Bushwalk Australia

Hi all
Has anyone used SPOT is lieu of a PLB or EPIRB? Do you think the emergency response would be the same?
Ta
Woody

Good thing with the spot is you can alert people other than emergency services, for example family members. My parents have taken theirs away to the UK with them and are using it just to check in at places they are visiting. You can nominate who gets the alert

From what I understand, the signal transmission from a SPOT is less reliable than the signal transmission from an EPIRB. Having said that, the second generation SPOT is supposedly not too bad.

SPOT has the huge advantage that you can send a predetemined text message. The intent is so you can ask your friends to come looking for you rather than alert emergency services. (This makes sense in places like America where emergency services may charge for a rescue.) In the Australian context, the predetermined text could say something to the effect of "I will be home a day late - don't worry".

I have a first generation SPOT - it's absolutely hopeless, but the second generation is supposedly OK.

The party that got rescued from the New River a couple of years ago used a first generation SPOT, which they used in a clearing in the forest.

JamesMc

try here:
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3568

and here:
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=7016

and here:
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1709

We have found our spot very useful so far.

Love my spot. I never had to use/discharge my old epirb thankfully so I can't comment on it's performance. I replaced it with the spot 2 once the old epirb needed it's battery replaced due to age (older and heavier so I was always going to replace it vs the battery).

I guess that also raises the question how can we compare them. I'm not sure anyone has taken 27 if the same epirbs and a spot and fired them off at identical locations along the way to see if both worked during a long hike (i could be wrong though...costly experiment if its been done I would imagine there are places deep in a dense valley where neither would work too.

I always make sure I fire off my we're safe messages or come pick me up messages from wherever I am to test out the spot. I've never had a message not send. So far I'm happy with my purchase but I certainly see the advantages/disadvantages of both. As we have a young family my hubby and I rarely get to walk together (ones at home with bubs) so the spot 2 suited us as it allows the solo walker to contact home.

Is it the case that the term EPIRB is now only really about the larger, marine application devices and that PLB is the replacement acronym (Personal Locator Beacon), for the ones we now walk with?
Certainly "EPIRB" will always lend itself to better, instant recognition, like over a crackly radio or shouted from a windy ridge. "PLB" may have other meanings too; less so EPIRB.
Could it ever become an issue? ( m'aider s.v.p )