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in 2016 I got one of the ACR PLB-375 "ResQLink+" locator beacons. I did a bunch of research at the time, and liked this because it was $250, and required no su

in 2016 I got one of the ACR PLB-375 "ResQLink+" locator beacons. I did a bunch of research at the time, and liked this because it was $250, and required no subscription. Looks like they are $300 now. The alternatives have more features, like sending messages or two way messaging, and incoming messages, but also tend to require monthly subscription fees. Some of them now have subscriptions that you can "pause" when you aren't using it. I bought the beacon for offroading, after one trip where my son was screwing around and fell and hit his head pretty hard on a rock. He was ok, but it made the ability to reach out much more real. Sometimes I can get cell phone signal on the trail, but usually not. The medical kit I carry and my medical abilities were not up to serious injury. My trauma kit stayed at home: my wife is a nurse. :-) I like it, but in retrospect I wish I'd gotten a 2 way Iridium one, because my wife really worries when she can't get status updates. "Not getting a call from emergency services means we're ok" is not good enough. <shrug> :-)

tialaramex 7y ago
Right, COSPAS-SARSAT beacons are non-subscription products. As you say you can't send "I'm fine, but traffic awful on the way out here so we decided to stay until Tuesday" only trigger emergency rescue. But on the other hand, since COSPAS SARSAT is a global rescue service backed by governments (originally mostly the Russian and American governments, hence the clunky bilingual name) you can be damn sure it's not going bankrupt or whatever. COSPAS SARSAT does have two way link in its roadmap, but again only for emergencies. The concept is, you activate the beacon and then maybe rescuers can send "Storm too bad for helicopter. We come at first light" rather than you either worrying they came and didn't see you or that they aren't coming at all. And that's at least several years out and a new beacon.
ghaff 7y ago
>I like it, but in retrospect I wish I'd gotten a 2 way Iridium one, because my wife really worries when she can't get status updates. "Not getting a call from emergency services means we're ok" is not good enough. <shrug> :-) When I was leading sea kayaking trips, there was effectively a similar conundrum. The standard practice was that you were supposed to leave a float plan with someone you trusted. (Planned route, planned time of return, etc.) But what did that mean really, especially if no one on the trip had a partner expected to move heaven and earth if something might seem wrong. You're an hour past your expected arrival and no call. Do they drive an hour or two to the expected takeout because something might be wrong? Or... wait for how long? (Especially pre-cell phone.) In my experience float plans were something you tended to do as something of a formality and never really expected to use and sort of ignored the practicalities if things had really gone sideways.

tialaramex 7y ago

Right, COSPAS-SARSAT beacons are non-subscription products. As you say you can't send "I'm fine, but traffic awful on the way out here so we decided to stay until Tuesday" only trigger emergency rescue. But on the other hand, since COSPAS SARSAT is a global rescue service backed by governments (originally mostly the Russian and American governments, hence the clunky bilingual name) you can be damn sure it's not going bankrupt or whatever. COSPAS SARSAT does have two way link in its roadmap, but again only for emergencies. The concept is, you activate the beacon and then maybe rescuers can send "Storm too bad for helicopter. We come at first light" rather than you either worrying they came and didn't see you or that they aren't coming at all. And that's at least several years out and a new beacon.

ghaff 7y ago

>I like it, but in retrospect I wish I'd gotten a 2 way Iridium one, because my wife really worries when she can't get status updates. "Not getting a call from emergency services means we're ok" is not good enough. <shrug> :-) When I was leading sea kayaking trips, there was effectively a similar conundrum. The standard practice was that you were supposed to leave a float plan with someone you trusted. (Planned route, planned time of return, etc.) But what did that mean really, especially if no one on the trip had a partner expected to move heaven and earth if something might seem wrong. You're an hour past your expected arrival and no call. Do they drive an hour or two to the expected takeout because something might be wrong? Or... wait for how long? (Especially pre-cell phone.) In my experience float plans were something you tended to do as something of a formality and never really expected to use and sort of ignored the practicalities if things had really gone sideways.