If you are still one of the many people that have one of the 121.5MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) on board your boat, then it is time to replace it with one of the new 406MHz EPIRBs.

All 121.5 MHz distress beacons will be obsolete from February 2009. This is because the council that controls the international satellite system has decided the satellites will stop processing 121.5 MHz analogue signals from that date.

From 1 February 2009, only 406 MHz beacons will be detected by satellite.

The decision to make 121.5 MHz beacons obsolete is aimed at reducing the very high false alarm rate from analogue distress beacons worldwide. Currently, a staggering 97 percent of analogue distress beacon signals are false alarms. In New Zealand , that figure is 93 percent, and this means valuable resources are wasted by false alarms.

Most importantly, 406 MHz beacons are detected quickly and more accurately, which has obvious safety advantages. For example, depending on the location of the 406 MHz beacon, the signal may be detected within minutes, compared to up to the five hours that it may take to get a confirmed satellite detection from a 121.5 MHz analogue beacon.

If you are looking for a new 406MHz EPIRB, Coastguard Northern Region sponsor Safety at Sea is running a special deal. Safety at Sea currently offer a $50 trade in for purchasers of EPIRBS.

As a special for the months of April and May they will increase this trade in amount to $75 for Coastguard members purchasing any water activated or GPS EPIRB and PLBs.

Safety at Sea has a permit for hazardous material disposal, ensuring all obsolete units are safely broken down and disposed of.

You can contact Safety at Sea on (09) 309 9111,  visit them at 79-81 Gaunt Streetin Auckland or click here to go to their website.