15 May 2024

Wescom Group is delighted to announce the first of its new series of distress beacons has been released. The ALERT AIS DSC Man Overboard device offers enhanced localised recovery with simplified fitting, faster activation and wearer acknowledgments. The ALERT will be the first in a series of new beacons produced at Wescom Group’s new manufacturing facility in Hull. 

The new purpose-built safety electronics factory which opened in March, is a culmination of Wescom Group’s investment after the 2022 acquisition of MRT Ltd, who developed the sMRT brand for the offshore safety market. The state-of-the-art site allows increased capacity of its current offshore range and will accelerate the delivery of the new innovative sMRT distress beacons for the leisure and commercial marine markets. 

The sMRT ALERT’s innovative features include two-way signalling, real-time location tracking via AIS (Automatic Identification System) and uses DSC (Digital Selective Calling) to alert nearby vessels to the call for help. The sMRT ALERT’s user-focused safety features have been recognised at METSTRADE 2023 exhibition DAME Awards with a special mention accolade. 

The sMRT ALERT is also one of the first products on the market designed to meet the new Class M regulation ECC Decision (22)02), which will restrict AIS only MOB devices’ use of core AIS channels in certain countries from January 2025. Only class M devices such as the ALERT - those with GNSS and internal DSC receiver - will be compliant with the new regulations. 

The device also includes a beacon management app to connect the beacon to your smartphone, to check on activation status and to review the power reserves in the five-year battery. 

Wescom Group CEO Ross Wilkinson stated: “Wescom’s product range is synonymous with high quality and reliability and we are taking this dedication to marine safety into our newly launched electronics division. It’s fantastic to see the first of our new distress beacons leave the new factory and we look forward to introducing the full range in the coming months.”

At the factory opening, Ryan Petitt, the site’s managing director said: “It’s an incredibly proud moment for the team. We have been a Yorkshire-based business since the 1980s and the new Hull factory reflects both Wescom Group’s confidence in our future and the demand for our innovative life-saving beacons like the new sMRT ALERT.”

The sMRT ALERT costs from £270 RRP and is now available worldwide through Wescom Group’s network of international distributors.