DA 01-3020

Released: December 28, 2001

WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON McMURDO LIMITED
WAIVER REQUEST FOR TYPE CERTIFICATION OF 121.5 MHz GUARDIAN MANOVERBOARD
PERSONAL EMERGENCY POSITION INDICATING RADIO BEACON (EPIRB)

Comment Date: January 28, 2002 Reply Date: February 12, 2002

On November 2, 2001, McMurdo Limited (McMurdo) filed a request for
waiver of Section 80.1055 of the Commission\'s Rules[^1] to permit the
type certification for its new 121.5 MHz Guardian Manoverboard (MOB)
Personal EPIRB. [^2] Section 80.1055 of the Commission\'s Rules requires
that 121.5 MHz EPIRBs must meet certain technical and performance
standards.

EPIRBs are battery-powered transmitters generally used to send a
distress signal when a ship is in danger. The distress signal is used
both as an alarm to alert others that a ship is in distress and as a
beacon to aid in its location by search and rescue personnel. Because
safety of life is involved and ships travel world-wide, the
Commission\'s Rules specify minimum operational performance standards.
*See* 47 C.F.R. § 80.1055. The technical and performance requirements
that must be met include, but are not limited to, (1) use of A3X
emission on a mandatory basis and A3E and NON emissions on an optional
basis on the frequencies 121.500 MHz and 243.000 MHz; (2) transmission
of A3E or NON emission must not exceed 90 seconds and must be followed
by a transmission of at least three minutes of A3X emission; each
transmission of a synthesized and/or pre-recorded voice message must be
preceded by the words "this is a recording"; (3) effective radiated
power must not be less than 75 milliwatts after 48 hours of continuous
operation and without replacement or recharge of batteries; (4)
mandatory A3X emission must be amplitude modulated with an audio signal
swept downward between 1600 and 300 Hz; and (5) the device must be
powered by a battery contained within the transmitter case or in a
battery holder that is rigidly attached to the transmitter case. The
battery connector must be corrosion-resistant and positive in action and
must not rely for contact upon spring force alone. The useful life of
the battery is the length of time that the battery can be stored under
marine environmental conditions without the EPIRB transmitter peak
effective radiated power falling below 75 milliwatts prior to 48 hours
of continuous operation. The month and year of the battery\'s
manufacture must be permanently marked on the battery and the month and
year upon which 50 percent of its useful life will have expired must be
permanently marked on both the battery and the outside of the
transmitter. The batteries must be replaced if 50 percent of their
useful life has expired or if the transmitter has been used in an
emergency situation.

The 121.5 MOB Personal EPIRB is designed to be small, lightweight and be
worn on a person's wrist. It is water-activated, and signals a receiver
installed on the vessel's bridge to allow local search and rescue to be
initiated after the wearer falls overboard. McMurdo argues that such a
system could make a significant contribution to safety at sea by
enabling the wearer's own vessel to commence rescue efforts, thereby
reducing the time that the victim spends in the water. McMurdo \'s
description of its 121.5 MHz MOB Personal EPIRB generally meets that of
a Class B EPIRB station, but, because of its size, McMurdo seeks waiver
of the frequency and power standards, and battery requirements, *see* 47
C.F.R. §§ 80.1053(a)(4)-(11). Absent a waiver of these standards,
McMurdo's 121.5 MHz MOB Personal EPIRB could not be certified for
operation under Part 80 of the Commission\'s Rules.

Interested parties may file comment on the waiver request on or before
January 28, 2002. Parties interested in submitting reply comments must
do so on or before February 12, 2002. All comments should reference the
subject Waiver Request including the DA number of this *Public Notice*,
and should be filed with the Office of the Secretary, Federal
Communications Commission, 445 Twelfth Street, SW, TW-325, Washington,
D.C. 20554.[^3] A copy of each filing should be sent to 1) Qualex
International, Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-B402,
Washington, DC, 20554, telephone 202-863-2893; 2) Jim Shaffer, Federal
Communications Commission, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Public
Safety and Private Wireless Division, 445 Twelfth Street, S.W., Room
4-C342, Washington, D.C. 20554; and 3) Maria Ringold, Federal
Communications Commission, Consumer Information Bureau, Reference
Information Center, 445 Twelfth Street, S.W., Room CY-B529, Washington,
D.C. 20554.

The full text of the Waiver Request, comments and reply comments will be
available for public inspection and copying during regular business
hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th
Street, SW, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC, 20554. This document may also
be purchased from the Commission\'s duplicating contractor, Qualex
International, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY-B402,
Washington, DC, 20554, telephone 202-863-2893, facsimile 202-863-2898,
or via e-mail qualexint@aol.com. For further information regarding the
public reference file for these waiver requests contact Maria Ringold,
Chief, Wireless Branch, RIC, (202) 418-1355.

Unless otherwise provided, requests for waiver of the Commission's Rules
are subject to treatment by the Commission as restricted proceedings for
*ex parte* purposes under Section 1.1208 of the Commission's Rules, 47
C.F.R. § 1.1208. Because of the policy implications and potential impact
of this proceeding on persons not parties to the waiver request, we
believe it would be in the public interest to treat this case as a
permit-but-disclose proceeding under the *ex parte* rules. *See*
Sections 1.1200(a), 1.1206 of the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R. §§
1.1200(a), 1.1206. Therefore, subsequent to the release of this *Public
Notice*, *ex parte* presentations that are made with respect to the
issues involved in the subject waiver requests will be allowed but must
be disclosed in accordance with the requirements of Section 1.1206(b) of
the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b).

For further information, contact Mr. Jim Shaffer of the Public Safety
and Private Wireless Division of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
at (202) 418-0687, TTY (202) 418-7233 or via email to jshaffer@fcc.gov.

By the Chief, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau.

\- FCC -

[^1]: 47 C.F.R. § 80.1055.

[^2]: Letter to the Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Federal
    Communications Commission from C.P. Hoffman, Technical Director,
    McMurdo Limited, dated November 2, 2001.

[^3]: The address for FCC locations should be used only for documents
    filed by United States Postal Service. Documents delivered by
    Federal Express or any other express mail service (other than United
    States Postal Service Express or Priority Mail) should be addressed
    to the relevant person or office at the Federal Communications
    Commission, 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.
    Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered documents are accepted only at
    our downtown facility located at 236 Massachusetts Ave., N.E., Suite
    110, Washington, D.C. 20002. *See* FCC Announces a New Filing
    Location for Paper Documents and a New Fax Number for General
    Correspondence, *Public Notice*, DA 01-2919 (OMD rel. Dec. 14,
    2001).