HEAVENLY HELPLINE
Every time you walk past your EPIRB, it pays to spare a thought for the thousands of people who’ve dedicated their time, money and brain power to keep your bum covered when it’s out on the water – or up in the bush.
The first beacons took to the air (and went afloat) in the 1950s and transmitted an emergency signal on 121.5MHz – the international calling radio frequency monitored by all aeroplanes. These largely replaced the automated SOS radios which had been in use since the mid-1930s.
In November 1979, representatives from the USSR, USA, France and Canada got together in
