ACR Electronics PLB-350C Product Support Manual
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ACR Electronics PLB-350C Product Support Manual

406 mhz personal locator beacons
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PRODUCT SUPPORT MANUAL
PLB-350C
406 MHz Personal Locator Beacons
Product No.: 2884
2885
Y1-03-0244, Rev. E
(AquaLink™ View)
(SARLink™ View)
i

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  • Page 1 PRODUCT SUPPORT MANUAL PLB-350C 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacons (AquaLink™ View) Product No.: 2884 (SARLink™ View) 2885 Y1-03-0244, Rev. E Y1-03-0244E...
  • Page 2 UL to the ISO 9001:2008 Series Standards. Recognized as the world leader in safety and survival technologies, ACR has provided safety equipment to the aviation and marine industries as well as to the military since 1956. About Cobham plc...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents STEP ONE - REGISTERING YOUR BEACON ______________________ 4 STEP TWO - HOW THE BEACON WORKS _______________________ 6 STEP THREE - MAINTAINING YOUR PLB ______________________ 15 APPENDIX A - ACCESSORIES _______________________________ 19 APPENDIX B - USER INTERFACE: SPECIAL ICONS ________________ 20 APPENDIX C - USER INTERFACE: DIGITAL DISPLAY- OPERATION ___ 21 APPENDIX D - USER INTERFACE: DIGITAL DISPLAY - SELF-TEST ____ 24 APPENDIX E - USER INTERFACE: DIGITAL DISPLAY -LONG GPS TEST _ 27...

  • Page 4: Step One - Registering Your Beacon

    STEP ONE - REGISTERING YOUR BEACON Why is registration important? As the owner of this 406 MHz beacon, it is mandatory that you register it with the PLB national authority of your country: It is the law. Please note that all 406 MHz beacons are required to have their registration updated every two years by the owner.
  • Page 5 2. Faxing a registration is also acceptable. Fax the registration form to the fax number on the top of the registration form. NOTE: Do not confuse the registration form with the ACR Electronics warranty card. 3. If online or fax registration is not available, mail the registration form...

  • Page 6: Step Two - How The Beacon Works

    Registration in Canada Canadian residents can register online at: http://canadianbeaconregistry.forces.gc.ca/ or contact the Canadian Beacon Registry by phone at: 877-406-7671 or by fax at: 877-406-3298. Canadian registration forms can also be mailed to: Canadian Beacon Registry CFB Trenton, PO Box 1000 Stn Forces Astra, Ontario K0K 3W0 Registration in Other Countries In countries other than the United States and Canada, 406 MHz beacons are...
  • Page 7 This helps SAR to reach the location even faster. 2. Internal GPS position system The PLB-350C is fitted with an internal GPS receiver that will download the coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the beacon‟s position on the globe, to be transmitted to the Cospas-Sarsat emergency system.

  • Page 8: Anatomy Of Your Beacon

    4. Anatomy of your beacon Digital display UIN Label: Applied at FRONT BACK the factory, the 15 Antenna: character hexadecimal Wrapped number is unique to around each beacon. beacon Multi-language label: Antenna This optional label may latch be applied for ease of use.
  • Page 9 Included Multi-Function Belt Clip Accessories Optional Flotation pouch (ACR P/N 9504) Accessories 6. Digital Display The digital display in the beacon is used as a secondary visual aid, supporting the green/red LED and the audio tone, which indicate the status of the beacon during testing and during emergency operation.
  • Page 10 In Self-Test, the display illustrates the test result of each step with “√” indicating a pass and “X” indicating a failure. There are a total of five tests, including a battery check. If all tests pass, SELF-TEST PASS will be displayed at the end of the Self-Test mode.
  • Page 11 406 MHz includes GPS data GPS Self-Test Button Self-Test Button PLB-350C Figure 2 - Key Pad Functions NOTE: If you notice the PLB is flashing the red or green LED and “beeping” periodically on its own, this likely means it has accidentally been activated and needs to be shut off and reported as a false alert see section on false alerts.
  • Page 12 Steps to activate (406 MHz and 121.5 MHz) To activate your beacon in a distress situation, follow these steps (see Figure 3 below). 1) Unclip the antenna from the case. 2) Move it into the upright position 3) Depress the ON/OFF ( ) button for 1 full second.
  • Page 13 If deactivation should fail, remove the six screws holding the unit together and unplug the battery to disable the unit. Return the beacon to ACR Electronics for service. NOTE: Leave beacon on until rescued. Turning beacon off will prolong or prevent rescue.
  • Page 14 12. Preventing false alerts A false alert is any activation of the beacon, intentional or otherwise, that does not result from a situation of grave and imminent danger. Be sure to do the following to help minimize false alerts: Register your beacon. This does not reduce false alert rates; however, when the beacon is properly registered, the situation can usually be resolved with a phone call.

