Personal Locator Beacons

Can I just say, I'm all for PLB's used as a last resort but, please get a Sat Phone at the very least.

It costs a lot of money, about $50,000.00 to my understanding, to send out search aircraft which is fine for a life threatening emergency, but when you see people that have a broken shock absorber for example, a phone is a much better solution.

cheers

G'day Jos

No matter what brand name PLB you purchase, if it's a 406 mhz distress beacon and it is coded for Australia or New Zealand, it will be registered by AMSA.

If you choose to purchase a beacon with GPS location, it will make things for the rescuers much simpler if you are in distress.

Shame the bloke who perished last Friday in the Murchison region west of Meekatharra wasn't carrying a BLP, he would still be alive to day.

Safe travels : Joe Fury

Hi Jos

I work for the NSW government. My work takes me into some of the most remote and hostile country in the State.

I carry a GME MT410G PLB with me at all times when working and when we (my partner and I) travel we also carry a GME MT410G.

SatPhones are fine if you want to talk with someone but when it's a life threatening situation - the PLB gives AMSA details of who you are and the GPS versions will give your location to within 5 metres.

I paid about $500 for mine some years ago but shop around and you can pick them up for less than $300 - really cheap life insurance I reckon

Cheers

These days it costs about $700 to get a Sat phone and a PLB. If you travel at ANY time as a single vehicle in remote areas, then to put your own lives, and those of would be rescuers for a one off cost of this amount I would suggest madness. The PLB is easy to set off and gives the right authorities all the right information immediately. Assuming you have told them you have a Sat phone you can expect them to ring fairly quickly. If you break down you should not use a PLB (only for life threatening situations) and the Sat phone is your best friend. Believe it or not it does rain in the outback. The most sensible thing to do if it does is to find some higher ground and sit it out, which is why you should carry emergency rations. This has happened to me on several occasions and the Sat phone was very necessary to alert family that I am OK so don't report me as missing.

Dunno which is best but the GME seems to be popular, well priced and regularly mentioned here and on all kinds of outdoor sites.
From memory only last year their was a family rescued out at Lake Eyre who set off one of these things.
Nothing like peace of mind.

I just bought a GME MT406G PLB for $299 from Johnny Appleseed and this seemed to be a good price when I surveyed what was avaialable.

Alan

The GME is an Australian product. Good reason to choose it.

Your Australian registered PLB will work world wide.
We take ours overseas when we go and we tell AMSA where it will be and when.
We don't expect the same response, but we are confident that there would be one.

A sat. phone plus a PLB is a good plan, but buy the PLB first.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

My wife and I discussed whether to buy a sat phone or PLB (or things like SPOT) before our 2014 lap of Oz.

I had a TIA just prior to the trip and my wife made the point that she didn't want to stuff around learning how to use something if I was out of action, but wanted something she could just switch on and summon help.

A PLB is by far the simplest thing to use, and we bought a GME with GPS.

Its all very well that you may be able to use a satphone but what happens say if the car rolls and you are unconscious and your travelling partner also injured but conscious but confused. Surely the simpler the better.
Regards Philip A

Thanks everyone for the info. I really wasn't trying to start a Sat Phone v PLB debate, although it raised some interesting points.

I live in a remote part of Australia, so I always leave home well prepared. I know Sat Phones are great! However, if I go kayaking or for a bush walk (away from the campsite), I like that a PLB has the versatility to be put in a pocket. It's always charged and simple for anyone to use in an emergency. I don't look at it as a replacement for a Sat Phone - it is a different device.

So, as suggested, I'll look at the GME one. Any used the RescueMe PLB1?

Hi Jos,
I have both, 401 and a Spot Connect. I do realise there is an annual fee for the latter but any one that I nominate can track me in case of emergencies etc. it averages out to be a 10 minute gps reading every 10 minutes. I can also send short messages if I require non urgent help. the only down side is that it's only one way communications
this paired to your smart phone. you do not have to be in mobile range. The 401 is a back up if required. Relatives of mine reckon it is a waste of money! They should tell that to the two who have just their lives families.
Ian

Hi Jos


GME only now make the GPS enabled PLB and at under $300 is the cheapest life insurance you will ever spend.

