Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

[diesel5599]

Anyone have a PLD that they can recommend? I am preparing my 'new to me' fishing boat for offshore fishing (20-30 miles out) and plan on buying either two PLDs or one PLD and an EPIRB. I'm leaning towards buying two PLDs. I already have a mounted ship to shore radio, we always travel with two cell phones, and I'm thinking about getting a hand held ship to shore as well for backup.

Below is the PLD that keeps coming up during google searches

http://www.coolebuys.com/-p-127171.html

PLD's are pricey, but peace of mind isn't.

 

[nev123]

Re: Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

There was another guy asking for something similar yesterday, I think he was after a device to monitor his boat when moored. You might be looking for a rescue type device.

I use a GPS/SMS tracker on mine. It does need to be in Mobile phone coverage to work. It has an SOS button on it that will send a text message to up to 8 preset phone numbers. Also I have mine connected to my bilge alarm float switch, so it sends me an SMS if the bilge is flooding. Also the usual GPS tracking functions if your boat moves off it's mooring or it stolen.

Here the place I bought mine. I see they are sold old so you might have to email them http://www.smart-azz.com

I paid about $280

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

In 2007 I bought two PLB (Personal Locator Beacons) with GPS. (ACR Model PLB-300 http://www.acrelectronics.com/common/plb300man.pdf.)

These cost about $650 a copy. No doubt this is a lot of money, but I like to get offshore when I can (almost always with precious cargo) so the cost just can't be compared to the proven lifesaving ability of these devices. I wish that everyone who gets offshore could afford to have one of these devices with them.

 

[diesel5599]

Re: Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

The cost has come down some for the PLD's, EPIRBS are still up there in price. I read an article where they said it would be cheaper for the Coast Guard to give every single offshore boater a PLD or to subsidize the price of PLDs for every single boater offshore or inshore, than to continue to search for lost boaters the way they do now. Not to mention the lives that would be saved.

It seems like ACR has pretty much cornered the market. I'll probably get two ACR PLB350B's.

 

[driz]

Re: Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

The cost has come down some for the PLD's, EPIRBS are still up there in price. I read an article where they said it would be cheaper for the Coast Guard to give every single offshore boater a PLD or to subsidize the price of PLDs for every single boater offshore or inshore, than to continue to search for lost boaters the way they do now. Not to mention the lives that would be saved.

It seems like ACR has pretty much cornered the market. I'll probably get two ACR PLB350B's.

ACR has always been a major player in this sort of thing. If I remember it was their little yellow ELT's that adorned nearly all the military planes since the Vietnam war. Everything they ever made has always been first rate professional gear.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

First off a cell phone is not going to work 20 miles out unless it is a satellite phone or there is a island 22 miles out with a Cell tower.

Handheld radio. If you talking a VHF Marine handheld radio you would be Very lucky if it heard by a shore station. Range of that radio is 2 to 3 miles plus the range of the other station. So if coast guard has an antenna 3000 feet high on a mountain there is a chance they could here you. Your chances are much better with a 25 Watt VHF fixed mount radio. It range with a 8 foot 6 db antenna is about 4.7 miles plus the range of the other station. All new radios must have DSC emergency distress button. When the Coast Guard completes Rescue 21 they have to be able to here that signal out 30 miles all along the US coast. However in many area it is not ready yet. I will try and post a few links form a Coast Guard commander from the north coast of California at the bottom.

The PLB and EPIRB will work when a satelites comes by but it can be hours. In warm waters that is a good option. In cold waters do not waste your money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-f4nhnBThg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdkxsWBncSc&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQk5MRwuxgo&feature=channel

 

[nev123]

Re: Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

Boatist is quite correct - sorry didn't mean to give you duff gen. I use the GPS/SMS tracker purely for boat security on the mooring when it's unsattended. It works very well for sending you an sms when the bilge is full etc or if the boat moves outside the geo fence, but for off shore activites you definitely want a fixed mount radio and epirb.

