Ocean Signal rescueME EPIRB3 Category 2 EPIRB with AIS

When you're offshore and things go wrong, the one piece of gear that matters most is the beacon that calls for help. The Ocean Signal rescueME EPIRB3 Category 2 is a full-featured 406 MHz emergency position indicating radio beacon built to do exactly that, anywhere on the planet. Pull it from the bracket, get it wet or flip it on by hand, and it starts talking to the Cospas-Sarsat satellite network within seconds.

Here's what makes the EPIRB3 stand out. It doesn't just send a satellite mayday. It also broadcasts an AIS alert on local VHF frequencies the moment it activates. So any AIS-equipped boat within VHF range sees your distress target pop up on their plotter, complete with an MMSI identifier, and can steer straight to you. That local layer can shave a lot of time off a rescue, especially when there's traffic nearby. You get the global satellite call and the local homing all at once.

The beacon uses GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS positioning to fix your location worldwide, accurate to within 100 meters, and that position rides along with the 406 MHz distress transmission so search and rescue knows where to look from the first ping. A 121.5 MHz homing signal and both white and infrared strobes help rescuers close the final distance day or night.

Return Link Service is the feature that quietly changes how it feels to wait. Once your distress message makes it through the network, a blue light on the beacon flashes to confirm it, sent back through the Galileo network. It's a small thing until you're the one sitting in a life raft wondering if anyone heard you. Knowing the mayday landed helps you stay calm and conserve energy while help is on the way.

The EPIRB3 also has Near Field Communication built in. Tap a smartphone to it and the free Ocean Signal Beacon app launches automatically, showing battery life, self-test history, GNSS test results, and how long the unit has been active. You can check that everything's healthy before you leave the dock instead of guessing. No subscription is required to own or operate the beacon, though you do need to register the 406 MHz ID with NOAA (in the US) before you rely on it.

This is the Category 2 version, which means manual release. It ships with a manual release bracket that holds the beacon securely through whatever the trip throws at it, then lets you grab it fast when you need it. Category 2 is the right choice for a lot of cruisers, anglers, and sailors on boats under about 30 feet where a float-free Category 1 setup adds bulk you don't need. Mount the bracket somewhere you can reach in a hurry, near the companionway or the helm, and back the screws with a little threadlocker if you run a boat that vibrates hard.

Physically it's small and light, about 0.42 pounds and roughly 6.8 by 3.6 by 3.1 inches without the antenna extended, so it stows easily and won't weigh down a ditch bag. It's buoyant, waterproof to 33 feet for 5 minutes, and rated to operate from -4 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. The lithium battery carries a 10-year replacement interval and delivers at least 48 hours of continuous transmission once activated, well beyond what most rescues require.

Who's it for? Offshore cruisers crossing oceans, coastal anglers heading out through the inlet, commercial and working boats, and weekend sailors who just want the confidence that their call for help will get through. If you carry an Ocean Signal PLB1 for individual crew, the EPIRB3 pairs naturally with it since both run the same 406 MHz protocol. What it's not: it's not a two-way communicator or a tracking device for casual use. It's a dedicated distress beacon, and it does that one job about as well as anything on the water.