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Summary of Contents for mcmurdo SMARTFIND PLUS G5
- Page 1 SMARTFIND E5/G5 USER MANUAL...
- Page 2 This manual is applicable to both the E5 Smartfind and the G5 Smartfind Plus EPIRBs. The Smartfind Plus contains a GPS receiver for improved positional accuracy; some parts of this manual are applicable only to the Smartfind Plus, and are marked accordingly.
- Page 3 Search and Rescue organisations, which is outside the control of McMurdo. Disclaimer McMurdo reserves the right to change this specification at any time without notice and hereby specifically disclaims liability for any consequences of such action.
- Page 4 IN EMERGENCY Remove the EPIRB completely from its bracket or enclosure Hold the lanyard spool and throw the EPIRB into the water where it will self-activate If time permits, pull the tear-off tab up, then press the activation button and slide the switch left...
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Page 5: Table Of Contents
Contents Recommendations and safety notices ..............2 Mandatory Registration..................3 Overview ...........................3 How to register ........................3 Warranty form........................4 Radio licence........................4 Sale or transfer........................4 Description......................6 Bulkhead bracket.......................8 Float-free enclosure ......................9 Controls........................10 Activation switch......................10 TEST button ........................10 Sea switch ........................10 LEDs..........................10 Buzzer ..........................11 Operating procedure ...................12 Sinking..........................12 Abandon ship ........................12 GPS Operation (Smartfind Plus only)................12... - Page 6 13 Appendix – Satellite Systems ................41 14 United States EPIRB registry system............. 43 15 Product Warranty ....................44 16 End of Life Statement ..................45...
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Page 7: Recommendations And Safety Notices
RECOMMENDATIONS AND SAFETY NOTICES • This EPIRB is an emergency device for use only in grave and imminent danger. • False alerts endanger lives. Help to prevent them; understand how to activate and de-activate your equipment. Intentional false alerts may involve penalties. •... -
Page 8: Mandatory Registration
MANDATORY REGISTRATION You must register your EPIRB with the appropriate authorities. Failure to register may slow the rescue and lead to loss of life. In the USA failure to register may result in a fine. In the UK you are legally required to register your EPIRB. Overview Every EPIRB is pre-programmed with a unique identity before it reaches the customer. -
Page 9: Warranty Form
Since the EPIRB identity contains a country code, it follows that changing the flag state of the vessel also means the EPIRB must be re-programmed. Programming can be carried out at McMurdo or any of our designated agents. For details of your nearest Page 4... - Page 10 McMurdo using the details in the warranty section, or visit the McMurdo web site at www.mcmurdo.co.uk. 2.5.1 Mandatory information for Oceania (The term Oceania is normally used to designate all the islands of the Central and the South Pacific including Australia and New Zealand.)
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Page 11: Description
DESCRIPTION The EPIRB is a powerful self-contained distress transmitter. It is powered by a Lithium battery that has a replacement interval of 5 years. An EPIRB is intended to be a one- shot device; once activated it will operate for at least 48 hours. It operates best while floating in water, but it can also be operated while on board a vessel or in a liferaft. - Page 12 Antenna Strobe Red LED Green LED Test button Activation switch Lanyard Sea switch Page 7...
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Page 13: Bulkhead Bracket
Bulkhead bracket If you purchased the manually activated EPIRB version, this is normally supplied with a bulkhead mounting bracket (see section 8). The EPIRB is released by pulling out a R-clip. The bulkhead bracket should be sited in plain view near an emergency exit. To avoid accidental activation if the EPIRB is removed from its mounting, the bracket is in two sections. -
Page 14: Float-Free Enclosure
Float-free enclosure If you purchased the automatically activated version (‘a’ suffix), also known as the “float-free” version, then your EPIRB is supplied in a plastic enclosure (see section 9). This is much more than just a protective housing; it contains a spring-loaded lever which automatically pushes the enclosure lid off and releases the EPIRB if your vessel sinks. -
Page 15: Controls
CONTROLS Activation switch This slide switch is protected against accidental activation by a red tear-off seal which indicates if the EPIRB has been activated previously. The EPIRB can be activated manually by tearing the seal upwards, depressing the locking button on the switch and sliding the switch to the left. When the EPIRB is activated the strobe will start to flash immediately, but the EPIRB will not make any distress transmissions for 50 seconds. -
Page 16: Buzzer
4.4.2 Red LED The red LED is used to indicate transmissions by the EPIRB. When activated, it flashes alternately with the strobe to indicate a good transmission on 121.5 MHz. Every 50 seconds it illuminates for 2 seconds to indicate a good transmission on 406 MHz;... -
Page 17: Operating Procedure
OPERATING PROCEDURE An EPIRB is a piece of life saving equipment. Its sole purpose is to call for help. It must only be used in situations of grave and imminent danger. Misuse can involve a severe penalty. Sinking If you have a category 1 “float-free” enclosure (see marking on enclosure label), then if your vessel sinks, the EPIRB will automatically release itself from its enclosure before it reaches a depth of 4 metres. - Page 18 Getting the best from your EPIRB Your EPIRB is designed and optimised to be used floating in the sea. However, if you have to use it in other situations, this section provides guidance on how to get the best from your EPIRB. Aboard ship: •...
