15-10
EQUIPMENT
DESCRIPTION
HOW TO USE
Signal mirror
The mirror is an effective device when the sun is
shining. Rough water makes focusing the mirror
on a rescue ship or aircraft difficult. If the mirror is
lost or is unusable, make another one from a piece
of shiny metal.
To signal with the mirror—
1. Punch a cross-hole in its center.
2. Hold the mirror about 3 inches in front of your face and sight
through the cross at the ship or aircraft. The spot of light shining
through the hole onto your face will be seen in the cross-hole.
3. While keeping a sight on the ship or aircraft, adjust the mirror
until the spot of light on your face disappears in the hole. The
bright spot, seen through the sight, will then be aimed directly at
the search ship or aircraft
NOTE
The survival kit contains instructions for using the mirror
Distress signal kit
The signal kit contains 12 (Mk 13 Mod 0) distress
signals for day and night use and for providing
wind drift information to helicopters rescuing
personnel. One end of the signal tube produces an
orange smoke for day use; the other end produces
a red flare for night use. You can identify the night
flare end in the dark by a series of small beadlike
projections embossed around it. Each signal will
burn for approximately 18 seconds.
To use the signal—
1. Select the proper flare, tear off the sealing tape from around
the end of the cylinder, and remove the plastic cap to expose a
metal pull ring (fig. 15-7). (Only the night end of the flare has a
metal ring; the smoke [day] end does not have the ring.)
2. To ignite the MK 13 signal, grasp the pull ring and flip it over
the rim of the signal case, as shown in view A.
3. Press down the overhanging ring with your thumb until the
seal snaps, as shown in view B. (If the seal refuses to snap,
continue pressing on the ring so that it bends over the rim and
against the signal body, as shown in view C).
4. Flip the ring back to the top of the signal and press down, as
shown in view D, using the bent pull ring as a lever.
5. After the seal breaks, point the signal away from your face
and body and give a sharp yank on the pull ring.
6. Hold the signal at an angle of approximately 45 from the
horizontal position with your arm fully extended. The contents
are hot, so take care not to drop any of the contents on yourself
or the lifeboat.
7. After using one end of the signal, cool it by dipping it in
water; then save it until you use the other end. Make sure the
distress signal is cool before storing it.
Dye marker
The dye marker shown (fig. 15-8) produces a
brilliant yellowish-green fluorescence when it is
submerged in water. Under good conditions, the
dye will be a good target for only about 1 hour, but
it will retain some of its color for up to 4 hours.
From an altitude of 3,000 feet, a rescue plane may
see the dye marker as far away as 10 miles. The
range decreases as the dye spreads or is diluted by
the water.
See the front of the dye marker cover.