 

[dave11]

Re: Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

ACR is fine. I have a McMurdo Fastfind. I also have a ditch bag with a lot of gear I hope to never need. I don't go boating without my ditch bag.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

Anyone have a PLD that they can recommend? I am preparing my 'new to me' fishing boat for offshore fishing (20-30 miles out) and plan on buying either two PLDs or one PLD and an EPIRB. I'm leaning towards buying two PLDs. I already have a mounted ship to shore radio, we always travel with two cell phones, and I'm thinking about getting a hand held ship to shore as well for backup.

Below is the PLD that keeps coming up during google searches

http://www.coolebuys.com/-p-127171.html

PLD's are pricey, but peace of mind isn't.

Ya, that one is a popular but pricey model. They used to be $1000! Also check out the Spot devices. The newest one is real small and they come with rebates from time to time. $150 list and $100 rebate. They have a $100 annual subscription fee but you can send text messages to people that might be worried about you.

For another $49 a year you can activate a tracking feature so you can be followed on a computer.

Also check out a new handheld GPS by Delorme that encompasses the Spot network too.
http://blog.delorme.com/2010/01/06/delorme-and-spot-handheld-gps-meets-satellite-communication/

EPIRB's operate on the free GPS network and are used by the pro's out at sea, but just like any technology they are still expensive and a lot of competing devices coming to market with features like text messaging and route tracking.

 

[diesel5599]

Re: Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

First off a cell phone is not going to work 20 miles out unless it is a satellite phone or there is a island 22 miles out with a Cell tower.

Handheld radio. If you talking a VHF Marine handheld radio you would be Very lucky if it heard by a shore station. Range of that radio is 2 to 3 miles plus the range of the other station. So if coast guard has an antenna 3000 feet high on a mountain there is a chance they could here you. Your chances are much better with a 25 Watt VHF fixed mount radio. It range with a 8 foot 6 db antenna is about 4.7 miles plus the range of the other station.

I only have each device as a fail safe and to provide me a means to respond based on the issue. If its just an engine problem and I'm within a mile or two of shore; cell phone, 5-10 miles from shore VHF. I've heard the CG up to 15 miles out on the VHF. The hand held is for in case of power failure will likely be able to reach a fellow boater. Its rare to not be within visual distance of at least 2 boats even when you are 20-30 miles offshore.

The PLD will be for absolute emergencies only. I was not aware of the time issue though, I thought the alert was instant.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Personal Locator Device (PLD / EPIRB)

Diesel
Do not get me wrong EPIRB and PLD are great devices and if your more than 30 miles from shore then they are your best option. They work world wide so if your 300 miles out they still work. It can take quite a while to get the signal heard and relayed to a shore station. I do not know if you listened to the 3 links I gave to the Coast Guard Talking about DSC Distress or not but when ready will be great. I also have 2 fixed mount VHF marine radios and carry 2 handhelds. We normally try to come in by 1400 but a few times we have traveled 30 miles north from ports and were late getting our limit so still headed back at 1600 when we usually check in by cell or ham radio to let person who knows our float plan that we are back. Along the Northern California Coast about 3 miles out usually can not get a cell signal. Since our route takes us by some areas that have rocks out of the water 1 mile out we usually run about 3 miles out. Not many places we find a signal. If we do we stop and make the call. If not then we usually use Ham radio 2 meters to a open repeater on a high mountain that can reach the 100 miles to home.

For the DSC distress button on the radio to work you must have a MMSI number and have it wired to a GPS. It transmits on channel 70 with 1 watt. With only 1 watt I strongly recomend a 8 foot Good 6DB gain antenna so you have a effective radiated power out of 4 watts. For us here Coast Guard Group San Francisco has many antenna including one on a 3000 foot high Moutain North of San Francisco and one on a 2500 foot mountain South of San Francisco. I have talked to them 80 miles to the North and should be able to talk to them 80 miles to the West out to Sea. There is a Coast Guard station closer to our fishing area but their antenna is only 1200 feet high so many time can not raise them. Since they closed Cordell Banks 26 miles out and no longer let us fish deeper than 180 feet we now stay close to shore about 3 miles max. Hoping some day they will reopen Cordell Banks and let fish at least out to 600 feet deep.