New Nautilus Lifeline Marine Rescue GPS

[Dizzi Lizzi]

I completely agree. If there was a dive ready epirb out there for a comparable price, I would replace my lifeline radio right away. I've tried to use my lifeline twice now, and both times failed. Never got to the "panic button" stage. As a communicator with dive boats, lifeline sucks. It seems boat captains like to turn down the radio to hear other things unless they're calling out... Or that's been my experience 2 out of 2 tries.

Wait, what?
Has anyone here used the panic button (which would just be " the button" on the new ones right?) and did it work?

 

[bumcikaz]

Just get body glove life line, its a nautilus with body glove logo and more than $100 cheaper on amazon

 

[seeker242]

I did like the thought of just speaking to the boat in question without alarming the whole flotilla. What would happen among boaters if this got triggered? They wouldn't all immediately go to the location right? Or would they, how would they know if it's their diver or someone else's. I was actually on line with credit card in hand this morning to purchase...

edit* Oh i see if its set up your boat will know its you...

Most boaters would probably just push the cancel button to silence it and go about their business like nothing happened... The AIS alert probably won't alert any dive boats. I've never seen a dive boat with an AIS onboard. Except for the coast guard, they will definitely respond if they hear it. I think this change sucks because before you could call your dive boat without notifying the coast guard. Now you have no choice...

Your ship’s MMSI must be loaded with the simple to use built-in optical sensor to activate DSC functionality.

I'm also curious to see exactly how that's going to work. "Optical sensor"? What the heck does that mean? Does it mean that you somehow need to hook it up to the boat's radio and download the MMSI #? If so, good luck with that...

I was rambling as to why Nautilus did not go EPIRB. Considering that there are no Scuba level EPIRBs it would have been nice change.

Probably because USCG/FCC/Cospas-Sarsat engineering and certification is extraordinarily more expensive for an epirb/plb than this device.

 

[Belzelbub]

Wait, what?
Has anyone here used the panic button (which would just be " the button" on the new ones right?) and did it work?

Not me personally, but I'm reasonably certain a Nautilus Lifeline, or perhaps a GPS enabled VHF in a waterproof container, was used in my area a few weeks back. Coast Guard rescues two divers off of Tarpon Springs

I was out on the water at the the time, and caught the Coast Guard's end of the conversation. I couldn't hear the divers end of the conversation, and didn't see any alert come through on my radio or GPS, so I don't believe they hit the button. Article is missing a ton of details, and at first glance reads like two divers went out on the boat, anchored, and went diving with no one topside. That's not what happened.

Coast Guard was able to communicate with the divers, and obtained their GPS position. They also put out a call to see if any boats were missing divers, and a vessel called "Lowlife" responded that they were missing divers. CG got GPS coordinates from both, and relayed a heading and distance to the boat. I believe the CG fast boat got there first as "Lowlife" was having difficulty following the heading the CG provided.

I have a Lifeline, and I'm glad I got it before it was discontinued. In the incident above, I'm not certain what would have happened had the divers just had a button. I'm sure the divers would have been picked up, but may possibly have been delayed a bit. Reason I say that is because the fast boat that responded was already out responding to a vessel that sunk. Passengers on the vessel were picked up by a charter fishing boat. CG would have received the alert, but might not know they were looking for divers in the water, so may not have immediately re-routed the boat.

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

So I wonder how long people are missing before they are reported or report their selves. I have to admit if I surfaced and my boat was gone and no other in sight I'm not waiting very long before I hit whatever button.

 

[gr8jab]

I too just bought the Lifeline a few months ago. The idea of calling the boat was appealing. I have no idea if they routinely listen. I might have still bought one without the 'talk' feature, but I'm not sure.

While wreck diving with a current, we were told "if you get swept off the line, deploy your DSMB and do a normal ascent and safety stop. We can't come looking for you until everyone else is aboard." Hoping, of course, they noticed the DSMB instead of thinking we are still on the wreck.

I can imagine calling them once on the surface, "Hey, did you see our marker? Come get us as soon as you can, please." Then, not activating the SHTF button until later if needed.

 

[kelemvor]

So I wonder how long people are missing before they are reported or report their selves. I have to admit if I surfaced and my boat was gone and no other in sight I'm not waiting very long before I hit whatever button.

If I saw no boat and no shore, I'd probably use it immediately. If I could see some other boat or land, I'd prefer mirror/SMB/2-way radio to try and reach someone. I'd probably start with the red transmit button after about an hour of failure with the green. Some time after that I'd hit the "big red button".

 

[tursiops]

If I saw no boat and no shore, I'd probably use it immediately. If I could see some other boat or land, I'd prefer mirror/SMB/2-way radio to try and reach someone. I'd probably start with the red transmit button after about an hour of failure with the green. Some time after that I'd hit the "big red button".

There is a Green button for the chat channel for the boat, which few other boats are listening to, an Orange button for channel 16, which all boats are supposed to be listening to, and a (covered) Red button that is the emergency call, with GPS coords. One uses them in that order.

 

[kelemvor]

Every time I've asked a boat which channel they listen to, it's been 16, therefore my green button is set to 16 as well. If memory serves it transmits with less power than the orange one.

 

[Dan]

There is a Green button for the chat channel for the boat, which few other boats are listening to, an Orange button for channel 16, which all boats are supposed to be listening to, and a (covered) Red button that is the emergency call, with GPS coords. One uses them in that order.

Unfortunately, new model has only 1 red button.