Safety and survival specialist ACR Electronics has launched its upgraded 406Link online beacon testing and messaging service, offering more 406 MHz beacon owners access to its patented satellite technology.

Now available as a single premium service, the unique subscription option enables members in North and South America to receive satellite self-test confirmation of their 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) by sending a custom 406Link message to up to five mobile and email contacts within just a few seconds.

ACR’s 406Link, the first and only advanced online satellite testing system used to receive self-test notifications from an EPIRB or PLB, is designed to enhance the beacon’s functionality and provide reassurance that the device will work properly in an emergency. Anyone who has subscribed can test their beacon with the same satellite system used in search and rescues, send customized confirmation messages via email and SMS to up to five contacts, receive GPS location verification for beacons allowing GPS self-tests, and track the number of self-test and GPS tests performed throughout the beacon’s lifetime.

Mikele D’Arcangelo, Vice President of Global Marketing & Product Management, said: “406Link is a unique technology that can offer every beacon owner and their loved ones greater peace of mind by enabling them to self-test and verify their location before they head to sea or on an outdoor adventure. We are therefore very pleased to announce the upgraded service which now allows a custom message to five contacts available at one subscription level for all members. Beacon owners should remember that no subscriptions are required to notify Search and Rescue forces around the world of your emergency distress message. The authorities will respond when you press the activation button in an emergency, even if your 406Link subscription lapses. However, for many people who want mobile alerts at their fingertips, 406Link is an affordable service adding valuable functionality.”

406Link works by sending an encoded test signal to the Cospas-Sarsat network of search and rescue satellites, which is received and then picked up by ACR ground stations. In less than a minute, ACR’s patented software processes the self-test data and sends a confirmation message to the beacon owner and their specified contacts via email and SMS text message. When performing a GPS self-test, the GPS coordinates are plotted on a map, with the 406Link email or SMS text message clearly showing the location to within 110 yards.

ACR’s 406Link service is available for a subscription of $49.99 per year. Beacons owners can sign up on this link https://www.acrartex.com/survival-products/406link.