EPIRB versus PLB

[Crowblack]

If you can buy - say a McMurdo PLB with integral GPS for £339 - - why would you choose to buy a McMurdo (or any other make for that matter) full blown EPIRB for £130 squids more ?

Realise one's allocated to the individual (PLB) the other to the boat, but £130 difference - am I missing something ?

 

[LadyInBed]

I don't know why either that's why I have just bought same - £339.95 from Safety Marine UK.
I expect delivery in the morning (Monday) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[DavidJ]

Agree I've just bought a MT410G with GPS from http://www.adventureelectronics.co.uk/ can't see any reason to pay more, except if you particularly want one fixed to the boat which goes off automatically when in contact with water and maybe you might want it to float and give signals at the same time.

 

[PembrokeshirePromise]

Boat one goes off automatically - and batteries last longer (48 instead of 24 hours ??)
Having said all that I bought the PLB !

 

[tyce]

The new Mcmurdo plb is 48hrs battery life, i got one for 320 quid at the boat show, very impressed with it.

 

[steve6367]

Who did you get it from at that price?

Steve

 

[LadyInBed]

320 quid + % of travel and entry cost /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[tyce]

redcar electronics

 

[Jonny_H]

The new GME EPIRB with GPS is about to be released to the UK - it will retail for under £400. At this price its only fractionally more than a GPS PLB - worth thinking about:

http://www.bmea.org/news/2008/gme’s-gps-equipped-epirb’s-gain-cospas-sarsat-approval/

(Price on the article is £439 but they are available at under £400 in the UK already).

Jonny

 

[Topcat47]

Epirbs float upright so the antenna is in clear air, PLB's have to be held above water (sort of). If you're in the water, lying on your back with the PLB clipped to your harness, it may be under water and the antenna will be more horizontal. I'm still having the debate with myself on this front....RNLI advice was be to go with both.

The Radio Agency advised me that even a PLB has to be registered against a yacht, which seems a bit odd as if you're wearing one and fall of a charter vessel in the bahamas, there's not a lot of point in the rescue services looking for your folkboat, tied up in the Solent.