PLB test after home battery replacement

[billyfish]

So now I have the new battery in, is the test button enough? Do the guys that do it for many bucks test it properly, ie send a false alarm to the coastguard and can I do this then phone in a cancel. Or could you warn the coastguard beforehand.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I think the problem may lie in that there may be more than on receiving centre which could create a problem using up resource and time.

 

[Mark-1]

Yesterday in the Solent (Vessel name reminiscent of a Air Display Team) accidentally let off two AIS PLBs in the Solent.

The CG had detected one and confirmed that in their transmissions to him.

On no account should you do that on a quiet winter's night to test your PLB. Having said that, if you did you'd be using up battery umph so .

 

[ylop]

So now I have the new battery in, is the test button enough?

Probably - but its part of the reason that they say you shouldn't DIY the batteries isn'it it!

Do the guys that do it for many bucks test it properly, ie send a false alarm to the coastguard and can I do this then phone in a cancel.

I am certain they do NOT send false alarms and cancel them. IF they do more that a battery test they presumably have a faraday cage and a "dummy" satellite to receive the signal. I expect they have the ability to do that in R&D but won't do it for each battery change because they have validated a process that means they don't risk making it worse...

Or could you warn the coastguard beforehand.

If you call them you can expect some strong words encouraging you not to activate a PLB except in an emergency!

 

[Mark-1]

I think something like the SPOT Gen4 is really tempting. You can test it end-end as part of normal usage & the batteries are bog standard AAAs, you can make sure it always has perfectly fresh ones every time you go out.

Best of all you have two way comms so no treading water waiting for the CG to decide if it's a false alarm or not.
The downside is you need a subscription, but that's the inherent trade off of having two way comms.

 

[Boathook]

So now I have the new battery in, is the test button enough? Do the guys that do it for many bucks test it properly, ie send a false alarm to the coastguard and can I do this then phone in a cancel. Or could you warn the coastguard beforehand.

I hadthebattery replaced in my plbby sartech in Redhill. The have the test equipment to ensure that it transmits correctly without sending out false alarms.

All you can do is test following the manufactures instructions, which is better than nothing.

 

[Plum]

So now I have the new battery in, is the test button enough? Do the guys that do it for many bucks test it properly, ie send a false alarm to the coastguard and can I do this then phone in a cancel. Or could you warn the coastguard beforehand.

For the Ocean Signal PLB1 there are two test functions. The first tests the device and tells you how much life is left in the battery. Ocean Signal recommend you do this once per month. The second test function is to test the GPS is receiving a location fix and that the PLB is transmitting. Ocean Signal say this should be done a maximum of once a year. These are for the user to do, no matter whether it is a new PLB or one with a replacement battery.

 

[Boathook]

Make sure that it is registered with the relevant authority. Doesn't cost anything in the UK and allows checks to be done before sending out rescue services.

 

[yotter]

I think it must be circa 10 years since the people in Redhill (Sartech?) changed the battery on my GME EPIRB, I think there was a recall at the time. I do test it every so often using the test button and it has always passed. How do you know the battery needs changed, would if fail the selftest?

 

[billyfish]

I just don't know what to think having opened the case to find the date on the battery was 2 years later than stated on the case. I think they pray on us .

 

[RunAgroundHard]

So now I have the new battery in, is the test button enough? Do the guys that do it for many bucks test it properly, ie send a false alarm to the coastguard and can I do this then phone in a cancel. Or could you warn the coastguard beforehand.

For my PLB where it is a user replaceable battery, no test beyond the push to test option, obviously. For my EPIRB, yes that was tested at a facility, post battery replacement which verified it did what it was supposed to do. They test it in such a way that it verifies frequency (406 and 121), signal messages, all in a controlled way such that there is no false alarm sent. My certificate included all the test data with graphs of Power v Time, Spectrum, Phase v Time and table of data, all signed off.

 

[Cerebus]

So now I have the new battery in, is the test button enough? Do the guys that do it for many bucks test it properly, ie send a false alarm to the coastguard and can I do this then phone in a cancel. Or could you warn the coastguard beforehand.

I contacted the CG when I first acquired an Epirb and PLB and said I was going to test the PLB , but did I need to notify the CG in case anything went wrong.

The bloke said “ Absolutely… under no circumstances test that PLB” - he almost shouted it.

I then explained the manual stated it was a SELF test feature of the battery and did not emit any signal etc and he calmed down, realising I was just checking I would not be sending a signal.

So the only test you are allowed to do is the user allowed self test.

 

[Boathook]

Clearing out some paperwork and found this for my old plb after it had a new battery installed by Sartech. I assume that any official service centre will do test report after replacing a battery or other work.

 

[Roberto]

Going by memory here, I think the official battery replacement and service also resets the test counter; these devices have a given number of user tests during their working life, if the counter is not reset then any subsequent test will indicate decreasing capacities even if that does not corresponds to the actual state of the device. Maybe worth checking. Btw I replaced my plb1 by myself too.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Clearing out some paperwork and found this for my old plb after it had a new battery installed by Sartech. I assume that any official service centre will do test report after replacing a battery or other work.

View attachment 201391

That’s the same format of report that I have for my EPIRB after the battery was replaced at a service centre. Looks like it’s done for PLBs as well.

 

[Plum]

Going by memory here, I think the official battery replacement and service also resets the test counter; these devices have a given number of user tests during their working life, if the counter is not reset then any subsequent test will indicate decreasing capacities even if that does not corresponds to the actual state of the device. Maybe worth checking. Btw I replaced my plb1 by myself too.

See my post 7. After I fitted a new battery the test results were the same as a brand new PLB1 in that it's usage count started afresh.