1987 No. 266*1* STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983
*1* Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 12 November 1987. 1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - PART 1
STANDARD FOR EMERGENCY POSITION INDICATING RADIO BEACONS
PART 1-PRELIMINARY
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 1
Citation
1. This standard may be cited as "Ministerial Standard 241".
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 2
Commencement
2. This standard shall come into operation on the 1st December 1987.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 3
Interpretation
3. In this standard, unless the contrary intention appears-
"emergency position indicating radio beacon" (hereinafter referred to as
"EPIRB") means a device which incorporates a radiocommunications transmitter
whose emissions are intended to provide homing information to facilitate
search and rescue operations and is designed or intended for use in the
maritime mobile service;
'dBuV/m' means decibel relative to one microvolt per metre;
'device' means a device to which this standard applies;
'Hz' means Hertz;
'kHz' means kilohertz;
'MHz' means Megahertz;
'MS' means Ministerial Standard;
'radiation' means the outward flow of energy from any source by means of
radio transmission;
'radiocommunications transmitter' has the same meaning as in section 3 of
the Radiocommunications Act 1983; and
'spurious radiation' means radiation from a device on any frequency other
than 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz and which is independent of the modulation process.
'standard device' means a device which complies with this standard;
'degrees C' means degrees Celsius.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 4
Devices to which this standard applies
4. This standard applies to all EPIRBs designed or intended for use on the
carrier frequencies 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz in the maritime mobile service.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - PART 2
PART 2-GENERAL
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 5
Equipment markings
5. (1) Subject to sub-clause 5 (4), there shall be displayed on a device-
(a) a compliance statement in the form set out in item 1 of the schedule-
(i) indicating that the device complies with this standard; and
(ii) citing the type approval number shown on the compliance statement
certificate issued in respect of the device under section 12 of the
Radiocommunications Act 1983;
(b) the name of its manufacturer;
(c) the name of the country of its manufacture;
(d) its type or model designation which shall be distinctively different
from that of imported equipment requiring modification before it complies with
this standard;
(e) its equipment serial number; and
(f) simple operating instructions including the warning: "Not to be
operated except in an emergency-improper use carries a severe penalty".
(2) A statement or marking displayed on an EPIRB in accordance with
sub-clauses 5 (1), 16 (6) or 18 (3) shall be clearly visible on the exterior
surface of the EPIRB, indelible, durable, tamper proof and affixed in such a
manner as not to be removable except by destruction or defacing.
(3) The requirement of paragraph 5 (1) (a) does not apply to a device unless
the importer, manufacturer or supplier of the device, as the case may be, has
been issued with a compliance statement certificate in respect of the device.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 6
Adjustment mechanisms
6. (1) For the purpose of this clause an 'adjustment mechanism' is a
mechanism which enables the operation of a standard device to be altered so
that the device no longer complies with this standard.
(2) An adjustment mechanism shall be contained within the housing of a
device and shall be accessible only with the use of tools such as screwdrivers
and spanners.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 7
Conditions of operation
7. The requirements of clauses 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 shall be met by a
device when it operates:
(a) at an ambient temperature of between 0 degrees C and 55 degrees C
inclusive; and
(b) continuously for a minimum period of 48 hours.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 8
Antenna
8. (1) Subject to sub-clause (3), a device shall not incorporate an antenna
other than a single element monopole whip antenna of a length not exceeding
0.615 metres and arranged so that, when the device is floating in water, the
radiation is:
(a) vertically polarised;
(b) omnidirectional in the horizontal plane; and
(c) predominant at low angles of elevation.
(2) Subject to sub-clause (3), a device shall not incorporate, or make
provision for the connection or use of, any antenna other than one which is an
integral and permanent part of that device.
