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On 10 Nov 2004 19:54:44 -0800, (Matt Lang) wrote:

[snippage]

Hey Matt

If you get an answer could you please post it here? I am really interested
in the results. As I mentioned, I am on the water a lot but other hobbies
carry me deep into some forested areas. It would be awful hard to find me if
I slipped and broke a leg or something.

I know, I broke a leg snowmobiling. Fortunately others were around to get
emergency service have me carried off the field.

Regards
John S

I would rather be boating!

The CG sent a standard letter ( see below)

After reading through their links I come to the following conclusions:

- PLB and EPIRP seems to be the same technology and frequency
- dont waste your money for anything except 406 MHz EPRIRB with or
without GPS
- Having a VHF radio wont hurt either way

Backpacking, it would make more sense to have a hand held which
transmits on the aircraft channels than the marine channels.

- They dont say you CANT use EPIRBS on land but I read this between
the lines. The reason being the registration and that it has to be
registered to a vessel. However, before i die somewhere i would bring
the EPIRB on land and hope someone comes to save my ass. Deal with
the legal BS later, after you survive.

International Law allows the use of any radio communications in an
emergency. For example, you don't have to be licensed to use marine
SSB to summon help, but they will probably want to know why you have
one, etc.

The problem with the EPIRBs is that they are registered and designed
for marine use which means that the system will be sending the signal
to the wrong response agency. If you are backpacking in South Dakota
and trigger your EPIRB, I'm fairly sure the Navy, US and Canadian
Coast Guard isn't going to be looking for you once the signal is
processed. The magic is in how the signal is responded to - and how
quickly.

- There are PLB with GPS as there are EPRIB wth GPS. EPIRBS are built
for marine environment, which menas they float upright and some
activate themsefes , etc.
- They didnt answer if EPIRBS are more or less for offshore or also
for large lakes and rivers.

I believe, and I'm not absolutely sure about this, that they are
required for commercial/passenger vessels on the Great Lakes, St.
Lawrence Seaway and Lake Champlain, but not on rivers. Somebody else
would have to answer that.

- If you are in woods, chances are you will not be able to transmit a
GPS location as your GPS (if you have one) IN the PLB will not receive
a signal from the satellite and who knows if the EPIRB will get
through to the satellite. If you dont have any broken bones in an
emergency, climb a tree to get a clear view to the sky or hike to a
clearing or open water, THEN activate the PLB.

Rather than climb a tree, walk around and get a signal. One spot may
not be as advantageous as another to receiving a GPS signal.

- An alternative to all this is a satellite phone or depending how
remote you are a cell phone with extenal powerful antenna, and we are
talking powerful and large.

Same problem with the Sat phone - you have to find a spot in which
there is adequate signal strength.

- After having tried a normal red flare during halloween fireworks (I
know .. but there was NO way it could have been mistaken for an
emergency). I am deeply dissapointed of cheap flares as lifesaver. You
would have to have been RIGHT THERE to notice this thing during the 3
second 40 feet "flight"
- I will be ordering serious PARACHUTE SOLAS flares (EPIRB or not)and
put the others ones in the toy box ..

The small ones are useful in open spaces like bays and inshore.
Otherwise, they are useless. The real SOLAS flares are the best.

Hopefully someone has more knowledge about this and isnt tied up in
political discussions
-----------------
Thank you for your email, dated 09 November 2004, requesting
information on Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons.

The Canadian Beacon Registry program maintains a centralized database
in which it registers distress-alerting transmitters such as the
following:

-Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs)
-Emergency Positioning Indicator Radio Beacons (EPIRBs)
-Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs)

Well, that pretty much answers the question - they wouldn't have
mentioned the PLBs if they were't usable.

Live long and prosper,

Tom