PLB's, Sat trackers, UK rescue.

[countrryboy]

Following on from the 1st aid thread, been meaning to mention this for a week or 2.

In a recent forestry industry magazine there was a wee bit about a company called Trackplot, they basically monitor satellite trackers for lone person working for forestry companies etc. So more commercial operations
While most stalked will ever need the monitoring service, u could look up the full story on there site.

Long story short a team off lads turned up to work 1 morning on a site with dodgy phone signal ( but not non existent) found a missing walker who had been lost overnight.
They pushed the SOS button and within 15 mins a helicopter had arrived to airlift him to hospital ( verified SoS was real and sent Heli to exact location)
A text was sent at the same time to there office it wasn't delivered until after the emergency services had arrived.

While a good idea to have a decent 1st aid kit and esp if u know how to use it, but if ur applying tourniquets etc in areas with no phone signal, not saying waste of time but off very limited use if u can't get a emergency message out.
Always mind my 1st +F course the boy really drummed in how important it is to get 999 phoned/notified if anything serious happens ( heart attack, stroke, arterial bleed, or even leg/ankle injury) ur pretty much dead.
And the beauty is u don't even need to know exactly where u are ( ie grid ref etc)

In NZ all hunters/outdoor folk use them as normal, my mates over there pick them up like we'd pick up ur bins and they are the least H&S aware folk ur ever likely to met.
Just thought I'd mention it and raise awareness while we're all sitting at home googling crap
Anyway stay safe

 

[Husky]

I carry a PLB with me at all times, as well as my safety when working alone, if I'm out with guest's it will cover my backside should anything go wrong.
£200 and a seven year battery life it's a no brainer.

 

[oxfordshirestalker]

I carry a PLB with me at all times, as well as my safety when working alone, if I'm out with guest's it will cover my backside should anything go wrong.
£200 and a seven year battery life it's a no brainer.

Sounds interesting - do you have to pay a subscription to a service at all?

 

[zambezi]

My wife and I sea kayak a bit. She carries a PLB and I carry a DSC marine VHF radio. The VHF radio is a hand held 6w unit that identifies me personally as a caller, is effective at up to 6 miles and sends out my GPS position at regular intervals if I hit the SOS button. PLBs do not require operator licenses, VHF radios do. Between those two devices, we are covered for sea areas A1 - A3.

The PLB uses 406Mhz and communicates with a group of COSPAS-SARSAT satellites. IIRC, one of the satellites will hove into your sky once every 30 secs. After you have been "seen" by a couple of satellites, your position and alarm status is recorded and relayed to the co-ordinating center. I have registered both my name and my wife's name against that PLB and have left instructions that we use it on land and sea, Europe and Africa. I have left family phone numbers for the call center to ring in all cases.

There is a point to be made: a PLB can be a life saver, but it is not a subscription rescue service like GlobalRescue. PLBs are are stand alone technology without subscription to additional services. When you register a PLB, you can lodge your details plus a limited instruction/contact data set. And in the UK environment, I am utterly confident our excellent emergency services will respond to any call from that center. But the co-ordinating center is under no obligation to deliver your recovery, let alone go looking up the number for mountain rescue in Uganda if you light up your PLB in Rwenzori.

 

[rem284]

The use of a tracking device is good but it should be backed up with a system where you have phoned, text or told someone/company of your activity, intended location and a time for them to expect you to confirm you are back safe.

There was a time when a rolled the quad and ended up underneath it. My first thought was i might not be able to get myself free. Second thought was i might need to activate the sos button, however i could not reach the device because the bike was siting on top of it. I then thought worst case scenario is my log off time is a couple of hours away so time the alarm would be raised and someone getting here would be 3 to 4 hours. I then thought "dont panic, dont panic" and managed to get myself free. It is when something like this happens it highlights the importance of these procedures.

 

[countrryboy]

Zambezi will know more about them than me.

But basically from wot I can gather u get ur basic PLB, which is just purely an oh sh!t/SoS button, nothing more, 1 off payment, guaranteed battery to last about 7yrs.

I had 1 in NZ in some pretty remote bush ( as we heli'd in) and it's amazing the piece of mind it gives u, a sprained ankle where I was could of been enough to be a severe problem when on my own and quite a way from mates in the DoC hut.
It also gave them the same as I was up and away while they were still drunk in there scratchers ( in hindsight not very clever) and ended up walking a lot further than I planned.

If it hits the fan u push button, signal sent to satellite, some rescue centre picks it up ( in the mentioned rescue it was in America) they verify ur PLB phone ur emergency contact details ask is it likely to be real, is he in that area etc and then send the emergency services.
Dunno how often it's ever been used in UK but that was the 1st instance I'd heard of it working and working well.
I bet in many parts of UK u wouldn't get an ambulance in 15mins and they got an air ambo to a remote location. Pretty good going I'd say

U do get satellite trackers too which will have monthly subscriptions that send a ping off every so often, ( think varies from 2mins to 1hr set it too wot u want) plus they can send non emergency texts too ( say pre programmed texts to arranged contacts ie quad stuck to shepherd/other keeper etc ) Seemingly u can pair them up with smart phones and it can do a lot more.

