PLB info

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LeeCat

Registered
Messages
38
Reaction score
1
Location
South Africa
# of dives
100 - 199
Dear community,

It was a lot of discussions about use/usefulness of PLBs as well as some technical/financial parameters and implications scattered all over the Scubaboard forums. Mainly 2 types of PLBs were discussed: McMurdo FastFind family and ACR ResQLink.

I found 2 more types, but didn't find any independent 3rd party info:
- PLB1 from Ocean Signal (PLB1 PLB)
- MT410 from GME (PLBS | GME)

I'll be very happy if somebody can provide opinion/hands-on experience for the devices above.
 
Thanks for starting the thread. I am really interested in whatever information comes to light here:)
 
Hands on experience means someone triggering his PLB or bought some models to compare sizes ?

PLB is not a toy, once they have COSPAS/SARSAT approval, they can't be low quality....that is one good news.
The key is :

01. Smallest size. So u tend to want to carry it , instead of being hampered by it.

02. Longest battery transmission , if possible.

03. Must be GPS embedded. 406 GPS with no embedded GPS is crap for position accuracy. That MT410 u linked, don't waste ur money on jurassic version PLB with no GPS chip embedded.

04. Must have at least some sort of light or strobe or the like.

05. At least 5 meters water submersion rating, higher is better just in case big wave swallow you and flood the PLB.


06. Longest battery storage life. 5 - 7 years. The 7 years is 40% cheaper on battery change, so to speak. Smallest model with 48 hours battery transmission life and self battery change is Kaanan/Mcmurdo MAX-G
Fast Find Max-G

The more remote the dive area and 3rd world country ( poor ) the longer the battery transmission life .......higher chance they will find you.....eventually.

Poor country SAR procedure :
- Vessel has no fuel, wait wait wait...buy fuel with lorry, as there is no gas pump marina style
- Emergency contact person of PLB owner negotiate.....fast fast fast.....private funding if neccesary
- SAR boat has only low range VHF and not sat-com, small outboard powered. So your position data is old news.
They will take ages to find you as they can not communicate while at sea to the LUT ( Cospas Satsat data center in each country ) and you change position every hour by 1856 meters in a 1 knot current.
- come night fall, no thermal imaging, no night vision, no radar....they head back to base. You drift further, your battery is lower now. Next day morning they got latest positioning data from LUT. They head out again......come big wave, boat so slow. They nearly got to you...........then your battery kapoot....its 24 hours up already...they lost you.

Get two of PLB1, its the world smallest now....so you got 24 + 24 hours and at least 1 extra PLB if Murphy decided to dislike you and kapoot your 1st PLB. Price of 48 hours battery life Mcmurdo MAX-G is nearly twice of a smaller FF220 anyway.

Why two PLB-s ? Because my country is poor and I dive at location so remote......SAR boat is not always available.
It will be private funded rescue....or LOB dive vessel being phoned by my wife/emergency contact. Hence my group carry 3 satellite phones when doing remote area. Local one, Inmarsat Baby handheld and a Thuraya.



I own :

2 of PLB1 <<<< so I can carry two units.
1 of FF210 <<< soon battery will expire in 2014 ending. I got this in 2009. Looking at Max-G double price over Mcmurdo FF220, so I got 2 of Ocean Signal PLB1 instead. Win win situation.

And I carry a Marine VHF too......Icom M72 in a housing.


Sorry, I never fire any of the PLB...:D, so me do not know but I can tell you one thing....the response is awesome from SAR authority if you are in a rich country as their SAR vessel has the right long range radio communication to SAR center and your cordinate is updated fast.

Most impotant also to note, poor countries helicopter may not always have a winch. Without a winch and 30 miles offshore...we saw a helicopter only to feel good, perhaps some water n food thrown to you....but they can not pick you up.
They got to wait for a boat to come. Unless pilot is a super holywood stuntman and sea is flat....I doubt a regular Joe chopper pilot will dare hoover so low and let you climb on board from landing leg. Chopper flying duration is not great, they can baby sit you more than few hours only. If chopper come only to loose you again due to fuel reserve....this is totally a moral killer.


Dive safe.
 
What he said LeeCat, if the thing is a real product not some chinese ripoff it meets all the proper criteria of being a PLB, what more is there to know? Just get one!
 
I have been looking to get a PLB in Indonesia or reprogram the country code of one to Indonesia. Where did you buy your's or have your's reprogrammed?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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