Here's Something Of Interest!

[AMTCM John Long]

Here's some insight on what should be a tool that will save some lives.

It's called a DF-430. It will pick up the 406 EPRIB signal that the satellite picks up. It's been out there and we are starting to work with it. Below is some particulars from an article.

Specifically, this technology works as follows: the 406 MHz EPIRB emits a low power, 25 milliwatt sweeping-tone signal constantly on 121.5 MHz, but emits a 5 watt burst every 52 seconds on the 406 MHz frequency. The 406 MHz emission is 200 times stronger than the 25 milliwatt sweeping-tone signal and is not degraded by environmental obstacles like the 121.5 MHz emission. If the EPIRB is equipped with an internal or external GPS capability and properly registered (current registration rate is over 85%), not only can the DF-430-F accurately track the course to the 406 MHz signal, but the operator will be able to read a GPS position on a monitor inside the search aircraft. The DF-430-F can quickly and easily lock onto this signal from great distances.

Many of our existing aircraft will be getting this technology installed soon. The CASA already has it. We recently have been fast-tracking this program. The CG-1504 has been using it operationally. We're scheduled to have another aircraft roll out with it in the next 2-3 weeks. It has already been credited with saving some lives. Last week a capsized sailing vessel with 2 POB was located in D7. The DF-430 was able to pick up the EPIRB thru a hole in the hull as it flew by the capsized vessel. On another case, the C130 was at 21,000 ft and over a 100 miles away and locked on the signal of the distressed vessel.

I'm not sure if the surface fleet and boat stations will be getting it, but if it can be fitted, I hope so. It should take alot of the guess-work out of searches for EPIRB-equipped targets.

John

[BMCS Eric Guerette]

We may get this in the surface fleet, about 4 months before the 406 becomes obsolete!

[AMTCM John Long]

We may get this in the surface fleet, about 4 months before the 406 becomes obsolete!

You never know. Lets see if the Rescue 21 program chooses to get involved. If it does, that might re-think the need to use 121.5 if we know there is better technology out there. IMO....it would make sense for most CG SAR platforms to have this capability with the widespread usage of the 406 EPIRB's.:confused: Just one persons opinion......

[PACS Steve Carleton]

John,

I left you a voice mail yesterday about this. Can you send me any other info? With the phase out of the 121.5, I'm looking for something to highlihght the advances in technology.

One of my lines when talking about EPIRBs is "This is a tool that mariners can use to help us help them"

We are close to ARSC and might be able to pop down to see this aboard the CASA.

[AMTCM John Long]

Steve,

Just tried calling, no joy. Tag....your it!

[BMCS Eric Guerette]

I have no doubt that it would be a great asset to the surface fleet. I helped prototype the cutter portion of R-21 and I don't see something like this being included. I had a hard enough time getting all of the marine VHF frequencies included in the radio programming. I'm still not sure if it is the frequencies are there yet.
An even better thing to give the small cutters and boats would be FLIR and night vision. Both have been "coming" for years.

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

I have no doubt that it would be a great asset to the surface fleet. I helped prototype the cutter portion of R-21 and I don't see something like this being included. I had a hard enough time getting all of the marine VHF frequencies included in the radio programming. I'm still not sure if it is the frequencies are there yet.
An even better thing to give the small cutters and boats would be FLIR and night vision. Both have been "coming" for years.

R21 Vessel Vrs 2.0 is coming down the pike. The initial version will hopefully be removed by the end of this summer.

[AMTCM John Long]

If the R-21 towers could integrate the DF-430 system on it, it should increase the location rates. I was told most SAR cases (90%) happen within approx 20 miles of shore. The DF-430 for our aircraft can pick up all freqs from 30MHz to 406.028MHz. If the ships/stations/towers end up getting this they should make sure they can pick-up the same freqs.

[BMC Gene Daigle]

Sounds like a good idea for an ECR to be routed for the standard boats, and also routing a request through ESU's to have the towers equiped with this. Could you send me a link. Very intersted in this since in Fort Lauderdale, the Yachting Capitol of the World, we have so many "Uncorrolated" EPIRB cases that our OPCON sends us out on and uses our precious resource hours that now have ceiling hours, this can cut the unneccesary underway time by as much as 95%.

[AMTCM John Long]

Send LCDR Joe Deer an email or call him at 202-372-2217.

He is the CASA Program Manager but he took this DF-430 issue under his wings and ran with it. He's a great guy and is extrememely passionate about what this new addition this will bring to our SAR efforts. He can share a lot of info with you. He's working with other programs managers to get this piece of equipment out to the field. I think you'll be seeing/reading his name again down the road.

John

[PACS Steve Carleton]

John,

I've been tlking it up with my LT and and Staff, I think one of my guys is interested in this story.

[BMCS Jim Madsen]

I don't know what happened to our Presidential Politics thread, but I think the following proabably fits better here anyway. At least I think it is something of interest:

About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:
"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government."
"A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury."
"From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years."

"During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. from bondage to spiritual faith;
2. from spiritual faith to great courage;
3. from courage to liberty;
4. from liberty to abundance;
5. from abundance to complacency;
6. from complacency to apathy;
7. from apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage"

Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:
Number of States won by:
Gore: 19
Bush: 29
Square miles of land won by:
Gore: 580,000
Bush: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by:
Gore: 127 million
Bush: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:

Gore: 13.2
Bush: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."
Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

[BMCM Stuart S. Slesh]

That is interesting. I hope we stay in that 6 or 7 range while I ride out my retirement checks......

[BMCS Dave Considine]

Wow, good stuff!

[BMCS Jim Madsen]

I have been advised that if you check out "Snopes.com" there is some discrepancies with the statistics. (Bush 30, Gore 20. Murder rate is not that large of difference, but Gore states still win...) They are minor for the most part so the gist of the information or the conclusions drawn are probably correct for the most part. As with anything on the internet, take it for what it is worth and draw your own conclusions.
Remember, as one old and wise Chief once said... "History is everything".