DeLorme inReach or ACR ResQLink for rescue?

[Lee1]

Your thoughts please, I have Handheld VHF, waterproof mobile phone and flares.
It's time to get some type of gps rescue device however like the hand held vhf and mobile phone It has to be pocket size to fit in a small portable pelican case as I use different 3 meter size SIBs in remote cove areas.

From my research it appears the ACR ResQLink is the best option for a mobile PLB and it communicates direct to the authorities and your rescue services via GPS and VHS however i have come across the DeLorme inReach text message communication gps unit with SOS function that appears to send a SOS to Garmin and your other pre programmed mobile phone and email contacts with your text message SOS details and your location however it sends no direct communication nor vhf signal to the authorities or search rescuers.

I am often in ares with no mobile and patchy handheld vhf signal so would the Delorme be a good option for me with its satellite text messaging (it does not make calls) my concern is that your fate could be in the hands of the Garmin response team which I think by them relaying your situation could possible cause a delay in rescue and also would the responding authority become complacent by knowing your were in 'Garmins' hands?

The one thing I do like with the Delorme is the fact it will text any mobile through the gps satellite system so in theory I could send a text Pan Pan to friends and colleagues if I have no vhf nor mobile phone signal thus possibly preventing a SOS/Maday situation.

However with the original need in focus I'm more persuaded to get ACR ResQLink as a 100% last resort option if VHF and mobile signal fail. I'm thinking this is the better and safer gps rescue solution?

The Delorme unit and SOS support:

http://info.delorme.com/em/inreach-insider-sos.html


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[Andy_Rs600]

Personally I'd go for a proper PLB (i.e the ACR) over the Delorme. You identify one issue - namely that there is another link in the chain (Garmin) before your position makes it to the relevant coastgaurd agency. The delay in these alerts getting acted on can be surprisingly long even when it is a PLB or EPIRB.

Secondly, the garmin unit uses communication satellites (and just one network), whereas the PLB is using the Cospas-Sarsat network (piggybacked on lots of other satellites) which has much better coverage and is designed specifically for search and rescue.

[Pikey Dave]

Plb !!

[Jabamusic]

Eg Mcmurdo Fastfind £170 bargain

[chipko]

Good price at Marinestore at the moment.
https://marinestore.co.uk/McMurdo_Fa...or_Beacon.html

[Lee1]

Originally Posted by chipko

Good price at Marinestore at the moment.
https://marinestore.co.uk/McMurdo_Fa...or_Beacon.html

Their non buoyant and I think all PLB should not get CE unless they are!

I'm leaning towards a PLD but will now have 4 bits of kit to lug around and maintain, mobile phone, vhf, plb and flares this is a headache, I might just go with handheld VHF with DSC and mini rocket flares both of which will fit in my PFD pockets.

[Pikey Dave]

Given the choice, I'd swap the mini rocket flares for a PLB any day. Just sayin'

[Lee1]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Given the choice, I'd swap the mini rocket flares for a PLB any day. Just sayin'

I get what your saying Dave, with the rocket flares I have the option of launching a single rocket that should attraction the attention of a near by vessel who would most probably report the flare on channel 16 and then investigate themselves and that assistance might be all I needed and from listening to channel 16 maydays over recent years the rescue services are not always deployed immediately on a mayday call if there is another vessel in close proximity that can immediately observe, verify or assist the mayday, the coast guard has over recent years waited for their observations however if I was in real trouble and inly had rocket flares I would launch 3 flares one after the other hoping this would indicated my serious situation to any local vessel who would relay the fact that 3 flares were launched on channel 16 because if I was a coast guard watch officer and this was reported and I had received no VHF mayday I would presume this indicated a very seriouse situation and the vessel had no VHF capability and I would suggest an immediate RNLI launch.

