How many carry a PLB ? - (Pers. locator Beacon)

Remember that story a few years ago where some college student was was using some sort of PLB like it was an Avalance beacon in Colorado? He was turning it on all over the place, and then turning it off and heading home. Took quite a few trips before the the rescue teams could catch up with him.

I am not sure, but I think you just have to send it in for another battery and check over…

But yeah, 5 years…I imagine the technology will be superior compared to current.

wankel7 wrote:Does ACR replace the beacon if you activate for a real deal emergency? I wasn't aware of that? Honestly, in five years my battery will be expired but I can't wait to see what has happened to beacon technology in five years. I will be buying a new one for sure.

as for spot vs acr vs any other plb -- I haven't seen one outperform any other one in actual emergencies.

Even though they might use different systems, the official call-outs & locate info are still going to happen with similar speed, accuracy, or error margin whether through a given company's comm ctr or the afrcc.

Two-way texting would be a huge improvement. User registration would also be a good idea; which used to be a big problem, I don't know if it still is or not.

Buff,

The ACR unit requires one to register it through the government.
Then the Air Force is the one who picks up the ping.

I have heard of SPOTs not working, but maybe this was the message feature, and
not the emergency call??

It seems that the Air Force and government satellites would be a bit faster than the
subscription company based SPOT, but Buff says otherwise. I remember you work in emergency rescue services, right? What is the details on that subject, that you know..
(About the time of one vs another…)

Cheers,
C

I carry and ISatPhone Pro, a satellite phone. After having an incident where I was unable to request help but would have if I could, I decided I needed something and considered the SPOT. I think the ability communicate more than I need help is very valuable, in my case I would have asked for a horse for a ride out. I also like the idea of positive feedback, e.g. knowing the message got through.

The SPOT is NOT a personal locator beacon! It is a satellite messenger with some limited emergency functionality. Way better than nothing, but nowhere near as 'bombproof reliable' as a PLB. It's more suited for casual hikers/backpackers who like to 'check in' with their significant others. Never as a 'OH SHIT I NEED A HELI RESCUE ASAP' device.

SPOT devices need line of sight with a Globalstar satellite that ALSO has line of sight with a ground station. Since the globalstar network isn't geostationary, this gives you a narrow window of time to broadcast a signal depending on your location. In a canyon or in a valley it may be impossible to get line of sight at all.

A PLB, on the other hand, uses the same global SARSAT network used for aircraft and maritime vessel rescue. The device will first search for a GPS fix. It will then begin broadcasting on both 406mhz and 121.5mhz (used for honing), embedding the GPS coordinates if they are available. This network immediately relays the distress call to the nearest SAR team or if none is available, to the nearest branch of the military. Worst case scenario (weather so bad you can't get a GPS fix), they send the air force to search for you and can hone in using the radio beacon. Oh, and as a plus if you make it out alive ACR will replace your unit for free (assuming you tell them your story).

There are only two manufacturers of PLB's for general outdoor use (the rest are for aircraft and boats) ACR and McMurdo. You can't really go wrong with either. Unless you're willing to get the relatively heavy McMurdo Fastfind Max-G (which has a ridiculously high-end multichannel GPS receiver and higher broadcast power than any other handheld unit) then ACR units are much lighter and smaller (and very bombproof). Plus you can send VERY sporadic 'I'm OK' messages from ACR units (you're limited to 300 or so before the battery needs to be replaced).

Added note:
It is a very good idea to purchase rescue insurance if you plan on undertaking a very lofty mountaineering goal or venturing on a long excursion somewhere far away from dedicated SAR. This is especially true in Europe (where you're always responsible for SAR costs). If you're an AAC member you get good discounts on this stuff.

Whether or not you classify a spot as a plb, the notification ends up as an official emergency response; dispatch, the sheriff, and ultimately the responders get word about the help needed. It has been effective as the oh shit send everything, and I've seen the acr perform just as error prone as the spot; it's just a tool to help with a locate.

Finding someone has been made with just a shitty triangulated ping off a cell phone. I've seen this more than any true plb emergency.