$37 a year PLBs! Why do people keep vanishing without one...?!

[DandyDon]

I carry an ACR2881 in my car anytime I leave the house, in my pack on any hike, in a canister on any dive, etc. - but if I were buying today, I'd get the PLB1 - Ocean Signal - smaller, lighter, etc. but call for rescue from anywhere. $259 with 7 year battery & warranty, fits in a shirt pocket, 3 inches x 2 inches x 1.3 inches, weighs 4 ounces, waterproof. What's not to like?

Why doesn't everyone carry one? Anyone can run off the road, wake up disabled and in need, but unseen from even the busiest roads - and in a cell phone dead spot?! From the Mississippi to the California Sierras, it's very easy to vanish in many places - but people vanish in the eastern states too. Why are we always searching for bodies...??

 

[KathyV]

It is waterproof to 50 ft; what type of canister do you put it inside on dives?

 

[DandyDon]

This guy moved to New Mexico and is an avid hiker, but now missing over a week. Former White House chef missing for more than a week - CNNPolitics.com

But it happens all of the time, and with today's affordable technology - there is just no excuse. Who can't make room for a 3" PLB that weights 1/4 pound - and costs 71¢ a week to own?

It is waterproof to 50 ft; what type of canister do you put it inside on dives?

For my ACR2881, I rent a McMurdo Dive Canister as I've seem to only do one week a year nowadays. Any more frequent and I'd own one of those too.

For this smaller PLB1, there are smaller & cheaper choices. It just might fit in one of my old Sealife DC500 housings but it'd be tight with the pouch that supplies buoyancy. I might have to talk my bud out of my old DC310 housing I sold him years ago.

I need to check my PLB registration as I don't remember how many years I've had it - 2 or 3, and my old one is only good for 5. It may be coming up on time to replace it?

 

[Doc]

For my ACR2881, I rent a McMurdo Dive Canister as I've seem to only do one week a year nowadays. Any more frequent and I'd own one of those too.

those things are 3.5"x6.5" cylinders, and even with some slop factor for wall thickness that comes out to be 42 cubic inches. Is my math wrong?

That seems like a load of floatation to displace with lead. How much would you need?

i got me a S&W 360PD. Not much good for diving, but it doesn't need a waterproof box.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Dandy Don when you're driving your vehicle, where do you keep your gizmo?

 

[JohnnyC]

I'd just make a little PVC canister with an o-ring seal. I don't dive with my PLB, but it is on the boat in my dive bag. I travel internationally for work so I've always got it with me.

 

[NAM001]

Are the batteries replaceable or is it a throw away??? What do other divers use with their pros and cons.

I carry an ACR2881 in my car anytime I leave the house, in my pack on any hike, in a canister on any dive, etc. - but if I were buying today, I'd get the PLB1 - Ocean Signal - smaller, lighter, etc. but call for rescue from anywhere. $259 with 7 year battery & warranty, fits in a shirt pocket, 3 inches x 2 inches x 1.3 inches, weighs 4 ounces, waterproof. What's not to like?

Why doesn't everyone carry one? Anyone can run off the road, wake up disabled and in need, but unseen from even the busiest roads - and in a cell phone dead spot?! From the Mississippi to the California Sierras, it's very easy to vanish in many places - but people vanish in the eastern states too. Why are we always searching for bodies...??

 

[DandyDon]

those things are 3.5"x6.5" cylinders, and even with some slop factor for wall thickness that comes out to be 42 cubic inches. Is my math wrong?

That seems like a load of floatation to displace with lead. How much would you need?

Yeah, it's a little bulky. I've never checked the buoyancy or seen a pic of it clipped to me in water. It weighs 2# itself I think, but it may add a little to my lead needs in water. I just use what I need. The smaller PLB with a smaller case would be less to deal with.

i got me a S&W 360PD. Not much good for diving, but it doesn't need a waterproof box.

What does that have to do with this...?

Dandy Don when you're driving your vehicle, where do you keep your gizmo?

It's in the console between front seats, along with my spare camera and a few other odds & ends. I do carry it inside a cheap camera bag, in the car or backpack for hikes. The ACR2881 is only 3.9”H x 1.9”W x 1.6”D - 4.6 oz, not that much bigger than the PLB1.

I just looked at my registration and I have 3 years left so I'm happy enough with the ACR2881. I did get it for $210 after rebate. I'll start shopping after I get back from my Yellowstone trip for the August 2017 Solar Eclipse.

I'd just make a little PVC canister with an o-ring seal. I don't dive with my PLB, but it is on the boat in my dive bag. I travel internationally for work so I've always got it with me.

Which model? Is yours not waterproof & buoyant?

Are the batteries replaceable or is it a throw away??? What do other divers use with their pros and cons.

I don't know about the PLB1. The ACR2881 battery is replaceable, for $113 or so. Unless you use the unit for a real emergency, then send it to the manufacturer with the story - then they'll do it for free.

I think it's easy enough to avoid accidental discharge, so if I replaced with the PLB1 - but never needed it, it would cost me $37/year over the 7 years. If I need to use it, who cares what it cost? I'll deal with that then.

 

[chillyinCanada]

So if you go off the road for some reason and find yourself hanging upside down from your seatbelt , with a broken arm and your vehicle stuck in a crevice (you know the way some people disappear), how handy is your gizmo going to be?

 

[DandyDon]

So if you go off the road for some reason and find yourself hanging upside down from your seatbelt , with a broken arm and your vehicle stuck in a crevice (you know the way some people disappear), how handy is your gizmo going to be?

Who would know until the time comes? I'd rather be there with one than without. If I can get the console open, then it'd fall in my direction in that described scenario. If I can get to it with a good arm, get it out of the case and outside a window - aim skyward and fire. The scene could be too challenging to get it done, but still a better bet with one than without.

A PLB may well not save all who become lost, but having one would greatly increase the odds of being found alive.