PLBs Can Save Your Life

[letterboy]

I have a couple UV-6R for land based UHF use. They are good little radios for the price. However, importers of that radio have been cited by the FCC, if you are in the US, because it's only authorized Private Land Mobile Radio Service. Programming it to marine frequencies, technically not legal. At least not in the US. Indonesia, probably doesn't matter.

Citing the importer, does not effect me

It is also how likely that the FCC is going to attempt to track down a mobile user operating a radio out of regulations during a crisis. . . I imagine that the case could be made that in a life or death situation it is "acceptable" Isn't there some provision in the manuals about the use of radios by unlicensed users during an emergency, natural or otherwise?

Are there any AA or AAA battery packs available for the radio? I imagine that would be the biggest limiting factor - besides not by waterproof was the battery life.

 

[CuzzA]

I see your point. That how I started diving with PLB1. Then so many liveaboards that I have been on (6 out of 12, e.g., Spoilsport, Palau Aggressor, Argo, Maldives Aggressor, Galapagos Master, Nautilus Undersea) issued PAB to their guests, not PLB. Hmm, I wonder why? So, now I have both.

It boils down to timing. For quick rescue (within minutes) PAB is useful.

Indeed, and I don't think it's a bad idea to have one. I think they have good utility for getting picked up after a dive. Basically the best DiveAlert (which I carry on my reg set) you could buy.

I'm just trying to make the point about SAR and lost at sea. If I'm floating in the Gulf of Mexico 100 miles out cruising at a few knots with the current. I want the ability to continuously ping the USCG my GPS coordinates.

There's also the issue with how many things we carry on our rig and recognizing everyone is different, I can offer a bit of my perspective...

I try to balance being a minimalist and carrying essentials for my style of diving. I think for a lot of new divers they will tend to collect a bunch of gear only to find it in a bin as they gain experience. Also, as people dive more often, more gear becomes a pain in the ass and tends to get left home or on the boat. I made the decision that I want the best tool for the worst case scenario and so below is a picture of my rig. Like I mentioned before, my SAR kit just blends and disappears with the rig. I don't have pockets on my harness, just a knife and it has to be really cold for me to wear a wetsuit, which would have the ability for glued on pockets. Diving in 78 degrees here in C.R. felt great in my convertible fishing pants and long sleeve moisture wicking t-shirt, everyone else is wearing 3-5 mil suits. This seems to be pretty common for me wherever I go.

Ultimately, everyone is different, there's not necessarily a wrong way to do it. But again, I'm just saying, if you're making a choice between a handheld VHF and a PLB, I think it makes sense to buy the PLB. It fits very nicely in the Custom Divers canister. It is not big and bulky like some other canisters out there (refer to my aforementioned statement about leaving gear at home).

My PLB canister is bolt snapped to my 8 foot SMB. Remember, while the ACR Plus PLB is buoyant, it will sink like a rock inside the canister. So the SMB also serves as a bit of flotation for deploying the PLB if you keep a tiny bit of air in it.

* Earlier I mentioned I have a DGX lift bag sleeve, which I do on another rig, here you see an XS Scuba lift bag sleeve. Same thing.

 

[CWK]

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There's also the issue with how many things we carry on our rig and recognizing everyone is different, I can offer a bit of my perspective...

I try to balance being a minimalist and carrying essentials for my style of diving.
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Everyone of us has different views on signalling devices. Pointless buying something unless you can and do carry it. I carry the following:
1) air horn - mounted on inflator hose
2) torch - clipped on right shoulder D-ring
3) SMB - right pocket of tech pants
4) PLB - left pocket of tech pants
5) PAB - left pocket of tech pants
6) signal mirror - left pocket of tech pants

I could easily carry more signalling devices, but I think I have most of the bases covered. Hopefully, I'll never have to reach into the left pocket.

 

[DandyDon]

According to prophecy the Dive Alert can be heard up to a mile away. I suppose that's only downwind in a stiff breeze though. I've never had the guts to test mine. I'd like to keep what hearing I have.

Just duck your head underwater before test as well as warning everyone close to do the same.

I found this option. $100 AUS is about $81 USD but I don't know what the shipping would cost.

Diver Locator Satellite PLB Canister from HDVSEATEK.

That link quotes $100 USD including shipping. I have been saying $110, but that's a better deal.

 

[kelemvor]

Small SOLAS patches are sewn to a lot of life jackets so I suppose it would have some value (no direct experience).

View attachment 510573​

All the SOLAS tape I have seen is pretty stiff so having a small patch at the top of an inflatable buoy would be more effective and comfortable than on a hood.

