Wall Bracket; Float-Free Enclosure - mcmurdo E3 Owner's Manual

2. DESCRIPTION
The E3 is a powerful self-contained distress transmitter. It is powered by a light
weight Lithium battery that has a replacement interval of 5 years. An EPIRB is
intended to be a one-shot device, once activated it can operate for 48 hours. It
operates best while floating in water, but it can also be operated while onboard.
Refering to the previous figure, the key components of your E3 are as follows.
Antenna This is a flexible whip. It must be near vertical when operating.
If the antenna gets bent, gently straighten it out.
Strobe light This is the glass U-tube visible through the clear lens dome.
When the E3 is activated this will flash every few seconds.
Red lamp Visible through the clear lens dome at the rear of the E3.
This stays on or flashes to show you which mode you are in.
Program point A dimple in the clear dome, through which your supplier can
optically input the coded message unique to your E3.
You must register the coded message with local authorities.
READY button Press this key once to de-activate the E3. Hold it down to
run the built-in self-test, which checks basic operation.
ON button Press this key to manually activate the E3. The key is protected
by a sliding door, which is fitted with a tamper seal.
Sea switch The two screw heads below the keys are sea switch contacts.
Submerge these in water to automatically activate the E3.
Lanyard Pull the lanyard spool down to free it. Use the cord to tether the
E3 to a survival craft. Never tie the E3 to your vessel.

2.1 Wall bracket

If you purchased the manually activated version (E3m), this is normally supplied
with a wall mounting bracket (see section 6). The bracket is made from white plastic
so it will not rust. Its top section is sprung loaded, so that one simple squeeze will
quickly release the E3 allowing it to be carried to a liferaft. The wall bracket should
be sited in plain view near an emergency exit. This bracket is more than just a
stowage point, it contains a magnet which disarms the E3's sea switch. If you do not
stow the E3 in its bracket, there is a risk of the E3 activating if it gets wet.

2.2 Float-free enclosure

If you purchased the automatically activated version (E3a), also known as the "float-
free" version, then your E3 is supplied in a plastic enclosure (see section 7). This is
much more than just a protective housing, it contains a sprung loaded lever which
automatically pushes the enclosure lid off and releases the E3 if your vessel sinks.
This automatic ejection is controlled by a device called a Hydrostatic Release Unit
(HRU). If the enclosure is submerged then before it reaches 4 metres (13 feet) deep
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