PLBs now legal on land

[MissFitz]

Apologies if this has been posted before but I've only just seen it - PLBs became legal to use on land in the UK last month. Which is great, but am quite surprised to find they were illegal in the first place - anyone know why?

http://www.acpos.police.uk/Documents/News Releases/Personal_locator_beacons_newsJan12_01_12.pdf

 

[st599]

Apologies if this has been posted before but I've only just seen it - PLBs became legal to use on land in the UK last month. Which is great, but am quite surprised to find they were illegal in the first place - anyone know why?

http://www.acpos.police.uk/Documents/News Releases/Personal_locator_beacons_newsJan12_01_12.pdf

You could only license them on a Ship's Radio Licence, which doesn't allow landbased use.

 

[photodog]

Ah, thats good news!


Good use for the old one which I want to replace...

 

[VicMallows]

I spent quite some time trying to establish how you added a registration to indicate that it might be activated on land, and who in that case the contact details should be.

As far as I could make out, they are ALL registered at Falmouth MRCC, whether for land or sea. The online registration form indicates boat name etc as required fields to be filled in, though I didn't go as far as trying so don't know what happens if you are are a land-only user and leave them blank.

Anyone got any further information? Seems as if the registration authority might have been caught on the hop.

Vic

 

[MissFitz]

You could only license them on a Ship's Radio Licence, which doesn't allow landbased use.

But what I mean is, why could they only be licensed on a ship's radio licence & not used on land? I thought that was kinda what they were for - certainly mine came with pics of mountains all over the box!

(Oh, and +1 to Vic's query.)

 

[Bilgediver]

I spent quite some time trying to establish how you added a registration to indicate that it might be activated on land, and who in that case the contact details should be.

As far as I could make out, they are ALL registered at Falmouth MRCC, whether for land or sea. The online registration form indicates boat name etc as required fields to be filled in, though I didn't go as far as trying so don't know what happens if you are are a land-only user and leave them blank.

Anyone got any further information? Seems as if the registration authority might have been caught on the hop.

Vic

I believe technology was ahead of administration. Some weeks ago there was a press release that ITU had at last agreed to the number indexing system for these things world wide when used with PLBS. I think the problem was that the registration system was so loose for land use that the rescue services may not have acted promptly in all cases while they tryed to evaluate the situation where a marine device was transmitting from onshore. Wheels grind slowly in Helvetia

 

[knuterikt]

I believe technology was ahead of administration. Some weeks ago there was a press release that ITU had at last agreed to the number indexing system for these things world wide when used with PLBS. I think the problem was that the registration system was so loose for land use that the rescue services may not have acted promptly in all cases while they tryed to evaluate the situation where a marine device was transmitting from onshore. Wheels grind slowly in Helvetia

I think blaming the ITU is a little bit far fetched, PLB's has been allowed for land based use in other countries for years.
The first part of the id number give the registration country for the EPRIB/PLB the rest is up to the national authorities..

Always thought that PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) was personal

 

[haydude]

They have been selling a Breitling watch, also in the UK, for ages which incorporates a PLB.
In Europe PLBs are popular with skiers and mountain climbers.

 

[prv]

They have been selling a Breitling watch, also in the UK, for ages which incorporates a PLB.

Although I think that's only a 121.5 analogue one, which nobody now monitors for distress alerts and is useful only for final homing.

Probably adequate for an avalanche, and certainly adequate for James Bond "I have a distress beacon in my watch" posing

Pete

 

[bikedaft]

Although I think that's only a 121.5 analogue one, which nobody now monitors for distress alerts and is useful only for final homing.

Probably adequate for an avalanche, and certainly adequate for James Bond "I have a distress beacon in my watch" posing

Pete

avalanche transceivers now on 457Kz, the change was a while ago, and don't know of anyone who still has a 121 receiver

should be no need for final homing as plb should give a lat long or grid

 

[prv]

don't know of anyone who still has a 121 receiver

Every all-weather lifeboat for a start, most or all SAR helicopters, and a handful of adventurous yachts and workboats.

should be no need for final homing as plb should give a lat long or grid

And how accurate is that position, and how recently was the last broadcast received? At night or in rough weather you're going to need to place yourself practically on top of the MOB before you can be sure of seeing him, which is why all marine PLBs I've ever seen include a 121.5 transmitter for homing over that final couple of hundred yards.

Pete

 

[bikedaft]

sorry i was looking it from the land/avalanche side! don't think the relatively cheap land based plb's have the homing option? totally agree re marine/sar capability.

i also wonder about the accuracy of the plb's given position, we will have to wait for our new style callouts to happen (mrt)

 

[Bilgediver]

sorry i was looking it from the land/avalanche side! don't think the relatively cheap land based plb's have the homing option? totally agree re marine/sar capability.

I also wonder about the accuracy of the plb's given position, we will have to wait for our new style callouts to happen (mrt)

Be careful you do not get hold of the new devices coming onto the market in the USA .They have addressed one of the problems with PLBS but now agreeing a spec where by the PLB sends an Urgency massage addressed specifically to the carrying vessel and also transmits an AIS position likewise it accepts the acknowledgment.. The thinking is that the vessel from which they fell is in the best position to carry out a rescue. This avoids cluttering up the international system unnecessarily .