SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/cap-beacon-hex-id

A registered 406 MHz distress beacon has a unique hex ID. How many characters long is it?

15 characters.

Start playing free

  1. 15 ✔
  2. 8
  3. 30

Why: The 15-character hex ID is tied to registration. When a beacon goes off, rescuers can look up who owns it and what they are looking for.

Huh, didn't know that: NOAA says some personal locator beacons add GNSS location data, improving location accuracy to about the 100 meter level.

The dad joke
Why did the beacon get a 15-character name? It wanted a really unique ID.
Like this card?
Play the game

References

Answer: 15. The 15-character hex ID is tied to registration. When a beacon goes off, rescuers can look up who owns it and what they are looking for.

  1. NOAA SARSAT: 406 MHz Emergency Distress Beacons www.sarsat.noaa.gov/emergency-406-beacons
    Each 406 beacon has a unique 15-character HEX ID
    Checked 2026-10-10.

Think this answer is wrong? Tap "Challenge this answer" on the card in the game and tell us why.

Test yourself in the game

Scouting & CadetsWhich emergency beacon frequency can search and rescue satellites detect today?Scouting & CadetsOn a CAP search aircraft, where does the mission observer usually sit?Scouting & CadetsWhich of these CAP search patterns is a point-based search?

That's stuff everyone should know.