Has anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

[rs2k]

http://www.budgetpilot.com/aerofix-406with-gps-interface-p-3539.html

If you're on a boat that sinks in the middle of a storm 100 miles from shore, it sure would be nice to tell the satellites in orbit that someone's out here. I've always thought it would be a good idea to sow one of these things into a secure front pocket of my emergency PFD.

 

[Bilgamesh]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Nice idea for those with the spare cash and a love for gadgets, but for those of us who boat on a budget, it defeats the purpose of buying a $9.99 PFD from Bass Pro.

 

[rs2k]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

$500 life insurance policy.

You wouldn't really need one unless you go way out to sea any way.

 

[dingbat]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Personalliy I'd go for the marine version which is $150 less.
http://www.anchorexpress.com/ACR-AquaFix-EPIRB-2797-2-p/2797.2.htm

At $349 still cheaper than a funeral. No.....you don't have to be a long way from land to need one. People drown within sight of land all the time.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

I think its a great idea, only I wouldn't sew it in. There are plenty of PFDs available with pockets. I would just include it along with my signal mirror, signal light, etc.

 

[cwhite6]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

If I boated anywhere I could not see land such as the Gulf, I would defintly have one. I boat in small lakes and rivers here, so not much sense in having one.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

If I boated anywhere I could not see land such as the Gulf, I would defintly have one. I boat in small lakes and rivers here, so not much sense in having one.

Obviously, these things cost alot of money, so its quite a bit of a decision in terms of buying one. That said, let me give you an example of why even those who boat in relatively confined areas could still benefit from having one.

I know a guy who told his wife he was going fishing in a certain area. He didn't show up that night and she called the Coast Guard. They spent five days looking for him. The reason why this happened is because she misuderstood what her husband said - he was actually about 15 miles to the northwest of where she thought he was.

This mistake cost my friend 5 days in the bayou with no food, no water and no insect repellent. It also cost several hundred thousand dollars in added search time. Had the search gone on a couple of more days, inconvenience most likely would have turned into tragedy.

The above scenario might not apply if there is only one small lake within a 100 miles or so, but any time that there are other locations and information can get goofed up, things can get complicated.

 

[NoKlu]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

There is a lot cheaper way to go. http://www.findmespot.ca/en/index.php?cid=1100 A bunch of hunters have been testing this rig and are all happy with the way it works.

 

[rs2k]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

$100 a year vs a one time $360 purchase. I don't know about the spot, but I do know if the 406 MHz signal goes off they send search parties out for you pretty quick. The 406 MHz signal can be pinpointed within 2 nautical miles without any form of GPS. Assuming good weather, spotting something orange from the air in a 4 mile circle of blue isn't too hard to do.

$360 is less than two tanks of gas on my boat. I think I'll be getting one of those before I head out to the ocean. I'll keep it in my PFD which will always be near the helm.

 

[rs2k]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

I just found one that has GPS built in... It's more money but if someone gets off a sinking boat without a PFD it could mean the difference between life and death.

http://www.e-marine-electronics.com...revere-supply-company-mcmurdo-85-890-001a.htm

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Has anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

The spot has a tracking feature so if you hit the button it can send your exact location to the wife so on a long trip they can check to see if you are okay and still moving. It's not just an emergency locator it can be used to track progress so the loved ones don't worry and can be used for all sorts of outdoors activity's like hiking and other backwoods activity's.

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: Has anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

I have a pair of PLBs with built in GPS. (One snapped onto Junior's life jacket and one on mine.) They were expensive at $650 a copy, but I go offshore (out of sight of land) whenever I can find the time. These devices work and are credited with saving countless lives. I hope I never have to push the button, but if I do, it greatly increases the chances of Junior finding her way into a big orange helicopter.

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: Has anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

When I worked on the river we had clip on red light blinkers that were automatic, If you fell in the water , that would engage it. I think what I have read about these devices are a good idea for oceans and larger lakes but I didn't read where it will automatically kick on if you are washed over board,capsised, or Well, knocked out.

 

[pinecrestwoods]

Re: Has anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

I am STRONGLY OPPOSED to sewing puppies into a life preserver!!!! I see no benefit from such a practice. Now kittens, on the other hand.... well.... and it's gonna take more than one.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

I just found one that has GPS built in... It's more money but if someone gets off a sinking boat without a PFD it could mean the difference between life and death.

http://www.e-marine-electronics.com...revere-supply-company-mcmurdo-85-890-001a.htm

That's a very nifty unit. Having been one of the guys in an orange helo (white and orange when I was doing it), I would say that it would make a huge difference in finding someone. It has to be remembered that finding a person from an aircraft, even if pinpointed with a couple of mile radius, can be very difficult at times.

Since the loss of the Florida football players, I often think about what a shame it is that a guy who bought a $50,000 boat, didn't invest 600 bucks in a PLB like this one. Granted, not everyone can afford such a device, but if you can buy a top of the line, 23 foot fishing boat, you can afford a PLB.

 

[lowkee]

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

Re: HAs anyone ever thought of sowing one of these puppies into a pocket of a PFD?

At $349 still cheaper than a funeral.

You only need a funeral if your body is found, so it actually saves money, all while making your spouse rich .