wayno wrote:when SAR get close to you they still need to have the beacon going to pinpoint you effectively, they switch to another frequency coming from teh beacon that they can pick up on antennas that are often installed on the helicopters and carried by SAR
121.5 MHz .. fitted to and monitored by commercial aircraft too, the commercial aircraft cannot do direction finding but they can monitor signal strength - when the signal strength peaks they are closest to you and would normally report it. This same frequency was used by the older PLB/EPIRBs too .. and it has not changed with the 406 - it too transmission on 121.5 and on 406.
I'd think if the transmitter failed after a day the rescue people would still be keen to get to you, so just stay put and leave the PLB/EPIRB on. If you 'drift' then they are going to have problems finding you after the PLB/EPIRB stops transmitting.