The Lokata Company (pronounced low-kay-tah, "locator") was formed in the late 1970s in Falmouth, Cornwall, UK.
[1] On November 22, 1982, Lokata filed a patent application for its "Watchman", a passive marine radar detector.
[citation needed] In 1983 a New Scientist article covered a story about the inventor of the Lokata product, the "Watchman", that he had independently re-invented part of the well-known Exocet missile's guidance system in his invention.
"[3] This led to some publicised controversy involving the MOD and the Patent Office[2] and thus prevented the firm to sell the gadget.
[citation needed] In 2001, support for Lokata EPIRB products was transferred to Sartech Engineering Ltd.[4] The company was acquired by Kelvin Hughes Ltd, and eventually moved to Hainault in Essex.