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Circular issued by IMO following meetings of the Maritime Safety Committee

MSC/Circ.1039
28 May 2002

GUIDELINES FOR SHORE-BASED MAINTENANCE OF SATELLITE EPIRBs

1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-fifth session (15 to 24 May 2002), approved
Guidelines for shore-based maintenance of satellite EPIRBs, for the purpose of establishing
standardized procedures and minimum levels of service for the testing and maintenance of
satellite EPIRBs to ensure maximum reliability whilst minimizing the risk of false distress alerts.

2 Member Governments are invited to bring the annexed Guidelines to the attention of shore-
based maintenance providers, equipment manufacturers, classification societies, shipping
companies, shipowners, ship operators, shipmasters and all other parties concerned.

* * *

ANNEX

GUIDELINES FOR SHORE-BASED MAINTENANCE OF SATELLITE EPIRBs

1 Introduction

1.1 The purpose of these guidelines is to establish standardised procedures and minimum levels
of service for the testing and maintenance of satellite EPIRBs to ensure maximum reliability whilst
minimising the risk of false distress alerting.

1.2 The guidelines are intended to be applicable both to 406 MHz EPIRBs and to L-band EPIRBs,
as either type may be carried to comply with the requirements of SOLAS regulation IV/7.1.6.
EPIRBs may include 121.5 Mhz transmitters, or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
receivers.

1.3 The guidelines also apply to service exchange EPIRBs which should be properly encoded to
match the appropriate registration database.

2 Shore-based maintenance (SBM) provider

2.1 The SBM provider should:

.1 have a quality control system audited by a competent authority in respect of its

.2 have access to adequate calibrated test equipment and facilities to carry out the SBM
in accordance with these guidelines;

.3 have access to batteries and other spare parts to the original equipment specification;

.4 have access to up-to-date technical manuals, service bulletins and the latest software
versions as provided by the original equipment manufacturer;

.5 keep records of maintenance, available for inspection by the Administration as may be

.6 ensure that all personnel responsible for supervising and for carrying out the
maintenance procedures are adequately trained and fully competent to perform their
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duties; and

.7 issue a shore-based maintenance report with a list of the test results and maintenance
performed.

3 Prevention of false distress alerts

3.1 Throughout the testing and maintenance process, great care must be taken to avoid the
transmission of false distress alerts. The transmissions may be picked up by aircraft as well as
satellites.

3.2 A radio-frequency-screened room or enclosure should be used for all maintenance

3.3 Provision of a 121.5 Mhz monitor receiver is required; this will pick up the homing
transmitter and give a warning if the EPIRB is accidentally activated outside the screened
enclosure.

3.4 If a distress signal is transmitted accidentally, the local RCC should be contacted
immediately and informed of the co- ordinates of the test site.

4 Maintenance service interval

4.1 406 MHz satellite EPIRBs should be inspected and tested in accordance with MSC/Circ.1040.

4.2 Shore-based maintenance of all satellite EPIRBs, as defined in paragraph 1.2, should be
carried out in accordance with these guidelines at intervals specified by the flag Administration and
not exceeding 5 years. It is recommended that the maintenance be performed at the time when
the battery is to be changed.

5 Self-test

5.1 Prior to carrying out any maintenance and, upon completion, a self-test should be
performed, following the instructions on the equipment, and the results noted.

5.2 Attention is drawn to paragraph 3 on the prevention of false distress alerts. Avoidance of
live transmissions is required to prevent unnecessary loading of the satellite channels.

5.3 It should be verified that the self-test mode operates properly. This check could be
performed by holding the switch in self-test mode position for 1 min after the first self-test mode
burst transmission. All transmissions should cease after releasing the self-test mode switch.
Additionally, for 406 MHz satellite EPIRBs which received the COSPAS-SARSAT type approval after
October 1998 (Type Approval Certificates 106 and higher) the number of self-test bursts should be
verified to be no more than one.

6 Battery change

6.1 The main battery should be changed in accordance with the manufacturer's
recommendations, including the replacement of any other routine service parts (e.g. seals,
memory battery, and desiccant).

6.2 The removed batteries should be disposed of in accordance with the manufacturer's and/or
national/local recommendations.

6.3 After having changed the battery, the new expiration date should be displayed on the
exterior surface of the EPIRB.

7 Satellite distress transmission

7.1 The satellite EPIRB should be activated in its normal transmitting mode (i.e. not just self-
test). Attention is drawn to paragraph 3 on the prevention of false distress alerts. Where seawater
contacts are fitted, these should be connected together to activate the EPIRB.

