Why not buy a cheaper PLB instead of an EPIRB?
An EPIRB is designed as a ship’s beacon. It will be supplied with either a manual release bulkhead bracket, or an auto-release container for mounting above decks. It is designed to operate whilst floating free, so if you end up in the water, or in a life raft, you just float it in the sea and tie it on with the tether to make sure it doesn’t float away. A PLB, on the other hand, is designed to be stowed in a grab bag, or carried by a crew member. To activate it, the antenna must be erected and the unit switched on. It must then be held with the antenna vertical, but away from objects such as a human body which might shield the signal. In the water, or in a life raft, you will have to find a way to support the beacon in this way until rescue comes. Floating it in the sea will not be effective. Some models are not even buoyant, so if you don’t tie it on, you risk losing it to Davy Jones. In general, EPIRBs operate for a minimum of 48 hours at -20degC (more at higher temperatures), wherea
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