Self help kit for diver ??

[ba_hiker]

Most if not almost all aircraft have VHF DF Its how we navigate under IFR conditions (at least before GPS).

FWIW: I would NOT buy a 121.5 or 243 ELT the FAA is only going to monitor 406 in a couple of years, but the military still may monitor 243.

What equipment are you talking about?

VOR receivers, which were the main navigational aid from about 1962 until recently, or ADFs which were the main navigation aid before 1962, and are notoriously inaccurate and hard to use. VORs only work with special transmitter sites, and work in the 108mz to 117.95mz range. They will not work with any plain old radio; they will not tune in 121.5mz. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHF_omnidirectional_range or any flight textbook for more information about them.

ADFs are tuned for MF NDBs in the frequency range of 190kz to 450kz, but most will actually receive up to 1750kz. This is the frequency range for air and marine beacons and, at the upper limit, AM radio stations. They are well know for producing unstable readings, and being distracted by power lines, electrical discharges in clouds (lightning and pre lightning). They make poor AM radios, and were, in the '70s mostly relegated to listening to ball games. They will not tune in an ELT on 121.5mz or 234mz, though a aircraft comm will. 121.5mz is in the range of the aircraft com systems -- 118.0mz to 136.0mz.

Coast Guard, Air force pararescues, and Civil Air Patrol do not use ADFs for any close in guidance, though they ma use them to get into the general area sometimes. They rely on special DF equipment that requires pointing the aircraft to NULL the signal. This is nonexistent on aircraft that are not setup for rescue.

As a commercial, multiengine, instrument aircraft rated pilot, I am well aware of all of the aircraft systems found in smaller aircraft, including VOR, ADF, ILS, Loran and Omega, and GPS. I have actually used most of them, under real instrument conditions. I would not trust my rescue to ADFs.

 

[ba_hiker]

Here's a link that's come up several times in the past.

If you search on 'survival' you will get some good thread's to read, as well.

One thing that I remember reading on one of the thread's is that if you put your dive light in the end of an inflated SMB, it turns it into a huge glow stick. Not sure I would have thought of that on my own.

You are right; this is a great, practical article. I will have to find the Pain-Wessex dye packs, I have the OMS stuff. Only thing that this doesn’t mention is smoke. I prefer to put a pocket with the dye pack, mirror, spare whistle, and strobe in a pocket on my arm, rather than on my tank. This allows easy access without removing my BC/tank.

Water and a hat are great ideas. Don't klnow where to stow them yet..

 

[Misplaced Priority]

The EPIRB would be the way to go. I wish they made one that could be taken down.

 

[426Scuba]

What equipment are you talking about?

VOR receivers, which were the main navigational aid from about 1962 until recently, or ADFs which were the main navigation aid before 1962, and are notoriously inaccurate and hard to use. VORs only work with special transmitter sites, and work in the 108mz to 117.95mz range. They will not work with any plain old radio; they will not tune in 121.5mz. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHF_omnidirectional_range or any flight textbook for more information about them.

ADFs are tuned for MF NDBs in the frequency range of 190kz to 450kz, but most will actually receive up to 1750kz. This is the frequency range for air and marine beacons and, at the upper limit, AM radio stations. They are well know for producing unstable readings, and being distracted by power lines, electrical discharges in clouds (lightning and pre lightning). They make poor AM radios, and were, in the '70s mostly relegated to listening to ball games. They will not tune in an ELT on 121.5mz or 234mz, though a aircraft comm will. 121.5mz is in the range of the aircraft com systems -- 118.0mz to 136.0mz.

Coast Guard, Air force pararescues, and Civil Air Patrol do not use ADFs for any close in guidance, though they ma use them to get into the general area sometimes. They rely on special DF equipment that requires pointing the aircraft to NULL the signal. This is nonexistent on aircraft that are not setup for rescue.

As a commercial, multiengine, instrument aircraft rated pilot, I am well aware of all of the aircraft systems found in smaller aircraft, including VOR, ADF, ILS, Loran and Omega, and GPS. I have actually used most of them, under real instrument conditions. I would not trust my rescue to ADFs.

Sorry, I was thinking of VOR you are correct in your statements and I was wrong. Hope there is no hard feelings?

 

[DiverBuoy]

I've seen multiple designs on this theme, and for years looked for decently priced or even available recreational locaters and electronic coordinate devices ... given the size of these handheld devices they don't seem to have the power requirements to overcome some of the radio frequency interferences involved in the water column ... however many devices like the following work fairly effectively, I've seen them in action ... so it seems to me like someone could really make a fortune cornering this market:

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/ItemIndex_3/CategoryID_977/Context_974/Sort_Stock/DescSort_0/DTSC.html

Edit: I should add, I remember when this guy that makes these would show up and make these by hand in front of the audience at the Scuba Show in Long Beach. Looks like he's made the packaging and marketability of them a bit more professional. There have been $800.00 high end versions of these I've seen in a number of tech shops and in action ... but they don't work even as well as this rig.

 

[ba_hiker]

Sorry, I was thinking of VOR you are correct in your statements and I was wrong. Hope there is no hard feelings?

Of course not