You have selected the User Location Protocol to code your ELT. There are four variants of this protocol that can be used with ELTs. An interactive diagram of each, depicting the information which should be coded into the beacon is provided below. Click on the hyperlinked fields of the diagram for additional information concerning the format, structure and content of the coding for that field.
Final Step: Register your beacon.
Having purchased and coded your beacon, one of the most important actions that you must take to maximize its effectiveness is to register the beacon with the appropriate national authority. Click here for details regarding the organizations responsible for beacon registration in your country (Pro/Contact Lists/406 MHz Beacon Registers). Registering your beacon provides search and rescue authorities with access to vital information (e.g. telephone numbers for emergency points of contact, type of aircraft, etc.) that is absolutely critical for efficiently conducting any search and rescue operation.
For further details concerning beacons refer to the following documents (available for downloading):
- C/S T.001, Specification for Cospas-Sarsat 406 MHz Distress Beacons;
- C/S G.005, Cospas-Sarsat Guidelines on 406 MHz Beacon Coding, Registration and Type Approval.