Epirb

[Fishmatics]

Hi Fishos

Please be aware of the following.........

If you buy an EPIRB that is manufactured in NZ you will need to get it re-coded to be able to register the EPIRB with AMSA.

I bought a NZ manufactured EPIRB from a local boat shop and tried to register it online with AMSA. The HEX code was not accpeted so I faxed the registration form to AMSA. After hearing nothing for 3 months I have just phoned them to find out if my EPIRB is not registered! I have been informed that because the country code on the hex code belongs to NZ I have to get the EPIRB recoded!

The things that piss me off are the following:

Why are NZ EPRIBS allowed to sold here if you cannot register the beacon with AMSA or at least supply the EPIRB with the correct hex code?
Why did the retailer not inform me what I needed to do?
Why did AMSA not contact me immeadiatley with the required "to do information".

I have been going off-shore for months under the assumpotion that i was legal and if there was any problem I would be ok.

Now I have to go through all of this hassle of recoding etc.......

If you purchase an EPIRB make sure it has the Autsralian Country Code as part of the hex code

Regards
Andrew

[cormorant]

Not sure you can recode many brands

Amsa can register EPIRBS from other areas was what I was told. Edit

Can distress beacons be used overseas or can beacons registered in a foreign country be used in Australia?

Cospas-Sarsat is a global system and distress beacon alerts are received by the satellites from anywhere on the Earth's surface. If an Australian-coded distress beacon is activated overseas an alert will be sent to the Rescue Coordination Centre responsible for the region in which the distress incident is occurring. A second notification is then sent to RCC-Australia as the registrar for the beacon.
Likewise, alerts from beacons registered in other countries that are activated in the Australian region will be received by RCC-Australia. Australian residents who buy a distress beacon registered elsewhere should have the beacon recoded with the Australian country code by a local agent and have it registered with AMSA.





I though NZ was the same as ours but would have to check that.? edit Aus and NZ do have different country codes

Interesting to find out what happens with this one


Sell it back to a kiwi if it can't be cheaply recoded. The expensive McMurdo ones were the only ones I knew that could be infared updated externally all teh other I though needed to be opened to upgrade teh firmware ( change board in some) so it won't be a cheap task I wouldn't have thought

[SatNav]

1. If it was sold/purchased in Australia (and to be registered in Australia) then it must meet Australian standards and/or meet the Trans-Tasman harmonised standards between Australia and NZ UNLESS the seller advised otherwise.

2. If AMSA refuses to register this Epirb then it does not meet the required standards

3. If it does not meet these standards AND the seller did not advise of this then it will be the sellers responsibility to rectify this situation

4. It is assumed here you are also a permanent Australian citizen?

[sleepygreg]

definitely a Department of Fair trading issue......goods must be 'fit for purpose'....ie : if you are buying an EPIRB in Australia, for use in Australia, then it MUST be able to be used for that purpose....and that includes being able to register it accordingly.......the responsibility for this is on the SELLER.....unless as stated by others...you were notified prior to purchase otherwise.

Greg

[Fishmatics]

The retailer and distributor have agreed that this one slipped through the system and will be sent to Brisbane to be recoded. What a pain in the butt!

[cormorant]

Still totally crap administration from AMSA. When it concerns peoples lives and how quick they get rescued it would be nice to know they can actually administer it responsibily. Wonder how many others are sitting in the same pile? or other unresolved piles.

[Fishmatics]

Agreed Comerant, AMSA had all me details from my fax and have stated that they left a message for me after I sent the fax, which is absolute crap - if I had received any message from AMSA I would have acted immediately. As an aside they also had the reseller details.

The manufacturer has been very supportive in fixing the situation. I'm sure to avoid any ISO audit.

Any way I'm all registerd and ready to go if only the wind would die down!