Sure they are one item that we never want to activate, but in the event of serious injury, and a life threatening event, it's nice to know that someone will come to your aid.

My GME will be at the end of its recommended life this year and over the last 7 years have come down well over 200% in price. Depending on how soon you may want to buy one, there may be some cheap deals going out in the coming months on the GME's.......our rep was telling me a few months ago that they are most likely bringing out a new and smaller model around the middle of the year.



Cheers



Stephen

If you were doing a lot of remote stuff a sat phone would make a lot of sense and a PLB as a backup device and handy because of it's size. On another note I have an EPIRB which I have always had it registered to my 4WD as well because it can be registered to multiple items which is a good idea.

Let me put it out there – have both a Locator Beacon and a Sat phone.

However, something that is often overlooked in the Sat phone versus Locator Beacon debate is the response you get from using either one.

The activation of a Locator Beacon invokes a very specific response from the authorities which has been mandated and well understood by all who use it, and those who implement the service. And this occurs no matter where in the world it is activated.

There is absolutely no ambiguity – activate the beacon, it will be detected by a satellite, your position will be established and the response process commences immediately. And the response follows a very specific pathway, escalating over time until a result is achieved.

Ringing someone does not give any assurance that you will get the response you expect, no matter how well intentioned the person on the other end of the phone is.

There was the tragic incident in the Blue Mountains a few years ago when a young man made contact with the emergency 000 number and he did not get the response he needed. He died well within reach of civilisation because his phone call was not acted upon. Without trawling over that incident again, it is fair to say a review of the incident was made and recommendations to how they respond in future were implemented.

But it highlights the important difference between these devices if you are intending to use either alternative as an "emergency communicator".

There is no mistaking what an activated beacon is requesting – help!

Speaking on a phone leaves the message you are trying to convey open to interpretation, or delay.

Neither is mutually exclusive, but understand in an informed way the advantages and limitations of either…

Cheers, Baz – The Landy

It's great to see vigorous debate on the pros and cons of satellite phones vs PLB's. I guess one has to look at them as different "tools".

People often forget they may be involved in "emergencies", when out on the road, that are happening at home. No way is a PLB going to assist you to being alerted about an event back home. So the tool for this is the sat phone.

Cracking a PLB is an appropriate response in a life threatening situation where there is NO other ways of communicating your needs.

Indeed the technology crosses over now with the emergency function built in to SPOT, inReach, and some Iridium and Inmarsat phones. Hitting this button will facilitate a response similar to a PLB. With the exception of the SPOT the devices then allow two way communication so authorities and rescuers can arrive better prepared.

If you want to look at something that allows 2 way communication, can operate like a PLB then have a look at inReach devices. From $229 for a two way SMS and tracking that links with the GEOS Alliance which provides emergency response co-ordination through the International Emergency Response Coordination Centre (IERCC).

Another factor to consider is that when you activate a SPOT, or PLB you have no way of knowing what the response is going to be and how long you will be waiting for assistance. That cold be an enormous amount of mental anguish when someone is having a life threatening medical episode. Indeed with two way communication that medical episode could be stabilised by professional advice until physical help arrives.

At the end of the day, it's different tools for different jobs. But with the extremely low price of hardware and connectivity why not have ALL the right tools!

I have the GME PLB (GPS enabled)...+ a SPOT Messenger...+ a sat phone

over the top ?.....I don't think so..... I travel remotely...not always with company

I would use the EPIRB if I had to obviously but my choices make it easier not to seek help with that immediately......I hope never to use it

The SPOT keeps the family happy with a snail trail + ok message and location every 24 hour......they know what to do if it doesn't arrive

The sat phone is on a schedule....same above...family knows what to do


The EPIRB is for me to activate if I have to but if I physically cannot because of my circumstances...the other two will have kicked in with our pre arranged arrangements.....and someone will find me with a pretty good location estimate

Jos
Can't speak to their reliability but the new pocket-sized KTI's (~$300) have 10 year battery life. Australian made.

http://www.chsmith.com.au/Products/Safety-Alert-SA2G-PLB-with-GPS.html

For land travellers in Australia a Spot Messenger is the best option.

By all means augment it with HF radio or a satphone.

