Slow_boat
Well-Known Member
EPIRB and PLB seem to transmit the same information on the same channels so are we better off with one boat EPIRB or a PLB each?
EPIRB or PLB?
- Thread starter Slow_boat
- Start date
lustyd
Well-Known Member
The boat EPIRB battery will last much longer and is more appropriate to long offshore passages. If you don't plan to do these then a PLB on every life jacket would probably be better. I'm assuming you'll be wearing lifejackets of course, otherwise PLB and EPIRB are a complete waste of your money!
Slow_boat
Well-Known Member
We intend to spend the summer making one day hops around Brittany and southwards.
EPIRB batteries seem to last 5 yrs whereas the McMurdo Fastfind battery lasts 6 yrs.
And yes, we do wear lifejackets and harnesses.
EPIRB batteries seem to last 5 yrs whereas the McMurdo Fastfind battery lasts 6 yrs.
And yes, we do wear lifejackets and harnesses.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
They serve two different but related purposes which is why they are both offered. Which you choose depends on how you perceive the risks. EPIRB locates the boat, or literature if you take it with you. Desirable if you sail out of VHF range as a means of notifying rescue services. PLB also locates but on a personal basis so arguably more useful for locating an individual in the water.
So they are complementary devices, not perfect substitutes. For offshore work an EPIRB is of more value but PLBs have been used successfully in MOB situations.
So they are complementary devices, not perfect substitutes. For offshore work an EPIRB is of more value but PLBs have been used successfully in MOB situations.
Coaster
Well-Known Member
We went through this thought process 5 years ago and decided PLBs were the choice for us.
As a husband and wife couple we each have a FastFind PLB attached to our Kru Sport Pro lifejackets. At each side of this model there's a mesh panel that forms an open ended pouch. The PLB, on a coiled lanyard, fits there neatly. (There's a rescue knife on a lanyard in the other 'pouch'.)
We wear lifejackets in appropriate conditions. The thinking is that if one of us goes overboard, and assuming the person is not incapacitated, the PLB is actuated which gives some chance of rescue. Our boating is largely coastal cruising with passages of up to 150M to Ireland etc.
Obviously it's horses for courses but in our type of boating the PLB system seems more suitable than EPIRB.
As a husband and wife couple we each have a FastFind PLB attached to our Kru Sport Pro lifejackets. At each side of this model there's a mesh panel that forms an open ended pouch. The PLB, on a coiled lanyard, fits there neatly. (There's a rescue knife on a lanyard in the other 'pouch'.)
We wear lifejackets in appropriate conditions. The thinking is that if one of us goes overboard, and assuming the person is not incapacitated, the PLB is actuated which gives some chance of rescue. Our boating is largely coastal cruising with passages of up to 150M to Ireland etc.
Obviously it's horses for courses but in our type of boating the PLB system seems more suitable than EPIRB.
SailorBill
Well-Known Member
I think I must be getting old because I don't understand this. If an EPIRB and PLB do essentially the same thing but the McMurdo Fastfind PLB battery lasts a year longer than a typical EPIRB's battery then why isn't the McMurdo Fastfind PLB a better option to have onboard?
sigma38dave
Well-Known Member
I bought one of these last week for £189, the battery end date is 2020 and it looks ideal to stick in your pocket at night, when singlehanded etc. Obviously you can also take it with you on any of those moody deliveries your mates talk you into in the winter with their new boats, those bargains that have sat around unloved for 5 years and nothing work on....
I registered it via email (scanned copy of the form in the box) and got a confirmation email the next day saying it was registered and information would be live as of 18.00 that day.
I put our boat details on the form but apparently 'various boats' is ok too for enthusiastic crew who like the more adventurous stuff and might want one in their bag.
