Monthly Archive: August 2017

Testing AIS MOB beacons, ACR’s DSC feature especially 29

Testing AIS MOB beacons, ACR’s DSC feature especially

testing_four_AIS_MOB_beacons_cPanbo.jpgGiven my accidental activation of an AIS MOB beacon a few weeks ago, it seemed like a good time to test beacons again. I hoped to at least see all the major brand multifunction displays properly react to an AIS MOB test transmission, putting up the distinct safety message that I should have seen during “the incident” and that every owner of an AIS MOB should be familiar with. Potential beacon users should also understand the specific activation, test, and deactivation controls on their device, plus I have two newer beacons with special features worth examining in detail…

Lessons learned by causing a false AIS MOB alert 37

Lessons learned by causing a false AIS MOB alert

mission_acomplished_by_USCG_Rockland___cPanbo.jpg

The grins tell the story: Mission accomplished! Due to an obscure but noteworthy electrical glitch, plus oodles of embarrassingly distracted seamanship on my part, a sizable U.S. Coast Guard team spent part of a beautiful Saturday looking for an AIS man overboard alert that seemed to be associated with my boat Gizmo. Fireman Joey Jansen-Hedrick and Petty Officer 1st Class T.J. Iaci (above) were the boarding party that had to deal with an owner/operator (me) who was pretty sure they didn’t know what they were talking about. But they were politely persistent, and they were right…