NOAA’s 406 MHz Beacon

Registration Database

(RGDB)

NOAA SARSAT PROGRAM

www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov

Online Usage Statistics

68%

72%

68%

71%69%

65%

57%

64% 63%

70%

61%

71%

73%

71%69%

77%

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

January-10February-10March-10 April-10 May-10 June-10 July-10 August-10September-10October-10November-10December-10January-11February-11March-11 April-11

Registrations Entered/Updated For Period January '10 to April '11

Percentage of Registrations Entered/Updated By Beacon Owners Using The Internet Total Registrations Entered/Updated

Initial Registrations

By Users

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

New Registrations Entries

NOAA Staff

Beacon Owners

Analysis of Current RGDB

2781

5842

3991 38414659

5234

6691

8353 79179012

9714 9170

11852

15253

1821819204

23367

2969330182

36674

34962

9840

12156

0%

110%

-32%

-4%

21%

12%

28%25%

-5%

14%

8%

-6%

29% 29%

19%

5%

22%27%

2%

22%

-5%

-40%

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2010 ytd

New Registrations As OfApril, 2011

New Registrations Rate of Growth

Analysis of Current RGDB

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Beacon Registrations Entered 1990 to 2010

PLB ELT EPIRB SSAS

Analysis of Current RGDB

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

ELT Initial Registrations By Month

Top 5 States for PLBs By Home Address

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

FL CA NC AK WA

Top 5 States for PLBs

PLB Usage

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Specific Usage For PLBs

Aircraft

Boat

Helicopter

Land Vehicle

None

Other

Analysis of Current RGDB

174,064 EPIRB57%

52,130 ELT17%

81,178 PLB26%

248 SSAS0%

Registration Database Beacon Population Breakdown Asof May 13 , 2011

For Registration Correspondence(Internal Mail Code within NOAA has changed)

SARSAT Beacon Registration

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NSOF, E/SP0534231 Suitland Road

Suitland, MD 20746

Phone: 301-817-4515

Toll free: 888-212-7283

Fax: 301-817-4565

Email: beacon.registration@noaa.gov

Measures NOAA Has Taken To Improve Accuracy

Operational letters updated to emphasize importance of checking

the beacon ID registered with NOAA is identical to the

manufacturer/installed programmed UIN

New registrations and change of ownership registrations entered by

NOAA data entry personnel are checked by other operational

personnel

Owners of beacon IDs that are questionable (i.e., not readable,

incomplete, different from the manufacturer sticker) are called to

verify the ID.

Changed RGDB owner interface to separate the 15 character

beacon ID into 3 blocks of 5 to make it more readable (31 May

2011)

RGDB staff attempts to get an acknowledgement from the previous

owner prior to allowing the latest beacon owner to register

Add a checksum

When a beacon is registered a check sum value is entered along

with the 15 hexadecimal characters of the beacon ID. Using same

algorithm as the beacon manufacturer, the RGDB calculates the

check sum of the entered 15 Hex ID and compares the result to

the entered checksum. If values disagree, it is assumed the user

had made an error (either in the beacon identification code and/or

the checksum) and re-entry continues until the two checksums

agree

Display all beacon IDs in 3 groups of 5

printed products

all manufacturer labels

Pre-print UINs on registration forms

Proposed Actions for Beacon

Manufacturers

New Registration forms (draft)

How Beacon Manufacturers Can Help

To assist with the validation of beacon Ids:

For National Use Serialized beacons (bit 43 = 0),

provide NOAA with the Model Name and its associated

bit value

Where the Serial number printed on the beacon label is

part of the Beacon ID, provide NOAA with the bit range

and format (Decimal or Hexadecimal)

Provide NOAA with a list of beacons received that will not

be returned to the same owner:

beacons serviced

beacons exchanged

NOAA’s Business Reply Permit

NOAA has allowed the use of SARSAT’s business reply permit

by manufacturers for printing envelopes for owners to return

beacon registration forms to NOAA

Manufacturers need to print envelopes that replicate the following

image (keep in mind the mail code has changed as will be shown

on next slide)

NOAA is bearing the mailing cost of envelopes sent to NOAA

Any questions prior to use, please call Stephen Roark at 301-817-

3896

NOAA’s Business Reply Envelope

Sample (Please change the E/SP3 To E/SP053)

Suggestions On How Beacon Manufacturers

Can Help

Contact NOAA immediately when an issue arises which has a direct impact

on beacon owners

Duplicate beacon ID encoded into beacons

Mislabeling of beacon IDs on forms or beacons

Any recalls you may have for beacons you have manufactured

Manufacturers and Service Centers verify NOAA decal currency and

remind the owner, if appropriate, to update the beacon’s registration with

NOAA

Inform owners who have vessel information, tail number, MMSI, and radio

call sign, encoded into beacon of the importance of recoding the beacon and

updating the registration when the beacon is swapped from one vessel to

another vessel or swapped from one aircraft to an another