Do I need an EPIRB or PLB? Every boat should have some kind of 406 MHz distress beacon. If you have a small boat like a kayak, SUP, canoe, bass boat or even a pontoon boat, consider a Personal Locator Beacon. If you are going offshore, an EPIRB is the right beacon. What is the difference between SART and EPIRB? 67 Search and Rescue Transponders (SART) How do they work? A SART has a receiver which scans for UHF signals between 9.2 and 9.5 GHz - the frequencies on which an X-band radar transmits its signal. As soon as the SART detects a signal it immediately transmits its own signal on the same frequency. 1.3 How does the system work? The picture below shows the operating fundamentals of EPIRBs - COSPAS / SARSAT system. 1 In an emergency situation, the EPIRB is activated in manually or automatically mode. 2 The EPIRB transmits an "emergency code" and activates the strobe light indicating that is in operation. 3 What does a SART look like on radar? A SART has a receiver that detects the signals from X-band radars (9.2 - 9.5 GHz). If the SART detects a signal it immediately transmits twelve pulses on the same frequency. AN EPIRB is a SECONDARY means of DISTRESS alerting which is to say that it comes later in the hierarchy of alerting SAR authorities in case of distress. It is mandatory to carry one EPIRB on every ship and two EPIRBS for all Registered ships (and other types of vessels). The SART may provide a visual or audible indication of interrogation by a 3-cm radar. The Satellite EPIRB will change its strobe light pattern to indicate radar interrogation. The SART informs survivors when the SART switches to the "standby" mode. The AIS SART will alarm to indicate that SAR craft with radars are getting close. .

how does epirb and sart work