ACR Electronics launches mobile-connected EPIRBs

Marine safety specialist ACR Electronics has revealed its latest Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), which the firm says is the world’s first mobile-connected AIS EPIRB with Return Link Service.

ACR’s new GlobalFix V5 EPIRB, which is nominated for a DAME award at METSTRADE 2022 (15-17 November), has been given landmark Cospas-Sarsat approval, answering the demand for an advanced, fully-featured beacon offering survivors the advantage of both local and global rescue.

The GlobalFix V5 device features integrated AIS (Automatic Identification System), NFC (Near Field Communication) technology for use with the free ACR mobile app, and compatibility with Return Link Service (RLS) alerting. The rugged, robust beacon, with 10-year battery life, also includes GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) positioning, 406 MHz Cospas-Sarsat distress signal with MEOSAR compatibility and 121.5 MHz local homing signal.

The V5 unit is available with a Category I float-free bracket, offering full IMO regulatory compliance for SOLAS vessels, or a Category II manual release bracket. Whether cruising, fishing, working or sailing offshore, ACR says mariners with the new GlobalFix V5 unit will have extra reassurance that they will be located quickly in an emergency and receive aid from rescue services.

ACR is also launching a GlobalFix V6 EPIRB, with RLS and NFC, for users who prefer a non-AIS option.

GlobalFix V6 EPIRB

Carried by a vessel, an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) is traditionally activated in a life-threatening event, such as sinking, collision and accident, or even a medical emergency to transmit a 406 MHz distress signal via the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system to contact global rescue services.

By incorporating AIS within its beacons for the first time, ACR Electronics can now offer GlobalFix V5 EPIRB owners an additional method of communicating their location so that other nearby vessels will also be alerted in an emergency. A distress signal will be received by all ships, boats and aircraft equipped with AIS in the vicinity, enabling them to respond with immediate assistance.

The ACR EPIRB is compatible with Return Link Service alerting technology and can provide a confirmation notification back to the EPIRB, letting the beacon owner know that the international satellite system has received a distress message and location. The GlobalFix V5 has an infrared strobe, as well as visible light, to facilitate rescue in poor visibility or at night.

ACR Electronics has also introduced NFC technology into the V5/V6 EPIRBs, said to deliver a new way for beacon owners to monitor their beacons, review self-test results, view GNSS test locations, and monitor beacon performance and maintenance. By simply holding a mobile phone over the beacon’s designated NFC area, the latest beacon information is automatically transferred into the ACR mobile app on the phone to review.

“The next generation EPIRBs will undoubtedly save more lives in the years ahead,” says Mikele D’Arcangelo, vice president of global marketing and product management for ACR Electronics.

“Incorporating our customers’ wants and needs into our design and not just complying with new regulatory requirements is what sets us apart from other EPIRB manufacturers. The new mobile app has raised the bar for what consumers want and expect from their lifesaving equipment, making it easier for them to understand and interact with their beacon.”

The advanced ACR beacon exceeds new International Maritime Organization (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee EPIRB regulations, which came into force on 1 July, 2022. The new IMO rules state that vessels under SOLAS regulations will have to fit a new EPIRB with an internal AIS locating signal, infrared strobe, and an internal GNSS receiver, along with the 406 MHz and 121.5 MHz transmitters, when current devices are due for replacement.

“As leading safety specialists and beacon innovators for many years, ACR emphasises to all boat owners and operators that EPIRBs are a vital element of your safety kit,” adds D’Arcangelo.

Recreational boats and other non-SOLAS vessels can continue to install the EPIRBs permitted under their national regulations, with many countries expected to enforce the IMO AIS EPIRB mandate in one to two years’ time due to the life-saving benefits offered by these new beacons.