So in Ren284s situation above if he didn't check in and he couldn't push the SoS button they'd know exactly where he was to find him
There was a single handed keeper not far from me died of exposure trapped below his quad, bachelor only started looking for him when shepherd thought he dogs hadn't been fed/cleaned out.
After that the nieghbouring massive estate bought all staff computers and had to email when in/out to work every day

I think the monitoring company I mentioned can take it further/more specialised/tailor say if ur usually very mobile and signal hadn't moved for 'x' time they check up on u to make sure ur ok.
I've been sort off looking into a sat tracker for a wee while ( and got 1 for my dad 5+ years ago) and even more a monitored system for work, spoke to this Trackplot company a while back and at time had no SoS but had a few non emergency intraventions, 1 he mentioned forwarder driver slipped on machine steps and got leg stuck with him upside down, not a mountain rescue job, seemingly with tracker he could get a semi nearby worker out to him. Things like that are easy with a phone service thou
Obviously the monitoring will cost more every month thou so prob not worth it for stalked but it's more for companies for there safe lone working RAMS

 

[rem284]

The trackers are better than nothing but if the person has failed to log off but not activated the sos then it takes a person with broadband to get the location details. Then another person to start a search who ideally has mobile phone reception, which is patchy to say the least in my location.

I know if i am using my dog tracking device i am able to find the dog quicker than what i would find a colleague. This does not need phone signal. So thinking out of the box if a group of people used the dog trackers and had each others dogs on each other's handsets then as long as they had them switched on if you had an failed to log off situation then honed into the general area the dog tracker would find where they are

 

[dartmoordog]

Great thread CB, along with the First Aid kits.

We can all be a little blasé about personal safety...........Until the shite hits the fan!

I worked outdoors the vast majority of my life, near, in or on water for a most of it. I remember being on a course on how to use, the then new, Crewsaver Lifejacket, one grumpy old cynic trumped up “This is all rubbish, I have been in this job for 35 years, how many times do you need a lifejacket”

The instructor, an equally grumpy, big lump with a stare that could stop a charging Rhino, turned to him, looked him straight in the eyes and said...........”Just the once”

I still use that saying in my training today.

 

[White Hart]

I've a Garmin Inreach its a great bit of kit. Initial purchase price plus a monthly rental £12 which I can start and stop.

Its got the obvious emergency PLB type button, but also allows me to send a number of pre written emails, 1) Help me im "here" 2) Heading to the larder 3) All ok just running late etc etc. You can also write a text real time but they charge for that but its pence...

When the texts are received it gives the person a hyperlink and once clicked gives your exact position on the map, with lat / long etc.

Its a great tool.

 

[countrryboy]

I've a Garmin Inreach its a great bit of kit. Initial purchase price plus a monthly rental £12 which I can start and stop.

Its got the obvious emergency PLB type button, but also allows me to send a number of pre written emails, 1) Help me im "here" 2) Heading to the larder 3) All ok just running late etc etc. You can also write a text real time but they charge for that but its pence...

When the texts are received it gives the person a hyperlink and once clicked gives your exact position on the map, with lat / long etc.

Its a great tool.

That's wot we got my dad, althou as my family is pretty useless with tech we never got it lnked to a smart phone, which would make it far more versatile.

I know mum really liked it as she could see where he was esp nearer tea time so she had an idea when he'd be game so could get the tea on!!

 

[Husky]

A PLB will work in area's that a tracker such as the Garmin and Spot tracker will struggle.
The PLB as said is a last resort get me out of here device.
In the UK the PLB signal/alert goes to HM Coastguard and they co ordinate the rescue with the RAF.
A PLB also sends out a second signal which is picked up by the rescue helicopter and then homes in on your location as well as the satellite co ordinates.

 

[zambezi]

A PLB also sends out a second signal which is picked up by the rescue helicopter and then homes in on your location as well as the satellite co ordinates.

Need to be careful with that statement. I believe you are referring to the 121.5Mhz locating beacon standard governed by TSO-C91a. That was deprecated by COSPAS-SARSAT in 2009. To rely on a PLB that uses this older standard would be a mistake. I.e. older 121.5Mhz PLBs that use that frequency exclusively [i.e.to initially call the cavalry] will probably fail:




If the UK Coastguard are already engaged in a search and rescue excercise, they will use 121.5Mhz detectors in the helicopters to pinpoint an individual once they arrive in the general vicinity of the emergency. Government leaftlet on these standards are here.

 

[Husky]

Mine is a modern 406KHz EPIRB with the secondary 121.5KHz homing signal .

 

[mack8317]

I've a Garmin Inreach its a great bit of kit. Initial purchase price plus a monthly rental £12 which I can start and stop.

