ACR Electronics marks 406 Day with urgent beacon safety message 

ACR Electronics and its brand Ocean Signal marked annual 406Day on 6 April by joining industry partners to raise awareness of 406 MHz beacon technology and its role in emergency rescue. 

Observed each year on 6 April, 406Day focuses attention on the importance of 406 MHz PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons), EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) and ELTs (Emergency Locator Transmitters). The campaign is designed to underline the value of distress beacons and the part they continue to play in saving lives. 

According to ACR Electronics, PLBs are designed for installation within a life jacket for semi-automatic activation upon inflation, while EPIRBs are carried by a vessel. Activated in an emergency on land or at sea, the beacons use 406 MHz distress signals and the Cospas-Sarsat system. The company says this technology has helped save tens of thousands of lives worldwide since the mid-1980s. 

Today’s beacons also incorporate more advanced features, including AIS for improved vessel tracking precision and rescue visibility to nearby vessels, RLS to confirm that a distress message and location have been received by the international satellite system, and NFC for mobile connectivity, self-test review, GNSS test location viewing, and ongoing performance and maintenance monitoring. 

Despite this, ACR said that most boaters and vessels still do not carry a registered EPIRB or PLB. 

ACR’s guidance for owners includes checking battery expiry dates, updating registration details, verifying the beacon registration number, carrying out a self-test, reviewing the product support manual, and sharing awareness on social media.