What does EPIRB mean?
Meaning of "EPIRB"
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. EPIRB is a small hand-held battery-operated transmitter, actuated by water, for use in locating vessels in distress. EPIRBs are devices that trasmit a digital signal on the international distress signal frequency 406 MHz. Designed to work with satellites, EPIRBs are detectable by COSPAS-SARSAT satellites, which orbit the poles, and by the GEOSAR system which consists of GOES weather satellites and other geostationary satellites. There are two types of EPIRBs, Category I or Category II. Category I EPIRBs float-free and are automatically activated by immersion in water, and they are detectable by satellite anywhere in the world. Category II EPIRBs are similar to Category I, except in most cases they are manually activated, however some models can be automatically activated.