BEACONS
Common questions about registering beacons
It seems like a perfect day for flying in isolated northern Ontario,
the weather is cooperating and so far everything has been going as per
the flight plan. But suddenly something goes wrong. You've lost engine
power and nothing you do will fix the problem. The closest landing strip
is too far away, so you try to land in the next open area. All this happens
in a matter of seconds as you battle for control of the plane. 
The plane crashes and the impact has knocked you unconscious. Although
you've filed a flight plan, you won't be considered overdue for another
few hours. Your saving grace? The emergency locator transmitter (ELT)
in your airplane began to transmit its emergency signal upon impact. The
beacon signal will be picked up by orbiting satellites part of the COSPAS-SARSAT
system that will relay your coordinates to rescue authorities.
Since its inception in 1982, the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system formed
by Canada, France, the United States and the former USSR, has helped save
over 15,000 lives world wide.
by Chantal Pétrin
The National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS) manages the national
beacon registry and receives many inquiries about beacon registration.
Here are some answers to common questions.
Question: How do I know if my beacon is
Canadian coded?
Answer: All beacons have a 15 digit hexadecimal
code; Canadian beacons will start with the following 3 digits: A78, A79,
278 or 279.
Question: I have a U.S. coded beacon but
I am a Canadian-flagged vessel and would like to register it with Canada.
What do I do?
Answer: Canada does not register beacons
that are not Canadian coded. We recommend you have it recoded.
Question: I have just purchased a beacon
from a manufacturer. Doesn't that mean it is already registered?
Answer: No. Think of a beacon as a car. When
you purchase a car, you still must register it in the new owner's name.
A beacon follows the same principle.
Question: I have just purchased a beacon
from a previous owner that had registered it with the NSS. Why do I have
to re-register it?
Answer: When a used car is sold, the new
owner must re-register it under his or her own name therefore, it is still
a new registration. We will, however, require the following information:
a signed letter from the previous owner giving us permission to delete
the beacon information from the file. Also, the pertinent information,
such as emergency contact, will change from one owner to the next.
Question: I have just purchased my first
beacon. Why won't your database allow me to register it?
Answer: In our database you see one or two
red asterisks beside each mandatory field in each tab (owner, beacon,
vessel, and emergency contact information). The system will not allow
you to go any further if you have not filled in these fields. You do not
have to fill out the company name field under the owner information and
emergency contact tabs. Once you have entered all tabs and fields, you
must click on Finish to receive your User ID and Password. If you are
still experiencing difficulties, we suggest the following options: call
us at 1-800-727-9414 for assistance, or submit a registration form to
the NSS by fax at (613) 996-3746.
After we create your file, you will receive a registration confirmation
form that must be reviewed, signed and sent back as our confirmation.
If you need to make changes to the registration information, go online
and use the ID and Password provided to make the necessary changes. The
system will automatically generate an e-mail to us with all the modifications
or information you have added.
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| Chantal
Pétrin is the National Search and Rescue Secretariat's Beacon
Registrar. |
Question: I am a Canadian citizen and I
will be visiting the United States. Do I have to register my beacon with
the American Beacon Registry?
Answer: No. If you have registered your beacon
with the NSS Beacon Registry, you have already taken measures to ensure
your safety no matter where you go throughout the world. Should your beacon
be activated during an emergency while in the U.S., or anywhere else in
the world, your beacon signal will be picked up via satellite by rescue
units. It will also inform them with which country it is registered, who
is in distress and who to contact. This applies to all 406 MHz beacons
- emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs), personal locator
beacons (PLBs) and emergency locator transmitters (ELTs).
Please note: Most people forget to provide emergency contacts
when registering their beacon, so there is no one to call during an emergency.
Please remember to provide this information, because it could mean the
difference between life and death.
For more information, call 1-800-727-9414, or log onto
http://beacons.nss.gc.ca/Logon.asp?lang=e
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