Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)
A PLB is registered to a person, not a vessel, transmits on the same 406 MHz distress frequency as an EPIRB, and is meant to be carried on the body so a single crew member in the water can be found even if the ship itself is not in distress.
What to check on a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).
4 models from GME in Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). Below: the full model list.
What sets a PLB apart from an EPIRB
An EPIRB is registered to a specific vessel, sized to float free or be manually launched, and built around the assumption that the ship itself is the casualty. A PLB is registered to an individual, small enough to clip onto a lifejacket or work harness, and built around the assumption that one person, not the ship, is the emergency — someone gone overboard, separated from a lifeboat, or stranded ashore during a shore excursion. Both transmit on the 406 MHz distress frequency picked up by the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system and both usually carry an integrated GPS receiver for position accuracy, but a PLB's smaller battery gives it a shorter guaranteed transmission time than a vessel EPIRB.
Legend
- 406 MHz antenna
- strobe light
- GPS module (position fix)
- 406 MHz transmitter and battery
- manual activation switch
- lanyard attachment
Main components
406 MHz transmitter
Sends a digitally coded distress burst containing the beacon's unique identity and, once GPS has a fix, an encoded position, picked up by satellites and relayed to a rescue coordination centre.
Integrated GPS receiver
Acquires position independently of any ship system, which matters because a PLB is meant to work when its owner is no longer near the vessel's own navigation equipment.
Read the full guide
121.5 MHz homing signal
A secondary low-power beacon that search aircraft and vessels can direction-find once they are in the general area, used for final close-range homing rather than initial alerting.
Battery and activation switch
A sealed, non-rechargeable battery with a shelf life set by the manufacturer, activated manually rather than by float-free mechanism the way many EPIRBs are, since a PLB is meant to be triggered deliberately by the person wearing it.
Selection and use
Because a PLB is a personal, not statutory ship's safety equipment item on most vessels, selection usually comes down to who carries one and where: crew regularly working on deck or over the side, personnel on small work boats, and anyone doing shore-based work away from the vessel are the typical candidates. Battery replacement interval and waterproof rating deserve more attention than transmission range, since the device spends most of its life clipped to a jacket in salt spray rather than in a locker.
Regulations
PLBs operate on the same Cospas-Sarsat 406 MHz system as vessel EPIRBs and are subject to national registration requirements in the country of issue, but they are not covered by SOLAS Chapter IV distress equipment carriage requirements the way a vessel EPIRB is; a PLB is typically a company or vessel policy addition rather than a statutory fit. Registration details need updating whenever the device changes hands or the vessel or crew list changes, since an outdated registration slows down rescue coordination rather than speeding it up.
Typical faults
- Expired or dead battery — the most common failure, since PLB batteries have a fixed shelf life regardless of how often the unit is actually activated.
- Outdated registration — gives rescue coordination centres wrong vessel, contact or medical information at the moment it matters most.
- Damaged antenna or housing seal — from being clipped and unclipped repeatedly on deck, degrading transmission or letting in water.
- Accidental activation — from a worn or damaged activation switch, generating false distress alerts that erode confidence in the system.
What to look for in a supplier
- Confirmed Cospas-Sarsat type approval and current-generation coding, not an older format being phased out.
- Stated battery life and replacement interval, with the replacement battery genuinely available when needed.
- Waterproof and impact rating suited to being worn on deck, not just carried in a locker.
- Clear registration instructions and support for keeping the registration current as crew or vessel details change.
Register the PLB the day it comes aboard, not the day before an audit — an unregistered beacon still calls for help, it just tells the rescue centre nothing about who needs it.
Models in this type.
The best-documented model of each manufacturer first, then the next — 4 of 4 models in Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). Every row links to full specifications, documents and service notes.
Manufacturers.
All 19 manufacturers with models of Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). Names with a manufacturer page open it; the others open a search across the full library.
All manufacturers in the libraryAlso in EPIRB / SART.
The other equipment types in this category.
Write to us about this model — the answer comes by e-mail.
Name the make and the model and what the job is: a spare, a service call, a second opinion on a data sheet. We answer by e-mail.
No details at hand? A photo of the rating plate or the part is enough — simply attach it to the request.
Questions that come up with this equipment.
Is Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) data free?
Yes. Every model page, every guide and every datasheet for this type is readable without an account. An account adds saved searches and requests, nothing is taken away.
My model is missing — what now?
Send us the nameplate. We identify it by hand, add it to the library, and if you need a part or a service, the request is already on our desk.
Can you source a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) part?
Yes. Tell us the manufacturer, the model and what you need — a person reads every request and replies by e-mail.