Personal Locator Beacons

I am planning to do some solo trips in the future, and my parents really want to get me a Personal Locator Beacon. Anyone have any experiances or reccomendations? I am not really sure how I feel about the whole issue...

findmespot.com/en/

Get it. It works. I know from experience. The new Delorme GPS/Spot combo model that allows you to send text messages on the fly is a HUGE step up from the old model.

I have a SPOT (first version) and it works for me. I've used it on cycling trips and mountaineering. Read up a lot on what it does and does not do before you buy one.

The new SPOT/GPS thingy looks sweet. I can't wait to get to test one which it looks like I might get a chance.

Chris(90), I can feel for the whole "must report where I am all the time" problem. I mean we get out to the back-country to get away.

How I view these things are just a tool; if you need help, they work well. Certainly no replacement to education, experience, and talent. But keep in mind, anyone can have that bad day, it'd be a good thing to have help know where you are so aid can be rendered as quickly as needed.

Along with the Spot, there's also a govt service which the ACR provides -- you can review both at REI or google them; different systems and costs, but they both will alert to SAR.

Has anyone used the ACR? They are a lot more expensive, but seem a bit better than the SPOTS

You're going to get less feedback on the ACR or true emergency beacons because you're only going to hit them (if you're not an idiot) in a true emergency.

I've only used my SPOT in tracking mode/OK mode. I know of 2 personal instances were someone was seriously injured and used the spot to call for help. One bike accident in the mountains outside DGO and the other a car crash outside of steamboat. Hell when Chad and I broke our ankles in the avy I still didn't hit the 911 button but I trust that it works if I have no other option.

One piece of advice that someone told me for the SPOT is to tell whoever will be receiving them that you will update your OK button "occasionally", as opposed to "daily". This way, if you end up having so much fun that you forget to hit the OK button one night you won't have a wife/girlfriend/mom/whoever sending out search and rescue on a false alarm.

This said, the SPOT is a pretty neat tool.

One difference between the SPOT and other PLBs is that the SPOT transmits at around 1600 MHz instead of the dual 406 and 121.5 MHz that the other PLBs use. This has a couple of implications. One, the 406 MHz signal is now standard for downed aircraft, marine distress signals, etc. and is monitored by several government systems, so the coverage is better than for SPOT (see for example an old coverage map for SPOT here ).

In addition, and probably more importantly, the 121.5 MHz signal is an analog emergency tone that used to be standard for downed aircraft. This means that SAR teams on the ground can use standard antenna and techniques for locating downed aircraft in case the satellite location was not reliable (which it can be depending on the terrain, etc.). I'm not sure how many instances this may come into play (I know one around here where the 121.5 signal was used), perhaps Mark has some additional insight here?

That being said, the SPOT does have the OK feature for family, whereas the PLBs are just for emergencies. Also, in the cost differences, you will want to consider the subscription costs to SPOT.

Google reviews for the SPOT--its a piece of shit and I certainly wouldn't bet on it working when you need it. REI took the reviews down because they don't give a shit and they just want to sell them, but it showed approx 100 people rated it 2 out of 5 stars. I did a bunch of research on it and I'd go McMurdo--its the lightest/smallest, it works on 406mhz, and it only costs $300.

+1 for the McMurdo. I just want something that is going to for sure work when I hit the button, and from some of the reviews I've seen about the Spot, that's not it. I'm only going to use the thing when I have no other option and definitely need someone to help and when I do I want the device with the most reliable record of successful communication, and that's a PLB like the McMurdo or other brands.

Is that device & NAVTEX for maritime/Coast Guard only, or does it also relay to the AFRCC?
(I think it may also be good with COSPAS-SARSAT, though it seems more a focus for marketing in the UK. I'm just not that familiar with this device.)

To answer one of those previous questions, I believe RMRG was able to DF a new model of the ACR (which brought an end to the avy-guy problem). I don't know if you can do it with a Spot. I do know that we've had successful activations with both Spot & ACR.

