Mobilarm has introduced the revolutionary VPIRB which successfully marries existing marine safety technologies to make the recovery of man overboard victims far quicker and more effective.

Mobilarm’s VPIRB is a fully-automated Marine Survivor Locating Device specifically designed for the marine environment. It is small, light-weight, easy to use, competitively priced safe alternative to a personal EPIRB. Its functionality is intuitive through its in-water automatic activation and sending tracking data to all VHF DSC or VHF radio equipped vessels within range including the distressed mariner’s vessel.

Rather than sending emergency distress signals to an onshore location, the Mobilarm V100 VPIRB sends a signal from the device via VHF DSC Channel 70 and VHF Channel 16 to multiple stations - back to the boat the person has fallen from, to other boats in the area of the man overboard incident and to any land-based rescue stations within listening distance of the signal.

The VPIRB uses existing and standard marine technology, but in a new combination. It combines VHF radio transmission and GPS receiver functionality.

When a VPIRB wearer falls overboard the device detects the person has gone into the water. There is a 20 second delay, to counter false alarms, before the system automatically starts to transmit a Mayday message on VHF DSC.

DSC, or Digital Selective Calling, works in a similar way to a paging system. It uses data signals which automate transmission and reception calls between vessels. DSC allows for the transmission of critical information including the MMSI of the caller, the last recorded position of the caller and the priority of the call. Each call is categorised using the DSC’s standard system of prioritised identifiers of which Man Overboard is one.

The device is programmed with a unique identification number which should be registered in much the same way as a personal EPIRB requires registration with search and rescue authorities.

Mobilarm’s marketing manager Lorraine Hammacott explains the reason for using DSC technology is because it is widely used on commercial vessels. However, for the recreational vessels that don’t have DSC, they most likely carry a VHF radio.

'By including the voice synthesized Mayday message on Channel 16 we are making the message able to be received by just about anybody on the water.'

'The Mobilarm V100 VPIRB is a perfect alternative to the personal 406 EPIRB and 121.5 MHz personal locator beacons. If you carry a personal EPIRB, you can easily carry a VPIRB instead. The only time you would choose a personal EPIRB over the VPIRB if you were sailing or power-boating single-handed. Although it does transmit to other boats in the vicinity as well, if there is nobody on your boat to hear your distress signal then obviously sending a signal to an onshore location is preferable because at least you know search and rescue have heard you.'

The VPIRB can send a signal to any VHF receiver in range including onshore stations. 'With more manufacturers producing more cost effective VHF DSC radios for the recreational market, more and more search and rescue authorities on land also have VHF DSC radios.'

The VPIRB signal can be received on land, but that is not its primary objective. The Mobilarm V100 transmits the distress signal to the people who are closest to the man overboard emergency and in the best position to actually effect the rescue, within seconds of the person falling overboard.

The VPIRB has a GPS receiver built into it. When the device is activated it searches for a satellite fix, recording the device’s GPS position. Once it gets a fix the device will broadcast the DSC emergency distress call again with the device’s exact GPS coordinates.

'Once activated the device transmits the initial Mayday Man Overboard distress call and the strobe light starts flashing. Then the moment it has GPS coordinates, it will transmit again. This is all happening automatically. The person in the water does not have to do anything,' says Hammacott.

The voice message with the GPS coordinates is transmitted via VHF DSC on Channel 70 and using a synthesized voice system on emergency Channel 16. 'If there is another vessel in the area and they do not have DSC, they will actually get the same distress call over the VHF radio. It will be an automated computerised voice saying ‘Mayday, Mayday, Mayday’ then the device’s unique identification number, call priority, that is man overboard, and then the person’s longitude and latitude coordinates.'