Table of Contents
Advertisement
Quick Links
Advertisement
Table of Contents
Related Manuals for mcmurdo Fastfind Plus
Summary of Contents for mcmurdo Fastfind Plus
- Page 1 Fastfind & Fastfind Plus personal location beacon Owner’s manual...
- Page 2 WARNING Use only in situations of grave and imminent danger Register PLB with national authority before use...
-
Page 3: Table Of Contents
Emergency operation .................. 7 Switching off....................8 Using the PLB in an emergency ..........8 Indicators ...................9 Fastfind (non-GPS version)................. 9 Fastfind Plus (integral GPS version) ............10 False Alarms and Complete Deactivation........11 Service and Maintenance ............12 Before use....................12 After use....................12 Inadvertent Activation................ - Page 4 85-902-004 Fastfind owner’s manual Issue 1...
-
Page 5: Recommendations And Safety Notices
85-902-004 Recommendations and Safety Notices This Fastfind or Fastfind Plus Personal Location Beacon (PLB) is an emergency radio beacon for use only in situations of grave and imminent danger. False alarms cause expensive disruption to search and rescue services, and may endanger lives. - Page 6 85-902-004 Licensing regulations vary from nation to nation. Remember to apply for a licence if one is required for 406 MHz PLBs in your country of residence. Your supplier should be able to advise on licensing, or you can contact your national communications licensing authority.
-
Page 7: Quick Checklist
85-902-004 Quick Checklist • Test the PLB before taking it on a trip • Ensure that the PLB is registered with the Search and Rescue Authority • Ensure that if necessary you have a valid radio licence for the PLB •... -
Page 8: Introduction
If you have any problems or require further help and advice, please do not hesitate to contact your retailer, distributor or McMurdo directly. The Fastfind and Fastfind Plus PLBs are Personal Location Beacons. In an emergency, activating the beacon causes an alarm to be transmitted to the rescue services through the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite array. -
Page 9: Operation
85-902-004 Operation Self-test Emergency ON button Green lamp Red lamp Self-test/OFF button PLB control panel (Fastfind shown) The PLB should be tested before setting out, but testing should be limited to about 12 times per year to minimise the total power taken from the battery. Self-test should generally only be carried out in the first five minutes of any hour, although this recommendation may vary from country to country. - Page 10 85-902-004 Self-test On successful completion of the self-test sequence, the green light on the left will flash 3 times and the buzzer will sound 3 times. The PLB will switch itself off after completing a self-test, even if the OFF button is still held down. Release the button and close the flip-top lid.
-
Page 11: Emergency Operation
This is to allow time to switch the unit off in the event of accidental activation, preventing a false alert being sent to the search and rescue services. During this period the red indicator light comes on continuously on both the Fastfind and Fastfind Plus models. Pulling anti-tamper cover from PLB Antenna erected Fastfind owner’s manual... -
Page 12: Switching Off
85-902-004 Switching off To switch off the PLB after it has been activated in an emergency (eg when rescue has been effected), press the OFF button and hold it down until the indicator lights go off and the buzzer stops sounding. A five second delay is built in to the operation of the OFF switch to prevent inadvertent de-activation during an emergency situation. -
Page 13: Indicators
85-902-004 Indicators Fastfind (non-GPS version) PLB SELF-TEST Event Self-test button pressed and held Self-test completed and passed Red Light On while self-test sequence in progress (approx 8 seconds) Green Flashes 3 times Light Buzzer Sounds 3 times EMERGENCY OPERATION First 2 minutes After 2 minutes Event Start/On button pressed... -
Page 14: Fastfind Plus (Integral Gps Version)
85-902-004 Fastfind Plus (integral GPS version) PLB SELF-TEST Event Self-test button pressed and held Self-test completed and passed Red Light On while self-test sequence in progress (approx 8 seconds) Green Light Flashes 3 times Buzzer Sounds 3 times EMERGENCY OPERATION... -
Page 15: False Alarms And Complete Deactivation
85-902-004 False Alarms and Complete Deactivation If the PLB has been accidentally activated, or if rescue has been effected before arrival of the rescue services: Attempt to contact the rescue services, coastguard, or police by radio or telephone to advise them of the situation. Only switch off the PLB if you cannot make contact with the authorities, otherwise leave it on until instructed by the rescue services or authorities to turn it off. -
Page 16: Service And Maintenance
A new battery pack must be fitted when the expiry date has been reached. Only use branded battery packs designed specifically for the Fastfind and Fastfind Plus products. Do not remove and replace the battery pack unnecessarily: this may jeopardise the integrity of the o-ring seals which prevent water ingress around the battery connections between the battery pack and the PLB. -
Page 17: Battery Packs
The PLB contains no user-serviceable parts. It must be returned to a dealer or Service Agent if it requires service. A list of dealers and service Agents is on the McMurdo web site, www.mcmurdo.co.uk, and on the Pains Wessex site, www.pwss.com... -
Page 18: What Happens When You Activate Your Plb
85-902-004 What happens when you activate your PLB Your PLB transmits a repetitive message on the special distress frequency of 406.028MHz. This frequency is monitored by the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system specifically to identify and locate distress transmissions. 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 19: The Global Positioning System (Gps)
The Global Positioning System (GPS) The GPS system is a satellite array which enables a receiver located anywhere on Earth to determine its exact position to within 30m. The Fastfind Plus PLB incorporates this information into its distress transmission, so enabling the... -
Page 20: Specification
1300Hz to 350Hz Modulation duty cycle 41%+5% Sweep repetition rate 3Hz+1Hz Sweep direction Programmable UP or DOWN GPS receiver/engine (Fastfind Plus only) Centre frequency Band L1 1.57542GHz Received signal sensitivity -175dBW minimum Maximum number of satellites tracked Transmit antenna Type... - Page 21 85-902-004 Receive antenna (Fastfind Plus only) Type Ceramic dielectric patch Characteristics RH circular polarised, gain +3dBi nominal External interfaces Programming interface IR link to PC serial port Manual activation Sealed membrane switch with tamper cover Self test/Manual deactivation Sealed membrane switch...
-
Page 22: Owner Notes
85-902-004 Owner Notes Fastfind owner’s manual Issue 1 Page 18... -
Page 23: Mcmurdo Limited Product Warranty
(or part) in question free of charge, or at McMurdo Limited's sole discretion to refund to the buyer the price of the product (or a proportional part of the price). McMurdo Limited 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 24 Record Serial No.: PLB Hex ID: Date of Purchase: Dealer Stamp McMurdo Ltd Silver Point Airport Service Road Portsmouth Hampshire United Kingdom PO3 5PB A member of Chemring Group PLC 85-902-004 Issue 1...
Need help?
Do you have a question about the Fastfind Plus and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers