Personal Locator Beacons
Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher
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blueldr
- Posts: 4442
- Joined: Thu May 02, 2002 3:16 am
Personal Locator Beacons
I'm really interested in these new PLBs and would appreciate hearing of anyones experience with them or even their reason for settling on any particular type or make. How much do they cost---size---battery requirements--- any other data.
BL
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cessna170bdriver
- Posts: 4114
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2002 5:13 pm
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Lucky
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:14 am
blueldr,
The PLB issue has been raked over the coals several hundred times on a site called backcountrypilot.org...there's more information there than you could ever use.
I bought my ACR PLB based on features (internal gps and 121.5 beacon in addition to the 406MHz network), and on price. I could have spent another two hundred bucks to get one a bit smaller, but saw no reason to. Given the choice again, I might go for the smaller one. I like to keep the PLB on my person while I'm flying, and smaller would be nicer. One of the websites listed in the above link had them for a hundred bucks less than anywhere else...I think it was a marine life raft supplier.
Having never used it, I can't tell you how it works. It appears to be very robust, and the literature indicates it will get rescuers to within a few yards of your position. It's also waterproof.
When you register the device (required) you get to provide a lot of personal information and phone numbers. For instance I mentioned that the device will be used by both myself and my wife, both pilots but with different sur-names. In the event of a activation, a quick review of my registration page will tell rescuers that it's most likely a plane crash, and there are six listed phone numbers they can call to verify that we are not sitting at home or at work. That's important. Most search and rescue calls are false alarms, and rescue coordinators don't put people into the field until they can confirm that someone is actually in need of assistance. The more they are able to cross check, the quicker they will actually start trying to find you.
I bought the PLB because I spend a lot of time flying over the Sierra's and Nevada...areas where it's been proven beyond a doubt that a downed plane will not be found without a beacon of some sort (remember Steve Fossett). I also hate filing flight plans, and usually don't fly high enough to have radio contact which will allow me to give position updates. Flight plans are a good idea, and if I'm doing a cross country from California to Idaho then I file, but if I'm going out for an afternoon of wandering, I don't. Without a flight plan my 121.5 ELT is useless. A signal mirror will bring help faster.
I guess the primary reason I bought it is to save my family the stress of having to wait four or five days before I'm found after a successfull crash landing. That alone is more than worth the money.
The PLB issue has been raked over the coals several hundred times on a site called backcountrypilot.org...there's more information there than you could ever use.
I bought my ACR PLB based on features (internal gps and 121.5 beacon in addition to the 406MHz network), and on price. I could have spent another two hundred bucks to get one a bit smaller, but saw no reason to. Given the choice again, I might go for the smaller one. I like to keep the PLB on my person while I'm flying, and smaller would be nicer. One of the websites listed in the above link had them for a hundred bucks less than anywhere else...I think it was a marine life raft supplier.
Having never used it, I can't tell you how it works. It appears to be very robust, and the literature indicates it will get rescuers to within a few yards of your position. It's also waterproof.
When you register the device (required) you get to provide a lot of personal information and phone numbers. For instance I mentioned that the device will be used by both myself and my wife, both pilots but with different sur-names. In the event of a activation, a quick review of my registration page will tell rescuers that it's most likely a plane crash, and there are six listed phone numbers they can call to verify that we are not sitting at home or at work. That's important. Most search and rescue calls are false alarms, and rescue coordinators don't put people into the field until they can confirm that someone is actually in need of assistance. The more they are able to cross check, the quicker they will actually start trying to find you.
I bought the PLB because I spend a lot of time flying over the Sierra's and Nevada...areas where it's been proven beyond a doubt that a downed plane will not be found without a beacon of some sort (remember Steve Fossett). I also hate filing flight plans, and usually don't fly high enough to have radio contact which will allow me to give position updates. Flight plans are a good idea, and if I'm doing a cross country from California to Idaho then I file, but if I'm going out for an afternoon of wandering, I don't. Without a flight plan my 121.5 ELT is useless. A signal mirror will bring help faster.
I guess the primary reason I bought it is to save my family the stress of having to wait four or five days before I'm found after a successfull crash landing. That alone is more than worth the money.
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Jr.CubBuilder
- Posts: 517
- Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 10:33 pm
Ditto what he said, but I coughed up the extra bucks for the small one, I think it's the microfix.Lucky wrote: I bought my ACR PLB based on features (internal gps and 121.5 beacon in addition to the 406MHz network), and on price. I could have spent another two hundred bucks to get one a bit smaller, but saw no reason to. Given the choice again, I might go for the smaller one. I like to keep the PLB on my person while I'm flying, and smaller would be nicer. One of the websites listed in the above link had them for a hundred bucks less than anywhere else...I think it was a marine life raft supplier.
I decided to get one after my Globalstar phone quit working because their satelites turned out to be junk, and also because of an interesting experience I had with a flight plan of my own. I forgot to close my flight plane after returning from out of state, remembered it over four hours after its expiration, called in a panic and they asked if I was N# such and such because they had just started a search for him, I said no I was N#this and that after which there was a long pause and I was told that must have already been closed because he didn't show show anything for that N#. Hmmmmmmmmmm, I know I opened that flight plan but somewhere along human error had lost me, at which point I lost all faith in flight plans. The PLB cost a pretty penny, but I think it's pretty good insurance and I to do most of my flying in a down low wandering manner often to places without a phone so flight following and flight plans are essentially useless for me.
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blueldr
- Posts: 4442
- Joined: Thu May 02, 2002 3:16 am
Thanks fellas,
The replys have been interesting. I have sent off for information on the "SPOT Satellite Messenger" which wil apparently l send either a cell phone or email message to your home to advise them of your status. It can also send your track en route. Costs about $150 plus an annual service fee of about $100. There are apparently additional services available at some additional cost. I'm looking forward to learning more about it.
At my age, I have some difficulty walking from the curb into my house. Can you immagine how far I could walk out from a forced landing on the Black Rock Desert in Nevada when en route to Idaho?
BL
The replys have been interesting. I have sent off for information on the "SPOT Satellite Messenger" which wil apparently l send either a cell phone or email message to your home to advise them of your status. It can also send your track en route. Costs about $150 plus an annual service fee of about $100. There are apparently additional services available at some additional cost. I'm looking forward to learning more about it.
At my age, I have some difficulty walking from the curb into my house. Can you immagine how far I could walk out from a forced landing on the Black Rock Desert in Nevada when en route to Idaho?
BL
BL
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