Emergency location beacons

Pradokakadudavid · Senior Member

Emergency location beacons

Possum3 · Guru

Anaconda, one of Nomads first go to sites - GME www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/lighting-electronics/gps/gme-mt610g-406-mhz-personal-locator-beacon-with-gps/90183536%20Shopping%20-%20Lighting%20=&%20Electronics=&utm_term=4576167416661632&utm_content=Ad%20group&gclid=75e0d9bf09fa1d69c6c9ba747c841d1a&gclsrc=3p.ds

Mike Harding · Guru

You want a straightforward Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) - you do not want some fancy Bluetooth add-on to your mobile phone.

No PLB has any kind of subscription, you buy one, you (should) register it with AMSA and that's it for life.

https://www.amsa.gov.au

You *do not* trigger it unless there is an imminent threat to life or a major threat to property.

All PLBs sold in Australia must meet the stringent requirements of an Australian standard so buy any one you like they will all be good quality.

Learn how to use it before the SHTF and refresh that knowledge once a year - must do that tomorrow with mine!

Snowy's Camping have a good range.

----

Edit: typo

-- Edited by Mike Harding on Saturday 21st of January 2023 08:31:08 PM

The Travelling Dillberries · Guru

GME are Aussie manufactured and have a good reputation. The MT610g is all you need as far as performance, weather protection, battery life etc.

If you have a whitworths near you they are cheaper than Anaconda's members price, as is everyone else. You dont have to be a member at Whitworths to get the best price.

DeBe · Guru

I recently purchased a GME MT610G PLB, compact enough to carry on you. Its free registration with AMSA,

Cuppa · Guru

We Have carried an MT410G with us for coming up to 7 years. It will need replacing this year. At the time we bought it there was a choice between this GPS equipped model & a Non GPS model. I expect all today would have an inbuilt GPS. This make locating you more accurate. The MT610G is the replacement model for the MT410G. It's main advantage is that it is smaller & more easily carried (in a pocket rather tham on a belt).
There are others available for similar prices which are smaller still with similar specs. Important specs are battery life (years) & how long it will run for when activated. (the longer the better). If it is registerable with AMSA then you are getting what you need. We also carry a satphone, but if we had to choose between PLB & satphone, the PLB would be the obvious choice, There are other options which act as a cross between a PLB & a Satphone (ie, A PLB with a messaging/tracking function ) which a lot of folk like, but they do generally require an ongoing subscription which can work out to be the most expensive option.

When we replace our PLB this year we may well get another GME unit, but I shall also have a closer look at the Ocean Signal PLB1 - simply because of it's smaller size - it still has a 7 year battery & operates for 24 hours once activated. The MT610G only has a 6 year battery life & I haven't found how long it operates for once activated.

EDIT: Further reading suggests that the MT610G actually has a 7 year battery life too, but for some reason it is only guaranteed for 6 years!

-- Edited by Cuppa on Sunday 22nd of January 2023 09:40:58 PM

rgren2 · Guru

I have a GME (cant remember model) for the boat, when travelling I just ring the authorities and let them know its with me in the Patrol. When home, it goes back in the boat and authorities informed.

86GTS · Senior Member

rgren2 wrote:
I have a GME (cant remember model) for the boat, when travelling I just ring the authorities and let them know its with me in the Patrol. When home, it goes back in the boat and authorities informed.

We had the same thing in our boat. $280 from Whitworths.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Whitworth Marine are good for things. Bought proper rope to tie things down & got rid of the rubbish supplied with other items.

They also have the good quality black fuel containers, I have a pile of them.

Not always the cheapest but I am in there regularly for 316 stainless steel screws. Unfortunately they don't sell metric thread bolts, but there is another supplier in my local area luckily.

You can also get some flares. But as others have said these tools are only to be used in life & death situations. Not if you need a band aid.

Mike Harding · Guru

Whenarewethere wrote:
You can also get some flares.

Be very cautious about using flares for emergency signalling on land - no one will thank you for starting a bush fire.

Whenarewethere · Guru

We have possibly stopped a few bush fires putting out properly, fire places on the ground still smoldering with enough flora to the bush where people have left their camp site, mostly in the summer season & in places where people are specifically asked not to use fires.

One could start a fire with landing lights as happened!

86GTS · Senior Member

We sold our boat a while back. We have set a of expired flares in the garage that I'll be taking to the local police station.

Back in the 80'& 90's & early 2000's we used to camp for 5 weeks at Mallacoota every Christmas, boating & fishing.

Every New Years Eve everyone used to let off their expired flares.

The whole town used to glow red & orange with hundreds of flares alight at midnight. It looked spectacular.

Some boaties used to let off their offshore parachute flares as well.

I have a marine mechanic friend, one year he gave me 40 expired flares & our kids let them all off while we were partying with other campers.

