ACR Pathfinder SART w/AIS
ACR Pathfinder SART w/AIS
Important: Register Your Beacon Before You Head Out
This is a 406 MHz emergency beacon. U.S. federal regulations require it to be registered with NOAA before use — and it is free.
Register online at beaconregistration.noaa.gov (fastest method). Registration links your beacon's unique ID to you, your vessel, and your emergency contacts, so the Coast Guard and search-and-rescue teams can respond faster if it is ever activated.
Registration is the owner's responsibility.
The ACR Pathfinder SART with AIS is a fully IMO SOLAS-compliant AIS Search and Rescue Transponder designed to satisfy the mandatory SART carriage requirement for GMDSS vessels. Rather than relying on a traditional radar-based system, it transmits AIS class-A distress position reports — broadcasting GNSS/GPS coordinates over VHF to all AIS-equipped vessels within range. Eight identical position report messages are sent once per minute (four on 161.975 MHz and four on 162.025 MHz), maximizing the probability that at least one transmission coincides with the crest of a wave. Average detection range is 5 nautical miles. Built on the same rugged platform as the Pathfinder Pro SART, it incorporates Near Field Communication (NFC) for simplified registration and test-data retrieval, and runs on a lithium battery rated for 96 hours of continuous operation. A wall mount is included; an optional telescopic pole (extends to 3.3 ft / 1 m) attaches to the bottom of the unit for elevated visibility from a life raft, or the SART can be suspended inside the craft for hands-free use.
Carriage Requirements:
- Any IMO SOLAS vessel on international voyages is required to carry a SART
- 300–500 Gross Register Tonnage (GRT): minimum 1 SART required
- Over 500 GRT: minimum 2 SARTs required
- Ro-Ro passenger vessels: 1 SART for every four life rafts
- Passenger ships of any size: minimum 2 SARTs regardless of tonnage
- Lifeboats: SOLAS requires at least 1 SART available for use in each survival craft
- Passenger ships with more than 2 liferafts: at least 1 SART for every 2 liferafts
Specifications:
- Type: AIS Search and Rescue Transponder (SART)
- Compliance: IMO SOLAS, GMDSS
- Transmission: AIS class-A position reports — 8 messages per minute (4 on 161.975 MHz / 4 on 162.025 MHz)
- Positioning: GNSS/GPS satellite coordinates
- Average detection range: 5 nautical miles
- Battery: Lithium, 96-hour operating life
- NFC: Yes — supports product registration and test-data retrieval
- Optional accessory: Telescopic pole, extends to 3.3 ft (1 m)
- Mounting: Included wall mount; can also be suspended inside life raft
- Weather resistance: Engineered for harsh marine environments; less susceptible to heavy rain and fog than radar SARTs