PLB AND MOB

[Ozzie]

Some good thoughts there Andrew. Anyone had a need to activate a location device over the years ? What type and how did it all go ? What do members own.? We’re all (electronic) ears

[Andrew]

I've not owned a PLB, but looking online i found 2 popular PLB's (for sea and land use)

1) The Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1 Personal Locator Beacon https://www.snowys.com.au/rescueme-plb1 ... genumber=2
This one is cheaper around $320 or so, has good reviews, can fit onto a lifejacket or backpack strap. Can submerge 15m for an hour. Needs a floatation pouch on lanyard. Is very small and lightweight, battery life 7 years.


2) ACR ResQLink View 425 Personal Locating Beacon https://www.snowys.com.au/resqlink-view-plb
This costs more, starting at $430. also has good reviews, floats. Has GPS coords display which show up when test button activated. Bit bigger and battery life 5 years.

Both - No subscription fees, must register owner/user with AMSA (and update acct if loaning out) . Both have GPS's, 406 Mhz satellite beacon which transmits GPS location coords to shore station, have 121 Mhz final homing beacons plus strobe lights for rescue helicopters and boats.
Both can be used worldwide (but tell AMSA account where going overseas)

[Ozzie]

Marvin the paranoid Android says …

Three men clinging to esky rescued off 'perilous' southern WA coast.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-01/ ... /101918548

Once again the value of a PLB can’t be underestimated. Saved these guys bacon. We checked out the range at RTM over New Years break . Still researching. Or get a really really big esky

[Andrew]

The I563 is almost a giant esky with all it's inbuilt floatation, and it would stay upright too, unless a large ship had run you down!

Finally bought a PLB, I't a GME "Accusat" (MT610G)

My plan is to wear/carry it for any extreme emergency situations (after other methods like mobile phone, VHF, flares etc fail) . It suits remote adventure activites from hiking, kayaking to solo sailing off communications grid.

[Ozzie]

Hi Andrew. Great you have purchased this. This was one of the options we looked at at anaconda at Xmas. Features (off their site) we’re good, particularly battery life.

Australian made. Compact lightweight design.Inherently buoyant.
IP68 water proof protection. Integrated 72Ch GPS receiver. 7 year battery life
6 year warranty. Easy to deploy

Great it can be used sea, land, Coles, wherever. What ultimately decided you on that one? We are still mulling it over as not currently going travelling any distance. Can it be used OS with suitable advanced notice to provider?

Just an add on for anyone else interested who gets off grid anywhere land or water, vehicle, boat or shanks pony.

https://www.backpacker.com/news-and-eve ... nt-300000/

It’s often debated that those who stick their neck out in potentially dangerous situations should pay for their own rescue. The above came up when I was revisiting my PLB info searching. This is obviously USA stuff and not here but it’s on the cards that this is coming some time in the future. Mainly due to the fact that rescues are costing more and more these days. And adequate preventative measures less and less. Remember that seat belts and PFDS were once optional.

I had a relative, who once did the great northern walk during summer which is discouraged by authorities. He did it solo using minimalist hiking principles and ran out of water. No phone signal of course. I believe all that stopped his trip from being a disaster was that he was in probably the top 5% of the population fitness wise and managed to make a water source. A PLB would have saved him . Minimalist prep does not include leaving out common sense. Marvin..out.

[Andrew]

Australian made. Compact lightweight design.Inherently buoyant.
IP68 water proof protection. Integrated 72Ch GPS receiver. 7 year battery life
6 year warranty. Easy to deploy

Great it can be used sea, land, Coles, wherever. What ultimately decided you on that one? We are still mulling it over as not currently going travelling any distance. Can it be used OS with suitable advanced notice to provider?

Just an add on for anyone else interested who gets off grid anywhere land or water, vehicle, boat or shanks pony.

https://www.backpacker.com/news-and-eve ... nt-300000/

G'day Ozzie,

I was searching the net and it came up on special for Anaconda club membership at $305, so was temporarily the cheapest one around here by far (they are usually mid $300 - $400ish). Plus Australian made and all the above you mentioned. They operate world wide, (just update your AMSA online beacon rego account with trip details) Pocket sized (when out of it's protective semihard $26 case) and easy to raise antena. The other thing is there's no subscription fees (like "spot", "Garmin inreach" etc, more suited to companies)

Did the 2 tests, it worked (without sending "Help save me!". press the green button, don't press the red button! Bit like the Matrix movies pills, they are about 1cm apart so be carefull! ). first test is indoors makes sure the electronics/batt are good, the 2nd GPS aquisition test was after dark as i couldn't see the flashing green LED in strong sunlight. Once the antenna is re-stowed, it covers the buttons so no way can anyone accidentally bump it on (plus the carry case helps too) just keep it well away from kids etc. (GME has good utube vids on operating stuff)

