General Discussion

IDemo

(16,926 posts)

81. The solution to this entire fiasco

Mon Apr 7, 2014, 11:32 AM

Apr 2014

Would be to require all commercial aircraft to carry an EPIRB which would be mounted near the tail assembly and float free in a crash at sea. Additional smarts could be used to advise the unit that a put-down on water was at hand and to eject the device just prior to impact.

An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon or EPIRB is used to alert search and rescue services in the event of an emergency.It does this by transmitting a coded message on the 406 MHz distress frequency via satellite and earth stations to the nearest rescue co-ordination centre.

Some EPIRBs also have built-in GPS which enables the rescue services to accurately locate you to +/- 50 metres.

Who uses EPIRBs?
EPIRBs are generally installed on boats and can either be operated automatically after an incident or manually. In most countries they are mandated to be used in all commercial shipping. However, they are also used on yachts and leisure boats.

http://www.epirb.com/

How does an EPIRB work?

406 MHz EPIRBs work with the Cospas-Sarsat polar orbiting satellite system, giving true global coverage. There is an alert delay of about 45 minutes dependant on when the satellites come into view on the horizon.

The satellite can determine the position of your EPIRB to within 5km (3 miles). The coded message identifies the exact vessel to which the EPIRB is registered. This information allows the rescue services to eliminate false alerts and launch an appropriate rescue.

GPS-enabled EPIRBs have a built-in transmitter which will typically alert the rescue services within 3 minutes and to a positional accuracy of +/- 50 metres (updated every 20 minutes) given a clear view skywards.

Some EPIRBs also have a secondary distress transmitter. This transmits on 121.5 MHz and is used for "homing" purposes. When the rescue services get close, this allows them to direction find on the signal. Some EPIRBs also have a high brightness LED flashing light that aids final visual location.

http://www.epirb.com/how_does_an_EPIRB_work.php

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How much has been spent, so far, searching for Flight MH370? [View all] MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 OP

I just wonder who will pay for it? femmocrat Apr 2014 #1

No single country pays for it all. Lurks Often Apr 2014 #22

How much is spent going into space? Blue_Tires Apr 2014 #2

I think worrying about how much money has been spent is heartless DrDan Apr 2014 #3

+1 darkangel218 Apr 2014 #4

yep - agree DrDan Apr 2014 #5

Money should never be an object ..... oldhippie Apr 2014 #15

What if it cost $1 trillion? MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #18

well - that is extreme - and counter-productive in terms of potential results DrDan Apr 2014 #20

+100 840high Apr 2014 #33

The marginal cost is less than you might think Ex Lurker Apr 2014 #57

+1 onenote Apr 2014 #89

+1 treestar Apr 2014 #60

You're not interested in finding the wreckage so they can try to figure out what went wrong? Nye Bevan Apr 2014 #6

^^this^^ csziggy Apr 2014 #11

I am! But at what price? MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #13

When hundreds of people disappear with no explanation you search until you find one. joshcryer Apr 2014 #23

Post removed Post removed Apr 2014 #96

Would you feel that way if your loved one went missing? zappaman Apr 2014 #7

he'd blame obama first, post bad satire second, *then* demand an exhaustive search of the ocean. dionysus Apr 2014 #52

Nothing else screams "I got nothing" MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #59

+1 treestar Apr 2014 #72

$3.99 GeorgeGist Apr 2014 #8

How much is spent on one rescue at sea for a small boat in trouble oneofthe99 Apr 2014 #9

For the MH-60 Jayhawk Separation Apr 2014 #54

Probably not enough for the families of the lives lost. Raine1967 Apr 2014 #10

I don't know. idendoit Apr 2014 #12

It too bad Dick Cheney isn't a DUer... zappaman Apr 2014 #14

I feel it is important to know what happened to that plane Skittles Apr 2014 #16

This is also a training exercise nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #17

Good point. MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #42

They are also developing two other things Ms. Toad Apr 2014 #73

Are you SERIOUS?? This country spends upwards of $1trillion a year on the MIC, madinmaryland Apr 2014 #19

Hundreds of millions. MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #43

And you accept that number without any idea how it was calculated? onenote Apr 2014 #91

Well, I assume that they're being truthful MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #92

Not so much a question of truthfulness as methodology onenote Apr 2014 #94

It's important to know what happened. joshcryer Apr 2014 #21

Manny My Man... I Understand What You're Saying... But... WillyT Apr 2014 #24

HMS Tireless, a Trafalgar class British Sub nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #27