- Page 19 In a liferaft: Make sure you switch on the EPIRB • Hold the EPIRB up as high as possible. • Note: the high intensity flashing strobe light may cause discomfort if viewed for prolonged periods. We recommend that the EPIRB is used floating in the sea BEST Page 14...
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Page 20: Releasing Epirb From A Bulkhead Bracket
Releasing EPIRB from a bulkhead bracket If you have an EPIRB fitted into a bulkhead bracket, pull the R-clip out of the bracket to release the retaining strap. Hold the antenna to prevent it springing loose and lift the EPIRB out of the mounting points. Page 15... -
Page 21: Releasing Epirb From An Enclosure
Releasing EPIRB from an enclosure If your EPIRB is fitted inside a full enclosure, first remove the R-clip from the retaining rod, then pull off the enclosure cover and remove the EPIRB. Manual activation If the vessel is not sinking but there is imminent danger, remove the EPIRB from its bracket and activate it manually as shown below. -
Page 22: Deactivation
Deactivation If your EPIRB has been activated for a cumulative period in excess of 6 hours then its battery should be replaced. This is necessary to ensure that in an emergency it will operate for the full 48 hours required by international regulations. See section 10.4 for battery replacement instructions. - Page 23 Align slot with Fit R-clip Locate end of antenna in slot Page 18...
- Page 24 5.8.2 Re-fitting into enclosure Referring to the illustration, place the EPIRB • on its side in the enclosure. As illustrated, the TEST button is furthest from the back of the enclosure. Engage base of EPIRB into the recess in the •...
- Page 25 Cover correctly fitted to base Page 20...
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Page 26: False Alerts
FALSE ALERTS False alerts are a serious problem for the rescue services. About 90% of EPIRB-initiated distress alerts turn out to be false alerts. If your EPIRB should cause a false alert, follow the instructions below. Stand down rescue services It is most important that you contact the nearest search and rescue authorities and tell them it was a false alert, so that they can stand down any rescue services. -
Page 27: Dealing With A Transmitting Epirb
Dealing with a transmitting EPIRB In the unlikely event that your EPIRB develops a fault and will not turn off, then prevent its radio signal from reaching the satellite using one of the following methods: Cut off or fold down the antenna. Wrap the EPIRB in metal foil and take •... -
Page 28: Fully Disabling An Epirb
FULLY DISABLING AN EPIRB In the unlikely event that your EPIRB refuses to turn off then it may have a fault. Procedures for dealing with a faulty EPIRB are covered in section 6 on false alerts; in simple terms you should do the following: De-activate the EPIRB as described in section 6.2 •... -
Page 29: Bulkhead Bracket Installation
BULKHEAD BRACKET INSTALLATION Siting The bulkhead bracket should ideally be sited in plain view near an emergency exit. When choosing a suitable mounting position you should also consider: Ease of access in an emergency. • Mount at least 1 metre (3’) from any compass equipment. •... - Page 30 8.2.1 Mounting instruction plate The EPIRB is supplied with a self-adhesive instruction plate, which has basic visual instructions showing how to operate the EPIRB in an emergency. Mount the instruction plate next to the EPIRB so that it is easily visible in an emergency.
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Page 31: Enclosure Installation
ENCLOSURE INSTALLATION Siting The enclosure should be mounted upright against a vertical bulkhead. Alternately, it may be mounted horizontally on a flat surface, such as a cabin roof. No other orientations are recommended. If you have a float-free EPIRB it is critical that you choose a position where the released EPIRB will not get trapped by overhangs, rigging, antennas etc, should the vessel ever sink. -
Page 32: Mounting Instruction Plate
Mounting instruction plate The EPIRB is supplied with a rigid plate giving visual instructions on how to operate the EPIRB in an emergency. Mount this next to your EPIRB as explained in section 8.2.1. Marking Hydrostatic Release Unit (HRU) expiry If you are installing a float-free EPIRB you must now mark the HRU expiry date. -
Page 33: Marking Vessel Name
Marking vessel name In many countries it is usual to have your EPIRB programmed by your supplier (see registration section). Your supplier will then mark all the EPIRB labels accordingly. However, if your EPIRB was purchased in the USA, Canada or UK then your EPIRB will have all the necessary markings except for vessel name. -
Page 34: Maintenance
MAINTENANCE 10.1 Self Test & inspection As an important item of safety equipment, your EPIRB should be checked regularly. The EPIRB has a built-in test capability that can be used as a confidence check. This self-test confirms that the battery is healthy, that the GPS receiver and both distress transmitters are functional and that the strobe light is operational. - Page 35 10.1.3 GPS operation test (Smartfind Plus only) To comply with COSPAS-SARSAT regulations, the Smartfind Plus EPIRB is also capable of checking the correct operation of the GPS receiver. This test consumes significant reserve capacity of the EPIRB battery, consequently it can only be performed a fixed number of times.
