Emergency Transmitter

A transmitter designed for use in locating downed aircraft or vessels in distress. Abbreviated ELT. An emergency position indicating radio beacon ("EPIRB") includes a watertight housing with an ON-OFF switch on the outside of the housing which does not require holes through the housing wall. A floatation collar on the housing maintains the EPIRB in an upright position in the water and provides a storage cavity for a lanyard. Conductive grids on the interior of the housing either shield the EPIRB electronics from antenna radiation and form the lower half of the antenna, or couple the antenna to the water which acts as a ground plane, depending on whether the EPIRB is floating in the water or is surrounded by air. The European Union executive unveiled plans Thursday to equip all new cars sold in the EU with an emergency transmitter to ensure rapid medical help in the event of a crash. Around 2,000 lives could be saved a year once the automatic emergency call ("eCall") technology is in place, the European Commission said, targeting a start date of 2009 for the devices. The transmitter would be activated automatically by pressure sensors that would detect a sudden impact, or manually by an injured occupant of the car, and send an SOS via the EU-wide emergency call number 112.