Thank You For That !!! WillyT Apr 2014 #28

I am not exactly where I heard it, but the LA Times has it nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #29

Yeah... A Buddy Of Mine Had An Encounter With A U.S. Nuclear Sub That Wasn't Supposed To Be There... WillyT Apr 2014 #31

Except that if you have a US sub playing on this one nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #32

nobody is being harmed because of this search , we spend money on all types of shit JI7 Apr 2014 #25

Don't worry, manny! CFLDem Apr 2014 #26

No rec for you! nt longship Apr 2014 #30

Your edit didn't help. zappaman Apr 2014 #34

So you believe we should spend infinity to possibly save one life. MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #36

You're not as clever as you think. zappaman Apr 2014 #38

I'm not clever - just correct in this instance MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #39

BINGO! HangOnKids Apr 2014 #49

This encompasses many areas: air safety, potential terorrism, geopolitics etc. CJCRANE Apr 2014 #65

I don't *think* you're saying we should spend infinity MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #67

No one can or would spend an infinite amount of money. That possibility doesn't exist. CJCRANE Apr 2014 #69

It demonstrates that we both agree, in principle MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #70

When do you stop digging for gold? CJCRANE Apr 2014 #71

iT is entirely up to the people Niceguy1 Apr 2014 #35

The sailors and airmen get paid no matter what Recursion Apr 2014 #37

You and Nadin (upthread) have good points. MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #41

The answer customerserviceguy Apr 2014 #40

In a civilized society dollars are a piece of paper. You keep going so long as others are willing The Straight Story Apr 2014 #44

+1 darkangel218 Apr 2014 #45

It is too prevent future disasters, if they find a flaw! nt Logical Apr 2014 #46

Manny, I'm gonna go ahead and be the first to rec this thread... Cali_Democrat Apr 2014 #47

Mirror HangOnKids Apr 2014 #50

I know your secret Cali_Democrat Apr 2014 #74

No bludgeoning, bro! MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #75

Reagan or Obama? Cali_Democrat Apr 2014 #85

Didn't Obama say that he's basically a 1980's Republican? MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #87

You'd rather overturn the election of Obama than the election of Reagan Cali_Democrat Apr 2014 #88

I'm flattered by your personal vendetta MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #90

now i see why that "new" poster seems to have a grudge against so many JI7 Apr 2014 #98

this is time and money that could be used to trash democrats, god dammit! get your priorities dionysus Apr 2014 #53

So you're in favor of spending *infinite* money MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #58

Should we (the world) spend more than $zero? CJCRANE Apr 2014 #97

Of course. nt MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #101

cost versus return......mmmm Demonaut Apr 2014 #48

well, you've found something new to complain about. maybe you can find a way to blame Obama or the dionysus Apr 2014 #51

Here's a bit of a breakdown so far... Violet_Crumble Apr 2014 #55

most of those costs would have been incurred anyway onenote Apr 2014 #93

As long as Obama doesn't "slash" Social Security to pay for it, I'm OK with it. Hoyt Apr 2014 #56

I have no problem with the amount of money the US is spending on this maddezmom Apr 2014 #61

It's not just the US, it's China, Australia, Singapore, Britain, France etc. etc. CJCRANE Apr 2014 #62

Yeah, Violet Crumble has a link up thread that. Reads down some of the costs maddezmom Apr 2014 #63

No $ amount MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #66

I guess it depends. tazkcmo Apr 2014 #64

Hopefully it doesn't depend. nt MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #68

Exactly. tazkcmo Apr 2014 #86

I saw this yesterday, and didn't comment. MineralMan Apr 2014 #76

I'm not *decrying*. I'm *questioning*. MannyGoldstein Apr 2014 #78

There is no line. MineralMan Apr 2014 #83

As long as that number, whatever it is, is smaller than defense spending, it's not enough... LanternWaste Apr 2014 #77

If you weren't on it, I'm in favor of spending to find it. nt Dreamer Tatum Apr 2014 #79

Multiple nations are chipping in. NCTraveler Apr 2014 #80

It's Mirror-Manny. Kind of like the third Doctor. Interesting but... randome Apr 2014 #82

The solution to this entire fiasco IDemo Apr 2014 #81

But...but...the cost! randome Apr 2014 #84

The corrupt media loves a "Still searching" story, it never ends, just like commercials Corruption Inc Apr 2014 #95

This message was self-deleted by its author Nye Bevan Apr 2014 #99

so you think the reason so many nations are lookiing for it is because of the Media ? JI7 Apr 2014 #100