M550 Beacon for CB-Series Data Buoys
The NexSens M550 Solar Marine Light is a common accessory added to NexSens data buoys up to and including the CB-450. Depending on the configuration, it has a 1-3 nautical mile range and is normally delivered with flange mount hardware, yellow color, and default 15 flash/minute pattern (Model: M550-F-Y).
Figure 1: M550 Solar Marine Light.
Installation
While it typically comes pre-installed, the M550 can easily be removed and/or installed by the user. For guidance with the standard flange mount version, refer to the M550 flange mount installation instructions. For guidance with the pole-mounted beacon version, refer to the M550 pole-mount installation instructions.
 Figure 2: M550 beacon mounted on top of the CB-450 data buoy. |  Figure 3: Pole-mounted beacon on the XB-200 data buoy. |
Operation
The M550 is controlled using an IR programmer that is normally provided with the beacon.
Figure 4: IR remote
The IR programmer can be used to perform the following functions:
- Turn beacon on and off
- Check the battery pack charge status
- Change the flash pattern
- Change the flash intensity