When would you do it?

When a life is in danger.

I'd push the button if no other reasonable option was available and help looked like it would not be forthcoming in the near future.
The Birdsville Track, Flat Tyre or broken spring and the broken arm would unlikely be sufficient reason to Hit It. In the other instances, judgement of the circumstances would dictate the decission. If I was involved in a vehicle accident and people were injured and too far away for immediate help, I'd push the button.
Just my opinion

Some people do hit the button a tad early. Two german tourists hit it on the duncan last year. They were flown out by chopper with nothing wrong with them. We drove down the next day in a two wheel drive tilt tray, Drove there vehicle out of the bog and then drove there car back to town. This happens much the same three to four times a year, usually tourists and usually bogged or broken down but buggar all else wrong with them.

When I could foresee a threat to life.

Birdsville Track? Probably not - would expect to see a vehicle within two or three days at most on that. Otoh if you had a young baby and it was summer…?

Vic High Country? Doubt it. Providing you know where you are (and you should!) you could walk out of most of it within 24 hours. Winter snows may change that.

Broken leg on the Canning - quite possibly. Depends where you are and the circumstances - how many vehicles, drivers etc.

The are no rules for this because each situation will be full of individual complexities - an EPIRB should not be activated unless there is a "threat to life" not just a heap of inconvenience, expense or difficulty.

Mike Harding

Whenever you do push it - Be prepared for media scrutiny and certainly scrutiny here on Exploroz.

It depends who you are with too. When I drive alone I generally take more risks than when travelling with people, but would absolutely wait until all options have been expired before I pushed the button. If I was less than 200kms to civilisation and I had enough water and food to drag on foot across the spinifex then I would take that option first, at least whilst I am on the younger side of 50.

If I was with someone who I cared about I would certainly disallow any "bravado" actions and would probably push the button earlier, even at the risk of being labelled "a stupid fool" when I got home. I could handle being called stupid if it saved the life of someone I loved.

At the end of the day it is a hard question that cannot be really answered until someone is put in that situation.

Snake bite and you are a long way from the vehicle or medical help, has already saved a bushwalkers like in wifes bushwalking club. Hope it never happens though
Cheers Pete

Hard question. As others have said it depends upon circumstances. If bushwalking in the mountains by yourself and you break your leg, push the button no worries.
On a main track when its not summer and you have a flat tyre, nope.
Responsible travellers have communications and have informed someone when they expect to arrive. Or some such. They have reliable maps and enough fuel and supplies to wait it out. Such people don't tend to get into trouble too often...but it does happen.
I'd suggest the operative word is *think*, before pressing the button.
But if life threatening, push the button.
The search and rescue services would rather rescue you than retreive a body.

A broken leg can be very serious from a blood loss point of view. A broken pelvis worse.

Yeh agree with all the others, just before the last GASP , Well at least they would find the body

Life threatening emergency and as a last resort after all other avenues have been exhausted.
An EPIRB only provides one-way communication so the rescuers don’t know your predicament until arrival and then it may be best guess if airborne. Two way communications are far superior.
An EPRIB signal is normally received in the first instance by a satellite or over-flying aircraft. Further passes of the satellite are required to pinpoint the position. In the case of aircraft, resolution of position is more difficult as many reports are required to provide sufficient data for best guess scenario. Once narrowed down an aircraft fitted with a homing device (not many are fitted) can more positively fix position. Considerable time may elapse.
Finally an aircraft is dispatched to ‘fly-over’ and attempt to assess the situation, provided cloud base and weather conditions are suitable.
Remember that rescuers (land, sea or air) may be risking their own lives to attempt to ascertain location, survivor condition and make emergency supply drops or evacuation. At remote locations (inland Australia or distant maritime) an aircraft unserviceability may create serious problems for the crew in recovering to a suitable aerodrome.
If seriously stranded in a remote area in a lefe threatening situation with no possibility of rescue and all other safety equipment (HF, Satphone are dead) then an EPIRB is the last resort.
An EPIRB should be the last considered safety device after HF and Satphone. Solely relying on an EPIRB as your safety communications is a no-brainer!

EPIRB use???
Birdsville track........ Never, far too much passing traffic.
Bogged in Vic High Country.........Never. Would always have enough food & water to survive 5+ days & really I could walk out of anywhere in the HC to civilization in less than 3 days.
Broken down on the Taminai/Gibb River........Never. In remote areas would always have 2 weeks food & water, plenty of time for someone to come through.
Broken arm in the Flinders.......... Never. Normally not a life threatening injury so just drive out.
Broken leg on the Canning....... Not likely. Big remote trips always travel in convoy with long range communications.
When would I .........After a time critical life threatening accident, (probably too late then anyway;-) fallen overboard, plane crash or trapped in a blizzard.
Interestingly I had a discussion with a member of the Vic Search & Rescue squad & I asked why if they were so handy he never carried an EPIRB himself. (This is a man who has climbed remote mountains in Antartica, boated to lake Eyre down the Warburton & driven cross country through the Simpson) He said on land he could never see a situation he'd be in where he'd need one & that with the corect preparations the chances of needing one are minuscule. Personally I think he would rather die than be embarrised enough to push the button & be rescued by his own mates:-)).
Cheers Craig.......

Depends on the circumstances and who I am.

If I was European Tourist and out in the boonies, I guess I'd pop it pretty quick due to panic and lack of awareness.

If I was what I am - a reasonably seasoned bush prospector, I'd pop it if:

My truck just would not go in spite of trying everything I know as an ex-mechanic

My HF radio just would not receive or transmit.

It was too far to expect to walk without a chance of dying.

AND I was running out of food and water.

OR medical emergency - this person is gonna die or be permanently, seriously damaged if I can't get top level, medical help quickly.

All different scenarios - just gotta weigh up the odds I suppose.

After all they would invent and use EPIRBS if ya weren't menat to use 'em some time or other eh!!

Which reminds me - I don't even own one!!

Bilbo