  • Page 15: Step Three - Maintaining Your Plb

    Any cracks observed should be immediately referred to ACR for evaluation by calling +1 (954) 981-3333. ACR Technical Support can also be reached by sending an email to service@acrelectronics.com.
  • Page 16 Power/Battery; GPS header If a red LED flashes at the completion of the Self-test, your beacon has failed. Repeat the Self-test. If the failure persists, contact ACR Electronics or an authorized Battery Replacement Center for servicing of your beacon. NOTE: During a Self-test your beacon will send a 406 MHz signal coded as Self-test to the satellite system.
  • Page 17 5. GPS Testing (GNSS Self-Test) This test is NOT required as 100% of all GPS receivers that leave ACR have been tested to ensure they perform correctly. However, if you would like to ensure your GPS receiver is working, please follow these instructions very closely.
  • Page 18 6. Changing ownership or contact information As the owner of the beacon, it is your responsibility to advise the national authority of any change in your registration information. If you are transferring the beacon to a new owner, you are required to inform the national authority. You can do this by using their online database or by letter, fax or telephone and informing the authority of the name and address of the new owner.

  • Page 19: Appendix A - Accessories

    Figure 5 - Belt Clip You can secure your beacon directly to backpack webbing straps, life jackets or belts to ensure the beacon is close at hand. ACR recommends that you secure your beacon someplace on your person that is easily accessible in case of an emergency for rapid activation.

  • Page 20: Appendix B - User Interface: Special Icons

    APPENDIX B - USER INTERFACE: SPECIAL ICONS Characters displayed during beacon operation include the following: The battery gauge appears on certain screens to indicate the remaining level of battery charge The gauge illustrates the remaining charge in the battery as a percent of the total possible charge, e.g., The gauge will show the system to be charged in the following increments: 100, 75, 50 and 25%.

  • Page 21: Appendix C - User Interface: Digital Display- Operation

    AuquaLink™ View and SARLink™ View display, LED/ Audio Signaling and Description of Operation The beacon has been activated and the ACR Electronics Welcome Page appears The system reports that the beacon is on and in activation mode...
  • Page 22 SENT This message appears only if GPS data was acquired 121.5 The system reports that the 121.5 MHz homing signal is on. Search and Rescue (SAR) personnel use this frequency when arriving close to the scene. If this message is accompanied by a green LED flash, the GPS coordinates have been sent.
  • Page 23 UNTIL RES Q LEAVE The system reminds you that leaving the beacon on continuously gives the best assurance of being rescued. SAR groups need the ongoing transmissions from the beacon to most effectively find you. If this message is accompanied by a green LED flash, the GPS coordinates have been sent.

  • Page 24: Appendix D - User Interface: Digital Display - Self-Test

    AquaLink™ View and SARLink™ View Display, LED/ Audio Signaling and Description of Operation Beacon Self-Test has been initiated, and the ACR Electronics‟ Welcome Page appears. 24HR √...
  • Page 25 TEST √ 406 RF The fourth test checks for 406 MHz signal strength/RF power. If power is adequate the system passes. TEST  406 RF The fourth test checks for 406 MHz signal strength/RF power. If power is not adequate the system fails. TEST √...
  • Page 26 BATT This message appears if Self-Test has passed, but the battery is low. Take the beacon to an authorized Service Center for a battery replacement. NOTES regarding Self-Test logic: 1.) When one of the tests fail, the system bypasses the remaining tests and goes to SELF-TEST FAIL 2.) The only exception to #1 is that if the battery fails, the other tests are still performed.

  • Page 27: Appendix E - User Interface: Digital Display -Long Gps Test

    APPENDIX E - USER INTERFACE: DIGITAL DISPLAY DURING EXTENDED GPS TEST The following chart describes the display and audio-visual feedback the beacon provides during extended GPS Test. The messages on the digital display typically appear as one or two words at a time, until the entire message has been displayed.

  • Page 28: Appendix F - The Cospas-Sarsat System

    APPENDIX F - THE COSPAS-SARSAT SYSTEM 1. General overview Beacons transmit to the satellite portion of the Cospas-Sarsat system. Cospas-Sarsat satellites are an international system that utilizes Russian Federation and United States‟ low altitude, near-polar orbiting satellites (LEOSAR). These satellites assist in detecting and locating activated 406 MHz satellite beacons.

  • Page 29: Appendix G - Technical Specifications

    400 bps Encoding Biphase L Modulation ±1.1 radians peak Beacons are shipped from ACR with a Serialized code but can be reprogrammed at a service center to other coded formats including nationality of registration. 121.5 MHz Transmitter Frequency: 121.5 MHz Frequency Tolerance ±50 ppm...

  • Page 30: Appendix H - Warranty, Notices

    1 (one) year* from date of purchase or receipt as a gift. During the warranty period ACR Electronics, Inc. will repair or, at its option, replace the unit at no cost to you for labor, materials and return transportation from ACR. For further assistance, please contact our Technical Service Department at ACR Electronics, Inc., 5757 Ravenswood...

  • Page 31: Appendix I - Restrictions On Use And Ec Doc

    APPENDIX I – RESTRICTIONS ON USE and EC DOC Europe – R&TTE Directive The following countries place no restrictions on the use of this product:  Austria  Bulgaria  Cyprus  Czech Republic  Denmark  Estonia  Finland ...

  • Page 32: Ec Declaration Of Conformity

    EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY ACR Electronics, Inc. hereby declares that the following products are in conformity with Directive 1999/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 1999 on Radio Equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE), and has been type examined as described in this Declaration.

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