This debate has been great. It has also encouraged me to do a little thinking.

Yes, I'm getting the PLB. I don't own my own sat phone - probably not that smart considering how remote I live and travel. So, I will also invest in a cheap but good (2nd hand) sat phone that I will keep for "emergencies" - the type of emergency that I don't need to use the PLB for.

Small investment for peace of mind.

In my opinion a PLB or and EPIRB are for when you are in the drink(literally) . With a Sat phone you can have the option that if you are on your own and in real trouble you can call 000 or 112 with an EPRIB orPLB you can also set it off. But in most emergency cases it is preferable to be able to talk with the emergency service agencies or road assist and that is where the phone the works . The cost of action when a PLB or EPIRB is activated is tremendous and in my opinion a selfish way of getting help. Question How much would you contribute to the cost if you activated your PLB or EPIRB .?
Do you expect it free?
Regards mike11

Have used a Satellite Spot Tracker for years. http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=101. Works as PLB, as well as sends spot where u r camped, button to ask for help from family and also plots an an trail. Fun, useful and potentially life saving.

Why doesn't GME make a sat phone with a PLB built into the one device?

Tim

I am a bushwalker & spend about 1/4 of the year traveling in remote areas. I carry a PLB & a sat Phone, the reason is sat phone i can talk to anyone if I need to but the battery can go flat & it can stop working if wet. The PLB is water proof & the battery must be replaced every 5 years, you can test the battery each month to see if ok. Your details must be sent to AMSA each 2 years for updating. So if a life is in danger it will work. I have had 2 friends use their PLB's while bushwalking in remote areas (2 broken ankles) both times S & R got them to hospital really fast. By the way EPIRBS are for boats & those on board. PLB's are for those on land

This is a most useful discussion. Thanks to all.
From my perspective having both a PLB & a sat phone makes a great deal of sense.

Some questions:

1. Which sat phones can send GPS coordinates?

2. Is there a list of ‘useful numbers’ available somewhere to be able to call in a crisis (dependant upon location) other than 000 ?

Thanks

Great thread and lots of useful info. We have a sat phone only that suits us fine.
It hasn't been mentioned in the forum but ours is a satsleeve type that uses our iphone.Just clip the iphone into the sleeve, open up the sat phone app and you have a sat phone. So simple. Can use the sleeve without the phone if necessary with a button that dials 000. The sleeve has an inbuilt mic and speaker and a large battery that can even run your phone if your battery is running low.

Plan is simple to open costing $25 to set up and $15 per month plus calls or texts. The beauty of this plan is you activate it just before you leave and then cancel when you get home. The sleeve also runs on a standard Aus sim card so any calls to the sat phone are at the callers rates. Our daughters plan is free calls to any Oz mobile or landline between 6am and 6pm so she can ring us for free during this time. That's the other won't with a sat phone. Not just for emergencies but family and friends can contact us at any time or we can ring home any time.

Like FrankP and Bungarra, we let family and friends know that we have the phone on between 6 and 7pm every night local time if we are out of the mobile range. Try us on the mobile first. They know roughly where we are and our time zone as they can locate us on ExploreOz EOTrackMe. They can send us an sms through the day if we are out of range and we will get it as soon as we turn the sat phone on.

We, and our travel partners, also have a number of Apps that show us our coordinates so we know where we are and can send this info or let people know.

We travel with friends and rele's and make sure they all know where to locate our sleeve and iphone and how to use it.

Have put a lot of thought into our requirements and the satphone works fine for us.

Last year I was at the 4WD show in Sydney & came across this PLB

http://www.inreach.net.au/index.html

It offers the ability to connect with your smart phone (or as a stand alone unit if you don't yet have a smart phone) so that you can send proper text messages not simply "I'm OK" updates like the SPOT.

I went from Telstra to Optus full service. By paying $15 a month to Thuraya for the SATSLEEVE service, I am still $30 in front and can ring most places in the world.
Used the sat sleeve up the Canning. No problems. Use it in The Grampians which are well away from the satellite, and have to be under the eastern side of a cliff for it not to work.
EPIRBS good in a medical emergency, sat sleeve for a medical emergency and a broken axle, or to ring your mum.