FCC Exam Question: 30E5

Which of the following statements concerning the EPIRB system is true?

A. GOES weather satellites will provide alerting with complete worldwide coverage.
B. COSPAS-SARSAT satellites always provides an alert and position report within 10 minutes of reception.
C. The Inmarsat system will not provide alerts and position report for 406 MHz EPIRBs equipped with GPS
D. The GPS satellite system will relay an alert and position report within 20 minutes of reception.
Correct Answer: C

Explanation: 406 MHz EPIRBs transmit their distress signals to the international COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system. While some COSPAS-SARSAT geostationary search and rescue (GEOSAR) payloads are *hosted* on Inmarsat satellites, the *Inmarsat commercial communication system itself* (e.g., its own messaging services like Inmarsat-C) does not directly provide alerting and position reporting for 406 MHz EPIRBs. Thus, statement C is true as it distinguishes between the COSPAS-SARSAT system and Inmarsat's commercial network. A is incorrect because GOES weather satellites provide regional, not worldwide, coverage and are not the primary system for global EPIRB alerting. B is incorrect because while COSPAS-SARSAT aims for fast alerts, delays can occur, and "always" within 10 minutes is not a guaranteed standard due to factors like satellite availability and processing time. D is incorrect because GPS satellites are navigation satellites that provide position data *to* an EPIRB receiver; they do not receive or relay distress alerts themselves. The EPIRB uses the GPS data to encode its position into the 406 MHz signal, which is then sent to COSPAS-SARSAT.

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Includes Elements 1, 3, 6, 7R, 8, and 9.