Its got the obvious emergency PLB type button, but also allows me to send a number of pre written emails, 1) Help me im "here" 2) Heading to the larder 3) All ok just running late etc etc. You can also write a text real time but they charge for that but its pence...

When the texts are received it gives the person a hyperlink and once clicked gives your exact position on the map, with lat / long etc.

Its a great tool.

Also, have the inreach mini my subscription allows me to send a text when a mobile signal is unavailable it could save your life

 

[caorach]

This comes up for discussion now and again and people seem to get confused about the different devices. If this is something you might really need to save your life, especially in remote areas, then it is important to understand what a PLB is, and also that is isn't the same as the other things.

The various subscription devices are not PLBs but they are useful when it comes to risk assessments for lone working as they have check-in functions etc.

If you want absolutely the highest chance of getting rescued in remote areas when there is a life threatening emergency then the PLB is a very specific device that is certified to work to a very exacting standard that provides the highest chance of the signal being received by the coord centre. As a result of this it doesn't have any "gadget" type features such as sending messages or transmitting your location every 2 minutes and this is because the battery in a PLB is certified to work for a given period of time (often 24 hours but it depends on the version of PLB certification) and it is not possible to certify this if the device is using the battery to send messages to facebook, or whatever. So a PLB has no functionality at all beyond sending your position when you decide that your are in a life threatening situation - it is a one shot only device. The other devices are not PLBs, are not certified to work, and usually depend on a civilian coord centre to detect that you've sent the emergency message and as a result they get varying reports of effectiveness.

I personally carry a PLB as I don't need to fit in with anyone else's lone working risk assessment and it gives the very highest chance of a rescue in a life threatening situation. If you are looking to buy a PLB then don't get too caught up on brands etc. as they all have to meet a very clearly defined level of certification before they can be called a PLB so, basically, they are all much the same as each other. When I'm in remote spots I always have mine on my person so size and weight are the important features, not gadgets.

Managing how others will react to an emergency with a PLB is different, but in a way more simple, than with one of the devices that enables sending messages or even 2 way communication. When I vanish into the wilds of nowhere then SWMBO knows that if she hears from the coastguard then I'm in a whole lot of trouble and have activated the PLB and if she hears nothing then I'm either just fine but, perhaps, running late or dead and in either case there's nothing she can do about it.

 

[zambezi]

If you want absolutely the highest chance of getting rescued in remote areas when there is a life threatening emergency then the PLB is a very specific device that is certified to work to a very exacting standard that provides the highest chance of the signal being received by the coord centre. As a result of this it doesn't have any "gadget" type features such as sending messages or transmitting your location every 2 minutes and this is because the battery in a PLB is certified to work for a given period of time (often 24 hours but it depends on the version of PLB certification) and it is not possible to certify this if the device is using the battery to send messages to facebook, or whatever. So a PLB has no functionality at all beyond sending your position when you decide that your are in a life threatening situation - it is a one shot only device. The other devices are not PLBs, are not certified to work, and usually depend on a civilian coord centre to detect that you've sent the emergency message and as a result they get varying reports of effectiveness.

An additional caveat with this aspect of PLBs: They have a 7 year battery life. Once activated,PLBs will broadcast an sos with your position for 24 hours provided the battery is viable. To ensure functionality, you would do well to schedule the battery's replacement before expiry. Note that PLB batteries are not usually user-changeable. So setting a diary reminder in good time [before next trip/hike/paddle] to ensure you have it back from the agents in time is prudent.

 

[Husky]

When I was looking into PLBs the price for replaceing the battery was around £100.
I think that in 6 years time rather than replace the battery I will just replace the PLB for the newest version.
£100 for a battery when the unit only cost £200 !

 

[caorach]

When I was looking into PLBs the price for replaceing the battery was around £100.
I think that in 6 years time rather than replace the battery I will just replace the PLB for the newest version.
£100 for a battery when the unit only cost £200 !

Yes that is my plan as well - technology moves on in 6 - 7 years plus the one I always have in my pocket will have taken quite a battering by then so it is simple common sense to just replace the whole unit for the sake of £100 spread over 6 years. Again the value in these things depends on where you spend your time - if you only walk down a farmers field for a few hours and someone knows when you expect you back etc. then it may not be worth the money to you but in my circumstances it is worth the money to me.

Another aspect to this that is often overlooked is that the PLB isn't a device to activate if you run out of pizza, or find that your local shop is out of bog roll You are very much expected to have your own plans to get out of trouble in all but situations where there is an imminent threat to life over which you have no control.

 

[Husky]

Where I do most of my work there is no or very poor phone signal and an ambulance would be hours away, they would just send a helicopter.

 

[zambezi]

in 6 years time rather than replace the battery I will just replace the PLB for the newest version

Provided my ACR ResQlink PLB is still usable at the point the battery goes, I plan to change the 3xCR123 batteries myself per online DIY. Simultaneously, I would buy a new PLB and carry that as my primary device. The battery-renewed unit will become my back up.

It is worth bearing in mind that you can [and should] check the battery and GPS viability of any PLB at regular intervals.