ENOS Rescue-System
Encyclopedia
ENOS-System stands for “Elektronisches Notruf – und Ortungssystem” an electronic rescue and locating system developed in Germany for use by divers at sea. ENOS allows people in distress to signal their location when drifting on the ocean’s surface so they can be quickly located and rescued. Although the system was especially developed for scuba diving
it can also be used for other water sports like windsurfing
, jet skiing, sailing
and boating
.
Each ENOS unit consists of two parts. The ENOS-Receiver which is kept on board the dive boat; and the ENOS-Transmitter(s) carried by the diver(s).
ENOS is designed for emergencies associated with a diver(s) surfacing too far from the boat to swim back. For example, when divers have been swept away from their vessel by a current or when they can’t see the boat because of poor weather.
To send an emergency signal, the diver switches on the transmitter. This will send the signal and the diver’s GPS position back to the boat’s receiver.
When the receiver picks up the diver’s alert, it automatically determines the boat’s GPS position and calculates the vessel’s distance and bearing to the diver’s position. The results are clearly plotted on screen for the skipper to follow during the rescue.
mounted on the dive boat
, the prevailing surface conditions and the distance of the direct line-of-sight
. Receiving ranges of up to three nautical miles are standard. A range of up to six nautical miles is possible in optimal conditions.
The system uses radio frequencies that do not require licenses or fees; and are determined by the national laws of radio frequencies where the system is operating. It does not use the international distress frequency
.
ENOS is the only rescue system for water sports which relays the GPS position of the diver in distress directly to a local receiving unit. The alert is not relayed to coast guards or other marine rescue
organisations.
The receiver is alerted immediately which enables the near-by boat to quickly and independently initiate the diver rescue and bear the costs.
A single ENOS-Receiver can receive alerts from all the ENOS-Transmitters operating on the same frequency within the same receiving range.
etc), which operate on international emergency frequencies and over large distances.
, Germany
in 2004. It can be used anywhere in the world and is currently operating on dive boats in Egypt
, Ecuador
/ Galápagos, European Union
, Maldives
, Seychelles
.
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
it can also be used for other water sports like windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
, jet skiing, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
.
Assembly and Operation
ENOS is designed for emergencies associated with a diver(s) surfacing too far from the boat to swim back. For example, when divers have been swept away from their vessel by a current or when they can’t see the boat because of poor weather.
To send an emergency signal, the diver switches on the transmitter. This will send the signal and the diver’s GPS position back to the boat’s receiver.
When the receiver picks up the diver’s alert, it automatically determines the boat’s GPS position and calculates the vessel’s distance and bearing to the diver’s position. The results are clearly plotted on screen for the skipper to follow during the rescue.
Technology and Receiving Range
Every ENOS is a self-contained rescue system that functions in a local area. Its range is determined by the height of the receiving antennaAntenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
mounted on the dive boat
Dive boat
A dive boat is a boat that scuba divers use to reach a diving site which they could not reach by swimming from land.-Dive boat features:Features that make a boat suitable for use by divers are:* marine VHF radio* oxygen first aid* diving shot...
, the prevailing surface conditions and the distance of the direct line-of-sight
Line-of-sight propagation
Line-of-sight propagation refers to electro-magnetic radiation or acoustic wave propagation. Electromagnetic transmission includes light emissions traveling in a straight line...
. Receiving ranges of up to three nautical miles are standard. A range of up to six nautical miles is possible in optimal conditions.
The system uses radio frequencies that do not require licenses or fees; and are determined by the national laws of radio frequencies where the system is operating. It does not use the international distress frequency
International distress frequency
Since early in the 20th century, the radio frequency of 500 kilohertz has been an international calling and distress frequency for Morse code maritime communication. The unit kilohertz was not introduced until 1960...
.
ENOS is the only rescue system for water sports which relays the GPS position of the diver in distress directly to a local receiving unit. The alert is not relayed to coast guards or other marine rescue
Rescue
Rescue refers to responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or prevention of injury during an incident or dangerous situation....
organisations.
The receiver is alerted immediately which enables the near-by boat to quickly and independently initiate the diver rescue and bear the costs.
A single ENOS-Receiver can receive alerts from all the ENOS-Transmitters operating on the same frequency within the same receiving range.
Other Rescue Systems
The ENOS-System is not intended to replace existing distress radio beacons or rescue systems (e.g. EPIRBs, ELTs, PLBs, InmarsatInmarsat
Inmarsat plc is a British satellite telecommunications company, offering global, mobile services. It provides telephony and data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals which communicate to ground stations through eleven geostationary telecommunications satellites...
etc), which operate on international emergency frequencies and over large distances.
Circulation
The ENOS-System was developed in RösrathRösrath
Rösrath is a city in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The earliest known documents mentioning the settlement Rösrath can be found in documents dated to 1356. There have been findings of Paleolithic and Mesolithic tools in the city area Forsbach...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 2004. It can be used anywhere in the world and is currently operating on dive boats in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
/ Galápagos, European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
.