PLB/EPIRB (Pers. Locating Beacon)

[ChrisA]

Anyone have/plan on getting a PLB for diving? I was looking into a McMurdo/Pains Wessex Fastfind Plus Personal Location Beacon (PLB) w/ GPS. An accessory for this is a water tight canister good to over 400'. I was wondering, for those that have one, how big it is etc. The PLB it's self is about the size of the older cell phones. I am thinking the whole enchilada is about he size, forgive me for the comparison, half a roll of toliet paper. I hate to overload a BC, but I spend time in 3rd world countries fishing and diving. I have seen some boats that would make a rat think better than get on.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/landfallnav/McMurdoFastfindPlus.pdf

The only ones that do any good are called

Category I - 406/121.5 MHZ. EPIRB. Detectable by satellite anywhere in the world. Recognized by GMDSS.

Each one is regitered to a person or boat and sends out the correct ID when it goes off. In general the problem with most other ELBs is false alarms they go off so frequently that even the US Coast Gard will not go out and look. So to fix that problem these new (and expensive) ones send out your ID number. Then the CG calls the phone numbers in the databse and asks your wife if there is some reason to think you might be in a boat at the location where the ELB is. then once they figure out it is "real" then they can do something

the 406Mhz signal goes to a satellite and sends the GPS location and your ID. The 121Mhz signal is just a audio signal that can be received within 10 to 20 miles. The guy in the helicopter will be listening to this when he gets close.

The personal ELBs that send only a low power 121Mhz signal and have a range of a few miles. They require that the boat itself have a receiver. you need a 406Mhz ELB and they are not cheap and you have to have it tested periodically.

 

[Mandy3206]

I got one since apr 2006, Here is a link to my previous thread and some pics here is all the info you'll need

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/general-scuba-equipment-discussions/137638-new-chicken-switch.html


^Link

 

[D_B]

Here you go , same one like you purchased from PainsWesex (I could not find it there?) ... Mcmurdo Fast FindPlus PLB

and this one from ACR ... ACR AeroFix 406MHz Personal Locator Beacon w/GPS Interface (2799.2) - MyPilotStore.com $460
Note: they do have other 406MHz/GPS models ... ACR Electronics, Inc.
and some thoughts on the ACR from the Equiped to Survive site ... SHOT Show 2007 Report - Gear - EQUIPPED TO SURVIVE (tm)

 

[sgtsean]

All of this has been great. I think the hardest thing for me is the purchase (and I spent 10 years in the Coast Guard!!) and finding a place to put it. I have a "travel" BC that doesnt have a lot of room. Mandy, did that canister have a lanyard hole in it? I thought I could see one in your (wonderful) pictures. Thanks, to everyone, for the info.

 

[ScubaDadMiami]

I also have the McMurdo FastFind Plus and the canister. I use a backplate and a wing. I also use a canister style light that I attach to my waist webbing strap.

I added some webbing to the waterproof canister. (The canister has a slit in it already for standard webbing. I just don't like the slit because it seems sharp enough that it will start to wear down webbing on your waist strap. So, I just attached my own around the housing using hose clamps.) I slide the canister onto the waist strap behing my canister light. So, starting from the backplate, the order goes: backplate, EPIRB, canister light. It all fits with no problem though you certainly notice that you are carrying it when sidemounting a tank there (which I do for my rebreather).

When registering these units after purchase, you provide the authorities with emergency contact information and other things. So, if the unit fires off a signal, the authorities will contact to verify that there is not a false alarm. The other thing that is great is that you can also let them know other miscellaneous things. So, for my information, I added a note saying that I am an active offshore diver, and that, if they receive the signal, it likely means that I am lost, alone, drifting at sea.

 

[Mandy3206]

All of this has been great. I think the hardest thing for me is the purchase (and I spent 10 years in the Coast Guard!!) and finding a place to put it. I have a "travel" BC that doesnt have a lot of room. Mandy, did that canister have a lanyard hole in it? I thought I could see one in your (wonderful) pictures. Thanks, to everyone, for the info.

Yep, it has a lanyard hole on the cap of the canister and a slot for 2" webbing in the lower half.
you can tread the weight belt through the slot and use a retractable or similar for the cap.
You can't put a price on your peace of mind.