"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/

On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 12:13:21 GMT, "Dwight Stewart"
wrote:

"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)


In much of the world, it isn't an option, and at this point, a GMDSS
beacon without GPS, but with auto deployment is about 600USD.

Forr about $950 you get one with a GPS built in.

That my frined, is very cheap life insurance.

You trip off a GPS equipped GMDSS, and within 5 minutes, half the
world will know it has gone off. In addition because GMDSS beacons
have ID's, they will know who/what you are as well, and on the GPS
equipped versions, will know where you are +/- about 30 meters.

By contrast, EPIRB 121.5Mhz systems may take several hours to come
with a good fix on your location, and tell the authorities nothing
about the unit that has gone off.

Given the choice between a 121.5Mhz EPIRB and a 406Mhz GMDSS, I'll
take the GMDSS anytime and everytime.