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Tranona
Well-Known Member
Why on earth should ultimate battery life have any bearing on the matter? Do you intend being in the water for 5 or 6 years? Read my explanation. The two devices serve different but related purposes. In coastal waters an EPIRB has little or no advantage over a DSC radio. Offshore it is the most practical way of alerting rescue services. The PLB as its name implies is a personal device intended to locate a person in the water.
So no, they do not do the same thing although they use the same technology. If they were interchangeable then only one product would be offered, the other would be redundant.
You will see from other replies that people make different choices dependent on their needs, and of course many boats will have both.
Slow_boat
Well-Known Member
Looking at the blurb, it appears that an EPIRB transmits for 48hrs, a PLB for 24hrs.
I would have thought that if you're not rescued within 24hrs, you're pretty well stuffed anyway.
I would have thought that if you're not rescued within 24hrs, you're pretty well stuffed anyway.
typhoonNige
Well-Known Member
We also went for two Fastfind PLB's which are carried on our lifejackets. We also have the Lifetag system. It's worth bearing in mind that PLB's need to be manually deployed and then held with the antenna upright. An EPIRB is automatic IIRC and will float with the antenna up.
duncan99210
Well-Known Member
EPRIB = largish, floating beacon, designed to be utilised when a boat sinks or crew takes to liferaft. One per vessel, make sure you attach it to the liferaft if launched.
PLB = small, not always floating beacon, sending same info as EPIRB. Designed to be a personal item, carried at all times. It aims to locate an individual in the water. Can be used in the same circumstances as an EPRIB. Generally, battery life ONCE ACTIVATED is less than that of EPRIB.
There is a case to be made for carrying both on a boat, several PLBs to protect the crew in the event of MOB, one EPRIB to locate the life raft after a sinking. However, for most folks, PLBs are the best compromise. We have 2 PLBs, one on each of our life jackets. Our cruising is a mix of coast hopping and two to three day passages in the Med.
PLB = small, not always floating beacon, sending same info as EPIRB. Designed to be a personal item, carried at all times. It aims to locate an individual in the water. Can be used in the same circumstances as an EPRIB. Generally, battery life ONCE ACTIVATED is less than that of EPRIB.
There is a case to be made for carrying both on a boat, several PLBs to protect the crew in the event of MOB, one EPRIB to locate the life raft after a sinking. However, for most folks, PLBs are the best compromise. We have 2 PLBs, one on each of our life jackets. Our cruising is a mix of coast hopping and two to three day passages in the Med.
SailorBill
Well-Known Member
If you had read my post then you would have understood the comparison I was making and the question I was raising. For clarity I'll explain again in a little more detail.
The McMurdo Fastfind PLB and a typical EPIRB both transmit an emergency distress signal on 406 and 121.5 Mhz. They will both light up screens at numerous S & R facilities around the world. In this respect they both do the same job. Both have long lasting batteries although the battery in the McMurdo Fastfind PLB in particular lasts a year longer, before needing replacing, than a typical EPIRB's battery. In this respect, the McMurdo Fastfind PLB wins. It is also cheaper than a typical EPIRB. Much cheaper. As far as I can tell, the only difference between an EPIRB and a PLB is marketing. A PLB is marketed as being for individual use whereas an EPIRB is marketed as being for a vessel. I can see no extra benefit of a typical EPIRB over the much cheaper, longer battery-lasting, McMurdo Fastfind PLB.
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SailorBill
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the explanations of the differences. Now I understand. I think on balance PLBs would be the better option for us.
Norman_E
Well-Known Member
The other difference is that my PLB is guaranteed to transmit for 24 hours, whereas an EPIRB is guaranteed to do so for 48 hours. I have gone the PLB route with a Kannad Safelink Solo, which I will attach to clothing of lifejacket when sailing.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Those explanations are no different from those that I gave so don't know why you had so much difficulty in understanding.
Pye_End
Well-Known Member
An EPIRB will float - a PLB may not, and may need holding to ensure antenna can see the satellite.
