Rescue Beacons

[BlindBrick 0]

Last Friday I had the unpleasant experience of a bad off field landing into an isolated densely wooded area with no cell phone coverage. I was laying on the ground hoping feeling would return to my legs as I watched the sun set while our jumpships flew unsuccessful SAR patterns over me and it occurred to me that it might be nice to have a rescue beacon in such situations.

Can anyone recommend a decent model?

-Blind

"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

[dninness 4]

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Last Friday I had the unpleasant experience of a bad off field landing into an isolated densely wooded area with no cell phone coverage. I was laying on the ground hoping feeling would return to my legs as I watched the sun set while our jumpships flew unsuccessful SAR patterns over me and it occurred to me that it might be nice to have a rescue beacon in such situations.

Can anyone recommend a decent model?

-Blind

Consider the SPOT device. http://www.findmespot.com/en/

Operates in two modes: "hey, here I am" and "hey, here I am and I'm in trouble"

Yes, its cellular based. EDIT: Its satellite based, not cellular. My mistake.

Speaking as a former CAP SAR guy, I can say that an EPIRB or similar is overkill and would literally leave you laying there for HOURS before the SAR machine gets spooled up, let alone finds you. Plus, the new 406mhz beacons are very expensive.

NIN
D-19617, AFF-I '19

[LouDiamond 1]

The SPOT is a good alternative to the ACR units that you will come across as far as price goes initially but it has a service based fee attached to it like a cell phone contract. The ACR unit on the other hand has no service plan of any kind attached to it. So, in the long run it's the most economical over the long term.

There are some trade offs between the two as far as features but both will get you rescued. As far as size/form factor goes they are about the same. I have both carried and jumped an ACR unit with/on me while in other parts of the world and I can say that neither one will be as convenient as carrying a cell phone around so think about where and how you would carry it for skydiving.

Unless you plan on spending a lot of time in areas with no cell phone access, this may be one of those items that costs a good deal and sees very little use and ends up in a drawer instead of you carrying it with you all the time. Only you can make that determination.

In either case, the SPOT or an ACR PLB would be more than sufficient. If you search using the term PLB, I posted a boat load of info on them some years back for the base guys.

EDIT: The SPOT may not be what you need as they have the following on their web page: http://www.findmespot.com/images/spot_tracker_tips.jpg
Having used the ACR unit and others similar to it during training in the jungle, having the extendable antenna on it will make a difference.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[dninness 4]

Yeah, those ACRs are not too bad overall, but a couple things to think about with 406mhz beacons:

1) When COSPAS-SARSAT gets a 406mhz hit in a specific geographic area, the MCC for that area is alerted. In CONUS, its the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center down at Tyndall AFB.

2) Without a corresponding ALNOT (Alert Notification) or overdue flight plan (indicating its an airplane versus a hiker), AFRCC will generally notify the "responsible SAR authority" in the area of the hit. That could be the State Police, Civil Air Patrol, or like in my state, the Department of Fish & Game (yeah, Fish & Game..). They generally don't call the local fire department.

3) If the ACR has GPS attached, it will provide a coordinate set as part of the burst transmission that occurs every 51 seconds (something like that.. 51 sticks in my mind). Remember, however, that a PLB with GPS has pretty much the same limitations on the GPS as the SPOT does (indoors, dense forest, caves, antenna orientation). Honestly, though, I've never lost GPS lock with a "modern" GPS even in heavy tree cover. Good luck if you're somehow indoors or in a cave after a wingsuiting accident. :)

4) After the MCC alerts the local SAR forces, it could literally be HOURS before anybody gets to you, even with neato coordinates. So while you're laying there suffering from trauma of some sort, some dude is calling a bunch of folks "Hey, Joe, can you guys go out and look for a 406mhz beacon in the woods? You're eating dinner? OK, I'll call Tommy..." I've seen it happen.

The SPOT is designed to contact the local authorities, depending on how you set it up. In the "I'm here mode" someone can login and see you on, I think, their website. In the "Emergency!" mode, it will actively notify who you designate of your activation and location. That could be manifest, or local 911, whatever. Plus, I think you can use the SPOT on a "per activation" mode versus a per month plan. I could be wrong.

