OP
Scuba diver's Personal Locator Beacon - how never to be lost at sea
- Thread starter Mike
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Good enough. You might want to add 'and no one will look for you." The range of the lifeline to a plane or helicopter would be even greater yet.
I was just trying to point out that your two mile estimate was based on a false premise. (But I know you won't concede that, so I can let it go.
) I just think you can make a fair argument for the PLB nuke over the lifeline without portraying the lifeline as less capable than it really is. Certainly anywhere the lifeline could be used, so could the PLB. For instance if you came up a mile from your boat, the SAR people could give you a ride over when they get there, I imagine....
And if your dive boat sank while you were on a dive and you were diving a long way from any decent radio towers and no one knew you were missing to look for you, the lifeline would be of limited help and the SAR people from the PLB might be your only hope. I still have a PLB on my list of dive add ons yet to pick up. Might get a pony bottle first. Should unwrap that mirror and put it in my BCD too. Of course if I can see, I can talk to it....
I was just trying to point out that your two mile estimate was based on a false premise. (But I know you won't concede that, so I can let it go.
) I just think you can make a fair argument for the PLB nuke over the lifeline without portraying the lifeline as less capable than it really is. Certainly anywhere the lifeline could be used, so could the PLB. For instance if you came up a mile from your boat, the SAR people could give you a ride over when they get there, I imagine....And if your dive boat sank while you were on a dive and you were diving a long way from any decent radio towers and no one knew you were missing to look for you, the lifeline would be of limited help and the SAR people from the PLB might be your only hope. I still have a PLB on my list of dive add ons yet to pick up. Might get a pony bottle first. Should unwrap that mirror and put it in my BCD too. Of course if I can see, I can talk to it....
bkopec
Contributor
Hi, trying to get some updated PLB info. I was looking into the ACR 2881 ResQLink+ and Custom Divers canister, but I also saw other forum posts about the FastFind PLB. When I searched "FastFind Dive Canister" to see if there was a different canister not mentioned in this thread out there, I ended up at the Custom Diver's site. It looks like they have the FastFind PLB and canister that seems to be made for that (or maybe it's just a coincidence). Is this the same canister you guys are using for your ResQLink+? Did any of you compare the ResQLink to the FastFind? I'd prefer to just order everything from the same place all other things being equal, especially if the FastFind fits perfectly into the canister w/out any mods. Please let me know what you think. I flooded my Nautilus in Coz and on the subsequent dive surfaced to find our boat was nowhere to be found. That 20-30 mins in the water before another boat finally saw us would have been much less nerve racking if I had some type of communication/emergency device. After reading this and a few other threads I've opted to go the PLB route vs. replacing my Lifeline. Thanks in advance for your help (and thanks for all of the info already in this thread).
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Their video said to not let it become submerged once the antenna is pulled out. That could be a deal breaker. The ACR 2881 has more test features too.
---------- Post added August 1st, 2014 at 05:42 PM ----------
I was asked to indicate where I saw the video I mentioned. I saw it at FastFind 220 and the caution against letting it become submerged at about the 1:30 mark. It's hosted at youtube so I can also post it below.
The Fastfind seems to not be buoyant since it comes with a floating pouch, while I am glad my ACR2881 is in case I lose control of it while trying to activate it, dropping it in water. I also like that I can test connectivity to the satellites. The Fastfind has some appeal, certainly a lot better than nothing or a cell phone, and better than the Nautilus as it can be used inland - but I'll stick with my ACR2881 until the battery runs out at least. There may well be better choices by then.
The admonition on the Fastfind 220 to keep it and the antenna out of the water may be because it would lose the GPS signal. Go deep enough (maybe two feet) and the transmitting antenna is probably rendered unusable. I do not know if having any portion of the transmitting antenna touching the waters surface "grounds" it.
The Fastfind video does state that it is waterproof to 30 feet.
The Fastfind video does state that it is waterproof to 30 feet.
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Mike
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It all depends on what you want, if you want the smallest combination it's not the fast find. If you want something that floats it's not the fast find.
The information in this post was about the device that is:
Smallest foot print
Floats
Waterproof
Those 3 things were the most important to me, but maybe not to you. It didn't matter to me to spend a little more time or a little more money to get a life saving device that I knew if it met my 3 criteria I would not only have it all the time because the size wasn't an issue, secondly that it made little sense to buy something not water proof when it would be used 100% of the time in the water, and the same for it floating or not.
Here is an example of this type device saving people. Note that it is an EPIRB but the basics of the system are the same as for a PLB
Stranded Boater Videotapes Sinking and Rescue - ABC News
Stranded Boater Videotapes Sinking and Rescue - ABC News
tamas970
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I haven't found a related post, how good is this little fellow for the job?
Ocean Signal RescueMe PLB1
The only thing I am worried about that the battery is not user replaceable (practically means I have to send the
unit abroad to get a new battery installed). Is there another small unit around with user serviceable batteries?
Btw I found a nice collection at the Ozzie government site.
Ocean Signal RescueMe PLB1
The only thing I am worried about that the battery is not user replaceable (practically means I have to send the
unit abroad to get a new battery installed). Is there another small unit around with user serviceable batteries?
Btw I found a nice collection at the Ozzie government site.
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