Thoughts on PLBs

I debated them over and got a Spot. Does what I need it to do. Call for help if I'm in a pickle or wadded up in a tuna can somewhere.
 
I'm not a fan of ANY more subscriptions. PLB for me. If an ELT goes off you know a plane has crashed. If a PLB goes off you know there are survivors. If I was a searcher that knowledge would add a certain briskness to my step.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I'm not a fan of ANY more subscriptions. PLB for me. If an ELT goes off you know a plane has crashed. If a PLB goes off you know there are survivors. If I was a searcher that knowledge would add a certain briskness to my step.
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Spot is $150 a year.
 
I carry a SPOT Messenger that I bought 3 years ago. When I replace it I may go with the InReach to get 2-way capability. I guess if flotation is important put it in a Ziploc. :dunno: I don't think that is a BFD since I don't use it for boating.

These days I mostly keep it turned off because for tracking it's hard to beat IFR/ADS-B out. Family can find me on FlightAware. I keep the SPOT for when I'm VFR or mountain flying.

The plane has a 406 MHz ELT as well.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I'm not a fan of ANY more subscriptions. PLB for me. If an ELT goes off you know a plane has crashed. If a PLB goes off you know there are survivors. If I was a searcher that knowledge would add a certain briskness to my step.
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Same here, I went with a PLB. I don't get all the fun tracking features of a SPOT, but I don't pay a monthly rate and if I hit the button I know it goes right to SAR.
 
Unit74 said:
So...... Who do you expect to service your come help me request? I'm confused.
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PLBs are registerd with NOAA and on activation the alert goes right to Search and Rescue. Your tax dollars are your subscription.

With a SPOT, your SOS goes to SPOT and then they relay that request to SAR. When they get around to it.
 
I have an original inReach that uses AA batteries. You may be able to find these on eBay or similar. Also, it did work as a BT gps on an iPad with Foreflight, etc.

Yes, there is a $10/mo subscription, but for PLBs, you need to consider the cost of "authorized factory battery replacement" and shipping, etc every few years.

When I looked into it, those costs were not insignificant.
 
dans2992 said:
I have an original inReach that uses AA batteries. You may be able to find these on eBay or similar. Also, it did work as a BT gps on an iPad with Foreflight, etc.

Yes, there is a $10/mo subscription, but for PLBs, you need to consider the cost of "authorized factory battery replacement" and shipping, etc every few years.

When I looked into it, those costs were not insignificant.
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True.
 
Art VanDelay said:
I'm not a fan of ANY more subscriptions. PLB for me. If an ELT goes off you know a plane has crashed. If a PLB goes off you know there are survivors. If I was a searcher that knowledge would add a certain briskness to my step.
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Not really. We chased a PLB for months that was some moron who thought it was an avalanche beacon and turned it on for every hike in the woods and then turned it back off. He never left it on all the way home and kept turning it on and off at trailheads.

Most of the second and third month delays were that most folks searching have day jobs and another drive to a mountain trailhead for nothing wasn't endearing anyone to their bosses at work. In other non-PC words, nobody gave a crap about that particular PLB anymore. At least they send a unique ID number so we knew who to ignore.

But even without the above story, there's no particular rush in land rescue to a PLB over an ELT. It takes about the same amount of time to crank up volunteers as it always has. Plan a night out. Maybe a snowmobile crew in the dark of night if you're lucky and the incident commander thinks it's safe enough for the search crew to wander around in the dark.
 
Something I've not seen mentioned in this Lazarus phase of the thread is that PLBs are built and tested to a third-party specification, including technical and environmental requirements. The others are consumer electronics built to whatever standard the vendor chooses. So a PLB may work after impacts and in temperatures where the toys don't.

I am a PLB advocate, but with LockMart FSS hooking up more formally with the consumer electronics vendors one of my major objections to them has been eliminated.

denverpilot said:
... At least they send a unique ID number so we knew who to ignore. ...
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So the bozo also hadn't bothered to register his contact information for the PLB with NOAA?
 
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