Keep in mind: both have to be activated in the event of an emergency. Are you going to be able to activate the emergency beacon while you're laying on the ground all busted up from a shitty landing?

NIN
D-19617, AFF-I '19

[LouDiamond 1]

I agree, the spin up for a 406 hit is pretty involved and not as timely as calling 911/someone local or alerting them via e-mail. But given the OPs situation and the posted limitations of the SPOT, it might turn out as useful as his cell phone. You and I both know the ACR PLB will work anywhere in the world even in dense terrain. Again, the OP needs to determine how useful this item may be in the long run. Given the situation, a simple whistle, signal pen and VS-17 panel section may be preferable if you know manifest will be looking for you in short order.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[Zeemax 0]

Best bet is to consider the cheapest of all the SPOT base products. It's called SPOTTING

Look out the door, check the SPOT, figure out if you can get back to the DZ ad adjust your flight plan accordingly.
Oh, and before any wise ass says it, yes, I hit a barbed wire fence. There, i said it for you....

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[monkycndo 0]

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Oh, and before any wise ass says it, yes, I hit a barbed wire fence. There, i said it for you....

*wise ass thinks, "damn-there goes our fun"*

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

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[phoenixlpr 0]

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Last Friday I had the unpleasant experience of a bad off field landing into an isolated densely wooded area with no cell phone coverage. I was laying on the ground hoping feeling would return to my legs as I watched the sun set while our jumpships flew unsuccessful SAR patterns over me and it occurred to me that it might be nice to have a rescue beacon in such situations.
Can anyone recommend a decent model?
-Blind

How many times have you landed off?
what was the reason of landing off?

Are you wearing a flotation west in case you might land in water? Are your clothes fireproof? ....

I'd rather carry a mobile phone and a cheap headlight with strobe functions.

[BlindBrick 0]

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Best bet is to consider the cheapest of all the SPOT base products. It's called SPOTTING

Unfortunately, I have very little say in the spot. I'm the only bird at my dz and no one understands, or is willing to listen about how the flight plan should work. Thus, I'm pretty much locked into a mandated flight path that sucks balls. About 2/3rd's the time it's not an issue because the spot's over a clear open area. But during the late fall/winter/early spring season the prevailing winds often put us skirting the edge of some really rough country that's densely forested and full of little narrow finger like hollows. Plus once you get below about 3.5K agl, the wind patterns get real unpredictable due to the hills. You can have great drive and think you'll make the field no problem and all of a sudden you're being blown backward even though you're loaded to almost 1.4

We've got a staff meeting next weekend for curriculum alignment and safety. Hopefully I can get them to see that since they trust me to teach and throw students, they can trust me to pick my own flightpath.

back on topic:

PLB's seem to be overkill, or as my wife said, getting life insurance on me would be cheaper. As I said in the OP, the terrain is full of cell phone dead zones. Maybe a mirror and light? Not too sure about flares because in the time of year when there's a decent chance of landing in the rough, it's a dry tinderbox.

-Blind

"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

[phoenixlpr 0]

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Unfortunately, I have very little say in the spot. I'm the only bird at my dz and no one understands, or is willing to listen about how the flight plan should work.

Sounds interesting. For them its just you are staying away from the line of the jump run. For yourself: you suppose to be flying between your exit and the spot for deployment.

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Thus, I'm pretty much locked into a mandated flight path that sucks balls. About 2/3rd's the time it's not an issue because the spot's over a clear open area. But during the late fall/winter/early spring season the prevailing winds often put us skirting the edge of some really rough country that's densely forested and full of little narrow finger like hollows. Plus once you get below about 3.5K agl, the wind patterns get real unpredictable due to the hills.

This does not sound like a bright excuse. If everyone else can land in, you should be able to land in too. You should be able to fly 3-5 Km before deployment in any winds.

I got lots of jumps in Hanko. Winds are usually on the high side. There is a golf course on the north from the airfield than lots of forest and some random fields here and there. I have not landed put there ever...

[BlindBrick 0]

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This does not sound like a bright excuse. If everyone else can land in, you should be able to land in too.

No one made it back.

-Blind

"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

[phoenixlpr 0]

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This does not sound like a bright excuse. If everyone else can land in, you should be able to land in too.

No one made it back.

-Blind

Damn, you should have able to!