PLB's are of more use though if you intend to take them say in dinghy when going ashore. You may keep one about your person rather less than you think (although you can get some pretty small ones these days), but there are probably times when the portability makes up for the shortfalls.
PLB's are of more use though if you intend to take them say in dinghy when going ashore. You may keep one about your person rather less than you think (although you can get some pretty small ones these days), but there are probably times when the portability makes up for the shortfalls.
SailorBill
Well-Known Member
Those explanations were completely different, which is why I quoted them and thanked the people concerned. Your "explanation" was nothing of the kind. Try re-reading the whole thread with an open mind rather than the self-serving, blinkered view that you have a reputation for.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
This is what I was referring to, the actual lifespan of the battery is only relevant to budgeting and not to the appropriateness of the device. EPIRB generally gives much longer than PLB, I'm surprised at the 48 hours you found I thought they were usually 72 but have not checked. The point being that when you are very far out a rescue can take several days so multiple days worth of tracking data is very useful to rescue services. A PLB is useful to the rescue boat if it can track the 121 frequency and to get a rescue when within a few hours of a rescue station. They are great for individual protection too and so given their cost should be carried by everyone crewing anywhere they may need a rescue. EPIRB is useful on long passages as I said where if the boat has problems you ultimately take to the liferaft so can wait a few days for rescue. EPIRB also float and can auto transmit upon sinking.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately this is based entirely on your personal experience and understanding of sailing which have conspired against you in this instance. As Tranona rightly said they are different devices for different purposes using identical technology. An extra 24 or more hours transmitting or self activation upon immersion could be the difference between life and death on long offshore passages.
Those genuinely bothered by safety will not care that the PLB lasts a year extra because they know the value of their safety. If lack of maintenance is your main criteria then foam filled life jackets and no electronics would be your ultimate choice!
prv
Well-Known Member
Not sure why Bill's getting such a hostile response here. His thinking seems sound to me - at first glance there appears little difference between a PLB and an EPIRB, so one might justifiably wonder whether the significant extra expense of an EPIRB is worth it. Saying "one is for the boat and the other is for a person" is to miss the point - he wasn't asking what they are sold for, but what the practical differences are so that he can make his own decision.
That's been answered now, but in summary, the benefits of an EPIRB are:
Longer in-use battery
Potential for automatic deployment
Floats and works unattended
In every other respect, an EPIRB is equivalent to the cheaper PLB, or even slightly inferior (it's bulkier to stow and you can't sensibly carry it on your person).
For coastal European sailing, the extra battery life should be irrelevant, as you should have been rescued long before even a PLB gives up.
Automatic deployment is certainly a benefit, but adds yet more hundreds of pounds to the price.
Transmitting while floating free is essential if combined with the above, but if your beacon is manually deployed then presumably you can take it with you and hold it.
On this basis and my type of sailing and budget, I have a PLB in the grab bag fulfilling the role some would say belongs to an EPIRB. I would only "upgrade" to an actual EPIRB if I could also afford the automatic deployment mounting - and there are a lot of other things I would buy first.
Pete
That's been answered now, but in summary, the benefits of an EPIRB are:
Longer in-use battery
Potential for automatic deployment
Floats and works unattended
In every other respect, an EPIRB is equivalent to the cheaper PLB, or even slightly inferior (it's bulkier to stow and you can't sensibly carry it on your person).
For coastal European sailing, the extra battery life should be irrelevant, as you should have been rescued long before even a PLB gives up.
Automatic deployment is certainly a benefit, but adds yet more hundreds of pounds to the price.
Transmitting while floating free is essential if combined with the above, but if your beacon is manually deployed then presumably you can take it with you and hold it.
On this basis and my type of sailing and budget, I have a PLB in the grab bag fulfilling the role some would say belongs to an EPIRB. I would only "upgrade" to an actual EPIRB if I could also afford the automatic deployment mounting - and there are a lot of other things I would buy first.
Pete
