Orion Electronic SOS LED Beacon Locator Kit
- Brand:
- Orion
- Part no:
- 547
Image: Fisheries Supply
Where to buy
Specifications
- Signal type
- Kit
This kit pairs an electronic beacon with a daytime distress flag. The beacon flashes SOS in Morse Code, floats, and rights itself in the water, with its light held over 4 inches above the waterline. The maker quotes visibility of 11.8 miles by line of sight. It runs on two D cell batteries and has a low battery indicator. The beacon is listed as meeting the Coast Guard's night visual distress signal requirement, 46 CFR 161.013, and the flag covers daytime signalling.
Our take
Self-righting and floating, with the light source over 4 inches above the waterline, this beacon keeps its SOS flash up and visible if it goes over the side. The kit also includes a distress flag for daytime, so it covers both day and night.
From our buying guide
On US coastal waters, a boat 16 feet or more must carry visual distress signals for day and for night. Some cover only one: an orange flag is day only, and an electric distress light is night only.
Check before you buy:
- You'll reach the required number, which for pyrotechnics is three for day and three for night, since a kit's name is not proof it meets the rule.
- The marked expiry date leaves you time, since a flare's can be no more than 42 months from manufacture, and it's the marked date that counts.
- Anything that needs a launcher has an approved one, and you've checked your state's rules, since the Coast Guard says some states treat them as firearms.