# EPIRBS - Prices out of whack?



## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

I'm with you, way overpriced for what they are. I suspect this is because they've got us over a barrel - how much is your life worth?

I don't think they all have a GPS function, so they're basically an expensive waterproof radio, although if I was buying one, I'd want the GPS in it. At $150, I'd buy one today. Maybe I'll just put a plasma TV on the yak.


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

Agreed. The new digital ones effectively have a radio function and a GPS function.

So if they could function as both a VHF radio and GPS, even on a fairly basic level - that would be way cool.

As you can get VHF, GPS and EPIRB watches - I don't see any huge size or weight issue, and no need for excessive costs.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## DGax65 (Jun 7, 2006)

EPIRB's will always be more expensive than other similar electronics. They have to meet higher standards of performance, must be approved by maritime safety organizations and you only use it when you're life is in danger. The first two reasons actually add to the development and production costs. The other is just a fact of life :lol: I'm sure that the size of the production run has something to do with it as well. Garmin will make a thousand hand held GPS units for every EPIRB that ACR makes.
ACR has kept the price point for their high-end GPS-equipped personal locator beacons at $659 USD for at least the last three years. Earlier this year the smaller ResQfix PLB was released at the same price. I think they've found a price point that the market is willing to accept. I would hope that they could be found for $100 in a couple of years, but I wouldn't count on it. As long as it is SOLAS approved it is going to be expensive. If anything is going to bring the price down, it is going to be the PLB market for hikers, climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts. That community is not as willing to pay top dollar for something just because it comes in a yellow case and has a SOLAS approved sticker on it.


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

That is true, to an extent the design and approval process of a product like this is expensive and would run well over a million dollars. That said the production costs are probably less than the cost of a couple of drinks at my local. I can say this with a lot of authority as I studied engineering and product design at uni and have worked as a commercial designer. I know a lot of the who's-who in this industry.

There are always freight and customs costs to consider also - which would add a fair bit.

But any product - that is a 'must-have' - will always have a price tag that reflects that.


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Don't the new ones need to be registered? That might contribute to the price as well.

They have come down in price and will a little more once they become mandatory and the old style becomes obsolete. When they first come out they were over the $600 mark and seem to drop by $50 every six months and it wasn't so long ago that the old style was over the $300 mark. They have only become discounted recently to get rid of them before they are obsolete.

If you fish off shore you need to have one no two ways about it.


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

This is also true. Look at DVD players more competition from brands and neighborhood status means greater pressure on prices. So hopefully more competition on these sort of products will result in better costs for us.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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QlpoOTFBWSZTWRmwCZkAABLfgAAQUIOAAoQAECo39/6gIABoNU2jUyNAyGgPUaaDVT8h6lPaowGoHpPTSeod5Dr2iI+U1UUDa3fxcbcXfBHcMKEBLM9IzuWRBlTx9fPQQpnokpF86rW7Wj0D0Vg3JVTRyJEWXBgifLdWBWTnFvFoEOI4isUBU3H6/YyzCfxdyRThQkBmwCZk


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## lazydays (Aug 30, 2005)

The 215mhz will be phases out soon and be replaced with the 405mhz. Yep as stated the 405's can and should be registered with an associated phone number. A lot of the current 215's are accidental setting offs, so with the newer 405's the first response will be to phone up and ask " your husbands EPIRB is emitting a signal from Wedding Cake Island" and your wife can reply....."na, he lost it overboard this morning but is now down the local pub".
The new 405,s also can work your position closer with a doppler effect. This only requires one sattelite to get a position. With the older models you had to wait for a commercial plane or boat to pass by and pick up the signal or wait for the next sattelite pass (they are not geo-stationary") and then a chopper was sent up to get a triangulation.
With the compulsory phasing out of the 215's most people that have an interest are hoping the government will step in and subsidise the cost.......maybe a question to put to your local polly when he comes door knocking


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

Will the government subsidize an industry they are effectively trying to reduce the size of? Ha - call me cynical.


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## lazydays (Aug 30, 2005)

google is your friend.....

just one article on subsidising the changeover

"A Government cash-back to replace outdated EPIRB emergency beacons with the newer 406 and 406 GPS-capable emergency distress beacons will save lives, say the South Australian Democrats.

Democrat MLC Kate Reynolds and the SA Democrat candidate for Finniss, Kevin Bartolo, today unveiled a scheme which would cut emergency response times for boats or people lost at sea by up to five hours, and virtually eliminate false alarms.

"We can save lives at sea and in the Coorong and lakes, while saving money at the same time," the Democrats said.

False or hoax alarms constitute up to 97% of all distress calls.

The minimum requirement for off-shore boaties now is to carry a basic 121.5 Mhz EPIRB, with a response time of up to five hours, and which is accurate within a 20km radius.

The Democrats propose that people venturing offshore who upgrade to get the more expensive new-generation 406 EPIRBs get a one-off $300 cash-back from the State.

This is half the cost of the cheapest 406 EPIRB, which locates a distress call within 90 minutes and within a 5km radius.

The even more expensive GPS-capable 406 has a three minute response time and a 10 metre-radius.

"GPS-capable EPIRBs will also allow for a greater capacity to respond to multiple emergencies, such as that brought about by extreme weather events, without expanding rescue fleets beyond existing levels," the Democrats said.

"We've got to encourage people to equip themselves with the 406's, not just for their own safety but to bring down the cost of searches.

"The difference is an aircraft searching 1,200 square kilometres of ocean for someone washed overboard or in the water after their boat has sank, or pinpointing that person to within a few metres," the Democrats said.

