Locator Beacon poll

[woadams123]

Besides the poll questions, are there any additional thoughts regarding beacons you would add?

[Parker]

Your poll is confusing. I think they should be statements.

I have never carried one but my friend has since they came out with them. Luckaly he has never had to use it but the new one he has tracks where he goes. Pretty cool.
At work I have responded to 2 SPOT beacons. One pushed on accident and the other because the group was tired and didn't want to treck out of the Colorado River after they hiked down and started back up. 700 ft climb, just around a mile. They got quite an earfull from my Captain.

[Canyonbug]

I carry a SPOT with me when I go out. I have never had to use it for an emergency (Thank goodness), but I do use it all the time to send OK messages. I make sure to leave with my wife a map of the canyon and then I will hit my SPOT Ok message when I start, during the trip, and when I am done. It's nice for my wife to be able to see a progression of where I am at just in case she needs to call out someone to come find me. They will have a better idea of at least where to start from as well as the GPS coords.

[Canyon Kelp]

IMO the best use of this is in long distance hiking like the Pacific Crest Trail

The "OK" function reassures loved ones you are on track. Progressing nicely.

but the lack of an "OK" message is just that...

In a canyon if that is where you'd want to signal for help the ACR Electronics SARLink 406 Personal Locator Beacon or some such unit would be a better choice since it uses a locator beacon in addition to the GPS to provide your location

It is a poor substitute for a detailed trip plan left with a responsible individual and sticking to it.

It seems to me it would be helpful if the ACA established some universal emergency procedures like a FRS/GRMS frequency for emergency traffic and an altimeter reading to locate the spot where help is needed

GPS needs a clear view of the sky and steep walled canyons don't cut it

a decent elevation would fix the location pretty good

One thing has always puzzled me...

Why is it not possible to setup a local cellular site for emergency communications, or use frequency scanners to look for signals from radios and cell phones (radios), These electronic emissions are gonna locate some one pretty good

This is from a non-technical persons view point

[rcwild]

It seems to me it would be helpful if the ACA established some universal emergency procedures like a FRS/GRMS frequency for emergency traffic and an altimeter reading to locate the spot where help is needed.

Are you volunteering for a project, Matt? If so, let me know what resources you need from the ACA to get it done.

[Canyon Kelp]

Are you volunteering for a project, Matt? If so, let me know what resources you need from the ACA to get it done.

yeah sure...

just some sort of SOP (radio traffic) for emergencies, and putting it out there for comment and adoption

probably some sort of recommendation as to describing your location

matt

[woadams123]

All, what has been your experience or those that you have heard of regarding 406 MHz vs. Globalstar systems (spot)? From wikipedia: "it depends (the spot) on the GlobalStar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GlobalStar) satellite system. It has richer features (for instance, can send many non-emergency signals) -- but it does not work in as many places as 406 MHz PLBs". I like the fact that the SARLink 406 does not have an annual fee. Are there other drawbacks/advantages?

[cougarmagic]

I've found it extremely rare that I'm not able to get a signal out from my SPOT. The trick seems to be staying still. The tracking feature will miss a few signals here and there while hiking, but that's hard to tell if they're being missed from tree/rock cover, or speed of movement. I can't think of a time one of my OK messages didn't go through. I always look for a place with a clear view of the sky, hit the button, and give it a couple of minutes in that place. Granted, these locations are on long hikes or in CA canyons, which are not as slotted as Utah and others. Lights on the unit show you if it has a good signal or not, although there is no good way to know if the message actually went through aside from that.

Do you think Wiki quote may have more to do with "coverage" around the world, than signal strength in particular environments? Meaning, you couldn't get a message out from Antarctica because their satellite array doesn't cover that area?

Globalstar is launching new satellites this summer to improve their sat. phone capabilities, and will be releasing a new SPOT that is part of a GPS unit, that can send customized messages from the field (don't have to pre-program from home). I think it will also indicate when a message has been sent successfully.

I :heart: techie gear....:)

[woadams123]

Sounds like the OK feature is worth the $. The SARLink 406 appears larger than the spot and gear space/size is more important to me than weight. It would be cool to test both the spot and SARLink 406 in-canyon and see what the difference is. I think the SARLink 406 only has an emergency mode, so how could one test them without calling out SAR?

For those of you with SAR (Sonny, Parker, etc.), has the popularity of the spot put a burden on SAR such as the examples Parker gave and what is your perspective on these devices when you are part of the rescue team?