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Page 36: Mechanical Inspection
10.2 Mechanical inspection During these monthly checks you should take the opportunity to inspect the EPIRB and its mountings visually for deterioration or damage. Note that the EPIRB is designed to allow water to circulate around the outer edge of the dome (inside the outer clear plastic edge but outside the waterproof seal), consequently a volume of water in this area is of no consequence. -
Page 37: Hru Replacement
When the HRU expires you can obtain a replacement at a local marine store; ask for a McMurdo BreaktHRU HRU Replacement Kit (Part No. 82-962-001A). The kit is complete with breakable plastic rod, date labels and instruction sheet. The HRU replacement procedure is as follows: On the enclosure, remove the R-clip and pull the cover slowly off. -
Page 38: Battery Replacement
10.5 Servicing All servicing must be carried out by a McMurdo approved service agent. Always call your nearest agent and talk to their service department before returning equipment. You can find your nearest service agent from: The McMurdo web site: www.mcmurdo.co.uk •... -
Page 39: Gmdss Inspections
10.7 GMDSS inspections If your vessel is subject to GMDSS regulations then you can expect to get regular visits from ship surveyors enforcing national legislation. They will check the expiry dates and activate the EPIRB to prove that it really works and they will read the identity message stored inside the EPIRB to check that you have registered it properly. -
Page 40: How Does It Work
HOW DOES IT WORK? Your EPIRB contains two radio transmitters: one operating at 406 MHz which transmits an alert which can be received by satellites, and one operating at 121.5 MHz which transmits a signal which can be received by overflying aircraft and Search & Rescue (SAR) homing receivers. -
Page 41: Technical Specification
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION 406 MHz Transmitter Operating frequency 406.028 MHz + 1 kHz Power output 5 W typical Modulation Phase (16K0GID) 121.5 MHz Homer Operating frequency 121.5 MHz +3.5 kHz Power output 50 mW radiated typical Modulation Swept tone AM (3K20A3X) GPS Receiver (Smartfind Plus Centre frequency... -
Page 42: Declarations Of Conformity
12.1 Declarations of Conformity Page 37... - Page 43 Page 38...
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Page 46: Appendix - Satellite Systems
APPENDIX – SATELLITE SYSTEMS COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system The COSPAS-SARSAT system provides distress alert and location information to search and rescue authorities anywhere in the world for maritime, aviation and terrestrial users in distress. There are two satellite arrays carrying the COSPAS-SARSAT system. The principal array is LEOSAR (Low Earth Orbit Search and Rescue) which has seven satellites in polar and near-polar orbits. - Page 47 Global Positioning System (GPS) The GPS system is a satellite array which enables a receiver located anywhere on Earth to determine its position with high accuracy. The array uses 24 satellites (plus spares) orbiting the Earth in six orbital planes, four satellites per plane, as shown below.
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Page 48: United States Epirb Registry System
UNITED STATES EPIRB REGISTRY SYSTEM Important information Beacon registration is now available on-line. This is the preferred method of registration; point your browser to http://www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov and follow the instructions on-screen. Use the EPIRB form. Other Information At present, NOAA still accepts registration by mail or fax. The registration forms are pre-printed with the correct mailing address and fax number. -
Page 49: Product Warranty
McMurdo's sole discretion to refund to the buyer the price of the product (or a proportional part of the price). McMurdo shall not be liable to a buyer who is not a consumer for any other loss or damage (whether indirect, special or consequential loss of profit or otherwise) costs, expenses or other claims for compensation which arise out of or in connection with this product. -
Page 50: End Of Life Statement
(BFRs), both in the housing material and circuit boards. In keeping with the directive, McMurdo strongly recommends that this EPIRB product and its battery pack be disposed of in a sensible and considerate manner. For example, do not simply discard the product in the domestic waste. - Page 51 McMurdo A Division of Signature Industries Ltd. Silver Point Airport Service Road Portsmouth PO3 5PB United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)23 9262 3900 Fax: +44 (0)23 9262 3998 Email: customerservice@mcmurdo.co.uk Website: www.mcmurdo.co.uk Page 46...
- Page 52 82-810-001 Issue 4...
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I have had my g5 battery replace, reinstalled hru, now i dont know how to reinstall the g5 in the case on the back of my boat. Which way does the antenna go? How do i hold it in place without dropping it?