Looking for a Personal Locator Beacon
August 8, 2020 12:05 PM Subscribe
I want to buy a personal locator beacon for outdoor adventures in remote areas. Something waterproof with excellent battery life. If it could send out a GPS signal to track my location remotely that would be great too--doesn't have to be continuous (actually, I would prefer it not be). That said, I am unsure as to what I really need. I'm not a crazy serious outdoor person (though I would like to be), I just want to be safe. Could you offer advice and/or recommendations?
I've read through reviews on OutdoorGearLab. Do I really need the two-way messaging functionality? Or is it enough to just have something that sends out a distress signal? Should I prioritize signal quality over everything else, and how do I tell what has the best signal?
Also, I would prefer to not have to pay a subscription, as I don't do this stuff every weekend (sometimes not even every month).
I've read through reviews on OutdoorGearLab. Do I really need the two-way messaging functionality? Or is it enough to just have something that sends out a distress signal? Should I prioritize signal quality over everything else, and how do I tell what has the best signal?
Also, I would prefer to not have to pay a subscription, as I don't do this stuff every weekend (sometimes not even every month).
If you don't need the two-way messaging, what you're looking for is an EPIRB. If you do need the messaging capability, you're looking for something like a Garmin InReach Explorer, but anything like that will be subscription only, I think.
posted by bricoleur at 12:42 PM on August 8, 2020
posted by bricoleur at 12:42 PM on August 8, 2020
I've used the Garmin inReach explorer and I think that might suit your needs (as might the inReach mini). It requires a subscription: their freedom plan allows you to suspend and resume your subscription on a month to month basis, but it has a $25 annual fee.
Two way messaging allows for a lot more flexibility in the level of emergency it can handle. For example if you don't need a rescue but you want to be picked up a day earlier.
posted by justkevin at 1:22 PM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Two way messaging allows for a lot more flexibility in the level of emergency it can handle. For example if you don't need a rescue but you want to be picked up a day earlier.
posted by justkevin at 1:22 PM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Anything that regularly updates your position will cost money to update it. Data sent via satellite ain't free. It also requires that someone on the other side is going to watch your position and be prepared to act on it - also that you stay in contact with that person to eliminate accidental emergency calls, for example if it runs out of battery or you drop it.
posted by meowzilla at 1:27 PM on August 8, 2020
posted by meowzilla at 1:27 PM on August 8, 2020
Recently facing the same decision (I spend a lot of time solo hiking and backpacking) I bought an ACR rescuME PLB1. It offers transmit-only signals on emergency bands, not ac hoc messaging. Battery on my unit expires in 7 years and can be replaced. I considered the InReaches but didn't like the reviews and I decided I didn't need the communication capabilities.
trappist system's question is good but I'd alter the second clause to read "I need to tell people who are NOT traveling with me". I leave instructions about where I'm going and when I should return, so my use case "Injured so much that I'll die before help finds me"; truly a device of last resort, but that's what I decided I wanted.
posted by achrise at 1:29 PM on August 8, 2020
trappist system's question is good but I'd alter the second clause to read "I need to tell people who are NOT traveling with me". I leave instructions about where I'm going and when I should return, so my use case "Injured so much that I'll die before help finds me"; truly a device of last resort, but that's what I decided I wanted.
posted by achrise at 1:29 PM on August 8, 2020
I recently bought at inreach mini because I wanted the emergency call for help, messaging feature, and you can also get weather forecasts from it in areas with no cell service. I like it, it's small and light. As part of the plans you get unlimited sending of 3 preset messages.
I didn't find a way to do this by satellite without a subscription.
posted by medusa at 2:34 PM on August 8, 2020
I didn't find a way to do this by satellite without a subscription.
posted by medusa at 2:34 PM on August 8, 2020
Response by poster: Closer to "I need rescuing". "I would like to tell friends where I am" would be nice but not if it's going to be much more expensive.
posted by Anonymous at 2:39 PM on August 8, 2020
posted by Anonymous at 2:39 PM on August 8, 2020
There isn't a smooth continuum of features; you pretty much have to start by deciding whether you want messaging or not. If Yes there are a lot of choices based on additional functionality (maps, complex messaging, etc.) and you will almost certainly have to pay some kind of subscription. If No there are (I think) only a few choices, and likely no ongoing fees.
posted by achrise at 2:55 PM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by achrise at 2:55 PM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
In the world of low-cost boating events, the Spot locator is the most common. You can have it send "I'm OK" on a regular schedule or send a distress signal.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:06 PM on August 8, 2020
posted by SemiSalt at 4:06 PM on August 8, 2020
I use a Garmin inreach explorer, usually just to send check ins as we're often out of cell service and remote. I got the bigger inreach because of battery life, but the mini is also recommended. In my researching this space you're basically going to have to buy a plan to go with it, and I sort of figured that the edge cases of where I might want to be tracked, or want to have regular communication - ie on a multi day backpacking trip and my wife/kids/parents or my buddies wife/kids/parents have something come up it's worth springing for the extra 2 way messaging capability vs just being able to send a rescue signal.
The thing about the rescue signals is it's pretty binary - if you hit the button it's going to activate a rescue team (possibly with the costs associated with it). I say this because the odds that you'll need to get help from a friend or family or even a local law enforcement agency is higher than needing to literally call in a rescue. I've not taken the beacon with us on a long day hike before and literally 60 feet in front of us a woman fell and broke her ankle. We had to send one of our party up the road to flag down a motorist to then drive to cell service and eventually 4 hours get the local rescue agency to her. I could have just texted coordinates to a friend and had them coordinate and communicate with us vs the multi hour delay to get the rescue crew in. It also wasn't a hit the emergency button situation - the woman was stable - we just couldn't carry her out ourselves without possibly injuring her or others further.
