121.5 MHz PLB

[catalac08]

Hi
I have an old PLB which operates on 121 5MHz - is this still a frequency monitored by SAR craft/stations?

 

[Bilgediver]

Only in the final stages of rescue when the chopper is looking for the upturned keel and life raft and homes in on this signal.

 

[mcanderson]

Yes and no bilgediver. All aircraft monitor 121.5 as well as whatever ATC freq they maybe on. So a 121.5 plb could be heard by alot more than just a SAR aircraft/vessel. However, as everyone has stated, satellite monitoring has ceased.

 

[CPD]

The time you find yourself using it wont be the time you want to be worrying whether or not it will work. Buy a new one with GPS has to be the way to go.

 

[William_H]

As said the 121.5 is intended as a locator so if your friends know you are out there in trouble then the 121.5 could be useful. In fact I understand the latest beacons have a radiation on 121.5 for pinpointing you. But you would not expect to be received if there was not a search already under way for you.
I am not at all sure that airlines will continue to monitor 121.5 just in case someone is in trouble. They would assume you would have a new type beacon to be monitored by the satelite. olewill

 

[lenseman]

The answer to your question is - No.

The International Cospas-Sarsat System has ceased satellite processing of 121.5/243 MHz beacons on 1 February 2009. All beacon owners and users should replace their 121.5/243 MHz beacons with 406 MHz beacons as soon as possible.

Only 406 MHz beacons are now detected by the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system. This affects all maritime beacons (EPIRBs), all aviation beacons (ELTs) and all personal beacons (PLBs). However, other devices (such as man overboard systems and homing transmitters) that operate at 121.5 MHz and do not rely on satellite detection are not affected by the phase-out of satellite processing at 121.5 MHz.

The decision to terminate 121.5/243 MHz processing was made in October 2000 at the 25th Session of the Cospas-Sarsat Council (CSC-25).

http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/firstpage/121.5phaseout.htm

 

[mcanderson]

Aircraft contiue to monitor 121.5 as it is the VHF guard freq or fast jet chat depending on your POV.

 

[lw395]

It still functions as a locator beacon. As such it could be a useful addition to your armoury.
You will be relying on some other means of alerting such as DSC VHF.
Whether you wish to spend the extra for satellite alerting depends on what sailing you do and what your budget is.

 

[Bilgediver]

Oh they do monitor it.....But having all shouted at each other for ten minutes to GET OFF GUARD! how many of the newbie pilots would recognise the significance of the bleeps. Youd get more response by shouting for help on the frequency, but then your wouldn t do that would you? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I suspect the only use for this frequency alone would be if you had woken up the coast guard with a DSC or 16 then the chopper could get a homing signal. The lifeboat happily homes in on marine VHF.

Most of the 406 EPIRBS transmit on 406 to the sats... 121.5 for homing and flash a light for very close encounters to enable rescue so there might be some benefit in having 121.5 .

 

[boomerangben]

Mcanderson,

Are you talking civvy or mil? As a NS helo pilot, we never have 121.5 set on box 2 - always busy on another freq. In fact when I did SAR, we only had 121.5 on when we were using it although we did have 243 set (and turned down). I not sure that long haul have it set either since they tend to be Selcal and got all the radios turned down.

Moreover without a homer, an aircraft picking up a 121.5 will have little chance of knowing where to start looking and there will be a huge area where the transmission might have come from.

I would say that a 121.5 beacon is of little use nowadays on its own and it would be time to go for a 406 (which will have a 121.5 and 243 transmitter in it as well).

 

[ianabc]

Mcmurdo manufactured a personal watch sized beacon and the direction finding ariel detector.

Seems like a good idea but for the original cost of the units.

These were different from the proximity system used presently.

The advantage would be that you could possibly locate other than your own crew!

I'mstilllooking for a third watch sized detector.