Also to note, sometimes a cell phone ping can possibly be triangulated when you dial up dispatch; I think about 4 different parties located in our wilderness areas and all were in need of rescue even though they couldn't get a full signaled call out.

There's always margin of error with any of these, but the longer the signal is communicating with the system & doesn't move, that error gets refined. As long as it gets responders to the correct mountain/valley, the find by ground personnel happens pretty fast. The avy deployment team by heli has been able to do lat/long locates as well.

I have the ACR TerraFix 406. For true reliability in a Personal Locator Beacon, you will have to step up to a genuine PLB (not a SPOT). PLB technology is very dependable and SAR teams can track the signal in addition to the GPS coordinates the device transmits. For someone who wants to solo in the backcountry, get the real deal!
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Also, don't forget to register your beacon; not only is it required, but it actually helps out the search effort.

Dhamma wrote:Google reviews for the SPOT--its a piece of shit and I certainly wouldn't bet on it working when you need it. REI took the reviews down because they don't give a shit and they just want to sell them, but it showed approx 100 people rated it 2 out of 5 stars. I did a bunch of research on it and I'd go McMurdo--its the lightest/smallest, it works on 406mhz, and it only costs $300.

Have you used one yourself or are you just jumping on the bashing train?

There might be a lot of negative reviews on it but there are also a ton of people who don't pay any attention to what they're buying nor how to use it. I've used mine quite a long time now and I have no issue with it functioning as advertised for the modes I use. If it doesn't work for you then don't buy one but don't just spout off on stuff you haven't used.

I have a SPOT I (they make a newer SPOT II) and after I learned how to effectively use it, it works 100% of the time (but I've never had to use the distress buttons). When I say "effectively," it's sort of buried in the directions but the face of the unit must be facing skyward to effectively transmit; pick a flat rock for that. Another tip is that once the button is pressed, both lights will blink in tandem; but only when the right light stays lit for about 5 seconds is the beacon actually transmitting to a satellite. That may take 5+ minutes. When I first got it I was just pressing the transmit button with the unit facing me, then turning it off a couple of minutes later. Yeah, stupid me, but now following these two rules it now transmits 100% of the time. FWIW, my wife loves the occasional check-in ability, she knows when I'm running really late, etc. Just my experiences,
-Tom

Mark Nelson wrote:Also, don't forget to register your beacon; not only is it required, but it actually helps out the search effort.

Absolutely correct. The beacon is reqistered thru NOAA to you personally. The first call by the mission control center is to a phone number you list on your registration to rule out an accidental activation.

Chris Plesko wrote: Have you used one yourself or are you just jumping on the bashing train? There might be a lot of negative reviews on it but there are also a ton of people who don't pay any attention to what they're buying nor how to use it. I've used mine quite a long time now and I have no issue with it functioning as advertised for the modes I use. If it doesn't work for you then don't buy one but don't just spout off on stuff you haven't used.

ive read probably 50 reviews and I i know 2 people that have them who say they are unreliable pieces of shit. glad it works for you, im just spouting off facts

The SPOT is awesome! NEVER had it fail. I have used it for OK messages and my wife really appreciates it as it gives her peace of mind-I am usually by myself.

My unit only cost $75 and the service is less than $10 a month. Also, for another $12.95/year I get 100k in rescue insurance. Not a bad deal

I use a SPOT for when i ski or hike, it has never failed me and can take a hell of a beating

Get an ACR. Spots will fail. A few months ago while climbing at tahquitz, a car size boulder fell off of Whodunit. I am lucky to be here. I was protected by the roof. The party below us was not. One of them was hit bad. They had a spot and it was good for nothing. My partner and I ran down the trail and drove to town to get a chopper. Dont get a spot.

I ended up with a FastFind b/c I wanted it only to send out an emergency signal. In retrospect I should have bought something else. It's has this funky flat coil antenna; while light it requires the manufacturer to reinsert it once it's been used. The Spot's rescue insurance sounds like a great benefit.