Norwegian Maritime Authority has issued Safety Notice 02/2026 which replaces SM 2 – 2013. The NMA has been made aware of a significant increase in the marketing, sale, and installation of non-original (counterfeit) batteries for Jotron GMDSS products in recent years.
The affected products include Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB), Radar and AIS-SART, as well as handheld GMDSS emergency VHF-radios.
Counterfeit batteries can have significantly lower capacity, meaning they fail to meet the duration requirements specified in the performance standards.
Furthermore, batteries have been discovered lacking adequate grounding, featuring unprotected diodes to protect against reverse polarity, and missing fuses, all of which may lead to short circuits and incomplete charging. Counterfeit battery packs have also been supplied without necessary instructions, gaskets, or seals required to maintain the equipment’s watertight integrity.
Jotron guide on original vs counterfeit batteries 2026