation protocols. |
| Serbia |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Singapore |
Y |
Y |
N |
|
| South Africa |
Y |
Y |
Y |
In terms of the current PLB’s regulations, PLB’s use as replacement for mandatory ELT or EPIRB is not accepted. PLBs are only to be coded with serial number and neither MMSI nor registration mark. Beacon regulations are currently under review and any future departure from current provisions will be reported to the Secretariat. |
| Spain |
N |
R |
N or R |
A PLB with a Spanish country code is only allowed by the Spanish Administration in a maritime environment provided that it is associated with a vessel on which it is not mandatory to install an EPIRB. It should be programmed with its MMSI and installed only for use on that vessel. |
| Sweden |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Switzerland |
R |
Y |
Y |
Note: Terrestrial Alerts are relayed to Police. Appropriate SAR action cannot be guaranteed as no legislation and no formal responsibilities or procedures are available. A mobile telephone, emergency radio network access, emergency telephone or satellite telephone are more suitable for raising the alarm in an emergency for some circumstances. |
| UAE |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| United Kingdom |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| USA |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
| Vietnam |
Y |
Y |
Y |
(Y = green, allowed / N = red, not allowed / R = amber, restrictions (see comments).