Alan de Enfield

Yes - they work, (and are well known) world wide on land or water. The PLB is registered to your country (it is important ti ebsure if you buy a secondhand one that it is UK registered (lots are bought in from the USA for resale as they are much cheaper) The PLB sends it's 406Mhz signal to the satellites, the satellites then decode the country of registration and send the information (name, address. phone number etc) and the location to the relevant countries rescue centre. The rescue centre then notes the GPS location and either forwards it onto the relevant service, or, (if you are on holiday climbing in the Swiss Alps) to the local rescue centre where the accident has happened. It is almost instantaneous, and the 'helicopter' or ambulance can be on its way in under 5 minutes. In practice, in the Uk the rescue centre will try and contact you on your mobile to ensure that it has not been activated accidentaly, no answer and they call your 'emergency contact number' and asks (whoever answers) if they'd expect you to be "on a canal in Cheshire" or "up a mountain in Tibet" etc If they get no answer from either you, or your emergency number, the rescue services are notified (the default is that it is an emergency) and the Helicopter / ambulance sets off after a short delay. The maximum time between 'pushing the button' and the emergency services being informed CAN BE up to 30 minutes as it is occasionally possible that there may be a few minutes delay until a satellite comes 'into view'. The PLB also has a 121.5 Mhz transmitter that is the international distress frequency which is also transmitted to allow ground triangulation for the "last mile" where the person may be buried in snow, under trees etc or where they are not easily spotted. It also has a built in flashing light sending a continuous "SOS" to help visibility.

Indeed, prior to 2012 it was unlawful (a large fine) if a PLB or EPIRB was activated on land - there had been calls for the change for many years from both the emergency services and the 'potentially at risk' part of the population. We have one on the boat, registered to the boat, and one each registered to us personally. SWMBO can be 'miles off piste' when riding her horse and if there is no phone signal (or flat battery, or .......) she has a means of notiftying the rescue services of her location. Similarly, when solo hiking I have mine with me. And for ~£200 ................. McMurdo FastFind ReturnLINK PLB - Brand New - UK Coded - 03/2031 Expiry Date | eBay UK McMurdo FastFind 220 V2 Z423 GPS/Galileo PLB Personal Locator Beacon 5035963007358 | eBay UK

6 years battery life, (then ~£100 for a new battery) free registration of your details, no monthly charges / contracts - 'free for life'. Emergency services notified of your exact (GPS within a couple of metres) location. Works anywhere in the world, on land or water. We both have one - its a no brainer. The relevant organisation dependent on the location of the accident (ambulance service, mountain rescue, Police etc) are notified for 'on land' emergencies. Unlike EPIRBs which are registered to a specific vessel and must be re-registered if moved to a different boat, a PLB is registered to a person and so can be carried with you wherever you are - at sea, hiking, mountaineering or in any remote location or situation where you may require rescue. PLBs are subscription-free devices, so have no cost of ownership after the initial purchase. The McMurdo FastFind 220 is small and light enough for you to carry on your person at all times. Using advanced technology, the FastFind 220 transmits a unique ID and your current GPS co-ordinates via the Cospas-Sarsat global search and rescue satellite network, alerting the rescue services within minutes. Once within the area, the search and rescue services can quickly home in on your location using the unit’s 121.5Mhz homing beacon and flashing LED SOS light. During 2025 there has been a review /consultation by the Government on the use of making PLBs mandatory on all water-bourne vessels : Personal Locator Beacon registration in the UK could become mandatory, under new proposals by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Known as PLBs, the devices are designed to send an SOS signal, along with your location, to the rescue authorities when manually activated by the user. The MCA wants to bring PLBs under the same mandatory registration requirements as Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs). It would apply to all PLBs used at sea, along the coast, and on inland rivers, lakes and canals. Registration information would include: the vessel name, radio call sign, PLB manufacturer’s serial number and any locating frequencies and identifiers; a brief description of the vessel (if applicable), including its type, gross tonnage, superstructure, deck colours and identifying marks; the HEX ID ( hexadecimal identity which are 15 characters for first-generation beacons and 23 characters for second-generation beacons) which provides a unique code transmitted by 406 MHz beacons; the PLB owner’s name, address, telephone number and email; up to three alternative 24-hour emergency contacts including name and telephone number (alternative contact ashore); the passenger and crew capacity of the vessel. HM Coastguard said the introduction of mandatory Personal Locator Beacon registration reflected the changes in technology and would extend registration obligations to hovercraft and other types of watercraft covered by the Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023. This includes any personal watercraft which is capable of moving under power and can carry one or more people such as power boats, RIBS, tenders, sailing dinghies, keel boats, motor or sailing yachts, jet skis, Fliteboards and E-foils.

Assuming the fittings at both ends are compatible with the engine/gearbox and the prop shaft diameter, and, it is rated to take the HP of your engine it should be fine.

Which is when a PLB comes into its own.

If your phone battery is flat, surely you cannot 'try it' again as your phone will be dead.

So if you cannot get the seller to either drop the price or do the identified work you are going to walk away and lose the £1000 ish cost of the survey and slip fees. Then with the next boat you have to pay them all over again, and if you are similarly intransigent you will be walking away having lost another £1000 ish. When is 'enough ebough' ?

Or, maybe he works for an electrical retailer and is doing market research to see if their name crops up when the question is asked "where can I buy ............"

Supplier, or supplier and installer ?

Well in the same vein - if they are looking to draw 700 amps I'd suggest they'd need at least 20 x 100Ah batteries and the means to recharge them the same day.