The good thing about GPS PLB's is on emergency activation (red button), it only takes minutes for data to reach authorities. especially your exact coordinates (+/-100m) are 406Mhz beamed upto Geostationary equatorial satellites (70degN-70degS constant coverage) and more irregular polar orbit LEO sats and back to earth stations. the ID/coord data is merged with AMSA beacon rego data (owner/contact/ boat description etc), phone checks done to weed out the 97% of false alarms. Then the SAR sea/air craft head for you, with RDF = radio direction finders, that lock onto your beacons 121mhz homing signal. If at night, there is a flashing white strobe going on it too. It's modern miracle it all works so well. It might take a bit longer if you go on an antarctic expedition or visit santa at north pole.

The only thing with a small PLB is it must be held clear of water with vertical antena somehow if swimming (esky lid?) , or put on a flat surface like the deck or rocks (with good sky view). It can only signal for 24hrs or so.

The much bigger marine EPIRB signals best when floating in smooth water and can signal for 48hrs or longer, it's the first choice for offshore boats and PLB's are secondary. (but if you never go past the 2nm offshore and smooth waters limits, and 4WD, camp, kayak, dinghy etc allot too, a PLB would likely be first choice, they go anywhere easily) I got my PLB for dinghy/kayak/ maybe a bush camp (and Teria "solo man" overboard )

Checked Teria's EPIRB a GME MT400 from 2014. A simple system (without GPS). The digital ID info gets out fast, but it can/often take hours for Canberra to determine a rough 5km position, (as position calculation data trickles in from sats and aircraft) before they decide to alert search and rescue (SAR). So you could be 1-5 hours on the rocks or sunk before your local SAR gets to the big search area of your estimated position. The 121mhz homing beacon with their RDF does help allot, but the search takes longer and costs more. (Hence pre-trip logs with CG /VMR useful)

for me at least it's worth spending an extra $50 to get a GPS-EPIRB (like the GME MT600G) (saw one for $304 at anaconda club) and save those long hours of hell awaiting rescue. (difference between life or potential death basically) The whole new GPS-beacon system also saves the SAR authorities (taxpayers/volunteer Coast guard) a fortune too, as rescuers can go straight to your GPS-beacon without much searching. (still 3 years left on my current plain EPIRB's lifespan to go tho, so wait until then. )

and no need to burn down whole forests either. $300 is better than $USD 300,000 fines! (thanks for that story too, interesting about not enough water carried for hot days, then severe leg cramps can't walk out)

[Andrew]

This is an interesting story,

Yacht sunk by a whale mid ocean but crew saved quickly by modern safety systems.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2 ... ic-rescue/

It details the use of EPIRB, PLB , VHF and all the safety equipment in use. The skipper was well prepared (except he had a production fin keel fiberglass hull which couldnt take whale impact, steel hull probably would've survived the hit)

The 44ft yacht sank in a similar location to the whaling ship "Essex" in 1820, a true story which gave rise to the famous book "Moby Dick" by Melville. Movie "Heart of the sea" covers it fairly well (with a bit of Holywood flair), bit worse for the crew in those old days. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1390411/

[Ozzie]

Good article Andrew. When researching PLB stuff you can see the advantage of a device with permanent guaranteed battery in the scheme of things. It was nice to be able to tell his family he was ok but in the end you want that emergency signal screaming “ get me the # out of here “

The open sea is not little old ladiesville. It’s dead dickey. Whales, abandoned containers, pirates, electricity salesman. You need to keep your prep and training up to scratch. These guys had, and did all the right stuff.

Yonks ago I used to listen to a lot of sailing podcasts when driving long distance. I remember one guy saying “why would you go to sea in a boat that can sink?”. I think same guy sailed in Oz and NZ but inflated three big tractor tubes inside the cabin when crossing the ditch between. Solo sailing and he only needed access to the nav station, the galley, the head and the quarter berth . Rest of the boat was full of inner tubes.

Have to watch that movie.

[Peter T]

Speaking of good videos etc to watch, has everyone looked at Jessica Watson's story on Netflix called " Pink Lady " . As well as getting run over by a ship, She got end for ended in the southern ocean. Well worth a look

[Andrew]

Jessica watson was also on utube during her voyage, it was sometimes very difficult out there, and took allot of determination and grit to complete the whole circumnavigation, (especially after that near rundown at the beginning).

It's amazing that virtually no lifejackets have utility pockets for additional saftey gear (maybe better luck in the big city?). So just wear an old bumbag/waist bag with PLB stowed inside, once clear of port.

Also bought an inflatable PFD150 (offshore) lifejacket. "Marlin" brand on special for $60 at BCF. It's so unobstrusive, so gets worn from the river onwards. (still like the kayak jacket for getting ashore in yak).