WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

CASA and ATC are serching for a possible Truck driver in Kewdale area who may have triggered off an Eperb, many aircraft reporting to ATC the signal interfereing with traffic communications, 1st heard reports around 1400, signal still active at 1753. jj

Any idea what freq the EPIRB is and whether it's still going?

robbage wrote:Any idea what freq the EPIRB is and whether it's still going?

Using Google, EPIRB's appear to be 121.5MHz or 406MHz

robbage wrote:Any idea what freq the EPIRB is and whether it's still going?

EPERBs (aka ELTs) always transmit on the guard frequency (121.5Mhz)

Nafenn wrote:

robbage wrote:Any idea what freq the EPIRB is and whether it's still going?

EPERBs (aka ELTs) always transmit on the guard frequency (121.5Mhz)

243 MHz is no longer used?

It looks like there's three frequencies in use at the moment, with two of them being phased out next year...

From this document published in 2002 on the DPI website:

What equipment must be fitted to alert someone that my vessel is in distress?

One of the methods of distress alerting will be an EPIRB. Whilst most vessels can carry a 121.5/243 MHz EPIRB as one of the means of distress alerting (406 MHz EPIRB for class ‘A’ vessels), owners and operators should be aware of the technical limitations of these EPIRBS.

When compared with the 406 MHz EPIRB, the 121.5/243 MHz EPIRB is less accurate, and when activated may take longer to be detected. Owners should also be aware that in February 2009, satellite monitoring of the 121.5/243 MHz EPIRBs will cease.

It is strongly recommended that owners who already carry a 121.5/243 MHz EPIRB consider upgrading to the more accurate and reliable 406 MHz EPIRB.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority have an information page on Emergency Location Devices here. This includes links to the class licences which cover the different types of transmitter - the Radiocommunications (Emergency Locating Devices) Class Licence 2006 and the Radiocommunications (Aircraft and Aeronautical Mobile Stations) Class Licence 2006.

From some other links, it looks like the newer ones that transmit in the 406 MHz range also transmit on 121.5 as well. My guess (and that's all it is), is that 121.5 MHz is there to alert planes etc flying overhead, whereas the 406MHz frequency is for attracting the attention of the satellites.

Zebedee wrote: (Part there of ). My guess (and that's all it is), is that 121.5 MHz is there to alert planes etc flying overhead, .

It apeared from transmissions between incomming AC for runway 03 lomg final flight path were the AC detecting it, , that it appeared in the Kewdale area and kept moving, Authorities were called in to try trace it, as most inbound AC kept reporting it to Tower on early final, at one point they mentioned to track it with an AC, but inbound traffic was too heavy to have some one looping around in the aproach path, the last report of it was around 1700, little to none was said after that time....jj

CASA never search for EPIRB's - as Jasonjag stated earlier - they have a hard enough time doing their own job

The freq for EPIRB - 121.5/243/406 currently

orangepeel wrote:CASA never search for EPIRB's - as Jasonjag stated earlier - they have a hard enough time doing their own job

The freq for EPIRB - 121.5/243/406 currently

The conversation went on for several hours with Arrivals and the Tower with Inboubd AC landing on 03, , an aircraft was asked to circle the area to pin point its location, If you did not hear the Air conversations you can not comment, what I stated originally is exactly what took place, 2 people listening can not be wrong,,,thankyou, jj

jasonjag wrote:

orangepeel wrote:CASA never search for EPIRB's - as Jasonjag stated earlier - they have a hard enough time doing their own job

The freq for EPIRB - 121.5/243/406 currently

If you did not hear the Air conversations you can not comment

Yes he can. You do not have a monopoly on commenting on issues.

Your english has significantly improved over the past 12 months jj... well done.

If you stopped using comma's (,,,,,) after your text then you would be perfect.

Bonez

I don't think orangepeel was doubting that the incident occurred, because it definitely did. He is however correct that CASA do not conduct beacon searches. This is a function of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and more specifically the Rescue Coordination Centre - Australia.
To quote the AMSA website:
Operating 24 hours, the Rescue Coordination Centre - Australia in Canberra is responsible for the national coordination of both maritime and aviation search and rescue. RCC Australia is also responsible for the management and operation of the Australian ground segment of the Cospas-Sarsat distress beacon detection system.
On receiving a distress signal or being notified of a missing civil aircraft or seagoing vessel, RCC Australia will take action to establish the safety of the aircraft, vessel or source of the signal. This action may include coordinating a search and rescue with assistance from organisations as appropriate, such as the Defence forces, trained aviation organisations (Civil SAR Units), emergency medical helicopters, state Police services, state emergency services, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), airlines, the general aviation industry, volunteer marine rescue groups, the Bureau of Meteorology, the shipping industry and fishing cooperatives.

In my experience in Perth it is the WAPOL Airwing and Rescue 65 that do most of the searches and the ACMA are sometimes called in to pin point beacons on the ground.

jasonjag wrote:

orangepeel wrote:CASA never search for EPIRB's - as Jasonjag stated earlier - they have a hard enough time doing their own job

The freq for EPIRB - 121.5/243/406 currently

The conversation went on for several hours with Arrivals and the Tower with Inboubd AC landing on 03, , an aircraft was asked to circle the area to pin point its location, If you did not hear the Air conversations you can not comment, what I stated originally is exactly what took place, 2 people listening can not be wrong,,,thankyou, jj

Not that it is important but you are both probably correct. EPRIB's,ELT's or PLB's going off would trigger a reaction from AMSA, who no doubt realising it is in a suburb of Perth would notify AirServices Australia who ask aircraft to assist track it's location. So no doubt the Air Traffic Controllers were conversing with aircraft about it for hours, but surely thats AirServices Australia not CASA. So both are correct in a way.

Blinky wrote:

jasonjag wrote:

orangepeel wrote:CASA never search for EPIRB's - as Jasonjag stated earlier - they have a hard enough time doing their own job

The freq for EPIRB - 121.5/243/406 currently

"Blinky Quoted" So no doubt the Air Traffic Controllers were conversing with aircraft about it for hours, # They were#

but surely thats AirServices Australia not CASA. So both are correct in a way.

"Blinky" your last comment was exactly what happened. anyway lets forget it..

Another one just activated in the rockingham area, rescue 65 now mobile.