"So in terms of safety it's worth every cent.

"But it's not just a question of saving lives. Hundreds and perhaps thousands of hours of expensive flying time by helicopters and planes will be eliminated, and that money will offset the cash-back paid by the State.

"Because of the tracking accuracy and the fact that 406 EPIRB registration requires the provision of user and vessel ID and emergency contact details to the Australian Search & Rescue Centre (AUSSAR) in Canberra, the instances of hoax or false alarm events are virtually eliminated.

"This has real benefits in reducing the exposure of rescue staff to unnecessary risks, and minimizing wastage of valuable rescue resources.

"The 406 EPIRB system is scheduled to be introduced as a mandatory requirement in 2009.

"However the early uptake of this equipment would permit the SA Government to better fulfill its 'Duty of Care' obligations to the hundreds of full time, part time and volunteer SES and Sea Rescue personnel throughout the State," Ms Reynolds and Mr Bartolo said.

*****************************************
QUICK FACTS

The basic EPIRB (121.5 Mhz) satellite response times can range from 30 minutes to 5 hours, and is accurate to within a 20km radius, or more than 1,200 square kilometres.

The standard 406 EPIRBs have a maximum response time of 90 minutes, and are accurate to within a 5km radius.

GPS Capable 406 EPIRB satellite response time is just 3 minutes, and it constantly transmits the exact location of the beacon to within a 10 meter radius.

Current prices run from $600 for a standard 406 unit to $2000 for the GPS capable units.

South Australia has 4,000 kilometres of coastline and 750 kilometres of navigable inland waterways. Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert alone total more than 700 square kilometres

There are 55,000 registered powerboats in the State, and a further 25,000 watercraft which are unregistered (such as dinghies without motors, sail craft etc) - a total of 80,000.

There are 120,000 South Australians licensed to operate powered vessels.

The State recognises at least 400 "boating sites", such as launching ramps, berthing areas, and wharves.

Boating is a $350 million per year industry.

In 2005 SAPOL Water Operations Unit attended to over 300 maritime emergencies and co-ordinated some 30 - 50 on water searches.

Drowning / hypothermia are the most common causes of death associated with boating accidents."


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

That may not be a bad idea Occy - able to rent one, say from a Coast Guard or VMR base.

I am a bit suprised about the 97% of calls being hoax or false.

I heard that some guy tried to circumnavigate the UK in a small boat and every single day he activated his EPIRB due to some drama - he has ever since been known as Captain Coast Guard. I the Coast Guard people shudder every time they see him heading for his boat.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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QlpoOTFBWSZTWakzStAAAB5fgAAQcuGAogAkUAo/5/9wMAClhFT9pJtIJoyaPE1Gg2p6mQiNT1MQ0ZGgAaANA1GTSniGo2KAZMjIejGsFrBNBHGon57NEx4NOYXZxUJmouARp5rG/plDB12klY8PgcCqRm5l7yeSRUTpMlpg0pGysUsQ0ckt7yF/wvBI+wKRsriURlghhmIMRzwFcTTpWpzKgrOCFDPquM3NWbTBchcqjyk4VvvRTMa8WMiIiRBKTossuBicFOBQeDegHOqEKWpsJNGy4W3AsT3F3JFOFCQqTNK0AA==


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

Well! Knock me down with a feather! :shock: Pizza ovens! :shock:

Someone really needs to explain that one to me.

A few weeks back I was out in the bay and there was a police boat and two coast guards boats zipping around everywhere, asking if people had activated an EPIRB because a signal had been activated in that general locality.


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

I prefer woodfired pizza anyway. Actually, an Emergency Pizza Indicating Radio Beacon could be very handy (extra anchovies please).


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

Do you reckon some pizza place could deliver to an EPIRB signal.....


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## Guest (Oct 29, 2007)

Lazybugger said:


> Given the increasing prevelance of GPS technology, it would seem to me that EPIRB's seem to be somewhat overpriced. Yes the units have to be waterproof, have a decent longlife battery & have a GPS function & transmitter but of all these things the GPS function would have been the most expensive. Most units seem to be at least around the $400 mark for the 406mhz models.
> 
> I admit I have not been price watching these units that closely over an extended period but unless they were costing something like a grand say 5 years ago that there is probably a fair bit of profit sitting in the current models. I am basing this on the general supply & demand cost economics we see with most other electronic items like computers, plasma tv's & mobile phones.
> 
> ...


Sorry mate, but there is actually very little pofit in the new digital epirbs. Yes, they probably will come down over time, and the consumer does in the long run drive the prices. We the consumer drive the prices by complaining and demanding better buy prices, which in turn drives companies to manafacture products in places like china, tiawan etc etc which then sometimes in turn leads to lower quality products which then we the consumer complain about crap product, jobs going offshore etc etc. This translates basically into that if we want good quality product (especially when your life depends on it) then unfortunatley we have to pay for it and the ACCC have no say what so ever in how much something costs to produce which is what dictates the overall price.


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

I have been on many searchs for epirbs, but you could always get a rough location, so you knew pretty much straight away if it was a flase alarm, like the epirb is transmitting from refuge cove, a popular weekend mooring spot with fifty or more boats moored ever weekend. Usually the kids playing with the switchs.

In fact i don't ever remember going to a real epirb, but rest assured if they go off a search will be initated within the hour.

I have been on a lot more Mayday radio calls and for my mind a waterproof vhf marine radio will bring a quicker responce when offshore. Just remember to give your location accurately. About 2/3 of the SAR i have been on didn't know thier exact location and things like, I can see the lighthouse don't help much.

Cheers Dave


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