ACR Electronics AQUAFIX 406 GPS I P-EPIRB - REV E Product Support Manual page 8

4.2.4 GPS Antenna Orientation (2797.4 ONLY)
When activated it is critical that you do not cover the front bottom portion of the P-EPIRB with any
body part, water, clothing, etc. The GPS Antenna is located under the front bottom portion of the
case behind the embossed ACR logo. To ensure proper operation it needs to be unobstructed with a
clear view to the sky. Avoid submerging this portion of the P-EPIRB in water if possible, as water
will shield and inhibit the GPS receiver and may cause difficulties obtaining LAT/LON coordinates.
4.3 406/121.5 Antenna Position
For maximum performance you must deploy the P-EPIRB antenna into the proper position (see
figure 2). The antenna will snap into place and be slightly slanted to the side. Be sure the antenna is
positioned facing the sky and avoid submerging in water. If afloat employ all means to keep the
P-EPIRB out of the water and the antenna dry. For best results it is important to keep the antenna dry
and away from the water. Water acts as a detractor from the performance and reduces the P-EPIRB's
effectiveness.
4.4 Deactivation
To deactivate your P-EPIRB, depress the "OFF" button for 1 second (see figure 5).
Once off, all blinking LED's will stop signifying that the P-EPIRB is no longer sending your rescue
message.
4.5 Self Test
PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE PERFORMING ANY OF THE TESTS.
BE PREPARED TO RECORD DATA FROM THE TEST
Self test is initiated by holding the self test button (see figure 1) for at least ½ second and less than
five seconds. Your P-EPIRB will sound an initial beep and green LED (Light Emitting Diode) flash
to signify the test has begun. The green LED will flash a second time to indicate that the self test was
successful.
AquaFix™ 406 GPS I (P/N 2797.2) self tested components: Data Integrity and Memory;
406 MHz Synthesizer; RF Power/Battery
AquaFix™ 406 GPS I/O (P/N 2797.4) self tested components: Data Integrity and Memory;
406 MHz Synthesizer; RF Power/Battery; GPS header
If your P-EPIRB flashes two green LED's, the test has been successfully completed. If you
encounter only the initial green LED flash alone, your P-EPIRB has failed the self test, please contact
ACR Electronics or an authorized Battery Replacement Center for servicing of your P-EPIRB.
NOTE: During a self test your P-EPIRB will send a 406 MHz signal coded as self-test to the satellite
system. The homing signal at 121.5 MHz is inhibited during self test; this allows you to test your P-
EPIRB any time during the day without causing any false alarms.
4.6 Battery Witness Seal Life
ACR strongly recommends performing the self test on the AquaFix™ 406 GPS on a monthly basis.
If your P-EPIRB flashes an initial Red LED at the beginning of the Self Test, this indicates that your
electronic witness has been broken and you have used more than 1 hour of battery life. While the P-
EPIRB will still operate normally in an emergency, ACR strongly recommends you have your battery
replaced and the electronic witness reset to ensure that you will have 24 hours of battery power
should you ever need to activate your unit in an emergency
7 Y1-03-0173 Rev. E