7.2 The transmitted signal should be checked with a suitable test receiver to verify the signal
integrity and coding.
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7.3 The frequency of the transmitted signal should be recorded and verified to be within the
limits required by the specification to which it is approved.

7.4 The output power of the transmitter should be checked in the self-test mode. A simple
method of the emission verification, such as a low sensitivity receiver placed at an unobstructed
distance of at least 3 m from the EPIRB antenna, may be used for this check. The original
equipment manufacturer may suggest an appropriate method to verify the output power.
Attention is drawn to paragraph 3 on the prevention of false distress alerts.

8 121.5 MHz homing transmission

8.1 The satellite EPIRB should be activated in it's normal transmitting mode (i.e. not just self-
test). Attention is drawn to paragraph 3 on the prevention of false distress alerts. Where seawater
contacts are fitted, these should be connected together to activate the EPIRB.

8.2 The transmitted signal should be checked with a suitable test receiver for the characteristic
swept tone modulation.

9 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)

9.1 Some satellite EPIRBs are designed to transmit a position derived from a GNSS receiver,
which may be internal or external to the EPIRB.

9.2 The original equipment (EPIRB) manufacturer should be consulted for a method of testing
the correct operation of this function, e.g.: by using a GNSS repeater/simulator or external input.
This test may involve a live transmission from the EPIRB and should be performed in a screened
room or enclosure in accordance with paragraph 3.2. Attention is drawn to paragraph 3 on the
prevention of false distress alerts.

9.3 A test receiver should be used to verify that the signal transmitted by the satellite EPIRB
contains the correctly encoded position data derived from the GNSS receiver. Attention is drawn to
paragraph 3 on the prevention of false distress alerts.

10 Waterproof integrity

10.1 The satellite EPIRB should be inspected for any signs of damage or cracks to the casing, or
of water ingress. Any damaged item should be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer's
recommended procedures.

10.2 The satellite EPIRB should be tested for waterproof integrity at the end of the SBM. The
equipment manufacturer may suggest an appropriate method to test the integrity of the EPIRB.

10.3 One method involves immersing the equipment in hot water (20-30 degrees C above
ambient) for a period of 1 min. It can be readily seen if there are any problems with the seals, as
the air inside the beacon expands and escapes as a stream of bubbles. This test should not be
carried out with cool water, as the water may be drawn into the equipment without showing
significant release of air bubbles.

10.4 Satellite EPIRBs equipped with seawater switches should have this function disabled during
the immersion test to prevent activation, unless the complete test is performed inside a screened
room. This disabling may be achieved by immersing the EPIRB complete with a mounting bracket
if the bracket includes an interlock to prevent activation before release. In some cases the EPIRB
contains an inversion switch, so it will not be activated if immersed in the inverted position. The
manufacturer should be consulted for specific guidance.

11 Labelling

11.1 As a minimum, the equipment external labelling should be checked for the following
details:

.1 manufacturer's serial number. This identifies the equipment, even if the programmed
data (e.g. MMSI or callsign) is later changed;

.2 the transmitted identification code:

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for L-band EPIRBs, it will be the Inmarsat System Code; and

for 406 MHz EPIRBs, this will be the beacon 15 Hexadecimal Identification (15
Hex ID) and other encoded identification information (MMSI / callsign) as
required by the Administration. It should be verified that the label matches the
information decoded from the self-test mode transmission using the test
receiver. For the COSPAS-SARSAT location protocol beacons, the 15 Hex ID
should correspond to position data set to default values;

.3 the expiration date of the battery; and

.4 the date when the next shore-based maintenance is due (see paragraph 12.1).

11.2 The above checks also apply if a replacement EPIRB is provided by the SBM provider.

12 Shore-based maintenance report and other documentation

12.1 The results of shore-based maintenance should be provided in the form of a shore-based
maintenance report, a copy of which is to be kept on board, and a label affixed to the exterior of
the beacon detailing the name of the SBM provider and the date when the next shore-based
maintenance is due.

12.2 The SBM provider may affix a tamperproof seal or similar device on completion of the SBM.

12.3 Before returning the beacon to the owner, or when providing a replacement beacon, the
SBM provider should check the registration details with the beacon registry, where practicable.

Document Links
SOLAS regulation IV/7.1.6, doc. no. SG880407ABA

Document id: MSCC1039ACI

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