JimC Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 The boat I purchased recently came with all the safety gear including an Epirb. It seems that the batteries are out of date even thought he test procedure indicates it is still ok. Researching the cost of having them replaced it seems I can buy a new one at around the same price. Is it possible to replace them yourself, or would this upset the waterproofing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryhard Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 You will need to replace the EPIRB. You can dispose of the old one at Battery world - if there is one near you. I think, if it GME, you can send it back to GME as well, but it is more economical to just replace (at least it was when I did mine last year). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 what brand // some you can replace the lithium batteries a lot cheaper than replacement...if you are unsure you can always unscrew base and see if its just an oring and what batteries are in it..if its not viable you are throwing it anyway so no harm lookin...rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimC Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 It is a GME and the website states that it has to be returned to supplier. It was in the boat when I bought it. The owner used to go outside so he had it . I also have flares, and two radios one vhf and the other hf. I will not be going outside so AI don't really need Epirb.I might just pull it apart and replace the batteries so I can carry it in the 4wd when off roading in case of emergencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredflathead Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Your EPIRB is registered to the previous boat owner if he did the right thing by replacing the battery and using it in your 4wheel when you get into trouble and go to use it Canberra will ring his information to tell people that you are in trouble. When you buy an EPIRB you must register it with Canberra, get a new one by using it you will only cause havoc it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welster Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 I agree with Fred. If it’s worth having it’s worth having an in date one that will work when needed and the is registered to you. The one that you have some probably doesn’t have the built in GPS leaving a very large search area if it’s activated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishop Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 3 hours ago, fredflathead said: Your EPIRB is registered to the previous boat owner if he did the right thing by replacing the battery and using it in your 4wheel when you get into trouble and go to use it Canberra will ring his information to tell people that you are in trouble. When you buy an EPIRB you must register it with Canberra, get a new one by using it you will only cause havoc it. They are easy enough to re register into your own name on the epirb website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welster Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 34 minutes ago, Fishop said: They are easy enough to re register into your own name on the epirb website Even if they are out of date? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 if its a 406mhz re battery it..re register it to you..rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Spanner Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 When my batteries were out of date on my last epirb I looked into the official battery replacement and it was almost the same price as a new one except the new one came with a longer warranty, and warranty on the whole unit, not just the new battery. If you try to fix it the cheap way and it doesn't quite work out when you need it to you can always hold up the $100 note you saved at the time to use as a sail to get home. I have the same opinion for the GPS vs non GPS models. A couple of hundred bucks in price difference will seem much less if you ever need to use the thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyT Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Just buy a new one- and get the GPS model- this will save your life at sea faster than just about anything else if the proverbial hits the fan-and register it to your boat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonywardle Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 (edited) What model of EPIRB are people going with? I've now got two that need their batteries changed. Thinking of adding another to my collection along with my 12 flares 😉 I've got a GME MT400 and an ACR RLB-40 The GMEMT600G looks ok, and comes with a GPS Edited February 1, 2020 by antonywardle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smobaby Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 Just a thoughtful reminder out of date flares are illegal to have on board your vessel fines of $100 each flare will be issued. Expired explosives are illegal. Only know this because was pulled up by water police for a safety check and asked the question. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 My EPIRB was due to expire in January this year but I got an email notice to say it was extended for another two years. I just had to confirm my emails were up to date (my son, who is an emergency contact, changed his mobile number so I just had to update that). I’ll have to check on the battery though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcurrall Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 On 2/23/2018 at 1:58 PM, PaddyT said: Just buy a new one- and get the GPS model- this will save your life at sea faster than just about anything else if the proverbial hits the fan-and register it to your boat Totally agree. We upgraded our old unit to a GME GPS unit last year. Was surprised to find out the difference in the accuracy. Non gps units have an accuracy of around 5km diameter. GPS have an accuracy of 100m diameter. That’s worth the extra money compared to new batteries I reckon. The quicker we get found means the less time in the water with the sharks and I’m not the best swimmer haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonywardle Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 (edited) Good replies everyone @Smobaby I'd also heard that, but never found anything offical online. other than to say that they must be replaced. I really can't see how a flare that expired yesterday is an issue. I keep mine up to-date and only show these to anyone who asks to see. My next lot expire in June. @Berleyguts I think you are getting the Beacon registration mixed up with the Epirb battery expiration. You need to reregister your Eprib every two years with AMA. I've now got three listed on there. @wcurrall I ended up going with the GME MT600G (be careful if you ar elooking for one, there is an MT600 no g, so this doesn't have the GPS and is about $60 cheaper) for this reason. I guess, if you need it, then having someone get to within 100m of where you are can only be a good thing. 10 year battery life means it is about $26 a year for the peace of mind. I guess we just need to hope that what they wrote is true. I also looked at some user reviews and found this one: Awesome epirb super fast rescue in 30 minutes when I sank so I only lost 1 leg leg to the sharks if I bought a cheaper one I could have taken longer to find me and I would have lost both legs to the sharks. So I guess the GPS version is the way to go if you want to save a leg! Edited February 2, 2020 by antonywardle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 https://beacons.amsa.gov.au/maintenance/https://beacons.amsa.gov.au/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 On 2/22/2018 at 6:21 PM, rickmarlin62 said: what brand // some you can replace the lithium batteries a lot cheaper than replacement...if you are unsure you can always unscrew base and see if its just an oring and what batteries are in it..if its not viable you are throwing it anyway so no harm lookin...rick If the beacon battery was replaced or serviced by a non-certified service centre then the beacon is non-compliant for carriage requirements and there is a risk the beacon may not function correctly. https://beacons.amsa.gov.au/maintenance/servicing.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 This might be off topic but here is a demo pinned post in Boating section on Flares https://www.fishraider.com.au/topic/90070-how-to-use-flares/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 2 hours ago, mrsswordfisherman said: https://beacons.amsa.gov.au/maintenance/https://beacons.amsa.gov.au/ Guys please read and check out the rules for these lifesaving devices in the links above. This is about saving your life and those onboard with you. You can't just take the boat registered one (marine suitable) and use in your 4wd unless registered to do so. They need details of the vessel/car etc They will be looking for you on a body of water/ocean not on the Nullarbor. Here is what happens when the device is activated. The cost of calling out the Search and Rescue Unit is huge and you can be fined. EPIRB An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) suitable for marine use must transmit on 406 MHz and conform with all relevant standards. A 406 MHz EPIRB only complies if it conforms with Standard AS/NZS 4280.1 (It is the ‘1’ which indicates compliance). Any 406 MHz EPIRB must be properly registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). A 406 MHz EPIRB is a simple and effective alerting and locating device that is compulsory for all vessels operating more than two nautical miles from the shore. It is also recommended for all vessels operating in remote locations or areas of high risk. The EPIRB should be accessible but stowed to avoid inadvertent activation. Do not stow the EPIRB in the bottom of a locker. The diagram shows that when activated, EPIRB signals are detectable by satellites and aircraft. When a distressed vessel activates the EPIRB, the signal is received by a satellite, and the satellite relays the signal to the satellite receiving system. The search and rescue centre communicates with the search and rescue unit, such as a helicopter. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonywardle Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 Thanks for the info about the PLB. I had been wondering about them as well. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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