With only having a PLB and no GOS or VHS at what point do you decide to activate it? That's the question because when you do that's it everyone is out for you and risking their lives, and that is and will always be a dilemma for me, with no VHF or GSM service when does a pan pan become a mayday because for me personally I would be very reluctant to deploy PLB and if I ever got in such a situation I could see my self holding back and not deploying until it's possibly to late anyway lol.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Lee1

I get what your saying Dave, with the rocket flares I have the option of launching a single rocket that should attraction the attention of a near by vessel who would most probably report the flare on channel 16 and then investigate themselves and that assistance might be all I needed and from listening to channel 16 maydays over recent years the rescue services are not always deployed immediately on a mayday call if there is another vessel in close proximity that can immediately observe, verify or assist the mayday, the coast guard has over recent years waited for their observations however if I was in real trouble and inly had rocket flares I would launch 3 flares one after the other hoping this would indicated my serious situation to any local vessel who would relay the fact that 3 flares were launched on channel 16 because if I was a coast guard watch officer and this was reported and I had received no VHF mayday I would presume this indicated a very seriouse situation and the vessel had no VHF capability and I would suggest an immediate RNLI launch.



With only having a PLB and no GOS or VHS at what point do you decide to activate it? That's the question because when you do that's it everyone is out for you and risking their lives, and that is and will always be a dilemma for me, with no VHF or GSM service when does a pan pan become a mayday because for me personally I would be very reluctant to deploy PLB and if I ever got in such a situation I could see my self holding back and not deploying until it's possibly to late anyway lol.

But you've got your VHF & DSC, both of which trump flares. Ultimately it's up to you to choose the best kit to suit your needs & cruising area. Having used the mini rocket flares previously, they were as useful as a chocolate fire guard. I certainly wouldn't want to rely on them when the brown stuff is hitting the fan, I think they may lure you into a false sense of security. All IMO of course.

[Lee1]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

But you've got your VHF & DSC, both of which trump flares. Ultimately it's up to you to choose the best kit to suit your needs & cruising area. Having used the mini rocket flares previously, they were as useful as a chocolate fire guard. I certainly wouldn't want to rely on them when the brown stuff is hitting the fan, I think they may lure you into a false sense of security. All IMO of course.

I think your right there and their bang is better than their twinkle lol I do like how small they are and the fact you've got 10 or so goes, I do also pack them as survival kit for on land remote emergencies up mountings on the moors etc.
On the subject of rocket flares I saw yesterday whilst browsing that there is a new pains Mk8 parachute flare that is as thin as the handheld signal flares but it looks a little longer in length than the signal flare but at half the thickness of the old ones these are good and I can carry more than one in my grab box

http://www.painswessex.com/products/...ing-rocket-mk8

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[Poly]

Originally Posted by Lee1

From my research it appears the ACR ResQLink is the best option for a mobile PLB and it communicates direct to the authorities and your rescue services via GPS and VHS

it doesn't use VHF (or even VHS) - it uses satellites... (and GPS is a one way thing - nobody communicates via it)

however i have come across the DeLorme inReach text message communication gps unit with SOS function that appears to send a SOS to Garmin and your other pre programmed mobile phone and email contacts with your text message SOS details and your location however it sends no direct communication nor vhf signal to the authorities or search rescuers.

as I understand it these work much the same as the spot trackers. The DeLorme has the advantage of 2 way text messaging. I wouldn't be so worried about the Garmin middleman - the PLB signal goes via various middlemen albeit government funded organizations to get to the nearest CG coordination centre. I would be a lot less keen on the subscription fees though - unless I was planning to use it for monitoring/tracking functions too.

would the responding authority become complacent by knowing your were in 'Garmins' hands?

I doubt it - if you were actually able to use it in the water to type a message - an unambiguous distress will get a response - your PLB isn't perfect either, the rescue services will try to eliminate it being a false alarm before they spend thousands launching everything your way... BUT I am sceptical that having fallen overboard you'll be able to type a message.

Originally Posted by Lee1

Their non buoyant and I think all PLB should not get CE unless they are!

