Rescue aids

[Oldbear]

I didn't know they rented those. Here is a waterproof that floats: $25 for a week: ACR Aqualink Rental

Wow...so for about the price of a Chicken McNugget Happy Meal, a 7-11 Big Gulp Slurpee, two Snicker Bars and a bag of Frito Corn Chips and Bean Dip, a person can have a little bit of "Peace of Mind".


Sure beats buying Out-a-State Sudafed, but that is another Post.

 

[DandyDon]

I emailed them to ask if it was okay for scuba diving. I suspect a watertight case will be needed to take to depth.

 

[Mike]

I didn't know they rented those. Here is a waterproof that floats: $25 for a week: ACR Aqualink Rental

You'll need a case for any PLB for taking it diving.

If anybody is interested the smallest PLB right now is this one, it's freak'n tiny! About the size of a cigarette pack but with no limitation on features. Weighs 4 oz.

AND get this - you can buy it at SEARS for about $250!!!!!

Ocean Navigator | The magazine for long-distance offshore sailing and power voyaging


Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

I found you your new PLB, now somebody find us a case that is waterproof to 130 ft please.

I'm going to be buying 2 of these before our next dive trip, unless somebody knows of one better. For $250.00 that's next to nothing for the safety factor having one of these will give me. As far as I can tell this unit has every feature you could want, it operates off the right satelites, it sends out GPS signals to the rescuers once they get closer so they can pin point you, it has a built in strobe and you can self test it to your smart phone.

406 MHz signal, and 121.5MHz homing capability-The ResQLink™ quickly and accurately relays critical emergency position to a the Cospas-Sarsat International worldwide network of rescue satellites.The waterproof ResQLink™ broadcasts a unique registered distress signal that not only tells rescuers where the sender is, but who they are. The onboard 66 channel GPS can quickly fix the sender's position to within 100 meters and then utilizes a powerful 406 MHz signal to relay the distress call to orbiting satellites. As local Search and Rescue is deployed, a separate homing signal and integrated LED strobe light guide rescuers to the sender's exact position.
Two built-in tests allow users to routinely verify that the ResQLink™ is functioning and ready for use-with the push of a button, users can easily test internal electronics and GPS functionality.
Advances in circuit board design and power management have allowed for a smaller battery pack and continuously operating strobe.

 

[cvchief]

Mike,

For $250 wouldn't it be better to spend the extra 44 and get a the VHF nautilus? I mean it isn't a satellite thing, but wouldn't the VHF get you a quicker response for most dive situations? I remember once we night dove Paridiso and took a 'different' route. We came up closer to shore that we were expected and fooled around a bit signalling until the boat saw our lights and came over. Wasn't any big deal, but the VHF would have been perfect while I would never have thought about the sat thing. I guess if you were so #$%^$ that you were floating to Cuba, the sat thing might be much more useful?

Add: Hey Mike, read this DAN article, it sort says what I am thinking.... I think..... AlertDiver

Oh and I found this article: ScubaGearReports that pegs the regular range at 2.5-3 miles for comms with a regular boat. I guess outside of that you might still be in trouble if no one is looking for you?

 

[Mike]

Mike,

For $250 wouldn't it be better to spend the extra 44 and get a the VHF nautilus? I mean it isn't a satellite thing, but wouldn't the VHF get you a quicker response for most dive situations? I remember once we night dove Paridiso and took a 'different' route. We came up closer to shore that we were expected and fooled around a bit signalling until the boat saw our lights and came over. Wasn't any big deal, but the VHF would have been perfect while I would never have thought about the sat thing. I guess if you were so #$%^$ that you were floating to Cuba, the sat thing might be much more useful?

Add: Hey Mike, read this DAN article, it sort says what I am thinking.... I think..... AlertDiver

Oh and I found this article: ScubaGearReports that pegs the regular range at 2.5-3 miles for comms with a regular boat. I guess outside of that you might still be in trouble if no one is looking for you?

Relying on VHF for rescue is a sketchy thing. You've only got a very tiny window of opportunity (distance) for the Nautilus to help you, once you drift out of range the Nautilus is useless and you're on your own.

I think the Nautilus is a good idea, it's just a limited one and it only has value in very limited scenarios, I don't consider it a true self-rescue device, a PLB is your safety net when all else fails, with a working one, you're going to be rescued pretty much no matter what, no matter where you are. Start floating to Cuba, not a problem.

If they combine a PLB with the Nautilus that thing would be a no-brainer! Now you would have the best of both worlds, something to help you when the situation isn't dire and the PLB when the situation is.

 

[Ron Lee]

The article provided by cvchief in Post #271 was an eye-opener on the range of the Nautilus Lifeline. Until I read that range limit, I felt that the lifeline may have been very effective in this case. Now I think that a PLB would have been better.

