SPOT - Satelite Personal Tracker - A Global EPIRB Alternative

[lock_washer]

a new alternative to the EPIRB:

http://www.uwjournal.com/issues/UWJ-issue10.pdf

Go to page 46

Just wondering if anyone thinks carrying one of these would be a great idea. Compared to other EPIRB's that are on the market. I have looked at the ACR Electronics, and Sea Marshall brands, but this one seem to be a better deal, and better converage.

I would appreciate any feedback,

Lock Washer

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

SPOT relys on a private satellite system. Thus you have to pay to get service. From what I have heard, the private satellite system is in financial trouble.

Sea Marshall uses 121.5 MHz technology, no longer monitored by Cospas-Sarsat as of Feb. 1, 2009. The Sea Marshall still works on that frequency, but there must be somebody on that frequency listening to hear the distress.

ACR's PLB uses the 406MHz technology which sends a digital coded message using the Cospas-Sarsat system. Cospas-Sarsat was developed worldwide for search and resuce. It is your tax dollars at work and is credited with saving over 24,000 worldwide since 1982, 283 last year alone in the US. NOAA SARSAT

Dollar for dollar over the life of the PLB, it will cost less than SPOT.

Oh, and SPOT is not an EPIRB. It is not even technically a PLB, though they like to put themselves in that group.

FWIW, the article you reference is littered with incorrect information. The first paragraph describing a smart diver with an EPIRB is wrong. An EPIRB is registered to the boat and is water activated. A PLB is registered to the owner of the device and must be manually activated.

Hope this helps!

 

[Tom Winters]

Whoa...how do you know all this stuff?

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Dang.. How come I can't impress the single guys that easily?

 

[lock_washer]

Well, I am single...and impressed. You can dive in my neck of the woods anytime. But if you haven't experienced diving a kelp forest...you are missing out on different experience.

Lock Washer

 

[Kevrumbo]

I use the McMurdo Fastfind Plus PLB in a Dive Canister, whenever I'm long range offshore, at remote overseas dive locations, or in ocean conditions where there's a lot of current.

For those countries that follow the COSPAS/SARSAT convention and have the tracking capabilities, they should be able to rescue you relatively quickly depending on weather and sea state conditions. For the countries that don't --well, hopefully with the US State Dept's prodding-- at least they'll recover your gear and what's left of your body in a couple of days/weeks. . .

 

[OBXDIVEGUY]

Spot is a great addition to dive gear. The hardest part though, is finding a suitable cannister to carry it in. No, it is not an EPIRB, an EPIRB is just one form of emergency transponder. SPOT is just a new technology. An EPIRB has a greater initial investment, but chances are you will never use it, which is a good thing. I mean, you will never activate it in an emergency probably. Therefore, it makes sense not to make monthly payments on it. A SPOT however, I USE every time I am on the water, out hiking, biking, kayaking, travelling, etc. The monthly subscription I pay is for additional services that an EPIRB does not have. Check out their site to see the cool features.

I plan on doing a 12 mile swim soon. I will have my SPOT on me and my supporters will be able to get live tracks of my progress. I can then send a message to people when I have completed the race. And, of couse if I get into trouble, I can ask for help with my SPOT. This will notify who I want it to ask for help from. On the other hand, not so much for this occasion, there is an emergency button that will call the same calvary the eprirb will.

As far as the satellite company being in financial trouble, this is only partially true. The SPOT relies on the Globalstar network, which is struggling because of trouble with its satellites. The trouble they are having, does not affect the performance of SPOT in any way. SPOT is separate from Globalstar, and if Globalstar does go under, there are several networks in line to take up the huge subscription base the SPOT product has created. It is very appealling to the other networks because it really is the first commercial sat com product to hit the mainstream. You can even purchase SPOTs at Costco! Regardless, it looks like Globalstar will pull through, and have a brand new satellite consetellation soon.

In case you're wondering, yes, I am in the satellite business. No, I am not affilitated with SPOT. A lot of my work depends on me thorougly knowing what is going on in this obscure industry. In my previous life, I did maritime search and rescue.

 

[dive_forever]

EPRB's are only accurate to a 3 mile area (if I recall correctly). I would love to know the accuracy of the SPOT.



If it was my money I would have a singnal flare on me, a whistle, and a signal mirror.

Much less costly, and no delay in a computer processing the signal and relaying to the local SAR unit.

Boaters know these signals to be distress signals. And they respond quickly to these signals.

 

[OBXDIVEGUY]

SPOT is as accurate as any GPS, since that is the postition it passes. Some EPIRBs do the same thing. You're right on the less costly stuff, I carry those too, but you'd be shocked how many flickers of light on the horizon are ignored if no one even knows you're in trouble. Relying on other boaters terrifies me. Down here in the summer it is almost a weekly occurance that I hear the CG putting out an urgent request for assistance for a possible lost diver. No one even flinches from their fishing or whatever and just listen to the vhf for curiosity.

 

[spoolin01]

Aside from the whiz-bang stuff, why complicate and degrade reliability of S&R, if that's what you want it for? PLB is no more expensive (full-sized EPIRB only slightly more), battery lasts longer (hope you remembered to change those SPOT batteries), satellite reception is more reliable, doesn't require a service activation (hope your account is in good standing and they keep the records straight), goes straight to the established international S&R network. Why go with Brand X?