A notice from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary warns boaters to double check your EPIRB registration card if you have recently had the battery changed.
The notice states that, "In recent months Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB’s) registration cards have not been matched to the right beacon after being returned from the manufacturer to their owners after replacing the battery or having factory maintenance repairs made."
"If you recently sent your EPIRB back to the manufacturer for repairs and/or to have the power supply (battery) replaced, we suggest you compare the Identification Hexadecimal Number on the registration form sticker with the number on the unit itself. Please verify that the 15 digit Hexadecimal Numbers match your registration certificate. These numbers must match exactly. If you receive your EPIRB back from the manufacturer and the Hexadecimal numbers do not match, you should immediately file an updated registration form with NOAA."
To register your beacon or to submit an updated registration form go online at: www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov
You can also mail or fax the signed registration form to:
NOAA/SARSAT
NSOF, E/SP3
4231 Suitland Road
Suitland, MD 20746
Fax: 301-817-4565
"New beacons come with a registration form. While pre-owned beacons may not come with a registration form, the form can be downloaded from the website identified above or faxed to you on request by calling: 888-212-7283."
