Personal Locator Beacons - The next generation.

[Neil]

What if someone got drunk and drove an ax into his leg, severed an artery and then went screaming barefoot into the forest in the dark at 32 degrees below zero, spraying arterial blood left and right?

That would be a good reason to push button number three.

Or, you're out alone bushwhacking down off some remote peak, a good 6 hours from a road or trail. It's mid-March, a nice warm sunny day, and you catch a branch in your snowshoe harness and your downhill momentum is enough to make you twist your knee and completely tear your cartilage and ligament. The joint quickly balloons up and you can not bear any weight. The forecast is calling for an overnight low in the upper single digits. The effort of crawling into your emergency bag and bivvy causes enough pain to make you throw up.

Pressing button #3 would initiate a rescue about 18 hours sooner than if your contact person waits until morning as per your instructions. Food for thought, I have to admit. Being connected costs $1200 per year, correct?

[Mavs00]

No, the device it $160 (one time), $100 yearly for the service.




I'll be honest, I'm not sold on it either (yet), because 1) it still uses the OLD GPS chip which mean coverage blows in the ADK's under heavy cover. and 2) It's pretty new technology (which is also risky).

[redhawk]

Originally Posted by Mavs00

No, the device it $160 (one time), $100 yearly for the service.




I'll be honest, I'm not sold on it either (yet), because 1) it still uses the OLD GPS chip which mean coverage blows in the ADK's under heavy cover. and 2) It's pretty new technology (which is also risky).

Actually the technology is not all that new. It's been used by the military for years. It's just recently been approved for use by the public at large.

And I'm still puzzled by this "old chip" thing. My RINO, which has the old chip has never had a problem with signal in the Adirondacks once it's been initially turned on and acquired the birds. from time to time I get a "lost signal" beep, but it reacquires within 15 seconds or so. Only time I have had any lengthy waits for satellite acquisition is if I have been under deep cover and initially turned it on. Perhaps I'm just lucky, or have a super unit or it's the fact that I wear it high on my pack shoulder strap.

I would definitely like to have one for the upcoming trip on the Upper Missouri because we will be backpacking from the river into some remote areas. Of course Lwewis and Clark managed fine without a PLB, but then again, they had Sacajawea. This trip I'm the Indian.

It's a catch 22. It's something that when you buy it, you hope you never have to use it. But, if you don't buy it and get in deep doo-doo, then you'll kick yourself for not buying it.

Hawk-

[Kevin]

I'm expecting Val to get one for the solo bushwhacks she likes to take. It's for her safety and my peace of mind.

The reason for these should be for all the reasons already mentioned. The reasons for abuse are the same train of thought people can use to dismiss just about anything. We should ban all guns, someone may get hurt. We should put limiters on all cars, someone might speed. We should license people to use a computer, otherwise they will unwittingly give out credit card info and/or get/spread a virus. We should ban all computers, someone might use one to hack a government mainframe.

Just because someone, somewhere might misuse something doesn't render that something as a liability. You put clear restrictions on the device's use, and ticket those that use it when unnecessary (which has already been done).

[ADKHUNTER]

I find this thread very interesting. I personally think these gadgets are a great idea. I know my wife would be all for the idea. Price is a concern, but it really depends on usage IMO. I do not hike and backpack NEARLY as much as most of you folks do, in the remote areas especially. I could not justify the cost at this point but would certainly look into them if I ever manage to find time to expand my pursuits. If not for myself then just to give the family peace of mind since I am rarely out on my jaunts with anyone. Accidents can and do happen. Nothing wrong with being prepared.

ED

[toothlessannie]

Over time and with competition, the price will come down. It's a great device if used properly.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Mavs00

No, the device it $160 (one time), $100 yearly for the service.

Ohhh, a hundred bucks a year not per month. That makes it very affordable.

[Mavs00]

Originally Posted by ADKHUNTER

I find this thread very interesting. I personally think these gadgets are a great idea. I know my wife would be all for the idea. Price is a concern, but it really depends on usage IMO. I do not hike and backpack NEARLY as much as most of you folks do, in the remote areas especially. I could not justify the cost at this point but would certainly look into them if I ever manage to find time to expand my pursuits. If not for myself then just to give the family peace of mind since I am rarely out on my jaunts with anyone. Accidents can and do happen. Nothing wrong with being prepared.

ED

You can rent them, but most of the outfit's I found are like $69 for a week, or something silly like that.

I'm actually think of getting one, as it's a required piece of equipment for a guided glacier climb I'm doing later this summer (so is an ava. beacon). I could rent one, but as I do enough goofy stuff in the daks that it could be handy to have for those times too, JIC.

I also have a partn..... errrrr, I mean anonymous friend who likes to do dum.... errrr, I mean more adventurous stuff then me. I'll probably loan it to him for like 15-20 bucks on those silly ventures to offset the cost.

Not really as a way to make money, but more as a way to keep like-minded folks that understand the value of something like that, safe. Plus, rescue folks have a difficult job enough, as it is, if their is a way to offset the difficulties of back-country rescues by using RESPONSIBLE back-country techniques..... It can't be a bad thing, can it?

[DRIFTER]

Seems a little like insurance, something thats good to have and hope you never use. I like the feature of just being able to let people know your ok and will be spending the night away from camp and not to send the troops out!

