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ACR Electronics PLB-410 Product User Manual Download Page 17

Y1-03-0362 Rev. A 

Company Confidential 

17 

Testing Your Beacon 

 

Your beacon has the ability to perform 2 different tests to ensure that the beacon is working 
perfectly. The first is a basic self-test which checks the beacon

’

s design performance and sends 

a self-test message transmitted with default location data. The second is a GPS/GNSS self-test 
that turns the GPS receiver on, acquires your position and then transmits this data in a 406 MHz 
self-test satellite burst (GPS and GNSS are used interchangeably to describe the GPS/GNSS 
Test). 
 
NOTE: Self-test should only be performed in the first 5 minutes of any hour. 

Basic Self-Test (No GPS Data) 

During a self-test, your beacon will send a 406 MHz signal coded as a self-test to the satellite 
system and will also momentarily activate the 121.5 MHz homing signal. 

The beacon has enough excess battery life to perform 60 self-tests over the 5 year life of the 
battery. 

To perform a basic self-test: 

1.

 

Unclip the antenna latch from the case and rotate antenna 90 degrees into the upright 
position. (ON/OFF button will be exposed on face of beacon once antenna is in upright 
position) 

2.

 

Depress the Test button between 2 to 5 seconds. 

3.

 

A quick flash of the 

blue

 LED is an indicator that Self-Test was initiated. This will always 

be the first LED flash in the self-test sequence. 

The self-test light sequence is as follows: A 

blue

 LED will flash to show the start of the Self-

Test. 

For a successfully “passed” self

-test, the 

blue

 LED flash will be followed by 3 

green

 LED 

flashes and a strobe flash. The PLB-435 will show this light sequence and will also flash a 
message on the screen saying 

“Self

-

Test Pass”

 at the end of the self-test.  

Any

 red 

LED flash observed in the above sequence indicates that the beacon has failed self-test. 

Repeat the self-test. If the failure persists, contact ACR Electronics, Inc. or an authorized 
Battery Replacement Center (BRC) for servicing of your beacon. The PLB-435 will flash a 

message saying “Self

-

Test Fail” at the end of a failed self

-test. 

ACR strongly recommends performing the 

self-test once per month

, or at least two weeks 

prior to a trip, allowing enough time for service should your beacon require it. Do not exceed 
the self-test limit to ensure confidence in the operation of the PLB for at least 24 hours. 

 

 

 

 

Low Battery Indicator during Self-Test 

If the total ON time of the beacon exceeds 2 hours, the beacon will

 

flash the 

red

 

LED twice at the completion of the self-test. In addition to the LED indicators, the 
display on the PLB-

435 will indicate a “Self

-

Test Fail” and will show a low battery 

warning. While the beacon may still operate normally in a distress situation, ACR 
strongly recommends you have your battery replaced to ensure that you will have 
at least 24 hours of battery power in an emergency. 

Summary of Contents for PLB-410

Page 1: ...4 981 3333 Fax 954 983 5087 www acrartex com ResQLink 410 RLS ResQLink View RLS 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacons with RLS Return Link Service Product User Manual Y1 03 0362 Rev A Models PLB 410 PLB 435 Part Numbers 2931 2932 THE SCIENCE OF SURVIVAL Name of Owner Organization ...

Page 2: ...st 20 Satellite Testing Your Beacon 21 False Alarms 21 Beacon Maintenance 22 Product Specifications 24 Product Warranty 27 Appendix A Accessories 28 This manual supports all configurations of PLB 410 and PLB 435 beacons Depending on country of registration the beacon will have a unique country code identification in the part number for example 2931 62 or 2932 64 As long as the first four digits ar...

Page 3: ...cur a severe penalty WARNING CAUTION Notice to the public do not move beacon if found report position to authorities False alerts endanger lives and cause expensive disruption to Search and Rescue services Deliberate misuse of the beacon could result in a penalty and fine CAUTION Do not dismantle the PLB It contains no user serviceable parts CAUTION Contains lithium batteries Do not incinerate pun...

Page 4: ...vated The UIN is identified as the 15 digit Hex ID on the beacon see enlarged label image below for location of Hex ID on your beacon This Hex ID UIN is programmed into the beacon based on the country in which the beacon is registered thus authorities are able to determine which country s database will have your registration information Information provided during registration is used only for res...

Page 5: ...a registration form If not registering online hard copies of registration forms will be entered in the 406 MHz beacon registration database within 48 hours of receipt The information you provide on the registration form is used for rescue purposes only A confirmation letter a copy of the registration and a registration decal see sample image on the left in the User Tip window below will be mailed ...

