ACR Electronics Sponsors First Couple to Backpack
 The Andes Mountain Range South of the Equator

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – JULY 14, 2008 – Young trekkers Gregg Treinish and Deia Schlosberg became the first two to walk the length of the Andes Mountain Range south of the Equator, almost 8,000 miles, without relying on roads. However, they did rely on a TerraFix™ 406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) to alert rescuers in the event they ran into trouble.

ACR Electronics, Inc., the world leader in safety and survival technologies, supported The Great Andes Trek as a sponsor and safety equipment supplier. Go to www.acrosstheandes.com to see more images of the trek.

Fortunately, the couple didn’t need to activate the beacon and arrived home unscathed, but they did experience some close situations in which the beacon would have been their lifeline. “With the TerraFix, we had the extra knowledge that no matter what, we would’ve been okay. It eliminated some worry and gave us the confidence to know that we didn’t have to be anxious about safety. And it sure gave our parents some relief,” Schlosberg said.

PLBs transmit signals on internationally recognized distress frequencies. The 406 MHz signal is monitored by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System (SARSAT) detects and locates distress signals. GPS coordinates greatly assist search and rescue crews and in the event GPS isn’t acquired, position can be calculated through Doppler Shift as a reliable backup.

The Great Andes Trek originated with the couple’s desire to learn first-hand about sustainable means of living. Treinish, 26, and Schlosberg, 28, also were emotionally drained from working in Colorado as wilderness therapy guides for troubled teens. The trek began as a one-year adventure and developed into a two-year journey when their route had to be reconfigured because of adverse weather patterns, arid zones with little water and areas in political turmoil.

Walking an average of 17 miles a day through 56 degrees of the globe, they traveled on ancient Incan roads and through every type of terrain imaginable – thick vegetation, snow fields, lava fields, deserts, 20,000-foot peaks, narrow dry valleys and salt flats.

Since returning in April to the United States, the two are sharing their story in public appearances throughout the country. They say there will certainly be more journeys in their future and they will never be without a PLB in remote locations where the possibility of self-rescue is slim to none.

A PLB is a satellite-signaling device of last resort, for use when all other means of self-rescue have been exhausted and where the situation is deemed to be grave and imminent, and the loss of life, limb, eyesight or valuable property will occur without assistance. All beacons must be registered online at www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov following purchase. There are no monthly service fees for 406 MHz beacons.

ACR Electronics, Inc. (www.acrelectronics.com), a Cobham plc company, designs and manufactures a complete line of safety and survival products including PLBs, EPIRBs, SSAS, AIS, SARTs and safety accessories. The quality systems of this facility have been registered by UL to the ISO 9001:2000 Series Standards. To focus on this innovative technology, ACR has introduced a dynamic, new “The Science of Survival” theme for its line of marine, outdoor, aviation and military products. Recognized as the world leader in safety and survival technologies, ACR has provided safety equipment to the aviation and marine industries as well as to the military since 1956 and the outdoor industries since 2003.