User guide

Y1-03-0157-2 Rev. G

5.3 Configuration Overview

Category 1 beacons are designed to be automatically deployed and activated. The beacon may also be hand

held on the deck of vessels, or floated in water and attached to a raft or life vest with the lanyard provided.

Category 2 beacons are designed to be manually deployed from the bracket.

The beacon is designed to operate best while floating in water. Hand held operation should be avoided

when possible. Do not operate inside life raft or under any similar cover or canopy. Use the lanyard to attach

beacon to life raft or person after deployment. Caution - Do not attach lanyard to bracket or vessel. Both

models of the beacon can be deployed and activated manually.

Changes in the laws governing beacons have mandated that the beacon be ready at all times. If certain criteria

are met, the beacon will begin transmitting. The beacon is equipped with sensors to determine if it is in water

(a deployment condition). Category 1 and 2 brackets both contain a magnet that interacts with other sensors in

the beacon to prevent activation if it is wet (also a deployment condition).

Two conditions must be satisfied for the beacon to automatically activate:

1) It must be out of its bracket

2) It must be in the water

Note: Either condition by itself will not automatically activate the beacon.

The beacon is designed to allow the user to perform periodic testing while the beacon is in the release bracket.

Category 1: Place the beacon into the release bracket with the spooled lanyard inward. The beacon should

now be firmly held in the Category 1 bracket and ready for automatic deployment. Do not attach lanyard to

bracket.

Category 2: Place the beacon into the bracket with the spooled lanyard inward. The beacon should now be

firmly held in the Category 2 bracket and ready for manual deployment. Do not attach lanyard to bracket. Use

the strap and buckle to secure the beacon. The strap should be adjusted tight against the beacon; tight enough

so that it is almost difficult to engage the buckle. This should be checked periodically.

5.4 GPS Acquisition

The beacon is fitted with an internal Global Positioning System receiver that will determine the latitude and

longitude of its position on the globe to be transmitted to the emergency system. When the beacon is activated

in an emergency, the GPS receiver is turned ON and immediately begins acquiring data. Initially the red LED

(Light Emitting Diode) flashes once per second to indicate the beacon is turned ON and operating. As soon as

the GPS receiver acquires good positional data the red LED stops blinking and the green LED flashes once

per second to indicate that the internal GPS receiver has acquired good positional data. Once good positional

data has been obtained the GPS receiver waits for 20 minutes before looking for new positional data again. If

for any reason a time period of 4 hours passes without the GPS receiver being able to update the last good set

of positional data, the message transmitted by the beacon will revert back to default data. At this point the

green LED will stop blinking and the red LED will flash once per second. If at any time after this, good

positional data is obtained, this data will be transmitted, the red LED will stop blinking and the green LED will

flash once per second.

5.5 Automatic Deployment and Activation - Category 1 Beacons

Automatic deployment and activation occurs if the vessel sinks and the hydrostatic release device frees the

beacon from the bracket allowing it to float to the surface. Built-in sensors detect that the beacon is no longer

in its bracket and is in water. This condition will automatically activate the beacon.

NOTE: TRANSMISSIONS OF THE 121.5 MHZ AND 406 MHZ SIGNAL WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL 100

SECONDS AFTER ACTIVATION.