I would like to know if the SAR system would work normally for a PLB activated in this case. Since monitoring of these signals is essentially global, you would expect that rescue coordination would also be close to global.

The ACR series of PLBs look very good. I already have a McMurdo Fastfind Plus plus a dive canister. The dive canister has a McMurdo label on it. Tested to 150 meters. It has provisions for passing a weight belt through it plus a hole through the lid "corner" that currently has a wrist strap thingie through it.

I saw one article that suggested that ACR may be working on a dive canister which would probably be smaller and lighter than the one I have.

 

[SC_Hoaty]

The article provided by cvchief in Post #271 was an eye-opener on the range of the Nautilus Lifeline. Until I read that range limit, I felt that the lifeline may have been very effective in this case. Now I think that a PLB would have been better. I would like to know if the SAR system would work normally for a PLB activated in this case. Since monitoring of these signals is essentially global, you would expect that rescue coordination would also be close to global.

Also check out this thread - http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ge...ignalling-equipment-searchers-point-view.html

 

[cvchief]

Relying on VHF for rescue is a sketchy thing. You've only got a very tiny window of opportunity (distance) for the Nautilus to help you, once you drift out of range the Nautilus is useless and you're on your own.

I think the Nautilus is a good idea, it's just a limited one and it only has value in very limited scenarios, I don't consider it a true self-rescue device, a PLB is your safety net when all else fails, with a working one, you're going to be rescued pretty much no matter what, no matter where you are. Start floating to Cuba, not a problem.

If they combine a PLB with the Nautilus that thing would be a no-brainer! Now you would have the best of both worlds, something to help you when the situation isn't dire and the PLB when the situation is.

Does that PLB thing work well in Mexico? Is it something you have to be sure the locale is all up to date on? The Alert Diver article said something about delays in the live location data getting from wherever to the where you are. I could sure see though that 2.5 miles isn't a very big circle when someone is looking for you. That test was diver to boat. If there are aircraft up, I guess that would make a big difference if you had the nautilus squawking the distress call with GPS? If you could save yourself on VHF you might not appear on the front page of Por Esto as you would if you tripped the BIG switch I imagine?

 

[oerentals]

I didn't know they rented those. Here is a waterproof that floats: $25 for a week: ACR Aqualink Rental

Hey all, I'm the owner of the webiste DandyDon linked to here, and he did email us. I responded back, but I'll also give some info here. If this is an inappropriate post, since its somewhat commercial in nature, mods let me know and delete - wouldn't want to go against board culture here!Anyway, I do rent the ACR Aqualink and I actually rent the ACR ResQlink (referenced in another post above by Mike) as well. I hadn't considered using these for diving (though, I'm actually a certified diver myself, just been a while).I would say these cannot be used with a dive canister. Though they are waterproof (and the Aqualink floats) they are not rated for the depth, pressure, and duration associated with diving.Though ACR references a dive canister part # for the ResQlink, it seems they don't actually make it. But, based on the dimesions of other PLB dive canisters, the ACR units will fit inside them as well. I would certainly be willing to start carrying the dive canisters as a rental item as well, if there is enough interest here and in the diving community. They appear to be $250-$300, so I'd do a package deal of a plb/canister for less than double the current PLB rates (so less than $50/wk for both). I am winding down the winter Avalanche Beacon season and am ramping up for diving, boating, general outdoors so will certainly consider. Any feedback would be great.PS - Seems my carriage returns/paragraphs don't work? Is there a setting I missed?

 

[cvchief]

Hey all, I'm the owner of the webiste DandyDon linked to here, and he did email us. I responded back, but I'll also give some info here. If this is an inappropriate post, since its somewhat commercial in nature, mods let me know and delete - wouldn't want to go against board culture here!Anyway, I do rent the ACR Aqualink and I actually rent the ACR ResQlink (referenced in another post above by Mike) as well. I hadn't considered using these for diving (though, I'm actually a certified diver myself, just been a while).I would say these cannot be used with a dive canister. Though they are waterproof (and the Aqualink floats) they are not rated for the depth, pressure, and duration associated with diving.Though ACR references a dive canister part # for the ResQlink, it seems they don't actually make it. But, based on the dimesions of other PLB dive canisters, the ACR units will fit inside them as well. I would certainly be willing to start carrying the dive canisters as a rental item as well, if there is enough interest here and in the diving community. They appear to be $250-$300, so I'd do a package deal of a plb/canister for less than double the current PLB rates (so less than $50/wk for both). I am winding down the winter Avalanche Beacon season and am ramping up for diving, boating, general outdoors so will certainly consider. Any feedback would be great.PS - Seems my carriage returns/paragraphs don't work? Is there a setting I missed?

Thanks for the info. Could you tell me how tripping the thing would work in Mexican waters? Like from me floating on the water, where does the signal go and who gets it?

(And of course DD emailed you..... )