"Mark Keith" wrote:
Jeff Renkin wrote:

The International Maritime Organization (snip)

FOR COMMERCIAL VESSELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So that answer would be, the Global Maritime
Distress and Safety System.

Right...A guy on a 20 ft sailboat is going to buy a
system that costs more than his boat...Good
grief....Get a grip. (snip)


Inexpensive Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) units,
Inmarsat, and other relatively low cost emergency related systems are
available for recreational boaters. EPIRB's can be found in boating catalogs
selling marine electronics and information about Inmarsat can be found on
the web (and at many retail locations). SSB marine radio equipment has a
typical range of several hundred miles. Boaters with VHF can also seek
assistance from nearby marine vessels, including Coast Guard, Navy,
commercial, and private, vessels. The Coast Guard recommends a combination
of these for those heading far off shore (VHF, SSB, and EPIRB, for example).
CW is not recommended for emergency use today.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/