In prep for my upcoming sailing trip, I bought a new battery for my
406 Mhz EPIRB and ran thru the self test sequence, IT FAILED. This
insanely expensive piece of equipment does not work? This coulda
killed me. I sent it via next day mail to the place here in FL for
examination and they say they might have to send it back to England
costing nearly $300. Like Hell.
Options........hmmm. There is something new out there called SPOT.
For $150, one can buy a beacon that when activated sends a signal to a
satellite (I think it must use the Iridium network) and that sends a
signal to some emergency station with your GPS location. Am not sure
how this differs from EPIRB.
It has other features too. One can use it to send a recorded message
back to home saying "I am ok, my position is........". It can also
send a signal back home so someone can track your path on Google
Earth. It does require a subscription service of $100/yr.
Anybody know about these things?

On 11/17/09 10:04 AM, Frogwatch wrote:
In prep for my upcoming sailing trip, I bought a new battery for my
406 Mhz EPIRB and ran thru the self test sequence, IT FAILED. This
insanely expensive piece of equipment does not work? This coulda
killed me. I sent it via next day mail to the place here in FL for
examination and they say they might have to send it back to England
costing nearly $300. Like Hell.
Options........hmmm. There is something new out there called SPOT.
For $150, one can buy a beacon that when activated sends a signal to a
satellite (I think it must use the Iridium network) and that sends a
signal to some emergency station with your GPS location. Am not sure
how this differs from EPIRB.
It has other features too. One can use it to send a recorded message
back to home saying "I am ok, my position is........". It can also
send a signal back home so someone can track your path on Google
Earth. It does require a subscription service of $100/yr.
Anybody know about these things?


Can't you invent something for $3 worth of parts kicking around in your
backyard?

What's the point, anyway? You never seem to get more than a couple of
miles from your mooring before something on your boats falls off and you
have to head back in, right?


--
If you are flajim, herring, loogy, GC boater, johnson, topbassdog, rob,
or one of a half dozen others, you're wasting your time by trying to
*communicate* with me through rec.boats, because, well, you are among
the permanent members of my dumbfoch dumpster. As always, have a nice,
simple-minded day.

On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:04:57 -0800 (PST), Frogwatch
wrote:

In prep for my upcoming sailing trip, I bought a new battery for my
406 Mhz EPIRB and ran thru the self test sequence, IT FAILED. This
insanely expensive piece of equipment does not work? This coulda
killed me. I sent it via next day mail to the place here in FL for
examination and they say they might have to send it back to England
costing nearly $300. Like Hell.

You can buy a personal EPIRB for that money.

Then again, a new SOLAS EPIRB is going to cost you close to $800 so it
might be worth it.

I'm surprised they have to send it back to England for repair.

Options........hmmm. There is something new out there called SPOT.
For $150, one can buy a beacon that when activated sends a signal to a
satellite (I think it must use the Iridium network) and that sends a
signal to some emergency station with your GPS location. Am not sure
how this differs from EPIRB.

I don't believe they are automatcally deployed as a normal EPIRB
would.

It has other features too. One can use it to send a recorded message
back to home saying "I am ok, my position is........". It can also
send a signal back home so someone can track your path on Google
Earth. It does require a subscription service of $100/yr.
Anybody know about these things?

Wayne does - he's used it on his cruises often. It's very cool and
you can link it up with Google Maps.

I'm sure Wayne will be along to describe it.

On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:42:13 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

I'm sure Wayne will be along to describe it.

On r.b.c

Krausie wrote with his own fat fingers (the ones with the gnawed off
fingernails):
What's the point, anyway? You never seem to get more than a couple of
miles from your mooring before something on your boats falls off and you
have to head back in, right?

This would be as opposed to your splendidly equipped lobster boat
where everything is perfect?

On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:25:54 -0800 (PST), GC Boater
wrote:

Krausie wrote with his own fat fingers (the ones with the gnawed off
fingernails):
What's the point, anyway? You never seem to get more than a couple of
miles from your mooring before something on your boats falls off and you
have to head back in, right?

This would be as opposed to your splendidly equipped lobster boat
where everything is perfect?

We need to be kinder to our friend - he is a genuine War Hero you
know.

A lot of people don't know this, but he was personally recruited by a
Major General for the Defense Intelligence Agency's Operation Clap
Trap, official designtion Project OU-8-1-2. OU-8-1-2 was a covert
mission into the Steam and Cream District of the Cholon area of Siagon
to gather intelligence from the bar boys/girls and an attempt to
capture the Veitnamese Super Spy, Victor Charlie.

As usual, all his activities are Top Secret and remain classified thus
nothing of his courage and bravery is publically known or can be
researched.

Obviously, a modest and brave man.

On 11/18/09 8:00 AM, Tom Francis - SWSports wrote:
On Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:25:54 -0800 (PST), GC Boater
wrote:

Krausie wrote with his own fat fingers (the ones with the gnawed off
fingernails):
What's the point, anyway? You never seem to get more than a couple of
miles from your mooring before something on your boats falls off and you
have to head back in, right?

This would be as opposed to your splendidly equipped lobster boat
where everything is perfect?

We need to be kinder to our friend - he is a genuine War Hero you
know.

A lot of people don't know this, but he was personally recruited by a
Major General for the Defense Intelligence Agency's Operation Clap


Actually, you were far more likely to be gathering clap than I...

Take your meds...really.




--
If you are flajim, herring, loogy, GC boater, johnson, topbassdog, rob,
or one of a half dozen others, you're wasting your time by trying to
*communicate* with me through rec.boats, because, well, you are among
the permanent members of my dumbfoch dumpster. As always, have a nice,
simple-minded day.

On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:23 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

As usual, all his activities are Top Secret and remain classified thus
nothing of his courage and bravery is publically known or can be
researched.

We do know that he fought valiantly along side Major Problem and
Private Partz however.

This is Captain Under speaking, over...

On 11/18/09 1:48 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:23 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

As usual, all his activities are Top Secret and remain classified thus
nothing of his courage and bravery is publically known or can be
researched.

We do know that he fought valiantly along side Major Problem and
Private Partz however.

This is Captain Under speaking, over...



Is Tom trying to make something positive of his time in the marines in
vietnam?

--
If you are flajim, herring, loogy, GC boater, johnson, topbassdog, rob,
or one of a half dozen others, you're wasting your time by trying to
*communicate* with me through rec.boats, because, well, you are among
the permanent members of my dumbfoch dumpster. As always, have a nice,
simple-minded day.

Is Tom trying to make something positive of his time in the marines in
vietnam?


I don't think so, Krausie. He's actually trying to find humor in your
despicable, sociopathic, unsavory, possibly criminal, lying ass.