They get CE mark for being compliant with the standard. The standard doesn't require it. What you think the standard should say is really irrelevant. Given they also need to have the aerial pointing up buoyancy isn't the only useful feature, and might lead people to let go of the device and drop the signal. A lanyard will achieve the same. Bouyancy won't make much difference in your pelicase anyway

[Lee1]

Originally Posted by Poly

it doesn't use VHF (or even VHS) - it uses satellites... (and GPS is a one way thing - nobody communicates via it)
as I understand it these work much the same as the spot trackers. The DeLorme has the advantage of 2 way text messaging. I wouldn't be so worried about the Garmin middleman - the PLB signal goes via various middlemen albeit government funded organizations to get to the nearest CG coordination centre. I would be a lot less keen on the subscription fees though - unless I was planning to use it for monitoring/tracking functions too.

I doubt it - if you were actually able to use it in the water to type a message - an unambiguous distress will get a response - your PLB isn't perfect either, the rescue services will try to eliminate it being a false alarm before they spend thousands launching everything your way... BUT I am sceptical that having fallen overboard you'll be able to type a message.
They get CE mark for being compliant with the standard. The standard doesn't require it. What you think the standard should say is really irrelevant. Given they also need to have the aerial pointing up buoyancy isn't the only useful feature, and might lead people to let go of the device and drop the signal. A lanyard will achieve the same. Bouyancy won't make much difference in your pelicase anyway

From what I understand you don't have to wast time typing out your mayday you can just send a pretyped 'Mayday mayday maday' by pressing the SOS button and the garmin response will deal with it you don't have to then go into messaging replays whilst your swimming lol it works like the DCS I guess by sending a coded text message the messaging calability is more for general communications and useful I guess to send a guaranteed a pan pan to CG and message friends and family.

[Poly]

Yes, so you are still sending a nonspecific message that gives the responders just a position - nothing to validate the message is genuine or tell them what they are looking for.

[Lee1]

I think there is an option to save pre typed messages like you can do in a mobile phone saved messages setting, I guess you could sit down and type 10 messages to probably cover every situation you could find yourself in, you say it doesn't send your mayday reason or info but neither does pushing the button DSC on a VHF

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Lee1

I think there is an option to save pre typed messages like you can do in a mobile phone saved messages setting, I guess you could sit down and type 10 messages to probably cover every situation you could find yourself in, you say it doesn't send your mayday reason or info but neither does pushing the button DSC on a VHF

Dsc does let you send the reason, but defaults to unspecified (fewer key presses). But you can have voice comms on VHF that clarify or add information all with one big button on the side.

The garmin may have other advantages for your special case, if you want to let your shore contact know where you are for the evening and that all is well. For most of us though the device that is part of the official GMDSS brings more comfort!

[Lee1]

Originally Posted by Poly

Dsc does let you send the reason, but defaults to unspecified (fewer key presses). But you can have voice comms on VHF that clarify or add information all with one big button on the side.

The garmin may have other advantages for your special case, if you want to let your shore contact know where you are for the evening and that all is well. For most of us though the device that is part of the official GMDSS brings more comfort!

Very true but not an option for hand held or SIB use (YET!)

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Lee1

Very true but not an option for hand held or SIB use (YET!)

What is not an option?

Also worth thinking about battery life for multiday sib use.

[Lee1]

I didn't want to include GMDSS in my option as I was considering the better of the two between the new garmin supported delorme satellite messenger and the popular tried and tested ARC pocket PLB

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Lee1

I didn't want to include GMDSS in my option as I was considering the better of the two between the new garmin supported delorme satellite messenger and the popular tried and tested ARC pocket PLB

A plb is part of the GMDSS. Perhaps worth doing the VHF/SRC course so you understand it.

[Lee1]

I don't need a licence for a personal PLB do I? I thought they just needed registration. Plus they are not just marine use now they have been approved for UK land use so the days of UK marine use only has gone. (A lot of survival, mountaineering, hikers etc... have them now, there was debate to also allow channel 16 for land rescue calling use but I think that's still pending trials)
Re GMDSS is not really a solution for a sib as its mainly for commercial use?