This all happened on the waterfront next to the lake.

The local cops used to turn a blind eye to it all.

Good times.

DeBe · Guru

This is 2 pages from the instruction manual of the MT610G PLB. It states that it is gauranteed to run for 24Hrs.

TravellerBob · Veteran Member

Im a fulltime solo prospector in outback WA and carry a GME PLB that is within reach at all times even when in camp along with a snake bite kit.

One thing to think about is that a PLB is that, a PERSONAL locator becon. Not a couple locator becon, If your out travelling around the country out of phone range then every person should have their own PLB.

Hubby and the wife are out doing the big lap around the country and stop to go for a hike up a trail to a lookout. Hubby carries the backpack with the lunch, drinks, phone, car keys and the PLB., On the way up the track Hubby stumbles and falls down the side of the hill comming to rest some 75 m below unconcious. The wife cant get down to him and runs off looking for help and gets lost. If she had her own PLB she could activate it and summon help. Dont think for one minute that this senerio hasnt happened . For the cost of around $350 per person its great peice of mind to know that help available with the flick of a switch should the need arise

PeterInSa · Guru

I prefer a Sat Phone for emergency calls to 000 and these can be purchased for around $300. If buying a unit from overseas you may have to sign up to a Network in Oz and when the 1 months sign up time runs out, after this you will not need to have a paid connection fee since calls to 000 in Oz are free.

www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/currumbin-waters/other-phones/thuraya-sg-2520-satellite-phone-accessories/1306861042

ebay auction:

www.ebay.com.au/itm/115680094400

-- Edited by PeterInSa on Monday 23rd of January 2023 11:15:31 AM

Mike Harding · Guru

PeterInSa wrote:
I prefer a Sat Phone for emergency calls to 000

I don't think there is a valid argument for the above over a PLB.

You say 000 calls are free, this is true and for the Australian mobile phone system a 000 (112) call will be picked up by any carrier irrespective of whether or not you even have a SIM card in the phone however these operators are bound by Australian regulations but I have no idea whether a comms. satellite belonging to a carrier(s) from a different country will abide by the same protocol - most certainly Australian regulations do not apply to them.

A PLB is, by design, a "one trick pony"; it's robust, waterproof, simple to operate with a monitored battery which lasts for years. When you activate it it automatically sends your location's lat/long so search and rescue know *exactly* where you are. It also transmits a homing signal on international aircraft distress frequencies 121.5MHz and 243MHz this will usually (often?) be picked up by commercial aircraft, which routinely monitor these frequencies, and they will immediately alert the authorities.

A sat phone is delicate, not waterproof, does not produce a homing signal, needs regular charging and if it's battery dies as you're trying to get through then you're stuffed.

Given that we are talking life or death situations and not just problems that you need help with I would go for a PLB every time without doubt.

Cuppa · Guru

PeterInSa wrote:
I prefer a Sat Phone for emergency calls to 000 and these can be purchased for around $300 or less. If buying a unit from overseas you may have to sign up to a Network in Oz and when the 1 months sign up time runs out, after this you will not need to have a paid connection fee since calls to 000 in Oz are free.

www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/currumbin-waters/other-phones/thuraya-sg-2520-satellite-phone-accessories/1306861042

www.ebay.com.au/itm/115680094400

We carried a similar Thuraya phone (an XT Lite) to this for a number of years. Never tested the triple 0 on it though. Recently we changed to a Thuraya satsleeve hotspot. We had wanted to do this for some time for several reasons, and when we saw the Satsleeve hotspot advertised 2nd hand for $500 we jumped at the opportunity, & sold our XT lite for $350. So $150 extra for what we consider to be significant advantages over the XT lite. Our use is pretty much emergency only, but we include non life threatening emergencies in that such as breakdown & the need to obtain parts to repair if in a remote area (as an example where triple 0 may not be warranted).

The advantages (for us) are:

1.The Satsleeves allow you to use your mobile phone as a satphone. This we feel is the biggest advantage because it means you are using a phone with which you are familiar with access to your usual contacts. Although we have never needed to use our Satphone in a real emergency, on the few occasions we have used it we have found the older, unfamiliar & relatively clunky menu systems time consuming to use, having to remember how to operate the darn thing. In an emergency we feel familiarity with the phone would assist in making a stressful situation less stressful, quicker & easier.

2. There is the Satsleeve & the Satsleeve Hotspot. An issue with using a standard satphone (& indeed the Satsleeve which attaches to the phone) is that it requires the user to stand where they can get a satellite signal. Often out in the bright & hot sun, making it both uncomfortable & difficult to see the screen, at the same time as not moving around in order to retain signal strength. The Satsleeve Hotspot does not attach to the phone, instead it sets up a wifi & allows the connection to be made with it from the mobile phone from a distance up to around 30 metres, the unit left out in the sun whilst the user can sit in the shade or walk around.

