PLBs - personal locator beacons

[Inchlaggan]

Plenty of places around here with zero mobile phone coverage.
But.
There is a transmitter in one of the zero coverage spots that is for emergency services only- by the road, high above Quoich.
My conclusion is that emergency services have access to a wider network than commercial networks.

[Part-time]

One thing to be aware of is that this isn't a PLB and so is not certified to the same level, Spot will not offer any guarantee that it will work. I think the Spot devices are a great idea but I was looking for an emergency system of "last resort" and the Spot devices are not at a level where they fulfill that as yet as reliability problems are not unusual with them. When/where they work they are good for providing "check in" type coverage but if you want something that is certified to work when it goes really badly wrong then you still need to go to a full PLB. The other side of this is that you might have people who feel a lot better if you can check in with them and, clearly, the Spot works well there plus the Spot looks good on a lone working risk assessment.

I did wonder if the PLB's you were talking about were up a few levels from the Spot tracker in terms of guaranteed performance. Perhaps not the thing for extreme or high risk situations. That said I've been very impressed with the Spot trackers performance; used it regularly for about 2 years and on every occasion the message has been sent irrespective of the terrain, from mountain to woodland - the only exception being, when first using it, I didn't leave it switched on long enough. In an emergency you would leave it on so that would probably cover that; I certainly confident with it for my needs - I'm not doing any potential "Touching the Void" stuff though   For routine lone working (just being remote and out of mobile signal) I'd say they have made  real difference for worker safety and with the numbers being used I've not heard any problems with them not working - the non emergency assist, I know, has saved hours of walking when you need to find someone to pull your vehicle out of a bog

[Bobfly]

There is both a separate signal system for emergency services but also a call number priority cut in to use signal for any call placed to 911, 112 or 999 etc. These are sensed and auto allocated and will be given space so to speak. Another priority you can give yourself is to use text since your handset when on only needs to capture a second or so of signal for the text to go.

[corsican dave]

Another priority you can give yourself is to use text since your handset when on only needs to capture a second or so of signal for the text to go.

just don't have an emergency in dulnain bridge. you could wait days for your text to go.... :lol:

[caorach]

I did wonder if the PLB's you were talking about were up a few levels from the Spot tracker in terms of guaranteed performance.

The term PLB can only (officially) be applied to a device that meets the standards and certifications and whatever other gubbins necessary and they are designed as an emergency locator of last resort. They are exactly the same as the systems used on commercial aircraft and ships, but for personal use there are different precise requirements in terms of battery run time etc. and so they work to the same level of reliability as you'd expect from a device designed to alert rescue services to an airline or maritime disaster. They transmit at 5 Watts (I think Spot is 0.5 W or less) and there is an international network of satellites and co-ord centres (mostly staffed by the military) and I believe that if you have a GPS enabled one then the time between you hitting the button and your "next of kin" getting a confirmation phone call is 4 minutes, I'm not sure if this is limited for GPS enabled devices by the standard but for a non-GPS enabled one then this time must be less than 1 hour, and averages something around 45 minutes.

Spot, on the other hand offers lots of very attractive and, for some, useful features but clearly doesn't have international governments and their military resources behind it, it basically depends on the Spot company and there have been reports of a few people being unhappy with the performance of their Spot devices, this example where both people with Spot devices had them fail to work at a bad time:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/lutheran-high-valedictorian-dies-in-14er-fall

The Spot is not a PLB as it doesn't meet the standards, but it doesn't try to either.

Clearly the Spot allows you to get a lot of value out of the device whereas a real PLB is something you spend the money on, and intend never to use, so if the added use of the Spot encourages you to carry one then it has to be worthwhile. However, if you want the absolute best chance technology can currently provide that your cry for help will be heard then a registered PLB is the only way to go. For people who spend a lot of time in remote places on their own then it is probably important to know the difference so you can make an informed choice.

[Part-time]

For people who spend a lot of time in remote places on their own then it is probably important to know the difference so you can make an informed choice.

Completely agree with that and I've found the information that you've given about PLB's very helpful. I certainly wasn't aware of the differences between PLB's and SPOT/other tracking devices, only having become involved with them through the work where their use is now pretty commonplace; that doesn't mean there is necessarily any good understanding about the technicalities though!

I think the Spot devices popularity for work (and leisure) situations is largely down to the Check In and Tracking features. Lone Working procedures will require Checking in every 2, 3 or 4 hours and result in someone going to look for you if the scheduled check in isn't received. This covers the possibility that in some circumstances you might need to call help but are unable to, such as if you are knocked unconscious, and gives those searching for you a pretty good fix on where you are. From what you say however there is no doubt you want a PLB if you want to be 100% sure about getting an emergency call out – I'm now looking at getting a few for work. I see some priced at under £200 with no contract required, which was another thing I wasn't aware of.

Probably worth repeating that, no matter what technology you use, it doesn't remove the need for the basic procedures. Use a GPS for navigation but make sure you also have a map and compass (and know how to use it). Fair enough use a Tracker and/or PLB but you still need to let someone know where you are going, your planned route and when to expect you back. 

[caorach]

I think you are right that Spot sits really well with "lone working" risk assessments and it offers features that seem to be very useful in those circumstances.

If someone asks me I usually advise them against getting a PLB as it is "just another gadget" until I'm sure that they have thought all the other things through. Many people do buy stuff like this as a gadget with no idea that in everything but the most extreme situation it is expected that they will rescue themselves. However I believe if used correctly then a PLB can actually offer a considerable saving in terms of emergency services effort if a rescue is required plus it might save your life.

I have a McMurdo Fastfind 220 which has GPS and it is the size of the palm of your hand and I paid around £175 for it. I think the other big name in small personal locators are ACR. Because the standard is very carefully controlled and the devices need to meet it I suspect there is very little between different makes as the standard insists they are all basically the same so any choice you make will be based on minor features and price.