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Ok, it is not an EPIRB, but I find it more useful to inform my boss where I am. It is easy for me to prove that I am actually sailing and not at the strip joint look at the PYT
I think they are excellent & plan to get one asap. Especially need to get the GPS version rather than the EPIRB only. Just reading about 5 guys that ended up in the water for four hours off the WA coast when their 14m power boat sunk. The EPIRB only version can take a couple of hours to narrow down the location, depending on the number of satelites in the area. The GPS version transmits your coordinates to within 5-10m as soon as a single satelite picks it up. Thoses guys would'nt of lasted much longer than four hours in the water.
I agree. Most of EPIRB carried on the boats are severely outdated. ACR did a good job with their PLBs. I love their features of self test and I am OK message with GPS location.
I just talked to the ACR technical support. This unit (2884) has some limitations that every one intend to buy one should know.
1. The battery is not rechargeable
2. The battery just have enough power to send message out for about 400 times. So if you need to send " Honey, I am OK, here is my GPS coordinates, do it sparingly.
3. With full power, the unit will only last for 30 hours. If you are out more than 30 hr before rescue, you are in trouble. I asked if it is advisable to turn off the unit to save battery after the emergency broadcast and turn back on every 6 or 12 hours. He said NO. I am not quite agree with him. But that was he answer.
I am not sure if there is a better PLB out here. I think I am going to pick up one before the off shore trip.
So you might reconsider the Spot or Spot-II, both use inexpensive customer-replaceable batteries. With the release of Spot-II, there have been drastic price drops on the inventory of Spot units, too.
I was originally set for SPOT II, but thought that ACR is a better company for Marine application.
I need to seriously reexamine my decision. SPOT II will save me money. Carry some extra battery for SPOT is non issue. One important thing for ACR unit is they claim in case of emergency ACR will response faster than SPOT II which is interesting and important feature to have.
ACR will respond faster? Maybe because the ACR's signal goes right to the EPIRB system, where SPOT goes to a private company and then gets processed and confirmed.
But ACR also has some flys in the ointment. While they earned a rep for making all sorts of top-quality military equipment, they also had at least one major recall for an EPIRB that tested fine (showed the test confirmation light) but did not actually transmit any signal. And another line of EPIRBs where the units have to be condemned instead of having batteries replaced--because the little brass inserts that the case screws go into, are spalling out of the plastic around them. (That's actually repairable, or a manufacturing defect, but...)
I wouldn't use a PLB or EPIRB for checking in or to say "I'm Okay"...that's stupid... and a waste of the limited battery in the EPIRB/PLB. If you want to do that...get a SPOT Messenger or SPOT Tracker... The PLB/EPIRBs are EMERGENCY DEVICES...not really designed for being used as messaging devices.
LOL... if there's no body, they have to wait seven years or so, at least that is what my friend Chuck tells me about if he ever falls overboard...save the corpse...so his wife can get the money sooner...
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