[DRIFTER]

[QUOTE=toothlessannie;89521]Are these devices registered to individual users or is it just a generic distress call that goes up regardless of who is holding the device.?[/QUOTE;

I'm just assuming, but if your paying monthly for the service, it would seem you would get individualized service........Or yearly?

Here is a recent review of the spot messenger. Basic conclusion is that it is a great idea but needs improvement.

Review

[DRIFTER]

Originally Posted by timetohike

Here is a recent review of the spot messenger. Basic conclusion is that it is a great idea but needs improvement.

Review

Just breezing through your link, I believe it said it was not a PLB, but rather a less expensive alternative! What seemed upsetting about it was that you could not tell if your message was being received, not comforting in an emergency situation..........I think alot of investigating would be in order before the purchase of any of these including PLBs.

[DRIFTER]

While we were posting on these, there were 2 advertisements at the top of the thread for PLBs, [coincidence?]. I did hit on one and the price was $595.00 on sale............


http://www.equipped.org/faq_plb/defa...ction=Cat&ID=4
A question and answer link.......

I just read the last chapter of "At the Mercy of the Mountains." It pretty much sums up this thread.

[Mavs00]

How do you think it got started

I actually did a search on this SPOT device relative to other stuff (a trip out west). But this chapter got me thinking about PLB's and how they are evolving.

[DRIFTER]

http://www.canoekayak.com/gear/acces...plb/index.html

GIVE THIS A QUICK READ, IT ANSWERED ALOT OF MY QUESTIONS.......




After doing a little research,[ and pricing ], on these I think timetohike got it right on the first page.

timetohike, QUOTE; Unfortunately, the plb's are too expensive to be practical at the moment. And the spot locator needs some improvements from what I've read. But I see them being a big benefit in the future.

[Ordin Aryguy]

Instead of introducing a new technology, how about a slight expansion of a solid, well proven, existing technology. The cost to implement is very low, and the personal communications devices themselves are already incredibly widespread.

Yep, skip PLBs and jump right into cell phone technology. All new cell phones are GPS equipped, specifically for safety reasons. Additionally, the cell providers themselves would actually subsidize the expansion of the existing service. Ultimately, the cost to most people would be absolutely nothing, nada, zip, zilch, as they already have cell phones sprouting out of thier heads and hands like a new appendage anyhow.

Think of the appeal here... Really... Where's the down side to always being in touch, you know, just in case of some oddball, freak event in the backcountry. The fact that this service could be made without any additional monthly expense to existing cell phone users should make this proposal simply scream "Where Do I Sign?!"

Of course there's the small issue of the additional cell towers that would have to be built to support this expanded service range. Don't get in an uproar just yet. Those towers are coming anyhow. In this day and age only the incredibly naive still believe that there will be cellular "black holes" forever. This is just speeding up the expansion process a teeny little bit. For the sake of safety, of course.

Save the intial cost of the PLB and the $100 annual fee. Just start a letter writing campaign to the cellular service providers. They'll be glad to make the backcountry a safer place sooner rather than later.

Those fancy cell towers that look like giant Christmas trees aren't all that bad looking, for a safety device that is.


Ordin "don't own a cell phone either" Aryguy

[Mavs00]

Funny this is, and this is something I just post on a similar thread at ADKHP, I don't want this technology on a cell phone. I really am not interested in talking to anyone out in the woods, even if I need them. Actually, the most attractive feature about this is the "I'm friggen OKAY, don't panic" button. It's saves me from having to force or rush my wilderness experience in order to "get out" and communicate with my "contact" to let them know things are fine.

And the few times, I have had something wrong happen, it was minor and certainly didn't require an extensive "call out" so the "things ain't perfect, but don't call out the National Guard just yet" feature is kinda nice too.

Never need a full on SAD response to save me yet, and don't ever intend to, so for me I'd like to continue to consider that a "not needed, but nice" feature that comes with the price of admission.

I agree with you all though, this technology is far from "field tested" for the heavy cover of the Daks. But it will be, sooner, rather than later.

Originally Posted by Mavs00

I agree with you all though, this technology is far from "field tested" for the heavy cover of the Daks. But it will be, sooner, rather than later.

Steve Jobs already has the Apple development team working on the iplb. Only problem is you'll have to send it it in to replace the batteries when they run out. And it won't work until version 2.

[Ordin Aryguy]

Originally Posted by Mavs00

... I don't want this technology on a cell phone. I really am not interested in talking to anyone out in the woods, even if I need them...

.

Mavs, I'll go out on a limb here and say that a simple exit poll of hikers headed back to their cars on any given Sunday would LOVE to be able to talk to people while out in the woods. Present company excluded, of course.

At least entertain the concept of expanded cell phone coverage. The many benefits certainly far outweight the few negatives.

On the positives:
1) Cellular Service Providers would bear the service expansion costs.

2) As most people already have cell phones, the user cost is $0.00 for most folks.

3) The service capabilities are immensely more enhanced than a few mono-directional button pushes calling for help. This is full-on voice, both ways!

4) There is competition among cellular providers. Not so in the PLB market. Consumers win when there's competition for their partonage. (BTW, winning means lower cost)


OK, now for the negatives:
1) Well, there's those new cell towers. But again, they can be gussied up to look like Christmas trees. Might even hang huge bulbs on 'em come December for a little holiday cheer.


The choice seems rather obvious, doesn't it? Why delay the inevitable. Aint technology great?


Ordin