Ocean Signal RescueME PLB1 CHEAP...!!

[Dan]

Next week will be my 12th week of PLB1 $50 rebate submission. They are supposed to send me the rebate check by 12-14 weeks from the post mark date. I'll keep an eye on the check in the mailbox for the next 3 weeks, but won't hold my breath for it.

 

[DandyDon]

Next week will be my 12th week of PLB1 $50 rebate submission. They are supposed to send me the rebate check by 12-14 weeks from the post mark date. I'll keep an eye on the check in the mailbox for the next 3 weeks, but won't hold my breath for it.

I got mine ok, no problem. Well, that was for an ACR, but these rebates are real. They do hope that people screw up submitting or discard the rebate mail as junk, never cashing the check. Gotta be careful.

I suppose that you were careful completing and sending the form and enclosures, and have been careful sorting your mail - and kept copies? Mail does get lost. If you don't get it next week, send copies of your copies and complain.

 

[Stoo]

Comparing a VHF and a PLB as rescue tools is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. The VHF is ok if you are further away from the boat than you feel like swimming, and a fair bit further potentially, unless it's rough. All VHFs work on a straight line of sight from antenna to antenna. If you are floating on the surface and talking on the radio, that antenna is about 8" out of the water tops. If you're in even 2' seas, the effective range is equivalent to the distance to the next wave. On the upside, the boats antenna may be 10' above the surface or it may be 50' above the surface. That helps, but if they don't find you before you drift away, you're going to be hoping for a random boat to come VERY close to you.... but, ya better than noting.

The PLB, on the other hand is kinda overkill when you're 300' from your boat and feel lazy. It's a balls to the wall, summon EVERYONE to come save your lost a$$. Knowing that, I suspect people are reluctant to pull the pin until they are really gone... Every rescue agency on that quadrant of the world is going to know where you are, but your dive boat that's a mile away won't have a clue. Some Coastgueard types will eventually broadcast the PLBs Lat/Lon and if the boat is paying attention, you'll be in good shape.


Ideally, carry both.

Or don't get lost.

Personally, when I am on a dive boat, I pass arounf Werther's toffees before and after dives to divers and crew. They love that stuff. If I'm not on the boat, someone will notice. They probably won't come back for me, but at least they'll know I'm gone!

Incidentally, I have one of those little canisters than Don linked to. It's a solid piece of kit. The guy selling them can be a bit hard to reach at times (he's a wildlife filmmaker I believe) but he's an upstanding guy. When I ordered one, it didn't every arrive. He sent another one, no questions asked.

 

[Dan]

I got the $50 rebate check today. Yea! Feel like getting early Christmas present.

I'll take the PLB1 to Galapagos next week. I hope I won't ever need to use it.

 

[Chip Elliott]

Sent my rebate in on October 27th, still haven't heard word one from them! Hopefully anticipating.

 

[DandyDon]

I got the $50 rebate check today. Yea! Feel like getting early Christmas present.

I'll take the PLB1 to Galapagos next week. I hope I won't ever need to use it.

Great. Between dive trips, leave it your car, carry it on hikes, have it in case you ever need it - for yourself or someone else in a emergency. It'd cost you to replace the battery if you use it, as well as costing emergency services more, so be careful not to become on the 90% false alarms.

Sent my rebate in on October 27th, still haven't heard word one from them! Hopefully anticipating.

Oh, with the rebate game, companies like to wait the full 3 months, using that money as long as they can, then hoping you throw the envelope out with junk mail - so you probably won't hear from them until it arrives around February 1, but you will if you filed it right.

 

[tsuyoshi]

My PLB1 & customer diver Canister combo failed while diving at Alor, Indonedia this late November. Lesson leared: check it as part of each predive check.

The custom diver Canister flooded after multiple days of diving with some deep dives to 36M. PLB1 alarm went off. i was surprised to see a msg from my US contact of my NOAA registration of the PLB.

US air force rescue coordination unit contacted them to inquire about me. i did not have very good internet connection at Alor but ask US folks to let USAF nothing is wrong but a false alarm. No additional actions were taken. i had no idea of how much time elapsed from the signal to notification.

Good to know the PLB signal works. i just wonder what would prompt an actual response & action in an actual lost diver emergency.

My PLB1 is on the way back to Ocean Signal @ UK to see if it can be salvaged. Ocean Signal told me that pass 20M the pressure might have trigger it.

Honestly I dont really know what happened. Its my fault to be over confident at the canister and not checking it between dives as my other equipment. Also may be not following the canisters instruction. it actually is very sensitive to how its assembled especially the threads of the can is also made of pcb which can be easily stripped causing failure.

Also i had it stoled in my BCD which was maintained by the boat crew, so it may be possible it got tampered. But most likely due t failed maintenance from me.

If you have other water tight ideas, i like to hear it.

I havent even gotten my rebate yet!

Im just sharing to hope my mistake here save anyone else from "drowning" their PLB.

 

[DandyDon]

i did not have very good internet connection at Alor but ask US folks to let USAF nothing is wrong but a false alarm. No additional actions were taken. i had no idea of how much time elapsed from the signal to notification.

Good to know the PLB signal works. i just wonder what would prompt an actual response & action in an actual lost diver emergency.

Any kind of gear failure is going to be frustrating. Sorry for yours. I've heard of some false alarm stories where contact was made and the rescue canceled as the chopper was warming up on the pad, but I am sure those vary a lot. I've also seen stories of the beacons being abused over non-emergencies, as well as others about owners who never read the instructions and kept turning unregistered beacons on and off. Glad you could cancel your unneeded rescue before it got too far along. You can browse and read some detailed stories on the ACR page: Survivor Stories, EPIRB, PLB, ELT by ACR and Artex Products | ACR ARTEX

If I ever have to use mine, I'll look forward to the special Survivor T-shirt.

Also may be not following the canisters instruction. it actually is very sensitive to how its assembled especially the threads of the can is also made of pcb which can be easily stripped causing failure.

And making sure the o-ring is lubed with silicone grease. O-rings should be replaced now and then.

Also i had it stoled in my BCD which was maintained by the boat crew, so it may be possible it got tampered. But most likely due t failed maintenance from me.

If you have other water tight ideas, i like to hear it.

Boy, I don't trust anyone else with mine. When I get on the boat, it goes in my bag that goes to my room with me. I don't want it banged around with gear loading, or available for curious tampering. I also like sleeping with my regs.

 

[Dan]

...If you have other water tight ideas, i like to hear it...

How about using an old see-through camera case, like mine, as shown above. It works up to 30m, so far. The camera case itself is good down to 40m.

 

[Dan]

Don't use the soft case (Kona). When I took it to >100' deep, the bag did not leak, but the pressure pressed the red emergency button to on. See the red light turned on in the picture, below. The light turned off by itself when I ascent to 80' deep. So, I went back to the Sony camera case that is good down to 130' (40m).

View attachment 386208

I think the red button got pushed due to flexing of the yellow flap covering the red button when it is under pressure. I put a paper clip as a gap between the red button & the yellow flap, as shown below & plan to test it again on my next dive down to 30m (98').