With the ability to send messages I have the flexibility to say "hey, we're in a spot of trouble and need someone to meet us, or to get us XYZ", or to check on something ahead of us on a trip vs coordinate with rescue services. The weather forecasting is also handy when I'm out for multiple days and trying to decide what we should do next.
posted by iamabot at 4:29 PM on August 8, 2020
The thing about the rescue signals is it's pretty binary - if you hit the button it's going to activate a rescue team (possibly with the costs associated with it). I say this because the odds that you'll need to get help from a friend or family or even a local law enforcement agency is higher than needing to literally call in a rescue. I've not taken the beacon with us on a long day hike before and literally 60 feet in front of us a woman fell and broke her ankle. We had to send one of our party up the road to flag down a motorist to then drive to cell service and eventually 4 hours get the local rescue agency to her. I could have just texted coordinates to a friend and had them coordinate and communicate with us vs the multi hour delay to get the rescue crew in. It also wasn't a hit the emergency button situation - the woman was stable - we just couldn't carry her out ourselves without possibly injuring her or others further.
With the ability to send messages I have the flexibility to say "hey, we're in a spot of trouble and need someone to meet us, or to get us XYZ", or to check on something ahead of us on a trip vs coordinate with rescue services. The weather forecasting is also handy when I'm out for multiple days and trying to decide what we should do next.
posted by iamabot at 4:29 PM on August 8, 2020
Another vote to look at the Spot line, even though they arent't the latest thing, and my experience with them is a decade old.
The simpler ones are more of an Emergency Locator Beacon; you break a leg, dig it out of your pack, take a deep breath and break the seal to press the button, and several parties get sent a Send Help message and your GPS coordinates.
IIRC, there was also a way to set it to do a GPS location upload automatically at timed intervals, and/or when you moved / hadn't moved. So loved ones back home could look at a site and see a map pin for each hour to track your progress 'ooh, they're zoomin' today'; or lack of it - 'they haven't checked in or changed location in 12 hours, we need to call a ranger and give them that last known GPS fix'.
And the subscriptions - again, memory, and things might have changed - the subscription services were for a month. So you'd pay up for your August / September excursion, then cancel, then renew in January for the ski trip, then cancel again, etc.
posted by bartleby at 6:08 PM on August 8, 2020
The simpler ones are more of an Emergency Locator Beacon; you break a leg, dig it out of your pack, take a deep breath and break the seal to press the button, and several parties get sent a Send Help message and your GPS coordinates.
IIRC, there was also a way to set it to do a GPS location upload automatically at timed intervals, and/or when you moved / hadn't moved. So loved ones back home could look at a site and see a map pin for each hour to track your progress 'ooh, they're zoomin' today'; or lack of it - 'they haven't checked in or changed location in 12 hours, we need to call a ranger and give them that last known GPS fix'.
And the subscriptions - again, memory, and things might have changed - the subscription services were for a month. So you'd pay up for your August / September excursion, then cancel, then renew in January for the ski trip, then cancel again, etc.
posted by bartleby at 6:08 PM on August 8, 2020
An option, if what you decide you want is an EPIRB, (for the ‘pull tag for rescue’ effect and nothing else) is that it’s probably cost effective to hire one for each every-few-months bushwalk. In Australia there’s a bunch of companies who do this.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 7:12 PM on August 8, 2020
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 7:12 PM on August 8, 2020
I have been told and some internets agree but check this with experts, that if you're ever in a situation where you're injured and pinned down -- but particularly if you could be solo -- you want a PLB (SARSAT) rather than an Iridium satellite messaging device, because a PLB's signal has a better chance of getting through tree cover. Satellite messaging is fine if you, or somebody else mobile, can find a clearing.
posted by away for regrooving at 12:38 AM on August 9, 2020
posted by away for regrooving at 12:38 AM on August 9, 2020
I have an EPIRB, a Garmin InReach, and a Spot. (I'm a pilot who often flies over inhospitable terrain.)
1. I hate the Spot, I never use it. Quite often it would simply fail to send a message. I do not trust it.
2. The EPIRB is for "I have crashed and need to be rescued immediately." This is a one-use device so battery life is not relevant as long as you pay attention to shelf-life.
3. The inReach is for everything else, "Weather so staying overnight" etc. Very convenient, but for actual life-and-death situations the EPIRB always comes first.
Think about what you actually need: just emergency rescue, or two-way messaging also? The EPIRB has no ongoing fees, but the inReach needs a subscription. It seems to me that you want an EPIRB, if you aren't sure you need two-way messaging you probably don't (the cost is not nothing). After all you may be able to find enough signal on your phone for SMS.
posted by phliar at 1:35 PM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
1. I hate the Spot, I never use it. Quite often it would simply fail to send a message. I do not trust it.
2. The EPIRB is for "I have crashed and need to be rescued immediately." This is a one-use device so battery life is not relevant as long as you pay attention to shelf-life.
3. The inReach is for everything else, "Weather so staying overnight" etc. Very convenient, but for actual life-and-death situations the EPIRB always comes first.
Think about what you actually need: just emergency rescue, or two-way messaging also? The EPIRB has no ongoing fees, but the inReach needs a subscription. It seems to me that you want an EPIRB, if you aren't sure you need two-way messaging you probably don't (the cost is not nothing). After all you may be able to find enough signal on your phone for SMS.
posted by phliar at 1:35 PM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by trappist system at 12:07 PM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]