SOS for single boater

[LadyG]

I was wondering if there is a gadget I can wear at all times which call emergency services?

 

[rusty69]

EPIRB

PLB

[LadyG]

Just now, rusty69 said:

EPIRB

Yes, but they are about the size of a pineapple, I was thinking wristwatch.

[rusty69]

Apple watch linked to phone.

Or Garmin venu 2

[rusty69]

5 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Yes, but they are about the size of a pineapple, I was thinking wristwatch.

Quote

Portability. Th PLB1 is one of the most portable devices in our review. Weighing just 4 ounces with batteries and measuring a mere 3 x 2 x 1.3 inches, this is about as light and compact as you can get

 

[Alan de Enfield]

PLB (size of a packet of Cigs)

Now they have been legalised for 'land use' as well as 'water' and 'air' we all have them for hiking / horse riding / boating etc etc.

 

No monthly fees, just a one off purchase price and battery last about 6 years.

 

Just press the button and the local emergency services are notified of you location within around 5 minutes - wherever you are in the world !

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations on purchasing the Fast Find Personal Location Beacon (PLB). When carrying a Fast Find you enjoy the reassurance of a last resort safeguard against any life threatening incidents that may occur anywhere in the world. If you find yourself in a remote area without any other form of emergency communication, on land or at sea, your Fast Find can call for help.

 

Fast Find will transmit a unique emergency identifier to the Cospas Sarsat satellite system which can determine your location anywhere on the earth’s surface. In most cases the emergency alert is received within 5 minutes of activation but depending on satellite coverage at the time this can sometimes extend to 45 minutes.

When the emergency alert message is received at a Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC) it is cross referenced using the unique identifier (often called Hex ID) against your registration details.

 

Detail of the alert is forwarded to the appropriate local Search And Rescue (SAR) teams. Keeping your registration details up to date is critical to ensuring a quick SAR response. Fast Find has a secondary ‘homing’ transmitter which allows SAR teams to direction find or ‘home’ on it once they arrive on scene. Fast Find has a storage life of 5 years and once activated will continue to transmit emergency alerts for a minimum of 24 hours.

 

 

Fast Find 210 Manual.pdf

Edited February 8, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[Chris Lowe]

something like this?

 

https://www.yourstride.com/alarm/sos?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=alarm-other&utm_term=sos&gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6vNd0DHuZeB350uaysGdnrAMoKHtWrTfriEFZr_v100AVXbDn6npqxoCcScQAvD_BwE

 

[rusty69]

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Just press the button and the local emergency services are notified of you location within 5 minutes - wherever you are in the world !

Which ones though,can you set it up? The first one I looked at says it contacts the UK Coastguard Agency in Falmouth.

[rusty69]

24 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

something like this?

 

https://www.yourstride.com/alarm/sos?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=alarm-other&utm_term=sos&gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6vNd0DHuZeB350uaysGdnrAMoKHtWrTfriEFZr_v100AVXbDn6npqxoCcScQAvD_BwE

 

That looks like a great solution, but it's a monthly contract thing, the watch needs charging every 2-3 days and its advised not to get it too wet. Great idea though.

 

ETA. For the price of the watch and the service for a year you could buy a PLB

 

Similar thing here:

 

https://livingmadeeasy.org.uk/product/one-button-emergency-phone-with-sim-card

Edited February 8, 2023 by rusty69

[haggis]

I know that our local authority can provide a small device which is worn round the neck and if the wearer requires help he presses it and the person will be phoned or if there is no reply, a person already identified as a helper (a neighbour, relative etc) is contacted . However I think that only operates in the wearers area so not really suitable for someone who moves from area to area. 

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, haggis said:

I know that our local authority can provide a small device which is worn round the neck and if the wearer requires help he presses it and the person will be phoned or if there is no reply, a person already identified as a helper (a neighbour, relative etc) is contacted . However I think that only operates in the wearers area so not really suitable for someone who moves from area to area. 

My mum has one of those. The service is really good, but the pendant thing is only short range and connects to a landline base station.

[Graham Davis]

I'm intrigued why LadyG thinks she needs such a thing.

[David Mack]

9 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

I'm intrigued why LadyG thinks she needs such a thing.

Cos its lawless up here in Happy Valley!

[Alan de Enfield]

Yes - the CG Falmouth is the UK centre for co-ordination of all the UK SAR.

 

If you have an accident in say Scotland, the satellite sends a message giving your details and location, Falmouth then contact the SAR / Emergency services based at the location.

 

The same if you are in Australia - message to Falmouth, Falmouth contact Australian SAR.

 

That is why it is important to buy a UK registered PLB (frequencies are different) as there are often US ones on ebay.

[rusty69]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Yes - the CG Falmouth is the UK centre for co-ordination of all the UK SAR.

 

If you have an accident in say Scotland, the satellite sends a message giving your details and location, Falmouth then contact the SAR / Emergency services based at the location.

 

The same if you are in Australia - message to Falmouth, Falmouth contact Australian SAR.

 

That is why it is important to buy a UK registered PLB (frequencies are different) as there are often US ones on ebay.

So, do they need registering to a person /address? And can they be re registered if you buy a second hand one? 

Edited February 8, 2023 by rusty69

[Alan de Enfield]

39 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

A) do, do they need registering to a person /address? And can they be re registered if you buy a second hand one? 

 

A) Yes they register to a person(s) you give then your contact number so if they want to check it is an emergency** beore sending out the helicopter they can. You can also give them next of kin details so they can notify them you are having an 'incident'.

 

B ) Yes - you give them the serial number and the de-register it from the previous owner and register your details.