3. Text messages on the pre touch screen satphones require the older style press button several times for each letter style input. With Thuraya text messages are 50 cents each (Thuraya casual plan through Pivotel @ $16.50 a month plus calls . Outgoing calls cost $1 a minute) - you can send a text to friends saying "call me". If they have unlimited calls on their mobile as most do these days, they can then call you back & you can talk for as long as you like for no additional cost to you or to them. Again familiarity & the ease of use that the mobile phone's touch screen allows with text messages is more than just handy, it can be important. Sometimes when the signal is poor text messaging can work well when voice calls can't. Texting more than a few words on an old style & unfamiliar phone whilst possible can be painful. Not what you need in an emergency situation.

So whilst the older phones are far better than nothing, for a little extra you can gain big benefits IMHO. And FWIW we tested our Thuraya XT-lite from far south Tasmania to Far North Kimberley (& many points in between) & never had any problem picking up a satellite signal - except once in the north of Cape York under heavy monsoonal cloud , where any satphone would have struggle similarly.

-- Edited by Cuppa on Monday 23rd of January 2023 12:28:14 PM

Pradokakadudavid · Senior Member

I saw a You Tube post the other day where a couple's 4x4 was totally flooded in the middle of no where but on a major road and they used their PLB to get help.

Do you see this as an appropriate use for this device?

I would be interested to know what people think.

Also, does the SOS feature on an iphone mean that you can contact 000 for emergencies if you have no phone reception.

Research suggests this is the case but I would like to know if this feature works before venturing into the unknown!

Cheers.

David

-- Edited by Pradokakadudavid on Monday 23rd of January 2023 02:30:14 PM

-- Edited by Pradokakadudavid on Monday 23rd of January 2023 02:36:41 PM

Cuppa · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
PeterInSa wrote:
I prefer a Sat Phone for emergency calls to 000
I don't think there is a valid argument for the above over a PLB.
You say 000 calls are free, this is true and for the Australian mobile phone system a 000 (112) call will be picked up by any carrier irrespective of whether or not you even have a SIM card in the phone however these operators are bound by Australian regulations but I have no idea whether a comms. satellite belonging to a carrier(s) from a different country will abide by the same protocol - most certainly Australian regulations do not apply to them.
A PLB is, by design, a "one trick pony"; it's robust, waterproof, simple to operate with a monitored battery which lasts for years. When you activate it it automatically sends your location's lat/long so search and rescue know *exactly* where you are. It also transmits a homing signal on international aircraft distress frequencies 121.5MHz and 243MHz this will usually (often?) be picked up by commercial aircraft, which routinely monitor these frequencies, and they will immediately alert the authorities.
A sat phone is delicate, not waterproof, does not produce a homing signal, needs regular charging and if it's battery dies as you're trying to get through then you're stuffed.
Given that we are talking life or death situations and not just problems that you need help with I would go for a PLB every time without doubt.

You may well be correct about triple 0 calls?? I'd want to be certain about that if I were going to rely on it!

I don't agree that there is no valid argument to have a satphone as well as a PLB. Certainly if only having one or the other, the PLB is a no brainer. If that is what you meant by 'over' then I am in 100% agreement with you.

As with many things it a horses for courses choice.

A PLB is useful anywhere regardless of whether you are in a very remote & isolated area or just a kilometre from home. Broken down & out of water in the desert or crashed off the road & trapped in the car over an embankment which has placed you out of sight are a couple of scenarios which come to mind.

For us, travelling in remote areas a Satphone is useful to obtain emergency treatment advice until the rescuers arrive, or to let the rescuers know to expect our vehicle to be hidden from view from the air, or to arrange vehicle recovery or air drops in a remote area etc etc. These things may well prevent a situation from becoming a life or death situation. If we ever need to activate our PLB, we will switch on the satphone at the same time & provided that our car hasn't burned & is accessible it can remain powered up indefinitely. Otherwise we have to manage it's power along with whatever other resources we have in our grab bag. It's number is recorded in the information that AMSA has about us (along with photos of the car & Tvan & up to date 'trip' details). That way they can call us rather than wasting time calling our listed contacts when the PLB alerts them, both saving what may be valuable time & we can give details as to the situation (as well as confirming for ourselves that our cry for help has been heard).

For folk who rarely leave 'civilisation' too far behind then a sat phone is harder to justify. $16.50 a month in addition to the cost of the satphone is cheap insurance for us.

