EPIRB wanted

jkaterenchuk

Dave

Would a VHF radio (with a signal strength meter) and a multi element antenna not accomplish the same thing for about 1/5th the price?

John

Dutchy

Yes and No. For some $150 you'll get yourself a scanner that has the airband. A handheld two element antenna will do the job just fine. (I used this as a kid in the 144 Mhz band for HAM radio 'fox hunting'.)

However this takes practice and adds taskload for a crew busy looking for the diver. It might be worth coughing up the money for a device that is probably more reliable and seaworthy. (electronics don't like water as we Rebreather divers know. Not even spray.)

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Dave Sutton

Technically? On a perfect day, sure.

From a seamans perspective? Not when the seas are 8 feet, the wind is 20 knots, you cannot keep your footing on the deck, and human life is at stake. When things go wrong, they go wrong all at once.... not a good time to be assembling a handheld radio and a Yagi antenna out of some hiding spot down below decks and then to try to get someone to use it while I run the boat. This is the North Atlantic... the sea is grey and cold. It'll gobble up a lost diver faster than you can think. We go into harms way: I plan to bring everyone back, every time.

For locating airplane ELT's (same things as a 121.5 EPIRB) that have gone off at the local airport, a handheld radio and an antenna work fine (that's exactly what we do). For use at sea? The real thing is best. There are handheld versions of the system for yacht use... I just think that the industrial one is worth the cost for a commercial boat. Shit, on top of the other $30K of electronics (not counting the sidescan sonar) it's a blip of noise in the signal of "the sound of money rushing to someplace else"...


Dave


Let's see: EXPLORER carries (2) RADAR's, (1) HF/SSB Radio, (6) GPS's (including the one in the raft and another in the RIB as well as one mounted over my bunk so I can watch with one eye open what's happening when I'm off watch), (1) LORAN, (2) bottom sounders,(2) bottom sonars, (1) forward looking sonar, (2) VHF radios, (2) VHF handheld radios, (1) loud-hailer/foghorn, (1) mounted EPIRB, (1) PLB in the ditch bag, an Iridium SATPHONE, a Weather Fax system, an autopilot, (2) sets of night vision goggles, (2) pairs of binoculars, one with image stablization,.... as well as a towfish sidescan sonar and the computers to run it.... Yeah: we have room for the locator system too!



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jkaterenchuk

Makes sense.

Even thought there are ways to possibly deal with the other issues I would see no way to get around the issue of small effective beam width pattern of the yagi (more elements smaller beam width) getting shifted all over the place because of the movement of the boat in these conditions.

I would prefer you get the commercial setup also.

John

grahamsp

I use a GPS enabled 406 MHz EPIRB (go to GME to have a look) which cost less than US $520, in a McMurdo canister. I think it's essential, particularly when conditions are less than perfect - one or more of open ocean diving, deep water, long deco, poor underwater and/or surface vis, strong currents, high sea states, limited surface support.

Graham

jkaterenchuk

Does anyone have experience with the use or capabilites of these devices in remote locations and counties in which boats and dive operations might be less sophisticated? GPS useful? On boat direction finding equipment?



For example...Thailand, Indonesia, PI, Malaysia.


What about CCR friendly liveaboards?

John

Captain Nemo

Check out Sea Marshall.com they have a compact oil-filled unit which has no need for a waterproof box, as its pressure tested to 100m. Easily slips into a drysuit pocket so handy for man-overboard, or missing diver alert. Top Tip. let someone know you have one, so emergency services can be informed.

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PaulTG2

It looks like the Sea Marshal unit is only a 121.5MHz unit and doesn't include the GPS and 406MHz satellite system. It is a great unit for an equipped boat, but I'd want the full EPIRB with GPS system for diving in remote areas.

With a 121.5Mhz system your signal MIGHT be picked up by someone who may or may not know what to do with the information. Few boats are equipped to receive the signal. The satellites that do receive it are scheduled to be shut down and can take hours to narrow down what region of the world you are in. In most places you can't be assured there is anyone listening for the signal. All the random person who receives the signal will know is that there is someone who may be in trouble and perhaps the general area you're in. They are likely not trained in how to respond to the signal. With luck they can start a general search effort with specially equipped aircraft or rescue ships (if it's available in the area) and visually search with other ships.

Using the 406Mhz beacon with GPS system (and a 121.5 beacon) the emergency center, staffed with experts trained and equipped to respond, is notified within a few minutes of activation and knows immediately, and with a few hundred feet, where you are -- and can track you on an ongoing basis. They can take the ID number the unit reports and look you up in the database and will know know who you are, what type of things you do, and the contact information for your emergency contact(s) (provided YOU do your job and register and keep current your database record). The center can direct anyone who can take lat/long coordinates, directly to you without needing a full scale search effort. I assume they have a pretty complete worldwide contact information database of emergency responders.

I'd rather have the full EPIRB system with GPS.

Sincerely,

Paul

jsevland

Hi all

As always, thanks for great information.

In case some of you have older McMurdo units, it might be worth while reading the test reports on Equipped To Survive.

Stumbled upon this, while searching for something else on the the Norwegian Rescue Service website.

Apparently an unlycky Norwegian Sailor was afloating in the Swedish coast
for six hours until rescued - due to his PLB did not perform as expected.
(text too long to translate, but you get the plot from looking at the pictures ;-)

What I really was looking for, was if I can buy a PLB abroad and register it in Norway.
(Norwegian retailers have a nasty tendency to multiply everything by PHI)
As far as I know, the answer is yes, but not found it litterally confirmed.

jsevland

kiwi_diver

If you've a spare few grand kicking about, and want a nice watch, buy a Breitling "Emergency". It has e built-in EPIRB. Oh, but I think you have to have a pilots licence!

The 121.5 and 243 MHz transmitters will still be monitored by Sat until early 2009. After that, terrestrial monitoring still applies.

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