PLBs Can Save Your Life

[SeaWarden]

Your PLB needs to be purchased and registered in your home country, you know? That ACR 2882 has been replaced with two newer models, so I have to wonder if it's available - and if so, date of manufacture as the battery needs to be replaced six years from that date.

A $9 dry box might keep your phone safe on the boat, but I doubt that it has a chance of working at 130 feet down. You need to be shopping for dive canisters with depth ratings deeper than 200 feet.

Actually, mine was the 2884, found the wrong one on google: AquaLink™ View Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) | ACR ARTEX

And I registered it in the US initially, and they sent a mail to Singapore. I was like sweet, my US taxes paid off.. But I changed the code to Singapore and re-registered it here via email. In Singapore there is no website to update it, just have emails.

I will test the $9 dry box in a pressure chamber and let you guys know. Cheers.

 

[SeaWarden]

Status Report
I have the smaller HDVSEATEK canister that I purchased for my FastFind 220 PLB. I found the HDV somewhat bulky and hard to manage with my not-large hands. It does hold my marine VHF radio (with antenna removed) but I have not used it underwater.

I purchased the Custom Divers canister for my PLB, and recently used it on 34 dives (104 ft max) in the Philippines. It was clipped to my right waist D-ring, and I did not touch it during the trip. It was buoyant u/w and not in the way. It got banged around as my tank was being handled by the bangka drivers and sherpas and tank fillers. At the end of the trip (a combo liveaboard for a week then a resort for a week) I opened it (easily) and there was not one drop of water in it. I'm perfectly happy with it. The trick, as others have said, it to just close it, put faith in the double o-ring system, and don't crank it down tightly. If you do unnecessarily close it tightly, it WILL be hard to open.

I also carried the original Nautilus Lifeline with the chat channel set to the liveaboard's working frequency. Since we were at Tubbataha (middle of the Sulu Sea) i really liked the idea of being able to talk to the boat if needed. It was clipped off to my left waist D-ring, along with my SMB/spool.

With a DiveAlert on my LPI, the two radio devices, the SMB/spool, and a light capable of SOS-flashing, I found people wanted to be my buddy..... More importantly, none of it seemed to be in the way of my diving or my underwater photography.

Haha, I love the last part.. No random people int he way of the underwater photography.

 

[DandyDon]

Actually, mine was the 2884, found the wrong one on google: AquaLink™ View Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) | ACR ARTEX

I'm curious why you selected that model instead of the smaller 2881 or newer 2921? I'm sure it'll work well, and it does have 6.3 watts instead of 5, but I don't see the appeal - unless you got a great price. Great that you could get it registered ok, then have it re-registered there.

If you've already ordered the dry box, you may find it useful - and if you can pressure test it to 200 feet, I'd be interested in the results. I don't think it has a chance of passing, but let us know. But then, with the largest box having an internal depth of 20 mm, there's no way that a 37 mm thick PLB is going to fit anyway. The larger HDVSEATEK dive canister measures 70mm x 150mm internal, so it'd be a snug fit there.

 

[SeaWarden]

I'm curious why you selected that model instead of the smaller 2881 or newer 2921? I'm sure it'll work well, and it does have 6.3 watts instead of 5, but I don't see the appeal - unless you got a great price. Great that you could get it registered ok, then have it re-registered there.

If you've already ordered the dry box, you may find it useful - and if you can pressure test it to 200 feet, I'd be interested in the results. I don't think it has a chance of passing, but let us know. But then, with the largest box having an internal depth of 20 mm, there's no way that a 37 mm thick PLB is going to fit anyway. The larger HDVSEATEK dive canister measures 70mm x 150mm internal, so it'd be a snug fit there.

I got an amazing price on it, because the box was damaged. And it's using normal CR123 batteries, so if I wanted to change it myself, it be a lot easier.

The internal depth is only 20mm with the foam, when I remove all the foam, it goes to 37mm. And it leaves enough space for some glow sticks on either side of the plb.

 

[tursiops]

I got an amazing price on it, because the box was damaged. And it's using normal CR123 batteries, so if I wanted to change it myself, it be a lot easier.

The internal depth is only 20mm with the foam, when I remove all the foam, it goes to 37mm. And it leaves enough space for some glow sticks on either side of the plb.

The water that is sure to enter at depth shouldn't hurt the glow sticks.

 

[Dan]

My new smaller custom made canister 2”ID x 5”IL is finally fabricated. It’s too tight for PLB1. I don’t recommend it to make one. I had to shave some corners out of the PLB1. See the picture, below.

Compare to the 2.5”ID x 5”IL

Top view of both lids, below

Bottom view of both canisters, below

Side view of both canisters, below

I made the bigger one to fit ACR PLB like the one below.

The reason I made the smaller one is because I try to minimize carrying extra dive weight to counter weight of the extra air space in the canister. May be I can just put a small cup of jello on top of the PLB1. One of these cups, below

I’ll take both canisters for diving down to 100’ deep next weekend. We’ll see how they perform.

 

[chillyinCanada]

@Dan_T , do those have two o rings?

 

[Dan]

No. Just 1.

 

[DandyDon]

The ACR site has suffered from some sort of infection for a couple of days now. I have reported this and received an email from a company rep, but not fix yet....

 

[Dan]

@Dan_T , do those have two o rings?

Good question. It’s only designed for a single o-ring, but you can add a 1/16” thick ring gasket sandwiched between the lid & top of canister (see the detail drawing for the 2.5” ID canister lid & sealing surfaces, below). I think I’m going to ask the machine shop to make one for each canisters.

I can design the lid with double o-rings, but it’ll have 1” thick lid & 1/4” less head space if you are interested. Just let me know.