 

All registration is FREE OF CHARGE and funded by the Government.

 

If you 'presss the button' the PLB registration number is transmitted along with your location (to - normally - within 20 metres) This then come us on Falmouths 'deatils' as "Rusty Boat" is at location XYZ, he is diabetic his phone number is, next of kin contact details "22 qwerrty rd."

When the searches get within the vicinity the 'location beacon' transmits a signal on 121.5Mhz which they can the traingulate your position to 2 metres,

 

** There have been instances of PLBs being set off by kids playing with them having found them 'in the wardrobe', if the location is shown as being in the middle of a residential area they may / will call you to check it is not a false alarm.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

A) Yes they register to a person(s) you give then your contact number so if they want to check it is an emergency** beore sending out the helicopter they can. You can also give them next of kin details so they can notify them you are having an 'incident'.

 

B ) Yes - you give them the serial number and the de-register it from the previous owner and register your details.

 

 

If you 'presss the button' the PLB registration number is transmitted along with your location (to - normally - within 20 metres) This then come us on Falmouths 'deatils' as "Rusty Boat" is at location XYZ, he is diabetic his phone number is, next of kin contact details "22 qwerrty rd."

 

** There have been instances of PLBs being set off by kids playing with them having found them 'in the wardrobe', if the location is shown as being in the middle of a residential area they may / will call you to check it is not a false alarm.

Cheers Alan. So if I was to buy a used one, it would need to operate on UK frequencies presumably? 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Cheers Alan. So if I was to buy a used one, it would need to operate on UK frequencies presumably? 

 

 

Yes - it will have a sticker on it. I'll get a picture of mine a bit later and post it here.

 

I already have a picture of the box that SWMBO came in :

 

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[rusty69]

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Yes - it will have a sticker on it. I'll get a picture of mine a bit later and post it here.

 

I already have a picture of the box that SWMBO came in :

 

 

Yours needs a new battery. I'll give you a fiver for it. 

 

You got your wife out of a box? 

Edited February 8, 2023 by rusty69

[ditchcrawler]

14 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

** There have been instances of PLBs being set off by kids playing with them having found them 'in the wardrobe', if the location is shown as being in the middle of a residential area they may / will call you to check it is not a false alarm.

We had one pinched off an escape capsule of Gt Yarmouth  and was found in a wardrobe in Aberdeen when it got set off somehow.

[rusty69]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

We had one pinched off an escape capsule of Gt Yarmouth  and was found in a wardrobe in Aberdeen when it got set off somehow.

Did nick erm nick it? 

[ditchcrawler]

2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Did nick erm nick it? 

I don't remember the legal/ justice outcome but our boss of security went up there and went into the house with the police when they went to find it. I don't think the chap knew he had set it off.

[Alan de Enfield]

25 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Yours needs a new battery. I'll give you a fiver for it. 

 

I've decided she'll get a new battery for Christmas ! (I'm very good to her you know) She doesn't need anything else - she has got me.

 

They have a self test button so you can check if the battery is OK. They will last a year or two beyond their expiry date, but tht is the 'guarantee' date.

 

You have to send them away to be re-set and wipe the details of how many times they have had the test button presssed, renew all seals and add the 'new battery' to the battery data programmed into the transmitter.

Cost around £100 which isn't bad for 6 years peace of mind.

 

 

I've got threee of them and have paid around £75 each with a year or so of battery left on them.

Looking at bay prices they may have got up a bit :

 

Kannad Safelink Solo PLB - Life Jacket Personal Locator Beacon | eBay

 

Kannad Safelink Solo PLB - Life Jacket Personal Locator Beacon | eBay

 

PLB McMurdo Fastfind Max G, GPS Locator Beacon, Pouch Lanyard & Original Box | eBay

Edited February 8, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[nicknorman]

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Yes - the CG Falmouth is the UK centre for co-ordination of all the UK SAR.

 

If you have an accident in say Scotland, the satellite sends a message giving your details and location, Falmouth then contact the SAR / Emergency services based at the location.

 

The same if you are in Australia - message to Falmouth, Falmouth contact Australian SAR.

 

That is why it is important to buy a UK registered PLB (frequencies are different) as there are often US ones on ebay.

Surely they all operate on 406MHz, only the hex code is used to divert the alert to US, Falmouth etc. It's true that US used to use 121.500MHz a lot for aircraft beacons but that was for detection by other aircraft/vessels, it doesn't reach a satellite. So yes I suppose a very old US one might be on the VHF frequency but a recent or new model from US will be identical to UK - save for the hex code! So I submit that your point is correct but mostly for the wrong reasons!

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

Surely they all operate on 406MHz, only the hex code is used to divert the alert to US, Falmouth etc. It's true that US used to use 121.500MHz a lot for aircraft beacons but that was for detection by other aircraft/vessels, it doesn't reach a satellite. So yes I suppose a very old US one might be on the VHF frequency but a recent or new model from US will be identical to UK - save for the hex code! So I submit that your point is correct but mostly for the wrong reasons!

 

They operate on both 406 Mhz and the old 'guard frequency' of 121.5Mhz (aircraft band)

 

121.5 is still used worldwide for the civilian distress frequency but is no longer monitored by all aircraft. 

With the EPIRBs and PLBs it is used for DF location of the casualty, whilct 406 is used for the satellite communication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't suggest that 121.5 was used by the satelites, I said :

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

When the searches get within the vicinity the 'location beacon' transmits a signal on 121.5Mhz which they can the triangulate your position to 2 metres,

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by Alan de Enfield