Distress beacons
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From our buying guide
Only 406 MHz beacons alert by satellite. An EPIRB is designed to be mounted on a vessel and a PLB is a portable, handheld beacon for personal use, and registering either with NOAA is mandatory.
Check before you buy:
- It's coded for the US, since a beacon must be registered in the country it is coded for.
- It has a GPS receiver, which the Coast Guard prefers, since a position then goes out at once.
- You know how its battery gets replaced, since ACR and Ocean Signal say the owner must not do it for their models.