EPIRB - Truly international?
 

I have owned a small personal EPIRB for the last couple of years (pocket-sized) which I have carried while travelling in the Australian outback and wilds of Tasmania.

I'm planning a US/Canadian trip at end 2002/start 2003 ...... is it compatoble in North America (eg Frequency)?

Cheers,

Alex.

Alex from a Nautical point of view EPIRBS are designed for boats that roam anywhere in the world there are 3 frequencies 121.5Mhz+/-3Khz 243Mhz (USA)and 406.028Mhz+/-1Khz the 406 Mhz is the Frequency that is sent to the Rescue services and the 121.5 is the Freq that they use to home in on the location. You must register the 406 model with the Authorities. The new generation have a GPS built in so they transmit a more accurate pos. typically 30m. But unless you have backup like the works Rally teams they are not much good.

[This message has been edited by Huan (edited 24 October 2001).]

A website with some useful information about EPIRB's (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon's), including the answer to the original question, is http://www.epirb.de/