PLBs Can Save Your Life

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Not wanting to start an eBay bidding war, but as per @MaxE and as documented by @Dan_T has anyone considered using a "vintage" 35MM film camera housing for thier PLB?

If so, which ones are "big enough" and which ones go "deep enough"?

Big enough should be obvious (unless it requires a few nips & tucks or cuts & grinds...please feel free to share your details... @Dan_T has been awesome...).

Deep enough is the bigger question. How deep can they go? Do any of these "primitive 1970's" housings rely on the internal camera providing some structural rigidity? i.e. At 160 fsw without the original camera do they go flat and leak all over yur fancy PLB? Or has someone tested an empty canister to real deep?

@MaxE : Can you post the usable internal usable dimensions of that Nasty Yellow SeaLife ReefMaster?

P.S. Is Nasty yellow an official color?

 

[Dan]

A new review has been published. Most interesting and full of good data. Compares PLBs and other devices that provide emergency response and messaging.
Best Satellite Messengers and Personal Locator Beacons in 2019

This is a good info. Thanks for sharing.

I like the side-by-side comparison between PLB1 & ResQLink+, as shown below.

 

[Dan]

Not wanting to start an eBay bidding war, but as per @MaxE and as documented by @Dan_T has anyone considered using a "vintage" 35MM film camera housing for thier PLB?

If so, which ones are "big enough" and which ones go "deep enough"?

Big enough should be obvious (unless it requires a few nips & tucks or cuts & grinds...please feel free to share your details... @Dan_T has been awesome...).

Deep enough is the bigger question. How deep can they go? Do any of these "primitive 1970's" housings rely on the internal camera providing some structural rigidity? i.e. At 160 fsw without the original camera do they go flat and leak all over yur fancy PLB? Or has someone tested an empty canister to real deep?

@MaxE : Can you post the usable internal usable dimensions of that Nasty Yellow SeaLife ReefMaster?

P.S. Is Nasty yellow an official color?

If you have PLB1, I’d suggest you to get Sony MarinePack MPK-PHA case that is waterproof to 40m depth. You can tether the PLB1 flotation pouch to the PLB1 & fold it next to the PLB1 into the lens part of the camera case (thicker space end of the case). Bought one from eBay for $10, 2 years ago.

I have taken the case with PLB1 & its floatation pouch in it to 44m without any problem. Dove with them for over 100+ dives. Opened the case while floating in the water and dropped the PLB1 tethered with its floatation pouch into the water (simulating an accidental situation). I was able to swim towards the floating black pouch, grabbed it & recovered the PLB1.

 

[seeker242]

Garmin uses Iridium, not GlobalStar, so has arguably better coverage than SARSAT

"SARSAT" is also low-earth-orbit and specifically includes NOAA Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES). Nothing has better coverage than SARSAT, perhaps equal to but not better. The constellations now known as "SARSAT" is global coverage 24/7, as it includes LEOSAR, GEOSAR and MEOSAR constellations.

 

[MaxE]

Not wanting to start an eBay bidding war, but as per @MaxE and as documented by @Dan_T has anyone considered using a "vintage" 35MM film camera housing for thier PLB?

If so, which ones are "big enough" and which ones go "deep enough"?

Big enough should be obvious (unless it requires a few nips & tucks or cuts & grinds...please feel free to share your details... @Dan_T has been awesome...).

Deep enough is the bigger question. How deep can they go? Do any of these "primitive 1970's" housings rely on the internal camera providing some structural rigidity? i.e. At 160 fsw without the original camera do they go flat and leak all over yur fancy PLB? Or has someone tested an empty canister to real deep?

@MaxE : Can you post the usable internal usable dimensions of that Nasty Yellow SeaLife ReefMaster?

P.S. Is Nasty yellow an official color?

I will try and remember to take some measurements of the SeaLife case tonight, it was more than big enough for the new PLB 400.

I got to take the custom divers canister for its first dive yesterday and have some initial impressions. Two dives to about 75 FSW. Not a drop of water inside. I opened it immediately after my second dive and it was easy to open.

When putting it together I tighten just enough. I know that is subjective BS but if you have one you may notice, when the gap between the two halves is zero that’s where you need to stop, you may notice the slightest increase in resistance. I can see and feel that it seems possible to get a little more of a turn but it’s my guess that it’s this extra that causes the two halves to bind and make it tough to open.

The canister and my Lifeline radio both fit in the glue on pocket, my folding snorkel not so much with these in there. In need to play and see if I can get all 3 in the same pocket.

Another interesting observation as I was soaking everything after the dive. The PLB in the custom divers canister is buoyant with a bolt snap, the lifeline radio is not.

 

[JohnnyC]

You will not get better coverage or response time than SARSAT. The Globalstar/Iridium networks are ok, but they do not offer the same coverage. When you HAVE TO RING SOS, there's nothing that compares to a PLB. The comparisons are bunk.

 

[BRT]

Talking with my fisherman friend last night. He runs a boat out of Isla Mujeres. 2 guys I know fairly well were diving for fish out there and the boat lost them at about 3 in the afternoon. The captain was inexperienced and decided to go to Isla but his compass wasn't working well so it took till 5 until he could report the incident. A helicopter was sent out but only stayed a short period of time and a group of fishing boats went out. They called off the search at 8pm and only my friends boat and the original boat stayed out there in the dark. My friend finally saw a flashlight at 9:30 and brought them back. They were over 60 miles out.

I have had some serious discussions with my friend about his need to carry an inflatable marker. I think his attention has been caught. The cost of satellite connected PLB's is just too high for these guys and the size in a container is too big. I'm guessing if they would have had Nautilus units and the marine radio on the boat was capable of picking up the signal they would have been found in an hour and it would have never made the news.

 

[outofofficebrb]

The cost of satellite connected PLB's is just too high for these guys and the size in a container is too big. I'm guessing if they would have had Nautilus units and the marine radio on the boat was capable of picking up the signal they would have been found in an hour and it would have never made the news.

Wow, I'm glad they're okay! When you're out there floating, waiting, and in despair...imagining if anyone will ever find you....I'm sure the price is suddenly just right, and if anything, they would have gladly paid a lot more if it meant going home. I am glad it did not come to that.

 

[BRT]

Wow, I'm glad they're okay! When you're out there floating, waiting, and in despair...imagining if anyone will ever find you....I'm sure the price is suddenly just right, and if anything, they would have gladly paid a lot more if it meant going home. I am glad it did not come to that.

I'm sure that they would have paid any price while they were floating, but one of their sets of scuba gear isn't worth $200. Hard to imagine them making an investment of $5-700 and then dragging it around with them planning to never use it. I'd be pretty happy if they would always have a flashlight with good batteries and a sausage. If they would pack a Nautilus I'd really be grinning. These people have been good friends to me.

 

[chillyinCanada]

At the very least have some way for the boat to make emergency contact with the shore