Page 6: ...that may cause undesired operation of the device Registration in Other Countries In countries other than the United States and Canada 406 MHz beacons are registered with that country s national authority at the time of purchase The sales agent may have assisted you in filling out the forms and sending them to the country s national authority To verify that the unit is properly programmed for your ...

Page 7: ... forces via a Rescue Coordination Centre RCC The distress message contains the beacon UIN and on some models the GPS location of the beacon Additional information about the beacon is accessed by SAR forces from the beacon registration database At the same time the 406 MHz signal is activated a 121 5 MHz signal is turned on The 121 5 MHz signal is used by SAR forces to home in on the beacon as they...

Page 8: ...s designed to send an acknowledgment to the beacon Alerting of the distress to SAR authorities is independent of and likely will occur before the RLS acknowledgment indication on the beacon This specification is described in the Galileo SAR Service Definition Document https www gsc europa eu sites default files sites all files Galileo SAR SDD pdf You may visit the web page on Countries Allowing RL...

Page 9: ... indicator of RLS Return Link Service beacon activity F GPS Receiver Location of GPS receiver give clear view to sky and do not obstruct G ON OFF button Activates the beacon when pressed for 2 seconds Once activated pressing the on off button for 2 seconds again turns the beacon off Button is not accessible until antenna is deployed H TEST button Activate Self test or GPS test I Antenna Wraps arou...

Page 10: ...unctionally the same except the PLB 435 also includes a digital screen as depicted by letter J in the diagram to the right Throughout the rest of the manual beacon images which include a screen represent the PLB 435 and images without a screen represent the PLB 410 WARNING This transmitter is authorized for use only during situations of grave and imminent danger Deliberate misuse may incur a sever...

Page 11: ...ill flash twice and the red LED will flash once to let you know the beacon has been activated The strobe light and Infrared IR strobe light will both then continue to flash once approximately every 10 seconds for the entire time the beacon is activated Note The IR strobe is not visible to the naked eye The red LED will flash approximately once every 5 seconds prior to the beacon acquiring your GPS...

Page 12: ... life minimum of 24 hours a GPS location update is attempted every 60 minutes GPS receiver orientation When activated it is critical that you do not cover the beacon with any body part water clothing etc The GPS receiver is located under the bottom portion of the case where it is outlined with the text GPS Give Clear View to Sky To ensure optimum performance of the GPS receiver the beacon needs to...

Page 13: ...d in water While the unit is waterproof it must be above the water s surface to function properly Intended operational environments include on ground above ground and held in hand In all cases the beacon must be facing skyward with the antenna perpendicular Do not cover the GPS receiver with your hand and make sure you have a clear view of the sky to ensure GPS is acquired Above Ground Above groun...

Page 14: ...Y1 03 0362 Rev A Company Confidential 14 Proper Positioning and Handling During Activation When Attached to a Personal Flotation Device PFD ...

Page 15: ...n transmitted The system reports that the 121 5 MHz homing signal is on Search and Rescue SAR personnel use this frequency to triangulate your location when arriving close to the scene The system reports recently acquired GPS coordinates The beacon provides confirmation when the emergency RLS message has been sent The beacon provides confirmation once the emergency RLS message has been received by...

Page 16: ...u have to activate your beacon to be rescued however should you activate your beacon in an emergency that requires Search and Rescue SAR assistance please contact ACR Electronics Inc in the days that follow It is important for us to learn the nature of your emergency and how the beacon performed so that we can continue to build the world s best lifesaving equipment Real life activations and how pe...

Page 17: ...lash in the self test sequence The self test light sequence is as follows A blue LED will flash to show the start of the Self Test For a successfully passed self test the blue LED flash will be followed by 3 green LED flashes and a strobe flash The PLB 435 will show this light sequence and will also flash a message on the screen saying Self Test Pass at the end of the self test Any red LED flash o...

Page 18: ...e Page appears The system checks the duration of battery usage If more than two hours of battery life have been used this Self Test Fail message is displayed The system provides a low battery warning indicating that the beacon is due for a battery replacement The battery can be replaced by ACR or an ACR Authorized Battery Replacement Center visit www acrartex com and select the Dealer Locator opti...

Page 19: ... obtained a long green LED flash and a strobe flash will occur indicating a successful GPS self test As long as the beacon is unable to acquire GPS coordinates the beacon will continue flashing the red LED for no longer than 110 seconds and then terminate GPS self test indicating a failed GPS self test In case of a failed GPS self test repeat GPS self test and if failure persists return the beacon...

