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PLB's

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tjones

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Been following the thread on the missing hunter in the Crazies. Here in the Root we have had two missing guys, neither turned out well. One climber, one firewood cutter.

Figured its best to start on new thread on PLB's.

What to use and what service plans?
 
I have a Spot, or rent a sat phone. Will likely get a Delome Inreach in the near future. They seem to be just as reliable as the Spot, cheaper, and can send/receive messages. They currently have two models one that just sends/receives messages, and one with a built in GPS. I'd like to get the later, and have one less gadget to pack.
 
ishootdasmallones said:
http://www.amazon.com/ACR-PLB-375-R...d=1411511567&sr=8-1&keywords=resqlink+406+gps

I just received this in the mail. I really like not having to pay for a monthly subscription. I don't need to message people. No news is good news......
Click to expand...

That is the one I have decided on--- Told my wife about it--- reminded her it was on my Amazon wish list...

I don't have one in hand yet, is she trying to tell me something?

In all reality after reading the stories about missing hunters lately, I feel everyone should have some version of PLB, spot, whatever... would have helped the searchers immensely in the Crazies.
 
I've been researching as well. The only down side is that the unit (most anyway, like the ACR) only work if you're alive and have the capability to use it. As for the hunter in the Crazies, if he was killed or fell off a cliff, etc, this would not have help the search and rescue at all. It is definitely better than not having one, just saying.
 
Good point Rob, here is what I posted on the other thread for continuity:

I have used alot of satellite communications devices over the years, in that experience I have found that the Iridium Satellite network is the most reliable. DeLorme uses the Iridium network, and Spot doesn't.

I owned a spot for a couple of years, and I never had an issue with it. I do know people who have had issues with messages not going out, or going out very delayed, but I am sure they have been working to strengthen their network.

Based on my confidence in the Iridium system, I plan to get a DeLorme for next season. This season my only hunt left will be a relatively mild rifle hunt in WY, and we will have decent cell coverage. I probably should have had one on both of my September hunts.
 
MT_elk said:
I've been researching as well. The only down side is that the unit (most anyway, like the ACR) only work if you're alive and have the capability to use it. As for the hunter in the Crazies, if he was killed or fell off a cliff, etc, this would not have help the search and rescue at all. It is definitely better than not having one, just saying.
Click to expand...

This is the other factor that comes into play is that the satelite messengers is that they transmit your location periodically, so in the instance you cannot activate a PLB, they at least have a trail of breadcrumbs to narrow down your location. I can see an instance where someone might leave a PLB in their pack, and go off on a stalk or something and then get lost. I guess that mean that you should never take the beacon off your person.
 
MinnesotaHunter said:
Good point Rob, here is what I posted on the other thread for continuity:

I have used alot of satellite communications devices over the years, in that experience I have found that the Iridium Satellite network is the most reliable. DeLorme uses the Iridium network, and Spot doesn't.

I owned a spot for a couple of years, and I never had an issue with it. I do know people who have had issues with messages not going out, or going out very delayed, but I am sure they have been working to strengthen their network.

Based on my confidence in the Iridium system, I plan to get a DeLorme for next season. This season my only hunt left will be a relatively mild rifle hunt in WY, and we will have decent cell coverage. I probably should have had one on both of my September hunts.
Click to expand...

Given the extra power in the ACR PLB I would think it would be far more reliable if you broke a leg and couldn't move to an open area. This is why I decided on it. However, it still says you need a view of the sky. I think I'll pick up a SPOT or inReach and carry both so I can send messages home. SAR will respond pronto if they see two units go off since they will be sure it wasn't an inadvertent activation.

ps... good point about the periodic updates of SPOT to leave a trail of breadcrumbs.
 
I was considering the ACR but I do like the fact that you can send custom messages from a SPOT or DeLorme. I never considered the periodic updates but that would definitely come in handy if you were unable to send an SOS. Atleast once someone realized you aren't checking in that they could see for the past 24hrs that your beacon is transmitting from the same spot. I'm leaning toward the SPOT or DeLorme now.
 
RobG said:
I think I'll pick up a SPOT or inReach and carry both so I can send messages home. SAR will respond pronto if they see two units go off since they will be sure it wasn't an inadvertent activation.
At some point I might do the same. I would like to do some DIY Alaska hunting in the next couple of years, and I think this would be a pretty cheap insurance policy.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
My Dad has a spot and it has worked well, we use the "I'm okay" message to signal a dead animal which my step-mom likes to see the updates.

At some point I might do the same. I would like to do some DIY Alaska hunting in the next couple of years, and I think this would be a pretty cheap insurance policy.
Click to expand...

I'm in, let's do this.
 
I spent a little time on my lunch looking at the costs of the DeLorme InReach SE vs the Spot Gen3. I assumed that the user already had a GPS which ruled out the more expensive DeLorme Explorer. I also assumed that these units should last at least 5 years and that each unit would generally be used for 5 months of the year or less. If a person bought today, the DeLorme InReach was the better deal over 5 years and beyond. The DeLorme also has the advantage of being able to send/receive texts and pair with a smartphone or tablet.
 
How about DeLorme vs PLB? Where I hunt there is never cell service. 95% of the time I don't care about texting - day hunts from home. On hunts where this is necessary, I usually just rent a sat phone.

I'm thinking PLB but I'm interested in the Delorme.
 
For pure SOS function, Oudoor Gear lab strongly favored the PLB. That's what I'm goinig to go with.
 
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