Electronic vs. Traditional Flares
- Thread starter Koeketiene
- Start date
maxi77
Well-Known Member
One thing that is clear from this article is that every device offered as a solution to this problem is different, so which device is going to be recognised as an emergency signal and not some louts playing around. What is surprising though is there seems to be no progress in trying to get some standard that can be submitted to IMO.
lpdsn
Well-Known Member
+1
If there's much more variation, having blue underwater lights on a MoBo is going to risk being considered a distress signal.
Until SOLAS is modified to include a definition of laser flares as a recognised distress signal, these are nothing more than expensive toys.
superheat6k
Well-Known Member
Handheld flares are not much use beyond a fairly short line of sight at sea level, and especially in rough weather, whether conventional or LED.
Not sure anyone had yet developed an electric flare that will shoot up to 2,000 feet for all to see from 10's of miles away, as it drifts slowly downwards. Parachute flares for me every time.
Shame not enough opportunities for folk to practice firing a flare, and I think that days set aside say on Salisbury Plain to burn off the out of date flares would be very well attended by those wanting to find out how they actually work in practice.
Not sure anyone had yet developed an electric flare that will shoot up to 2,000 feet for all to see from 10's of miles away, as it drifts slowly downwards. Parachute flares for me every time.
Shame not enough opportunities for folk to practice firing a flare, and I think that days set aside say on Salisbury Plain to burn off the out of date flares would be very well attended by those wanting to find out how they actually work in practice.
prv
Well-Known Member
I'd certainly take my bag of old rockets along.
The trouble is, nobody's going to want to take responsibility for such an event in case some idiot tries to sue them after burning himself with his own flares.
Pete
prv
Well-Known Member
The idea, and it's not an unreasonable one, is that the days of summoning help from 20 miles away using a parachute flare are past. It made sense when radios were expensive and delicate beasts that most people didn't have, and might not work even if you had one (and you certainly didn't have more than one). Now that a VHF is cheaper than a Coastal flare pack, and a PLB is significantly less than an Offshore pack and works from any distance independent of external batteries and aerials, a rocket flare for initial alerting is a backup to a backup for an increasingly implausible situation.
There is still a need for short-range flares to guide the rescuers (lifeboat, helicopter, or passing mobo) in over the last half-mile, or to alert the hypothetical bloke in his nearby fishing dory with no radio, and that's the role that LED flares are meant to take.
Pete - with a grab-bag full of fireworks. And a hand-flare in the dinghy bag
.Solent sailer
Well-Known Member
we carry both traditional and an electronic flare, the electronic (LED) is the one we carry in the tender on dark night because if we re drifting down a quiet river the several hours of signalling available from the led is more likely to attract attention then a couple of 30 second blasts from the traditional version.
William_H
Well-Known Member
Pyrotechnic flares are really horrible devices. However as said they are the accepted standad. To not carry them could mean that you could be criticised for lack of diligence or that your safety kit is not up to standard for racing or any other safety requirement. In practical temrs an EPIRB with GPS is a far more useful device for indicating distress and location. So if you are going to choose what you carry for safety gear then that would be best.
Locally here we are obliged to carry rocket fares, smoke flares, Radio and EPIRB if venturing more than 3Nm from coast, Certainly the EPIRB is instrumental in amny rescues each season. good luck olewill
Locally here we are obliged to carry rocket fares, smoke flares, Radio and EPIRB if venturing more than 3Nm from coast, Certainly the EPIRB is instrumental in amny rescues each season. good luck olewill
freespiritdavid
Well-Known Member
Taking responsibility for your own actions.
If this was possible signing a disclaimer would sort that out. No blame / claim lawyers jumping in for a easy wedge possible.