User's Manual

Page 11
If an aircraft hears an activated beacon, it will immediately make a report
to the Federal Aviation Administration who will pass this information to the
Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC). Detection of the beacon
by aircraft or satellites is highly dependent on the beacon placement and
antenna position. Once activated, the beacon should be placed in a clear
area with as clear a view of the sky as possible, and with the antenna fully
extended and as vertical as possible.
A beacon should not be switched off once activated for a distress
situation until the SAR agency directs this.
PLB Registration
It is ESSENTIAL that you register your PLB with NOAA SARSAT at
Suitland, MD, as described on Page 2.
Registration helps reduce the number of false alarms and hoax calls, and
so makes the rescue service more efficient.
On receipt of a PLB alert, the SAR organization (ie AFRCC) will firstly try
to check that the registered owner of the PLB has not accidentally
activated the beacon. They will then try to confirm the approximate
location before launching a rescue mission. This is another good reason
for ensuring that somebody at your home knows where you are going. For
the same reason, you should not lend your PLB to anybody unless you
know what they are planning to do with it - you (or your named contact)
will be the person contacted if an alert is generated.