EPIRB personal satellite beacon locator

[String]

So (i) its not an EPIRB and (ii) wont work at sea if its set off due to a trivial matter and (iii) still goes to SARSAT so still activates global services regardless.

 

[tonka97]

OK: quoted from site posted by OP (me): http://www.landfallnavigation.com/spwff1.html

PLBs were designed to give people in trouble a good chance of being rescued, whether they get lost or hurt in the backcountry, fall overboard, or their vessel sinks from under them. However, like all emergency equipment, they must be used correctly and within the limits of their performance.

A PLB is not a substitute for an EPIRB aboard an offshore vessel, largely because PLBs have a battery life in the neighborhood of only 24 hours. While your approximate location may be determined by the satellite-signaling 406Mhz beacon, it is the 121.5Mhz homing beacon that will bring a rescuer close to you. If you are well offshore, it could be far longer than 24 hours before a surface vessel can reach you. Furthermore, PLBs were designed to be carried by an individual; they lack the robust construction and permanent-mounting capability of a full-sized EPIRB.

For mariners, we believe that a PLB is a great device for two purposes.

First, its short-range 121.5Mhz homing signal is highly useful as an overboard recovery device — if have on board a radio direction finder that receives 121.5Mhz. The Guardian Receiver/RDF, which can be found on this site, is simple, inexpensive, and perfect for locating a 121.5Mhz beacon. (If you are looking for this crew-overboard recovery feature exclusively, the ACR MiniB 300 emits a 121.5Mhz signal only — no 406Mhz signal to satellites— and costs 1/4 the price of a PLB. Pair it with the Guardian Receiver/RDF, and you have a great crew overboard recovery system for under $350.)

Second, a PLB can be a life-saver for near-shore fishermen, sea kayakers, and others who do not travel far from shore.

For offshore vessels, our strong advice is to stick to a rugged, vessel-mounted, long-lived EPIRB for the ultimate fall-back safety device for your vessel. Equip yourself and each crew member with a good auto-inflatable vest, a tether, and jacklines — and use them. If you want the additional security of a homing device for locating crew overboard, make sure your vessel is also equipped with a suitable RDF.

 

[tonka97]

More info re: the device described in the OP: http://www.landfallnavigation.com/spwff1.html

"The Fastfind Plus is a revolutionary hand-held Personal Location Beacon that features a built-in GPS receiver (Global Positioning System) combined with a 406 MHz transmitter and 121.5 MHz homing signal. In the event of an emergency, Pains Wessex Fastfind Plus 406 PLB EPIRB w/ Internal GPSan alert signal is transmitted to Cospas-Sarsat satellites and forwarded to a rescue coordination center within typically 3 minutes. The built-in GPS receiver will provide latitude and longitude coordinates to give a position to within typically 98 feet anywhere in the world."

 

[tonka97]

So (i) its not an EPIRB and (ii) wont work at sea if its set off due to a trivial matter and (iii) still goes to SARSAT so still activates global services regardless.

Yes it is an EPIRB

Yes it will work at sea

Yes it activates global services.



***: Ban Religion????? In a foxhole, or OOA emergency, there are no atheists.

 

[Peter_C]

Why not carry a flare or two and light one off long before an EPIRB? At least then you are alerting nearby vessels only.

 

[tonka97]

Why not carry a flare or two and light one off long before an EPIRB? At least then you are alerting nearby vessels only.

If the dive boat has left you, the flares will be pretty.

They will also be pretty useless.

The idea of EPIRB is predicated upon the condition that all of your other countermeasures have failed. The EPIRB is your link to rescue in this situation.

If flares float your boat, by all means use them!

 

[String]

Flares are always at risk of getting wet, not working and not terribly effective if nobody is in sight. They're about as useless as the signalling dye generally.

EPIRB will at least work regardless of whether someone is in range or not and sarsat coverage is now virtually global. Remote area diving theyre a good idea for guides or people trained to be sensible in their use. Even now though the numbers of false alarm stretch services particulary at busy times and there is a serious danger of "crying wolf" and inappropriate use.

 

[Peter_C]

Flares are visible for miles and miles. So if they are dry and deployed properly, they may attract a passing boat, no matter if it is the one looking for you or not. One you may not be able to see from water level even.

I never said do not carry an EPIRB, just to hold off on deploying it until necessary.

I never dive without my SMB and recommend one to anyone diving open water.

 

[RayJayJr]

As an avid back country skier - I can tell you that it's pretty unlikely that a device explicitly intended for emergency purposes is very often going to be used accidentally, there are simply no numbers to support this claim. A couple dozen false positives a year is to be expected.

To assume that after your signal goes off, lets say accidentally, that the coast guard, the navy, and the locals are just going to start randomly launching boats at your signal without any coordination is a bit silly. One would think there would be at least minimal effort to confirm the distress signal before deploying resources.

I do remember when I was little, that there were occasional false positive that ended up costing a couple local heli-operators in one of our national parks a good chunk of money in wasted fuel and pilot up-time, but that problem was almost immediately corrected by provincial legislation. There are now stiff fines for misuse of a locater, and one can only assume the diving community will pick up on this too.

 

[Cacia]

EPIRBS will become more and more common.

If the family driving on the snowy road in Oregon had had one in the glove box...they would have been located.

I plan to throw mine in my bag when go aboard other's boats for interisland crossings. They will be big consumer items for people with small children. (I only bought mine after losing an engine and my son was on board, on crutches with a broken leg and I had a freaky mommy moment, envisioning us tossed into the surf zone.) They will sell.

Also, I think you have to consider that they might actually SAVE search and rescue dollars if they prevent massive mutiple day searches.