According to the article Letterboy posted, SOLAS patches are terrible at reflecting radar. Apparently the fancy pattern in the patches is detrimental to the function. You'd be better off with the 3M Scotchlite 3150A $19 for 6 feetx2inch on amazon. Even aluminum foil is far superior to solas patches (around 1km vs 175m range).

Since the 3m stuff is tape, you could probably just tape right over the solas patches on a life vest in order to improve the function.

I'd have to guess some salesman outdid himself... standardizing many rescue equipment manufacturers on a vastly inferior product.

 

[kelemvor]

I found this option. $100 AUS is about $81 USD but I don't know what the shipping would cost.

Diver Locator Satellite PLB Canister from HDVSEATEK.

I've got an HDVSEATEK canister, and I don't care for it. It requires regular maintenance/lubrication to keep it dry. Mcmurdo makes an aluminum canister that's better but quite a bit more expensive. I saw a post on SB where someone was keeping their PLB in an old camera housing (I think it was some kind of point&shoot film camera housing). The hdvseatek is also kind of big, but it does the job when properly maintained.

I've always been disappointed in the lack of options for PLB dive housings. Ideally, we'd get a PLB built inside a dive rated housing. Kind of like a nautilus lifeline except a real PLB... to that end, I wonder how hard it would be to gut my lifeline and install PLB electronics inside...

 

[jjardin]

How useable are Marine VHFs while the user is actually swimming in the water--not from a line of sight perspective but from the perspective of working after being immersed? A radio such as the icom--m25-handheld-vhf-radio has "AquaQuake" to shake the water out and keep the conversation clear, but it seems designed more for a situation where you've pulled the radio out of the water--and not while swimming where you have to keep it held above the water. Is it easy to keep it dry and speak? If water splashes in how garbled is the communication?

There have been plenty of times where I've seen the boat but they were looking in the wrong spot for 30 mins and it would be nice to tell them to turn around.

 

[letterboy]

According to the article Letterboy posted, SOLAS patches are terrible at reflecting radar. Apparently the fancy pattern in the patches is detrimental to the function. You'd be better off with the 3M Scotchlite 3150A $19 for 6 feetx2inch on amazon. Even aluminum foil is far superior to solas patches (around 1km vs 175m range).

Since the 3m stuff is tape, you could probably just tape right over the solas patches on a life vest in order to improve the function.
View attachment 510762

I'd have to guess some salesman outdid himself... standardizing many rescue equipment manufacturers on a vastly inferior product.

Reading some addition 3M technical material, it seems to me that the intention of the SOLAS is for light reflectivity, not radar. So perhaps the link I posted might be trying to compare apples to racecars.

It does bring up using the correct product for the correct task. Maybe using SOLAS on the top of a wing/BC and having a couple squares of tin foil in a bag that you can attach to the top of your 6 ft safety sausage? Give the sausage a tin foil hat as it were.

The SOLAS on the wing would provide ability to be seen from afar using a light source, where a spotlight would be used, and the tin foil "hat" would stay above water and reflect radar?

SOLAS Data sheet - https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/474370O/reflective-solas-data-sheet.pdf

The coast guard referes to a LSA IMO Code: https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/119949O/us-coast-guard-certificate.pdf Does anyone have an excerpt from that, perhaps that also has something about radar reflectivity and if there are any requirements.

 

[SJT1961]

Light monkey can and will build a custom canister. It’s cheaper it it’s one of the standard battery pack sizes. But still not cheap. Basically it’s the battery canister without a hole drilled in it.

If you need or want a different size they can do that, but will be more.

You need to call them to talk about this. Ideal solution is you send them all the stuff you want in the canister and they choose the smallest stock one they have that will do it.

Their stuff is really well made.

I contacted Light Monkey.This was their reply:

"We do indeed make canisters to house PLB's. The best way to guarantee fitment for it and the other items is to send the PLB unit/items to us so we can size the canister properly. Cost of the PLB canister is 250 USD, and includes canister, lid, all hardware, and lid tether. Each canister is essentially made around each individual's use and items, to ensure a proper and tidy fit."
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They make REALLY good stuff, but $250?! Ouch!

 

[letterboy]

I contacted Light Monkey.This was their reply:

"We do indeed make canisters to house PLB's. The best way to guarantee fitment for it and the other items is to send the PLB unit/items to us so we can size the canister properly. Cost of the PLB canister is 250 USD, and includes canister, lid, all hardware, and lid tether. Each canister is essentially made around each individual's use and items, to ensure a proper and tidy fit."
​

They make REALLY good stuff, but $250?! Ouch!

considering each one is a one off - I'd say its a pretty good deal.

They machine them out of Delrin?