Rodchester Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 Personal Locator Units Anyone ever use one? Any of you rescue guys/gals ever have a victim get saved by one? Curious about opinions about the effectivenss technology and the ethic behind using and or not using one. Is this the wave of the future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbw1966 Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 This sounds similar to what one can rent for climbing on Mt. Hood called an MLU or Mountain Locator Unit. It used to be a requirement but now they forego that if you have a cell phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 i know a guy who bought one at a garage sale and turned it on to see if it worked. when SAR showed up in Surrey to check out his house and look for the crashed plane he was pretty embarassed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodchester Posted July 11, 2003 Author Share Posted July 11, 2003 i know a guy who bought one at a garage sale and turned it on to see if it worked. when SAR showed up in Surrey to check out his house and look for the crashed plane he was pretty embarassed tell me you're kidding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 Land-based PLBs are becoming available in the lower 48 states (perhaps specifically the PNW?) after a pilot program in Alaska proved to be successful. They are very similar to the EPIRBs used on ships. Once activated, they are spotted by satellites and a location (if a GPS unit is attached or incorporated, otherwise it uses the frequency to triangulate) is transmitted to Langley, Virginia. They in turn contact local SAR resources to go find the beacon. They have coordinates to find the thing, but the beacon also transmits on the standard ELT freq. long used in aviation to find downed aircraft, so you can find them that way too. They will be pretty expensive for awhile yet. Some SAR groups are starting to train with them now, but I've yet to see one in the Oregon mtn rescue community. The "Mt Hood Locator" is still in use, but it is much more simple, using basically a bear collar system. It still works well, and was in fact used this January to pinpoint a lost group near the summit of Mt. Hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 Per this story http://telemarktips.com/TeleNews.htm I think they've just become available here. Definitely look like they could have value - don't know if I'd take one, but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 Seeing as it is already so difficult to get people to buy avalanche beacons when there is an obvious threat to life, and PLB's cost more than avi beacons and are even less-likely to be used, I don't really see them flying off the shelves. I guess they have been pretty key on some searches in Alaska for snowmo's and stuff though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lummox Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 those plbs are pretty common for private boat owners. they dont work for shit if the batteries go. i reckon its better to plan on saving your own ass in case of emergency. once had a coast guard helocopter fly over a fishing boat i was on when the epirb shifted in the cabinet and got turned on. embarassment dont describe the half of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b-rock Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 are they similar in size and weight to an avalanche transceiver? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 b-rock said: are they similar in size and weight to an avalanche transceiver? The PLB 406 at Weight: 17.6 ounces Dimensions: 1.9 x 6.5 x 3.8 inches http://www.mgear.com/pages/product/product.asp?level1_id=0&level2_id=0&level3_id=0&item=103873&level2_title= Would be bigger - and a good bit heavier. Still for solo wilderness trip it'd probably be a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 As Iain said, seems much more likely to be used with snowmobiles, where the extra weight isn't a real issue and the operator is generally too stupid to perform self rescue anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatskiclimbsail Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 The technology has been around for decades and it is a requirement for aircraft in most countries to have one on board. I design ELTs for a living (the aircraft ones), and my company shudders to think of the horrors caused by allowing cel-phone armed hikers to use them as a rescue device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted October 7, 2003 Share Posted October 7, 2003 JoshK said: ....and the operator is generally too stupid to perform self rescue anyway. thats not a nice thing to say... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglehead Posted October 7, 2003 Share Posted October 7, 2003 I wonder if I could rig one of those to find my truck after a good bender? Hmmm..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracked Posted October 7, 2003 Share Posted October 7, 2003 Lambone said: JoshK said: ....and the operator is generally too stupid to perform self rescue anyway. thats not a nice thing to say... But true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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