epirb / plb

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cloud7

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Looking at various options epirb and plb , for coastal and off shore would panel advise on the following:

mc murdo smartfind 80093 epirb
or
mc murdo fastfind 80091/210

appreciate any advice
thks
 
Have a look at the Ocean signal safe sea E100/E100G epirb.

!0 year battery like and User replaceable battery 96 plus hours of operation where normal epirb's are 48 hours.
 
FastFind 210

I keep my McMurdo 210 PLB in my lifejacket pocket so it's always handy. It's much cheaper than an EPIRB - but has most of the capabilities - especially if you make sure it's tied to your lifejacket and you put it into it's floating cover.

I find it really reassuring that even if I find myself in the water I can at least signal for help.

What it won't do is signal while being left unattended floating in the water, and the battery life is only 24 hours. It also won't self activate.

If you are happy with these limitations, it's brilliant. I'm planning to buy one for each lifejacket as and when funds allow, so I'll end up with multiple beacons giving a chance if one fails and equivalent battery life to a normal EPIRB - and still for less cash.
 
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I have a fastfind and it does not float and will not work underwater but it gives my wife the comfort that i can always activate it from the liferaft and when hillwalking. If going offshore then EPIRB is probably the best choice of the 2. Of course the most usefull piece of kit is a SART beacon in terms of helping the services find you.
 
dimdav said:
I have a fastfind and it does not float and will not work underwater but it gives my wife the comfort that i can always activate it from the liferaft and when hillwalking. If going offshore then EPIRB is probably the best choice of the 2. Of course the most usefull piece of kit is a SART beacon in terms of helping the services find you.
Click to expand...

Most 406 EPIRBs and the FastFind 210 include a 121.5 MHZ SART beacon built in. The "optional" buoyant cover for the 210 is an obvious must have.
 
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dimdav said:
I have a fastfind and it does not float and will not work underwater but it gives my wife the comfort that i can always activate it from the liferaft and when hillwalking. If going offshore then EPIRB is probably the best choice of the 2. Of course the most usefull piece of kit is a SART beacon in terms of helping the services find you.
Click to expand...

would the plb 210 have the same range as an epirb?
thks for views
 
jamesjeffrey said:
Most 406 EPIRBs and the FastFind 210 include a 121.5 MHZ SART beacon built in. The "optional" buoyant cover for the 210 is an obvious must have.
Click to expand...

Of course but if posed with the choice of plb or SART then SART works out better value.

There is a buoyant cover option! Why did no-one tell me! Need to get one and it probably changes my opinion in all circumstances except transoceanic voyages

Talulah said:
As private leisure boaters switch to Broadband Radar some of the benefits of a SART will be lost.
Click to expand...

Must admit I know nothing of broadband radar, what benefits will be lost?
 
cloud7 said:
would the plb 210 have the same range as an epirb?
thks for views
Click to expand...

In terms of the 121.5MHZ SART I don't know but it should be enough - for the main 406MHZ distress signal, both the PLB and EPIRBs talk to the same satellites in space and both have to be able to reach them to signal at all - so yes - you can use the PLB anywhere you can use an EPIRB, subject to the other limitations described.

Whether or not it will be the most suitable possibly depends on the ratio of time spent coastally or in blue water.
 
dimdav said:
Must admit I know nothing of broadband radar, what benefits will be lost?
Click to expand...
The problem is the use of the term SART has been hijacked.
Traditionally a SART device is a radar transponder.
However companies now use terms like AIS SART but they are confusing the issue by using SART as a marketing term.
http://www.mcmurdomarine.com/en/products/sarts
They are badging SARTS as a 'search and rescue locating device' but traditionally a SART is a radar transponder. (The T standing for Transponder.)
Broadband radar won't trigger a SART device. Equally Broadband radar won't trigger Radar Beacons (RACONS).
 
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Talulah said:
The problem is the use of the term SART has been hijacked.
Traditionally a SART device is a radar transponder.
However companies now use terms like AIS SART but they are confusing the issue by using SART as a marketing term.
http://www.mcmurdomarine.com/en/products/sarts
They are badging SARTS as a 'search and rescue locating device' but traditionally a SART is a radar transponder.
Broadband radar won't trigger a SART device. Equally Broadband radar won't trigger Radar Beacons (RACONS).
Click to expand...

I'm looking for this: http://www.mcmurdomarine.com/en/products/personal-ais-beacon plus a PLB in one pocket-sized box
 
st599 said:
I'm looking for this: http://www.mcmurdomarine.com/en/products/personal-ais-beacon plus a PLB in one pocket-sized box
Click to expand...

I think those or the Kannad one are the way to go. More useful than a PLB.
I know a PLB was used on the Fastnet race by some of the crew off Leopard but I supect oridarilly the AIS devices would have a better response.
Contrary to the Fastnet Race example I think the PLB would take too long and only be good for finding a body. In busy waters the AIS would get all sorts of responses.
If however you wanted to raise the alarm whilst on board or in a liferaft than a EPIRB would be my choice.
 
Does broadband radar trigger a RTE? Come to that, why doesn't it trigger a SART or Racon? They operate on the same frequency spectrum, don't they?

I'd be really pi55ed off if a container ship avoided me in fog and then I get T-boned by a yacht on broadband...

Rob.
 
rob2 said:
Does broadband radar trigger a RTE? Come to that, why doesn't it trigger a SART or Racon? They operate on the same frequency spectrum, don't they?

I'd be really pi55ed off if a container ship avoided me in fog and then I get T-boned by a yacht on broadband...

Rob.
Click to expand...

Traditional radar measures the time delay between the out going signal and the reflected signal.
Broadband radar uses variable frequencies. i.e It measure the difference in frequency between the outbound signal and the reflected signal. As the software knows how the frequency is changing over time it can calculate distances. A RACON sends back a fixed frequency.
The advantage of broadband is resolution is much higher at shorter distances plus power consumption is much smaller.
 
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