Page 20: ...ntenna The system acquires your GPS coordinates and displays them The system confirms that it has passed the test The system will report the remaining number of GPS GNSS Tests available Digital Display Feedback During a Failed GPS GNSS Test Beacon GPS GNSS Test has been initiated and the ACR Electronics Welcome Page appears The system reports that it is in the process of acquiring GPS While acquir...

Page 21: ...does not result from a situation of grave and imminent danger Be sure to do the following to help minimize false alerts Register your Beacon This does not reduce false alerts however when the beacon is properly registered the situation can usually be resolved with a phone call Keep Track of your Beacon When not in your possession be careful with whom you leave your beacon Make sure they know how t...

Page 22: ...New Zealand RCCNZ Reporting Should there be a false alert for any reason it must be reported to the nearest search and rescue authorities The information that should be reported includes The PLB s 15 digit Unique Identifier Number UIN Also identified as the 15 digit Hex ID Time and date Duration and cause of activation Location of beacon at the time of activation Beacon Maintenance Routine Mainten...

Page 23: ...about the batteries contained in this equipment to make sure they properly label your package Call ACR s Technical Service department at 1 954 862 2110 for proper shipping instructions or visit the ACR website for an MSDS Always pack your PLB in a stout cardboard carton ACR advises that you keep the original packaging in case of return for service For surface transport the PLB may be shipped excep...

Page 24: ...o you If someone attempts to register a PLB reported as stolen your national authority will notify the appropriate police department Product Specifications General Environmental Product Number 2931 Model Number PLB 410 Beacon model hardware part number A3 06 3138 3 Size 4 52 L x 2 03 W x 1 49 D Weight 5 2 oz 148 g Buoyancy Category 1 Buoyant The PLB 410 is a buoyant PLB but will not work submerged...

Page 25: ... 33 ft 10m 10 min Factory tested 70 F exceeds RTCM waterproof requirements Approvals Pending Cospas Sarsat FCC RED R TTE Canada AMSA PLB 410 435 meets the requirements of Federal Communications Commission FCC Part 95 Subpart K For all other types of approval information please visit www acrartex com Limited Warranty 5 years Lead Free Yes Battery Batteries meet the UN Classification for non dangero...

Page 26: ...ndard Location and National Location Duration 520 ms Rate 400 bps Encoding Biphase L Modulation 1 1 radians peak 121 5 MHz Transmitter Frequency 121 5 MHz Tolerance 50 ppm Output Power 25mW PEP typical 79mW 17 dBm Morse Code P ID Approximately every 50 seconds U S protocol Temperature Range Operating 4 F 20 C to 131 F 55 C Storage 22 F 30 C to 158 F 70 C Modulation Type AM 3K20A3X Sweep Range 500 ...

Page 27: ...rom date of purchase or receipt as a gift During the warranty period ACR Electronics Inc will repair or at its option replace the unit at no cost to you for labor materials and return transportation from ACR For further assistance please email our Technical Service Department at service acrartex com or telephone at 1 954 862 2110 This warranty does not apply if the product has been damaged by acci...

Page 28: ...s the Power on off button on the face of the PLB Users can keep the skins on the face of their beacon and on the antenna arm Power button cover for as long as they like If at any time the user wishes to remove the skins simply peel the skins off of the PLB the adhesive used to adhere the skins to the PLB does not leave any residue so users can choose to not apply another skin and simply use the be...

Page 29: ...essory Clips Indented areas on each side of the back case of the PLB shown below provide different attachment options Users can utilize either the Belt Clip or the Oral Inflation Clip both come included with the beacon to provide different wearability options ...

Page 30: ...njunction with the black mounting strap as shown The purpose of the mounting strap is to prevent the Oral Inflation Clip from detaching from the Oral Inflation Tube of the lifejacket Additionally the belt clip can be used in conjunction with the provided velcro strap more detail provided later in this section Belt Clip Oral Inflation Clip with Mounting Strap Attached Attaching Belt Clip to Beacon ...

Page 31: ...acket Oral Inflation Tube Using Oral Inflation Clip After attaching the Oral Inflation Clip with mounting strap attached to the clip as shown above steps 1 4 below show how the clip is attached to the lifejacket s Oral Inflation Tube Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 ...

Page 32: ...m the clip The lanyard should be utilized in this same manner when using the Belt Clip Belt Clip In addition to enabling the user to attach the PLB to a belt the Belt Clip can also be used in conjunction with the provided velcro strap for a variety of different usage applications eg attachment to backpack straps etc In order to utilize the velcro strap thread it through the holes in the Belt Clip ...

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