Cuppa · Guru

Pradokakadudavid wrote:
I saw a You Tube post the other day where a couple's 4x4 was totally flooded in the middle of no where but on a major road and they used their PLB to get help.
Do you see this as an appropriate use for this device?
I would be interested to know what people think.
Also, does the SOS feature on an iphone mean that you can contact 000 for emergencies if you have no phone reception.
Research suggests this is the case but I would like to know if this feature works before venturing into the unknown!
Cheers.
David

David, to have a sense of whether the flooded couple's use was appropriate would require a lot more info. If unable to leave the car, at risk of drowning, washed away or with pre-existing health conditions etc etc then I'd say it could have been appropriate, even it it were just a case of running out of food & water. So hard to know. In 'sub emergency' scenarios a satphone could be very handy.

Personally if I were to activate our PLB it would be following our evaluation of our circumstances & I would be confident that it would be appropriate. Fear levels come into it too, & they might be great deal higher for folk who suddenly find themselves in strife when they are already well out of their comfort zone. If, for example, your stranded people had never left the city previously & found themselves in that situation, even if the activation were not strictly needed - as in life & death - I would expect the authorities to have some understanding as to why the couple might have felt that it was, providing their activation hadn't been overtly 'frivolous'. If it were just to get their car recovered, I reckon that might have been frivolous, & in those circumstances I'd reckon they should expect a sizeable bill for the rescue.

An iphone or any other phone needs a network signal to work. If travelling where there is no network signal I think it would be foolish to rely on a phone for emergencies. Go for a drive until you are somewhere where your phone tells you there is no signal & try it. If there is a signal where you are from another network other than yours, it will carry the Triple 0 call, but if there are no network signals you'd be better off sending smoke signals.

Gary and Barb · Senior Member

Whenarewethere wrote:
We have possibly stopped a few bush fires putting out properly, fire places on the ground still smoldering with enough flora to the bush where people have left their camp site, mostly in the summer season & in places where people are specifically asked not to use fires.

One could start a fire with landing lights as happened!

Unattended fires a still a big problem, I find. Most travellers are really good, but the occasional thoughtless ones are very galling.

PeterInSa · Guru

Along with our Sat phone we have a PLB in the bush and personal CB's and GPS handhelds.

-- Edited by PeterInSa on Monday 23rd of January 2023 05:10:39 PM

Pradokakadudavid · Senior Member

Yes I have a high powered UHF in my 4 wheel drive so that is something I guess. The You Tube situation I was describing above where the couple used their PLB was indeed an emergency situation so I guess the answer is yes, it was appropriate. Thanks for the advice.

Mike Harding · Guru

Pradokakadudavid wrote:
I have a high powered UHF in my 4 wheel drive so that is something I guess.

UHF CB, high or low power, is next to useless as an emergency communications mechanism and should never be relied upon for such a purpose.

Cuppa · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
Pradokakadudavid wrote:
I have a high powered UHF in my 4 wheel drive so that is something I guess.
UHF CB, high or low power, is next to useless as an emergency communications mechanism and should never be relied upon for such a purpose.

Yes I would very much agree with Mike on this David. Consider a UHF as being primarily for short range use regardless of how 'high powered' it might be. UHF radios are restricted to 5W by law. There are illegal imports which have a higher output, but they won't make emergency communications any better & there are good reasons not to use them. .

https://radioindustries.com.au/illegal-radios-warning/

-- Edited by Cuppa on Tuesday 24th of January 2023 02:10:05 PM

PeterInSa · Guru

Re (I prefer a Sat Phone for emergency calls to 000)

I don't think there is a valid argument for the above over a PLB.

Agree, But having a Sat phone along with a PLB, I can talk to someone on the Sat Phone, about our situation, what to do and when help will arrive and not just pull the cord on the PLB and Hope.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

As usual, I am coming in a little late to this discussion.
Has anyone seen or used a Zoleo beacon? I understand it has a subscription cost but it can send a text to a contract if required to advise that all is ok.

A friend has a GME PLB - used it in anger when his transmission failed at Moorinya NP a couple of years ago. Luckily one of the police from Hughenden who flew out to him was a bush mechanic & with a rubber band, fixed the Isuzu gearbox problem.

I've been looking too long now, it's possibly time to buy!

shakey55 · Senior Member

rgren2 wrote:
I have a GME (cant remember model) for the boat, when travelling I just ring the authorities and let them know its with me in the Patrol. When home, it goes back in the boat and authorities informed.

I do the same rgren2

AndyCap100 · Senior Member

Hi ,yep same here ,have a GME Accusat over here in NZ. Never used it intentionally but did flick the aeriel up for a milli-second once by mistake(luckily at home) so rang the required no. quicksmart to appologise but it didn`t register on the satallite with them then . Bloke was appreciative of the call as he said they get quite a no of false alarms .
Battery lasts for 7 yrs and then you can get a replacement put in ,but that costs not far as the same as a new unit ,so that`s what i`d do. A couple of places here in NZ do an exchange so the old one doesn`t just get dumped at the tip .$500 ish and worth the piece of mind .Cheers Andy .