Frequency changes

Older beacons working on the 121.5MHz radio frequency will stop working in February 2009. From that date, satellites will no longer be monitoring the frequency -you could set off your old beacon and no one would hear it or dispatch the rescue unit.

What you need is a new 406MHz beacon. These are already in operation and working. While many people may be grumpy about changing their perfectly good existing beacon, the advantages of the new "406" system are enormous.

Advantages of the new beacons

• The 406 beacon is registered to you so that when it's activated, rescuers know your details and emergency contacts. They can call to see if you're missing, check if it's a false alarm, or find out extra information from your contacts to help in the search. The old beacons are anonymous. All they reveal is that somebody or something is around. They also easily suffer interference and around 90 percent of their activations are false alarms.
  
  
• The new digital 406 beacons work all over the world (not just within 900 to 1500kms of New Zealand).
  
  
• Their signal may be received within minutes, unlike the old signal that could take up to five hours to receive.
  
  
• The 406 is accurate to around 3 nautical miles (nm), or even as little as 300 metres using GPS. The old system was only accurate to 20nm - and in the ocean or bush that's a very large search area.

Retailers should not try to sell the nearly-obsolete 121.5MHz beacons, but be careful as some still are.

Many in the boating and outdoor pursuits fields are waiting for lower prices and for the switch-off date of February 2009 before changing from a 121.5 to a 406MHz beacon. This isn't prudent. Prices aren't coming down - if anything they're likely to go up with increased demand.

Even before the switch-off date, the effectiveness and coverage of 121.5 is being reduced. Equipment on the 121.5 frequency is receiving neither maintenance nor repair, so if a satellite fails it's not repaired or replaced. It makes sense both for your wallet and your safety to change over as fast as possible.

What to do with your old beacon

You can call the RCCNZ on 0800 406 111 or 0508 406 111 to find out where the nearest disposal centre is (outside normal working hours leave a message and your call will be returned), or courier your old beacon to them and they'll dispose of it. Other options are to hand it in to your local police station, or to the retailer when you buy a new 406MHz beacon.

You can dispose of your old beacon yourself but you MUST remove the battery, remove the aerial and crush the case. If you don't, the beacon could be activated by mistake and searchers despatched to scour your local rubbish dump.

More information

These organisations have valuable information on emergency beacons, survival in the outdoors, and links to training courses available:

• New Zealand Search and Rescue (NZSAR) www.nzsar.org.nz
• 406 distress beacons www.beacons.org.nz
• New Zealand Mountain Safety Council www.mountainsafety.org.nz
• Maritime New Zealand, including the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) www.maritimenz.govt.nz

Report by Marc Wendelborn