The G5 SMARTFIND PLUS has all the advanced features of the standard E5 SMARTFIND with the addition of an internal GPS receiver. The addition of a integral 12 channel GPS receiver to the EPIRB ensures that the exact position of a casualty is relayed to the rescue services. This can in turn improve the speed of recovery by updating the position of the beacon at regular intervals. The GPS EPIRB has been designed to enhance further the lifesaving capabilities of conventional beacons. The standard Global Positioning System (GPS) uses an array of 27 satellites and provides continuous positional information with a typical accuracy of around 30m. A 406MHz EPIRB such as the Smartfind Plus or Fastfind Plus PLB has a built in GPS, when the beacon is activated in an emergency, positional information is incorporated into the distress message which it transmits. This incorporation of positional information overcomes the location problem when using geostationary satellites and can greatly reduce the time it takes for the SAR authorities to arrive on the scene. When speed of response and accuracy of location are important considerations, then the GPS EPIRB offers the best performance.

$755