Member Comments

This site's testing seems quite good:

http://www.equipped.org/406_beacon_test2_toc.htm


http://www.equipped.org/McMurdoNewFastFind.htm

It certainly pays to shop around - prices seem to vary a bit.

Thanks Consumer. Apparently testing can be done as long as plenty of advance warning (months) is made and SAR would probably be quite happy to help as even these guys haven't used them and would love the publicity. The information below could help in the meantime.

I met two Land SAR guys from Wanaka(Search and Rescue);really nice guys too who were tramping as two families, who showed me their PLB issued by Land SAR.(Rees-Dart tramp)

It was the FastFind Max-G with GPS.New in Feb 2008

nb The G is for GPS. Without the G it has no GPS and will have a zone signal decal not to cover etc. I naturally asked to see it and asked as much as I could. They had never used it but suggests its what Land SAR felt was best issue for their searchers to carry.
It seems my questions re 12/16/50 channel GPS being needed is overkill. So ignore the 50 channel!
This next bit surprised me.
It seems that even with the GPS it can take up to 3 hours ( much longer than I expected)in narrow valleys or in dense bush for another satellite to come over. You might be lucky and have 3 satellites at once in an ideal unobstructed mountain top area but expect delays anyway with the organisation for the search as well.It takes time. Apparently there is one satellite overhead about every three hours so SAR won't necessarily immediately know exactly where you are even with the GPS enabled PBL's. Location and exactly where the satellites are at the time of activation count as well.

They said SAR 's job is so so... much easier with GPS as eventually in 3hours they are going to have much less searching. Their advice was:Stay put once you set it off and try to signal any aerial searchers with a flashing torch/reflector. They whistle and flash their own torches in a grid search in thick bush so have a whistle to reply.

Another party on the tramp had one as well as GPS navigation. GPS is taking off so time to bring some attention to this advance again Consumer.

nb PLB's don't tell you where you are only the SAR organisations! Some people expect GPS to mean they get told. These functions are intentionally kept separate for obvious reasons.

I still need to get a PLB for sure. My wife injured her knee on the Rees saddle and descending to Dart Hut took a while longer than expected. It would have been comforting to have had a PLB in the pack in case our cautious progress wasn't sufficient.

I've also come to respect the time and effort these guys in Land SAR put in to save people. For a couple of hundred $ extra lets make their life easier. One of these guys had been searching the Dart river last year near the Dart Hut for a tramper who died crossing one of the side streams near the Dart hut coming from Cascade saddle.
If she had carried a PBL she could have back tracked to shelter and set off the beacon as a last resort rather than risking a solo crossing and being swept down stream into the Dart where her pack was discovered on a rock two metres above the normal level.
I'll be getting a PLB for my next tramp probably the lighter version of the SAR one so I take it every time.

I recently realised the advantage of one of these on a school tramp and have been researching them. We had two with an overdue party and knew they would be 99% safe, just held up by high rivers. This turned out to be the case.

What to consider:
WEIGHT varies considerably 150g-345g I think this is most important for tramping otherwise you won't take it as often. Especially if you are doing a "safe" tramp
Battery life 5-7rs guaranteed although some say they last stored 11 yrs,
Cost of battery replacement
$200-250,
Size: huge variation as with weight Small will sit easier round the neck or in a sealed pocket or at worst in your pack
Buy within NZ: Prices vary from $730-1000 for the same item so shop around.
http://www.beacons.org.nz/purchase-a-beacon.htm gives a list for starters.
Trademe also has some good prices.
Waterproof or not and float: (so could be used on the boat as well)
Have a led strobe SOS or not
Some have 12 channel and others 16 channel GPS receivers which gives the number of satellites that can be tracked simultaneously. (Probably only need 12 as you can't get more than 12 at a time I think and doesn't change accuracy quoted anyway)
The extra features like self testing and ease of use really require a survey by consumer? Anyone recommend any?
I am leaning toward the McMurdo Fastfind FF211 (nb the 210 won't work in NZ)due to being 150g plus cover? (weight not spec) and being small like a mobile phone, waterproof @$789 (best I can find but the GME MT410G weighs 290g including pouch with a more robust appearance /design and 7r guarantee both for unit and battery impresses. GME is and Australian co which I prefer compared to Mcmurdo British. Batteries may be cheaper in future if our exchange rate to the pound suffers and would have to change them more often as well.
ACR Res-Q-Fix 406 weighs 345g so its at the heavy for tramping but looks fine if weight is not an issue. (US made)
I hope this helps others start their research and gets consumer mag thinking?

At $700-800 a PLB (Personal locator beacon with GPS)a consumer test could do two things. One:Bring the public awareness up to speed and save lives and Two: save SAR time by publicizing the advantage of GPS PLB's. Imagine being out tramping knowing they will locate you to 60m compared to 5km and in 3 minutes compared to 45 minutes.
For $200 more "always get a GPS PLB"
(Safer communities together!)