(3) A device may incorporate provision for the connection of an external
antenna or other facility intended solely for measurement purposes provided
that the connection is accessible only with the use of tools such as
screwdrivers and spanners.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - PART 3
PART 3-TRANSMITTER
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 9
Application
9. In this Part "transmitter" means a radiocommunications transmitter of a
device.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 10
Nominal carrier frequency
10. Subject to clause 11, a transmitter shall only be capable of operating,
either simultaneously or sequentially, on the carrier frequencies 121.5 MHz
and 243 MHz.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 11
Frequency error
11. The carrier frequency error of a transmitter shall not exceed +-3 kHz at
121.5 MHz or +-6 kHz at 243 MHz.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 12
Carrier frequency field strength
12. The peak carrier frequency field strength of a transmitter shall not be
less than 105 dBuV/m on either frequency when measured in the vertical plane
at a distance of 10 metres from the antenna at a height of 1.75 metres above
the level of water in which the device is floating.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 13
Type of emission
13. The carrier frequency emission from a transmitter shall be either-
(1) a double sideband, full carrier signal, amplitude modulated to a depth
of not less than 85%; or
(2) a pulse width (or duration) modulated carrier having an ideal pulse
ON/OFF ratio of 1:1 with a minimum pulse ON/OFF ratio of 1:2 and a maximum
pulse ON/OFF ratio of 2:1 with the carrier frequency field strength of the
transmitter during the OFF period being less than 15 percent of its peak value
during the ON period.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 14
Modulation characteristic
14. (1)-(a) Modulation of a transmitter shall consist of an audio frequency
tone swept downwards linearly through at least 700 Hz within the range 1600 Hz
to 300 Hz with a repetition rate of between 2 Hz and 3 Hz; and
(b) the delay between consecutive sweeps shall not exceed one-tenth of the
down-sweep time.
(2) A transmission from a transmitter shall be interrupted after each third
modulation sweep for a period equal to 3 full modulation sweeps.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 15
Spurious radiation
15. The field strength of each spurious radiation from a transmitter shall
not exceed 75 dBuV/m when measured at a distance of 10 metres from the
antenna.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 16
Operation
16. (1) Except for test purposes, a transmitter shall be capable of
activation only by two simple, mechanical actions neither of which on its own
shall activate the transmitter.
(2) Following activation in accordance with sub-clause 16 (1), a transmitter
shall continue to operate automatically.
(3) The mechanical actions referred to in sub-clause 16 (1) shall be such as
to preclude accidental operation of the transmitter.
(4) The operation of a transmitter, whether initiated in accordance with
sub-clause 16 (1) or (18) (5), shall be clearly indicated by a visual warning
on the device.
(5) A transmitter shall incorporate a simple means of terminating the
operation of the transmitter, whose operation thereafter may only be initiated
in accordance with sub-clause 16 (1) or 18 (5).
(6) A device shall be clearly labeled to indicate the actions necessary to
initiate and terminate operation of the transmitter.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 17
Protective design
17. A transmitter shall be so designed and constructed as to be effectively
protected from damage due to:-
(a) short circuit of the antenna when transmitting at maximum power; and
(b) reversal of the power supply voltages.
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - REG 18
Test Facility
18. (1) A test facility incorporated in a device shall be capable of
operation only by mechanical actions, switches or connections that are totally
and distinctly separate from the normal operation of the transmitter.
(2) When a test facility incorporated in a device is operating, a visual
warning on the device shall clearly indicate that the test facility is
operating.
(3) A device incorporating a test facility shall be clearly labeled to
indicate the actions necessary to initiate and terminate operation of the test
facility.
(4) The actions, switches and connections referred to in sub-clause 18 (1)
shall be designed so as to preclude accidental operation of the test facility
and shall be non-locking.
(5) Where the operation of a test facility incorporated in a device also
initiates operation of the transmitter, the device shall not radiate a signal
whose field strength exceeds 20dBuV/m at a distance of 10 metres from the
device.
(6) When the operation of a test facility incorporated in a device is
terminated, any operation of the transmitter shall also thereupon be
terminated until the operation of the transmitter is initiated in accordance
with sub-clause 16 (1) or 18 (5).
1987 No. 266 STANDARD UNDER THE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1983 - SCHEDULE
SCH
SCHEDULE
Item 1 THE FORM OF A COMPLIANCE STATEMENT Clause
5
"COMPLIES WITH MS241
TYPE APPROVAL NO......."
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