Personal distress beacon...Who comes?

[sneaker]

I've never seen this mentioned in the conversations about taking a beacon with you hunting in case you break your leg or whatever.

Say the worst happens and you have to activate your beacon for help, who comes?

Do the companies that make the beacon call 000 or what's the deal?

[Baronvonrort]

It depends on where you are, it could be a helicopter if remote location.

You can register your details so they know who has activated it, GPS will give your location.

[Jack V]

It depends on where you are at the time. This link tells you basically what happens http://www.cospas-sarsat.int/en/beacon- ... -my-beacon . In each state the Police are the search and rescue authority so a Police rescue chopper would turn up . If you were way out in the bush in NSW then a chopper from the National search and rescue Canberra could also turn up .

[Chronos]

the shorts answer is EVERYONE!

there's another option to the PLB and that's stuff like spot tracker, you have to pay a subscription (around $50/year) but you have more options. You can send an "I'm OK" message to your partner, you can send an "i need assistance" non emergency alert or you can send the "helicoptors and everything" alert to emergency services. it will even drop breadcrumbs that can be seen at home by your partner so they have an idea where you are in your planned journey and you can view it when you get home

Chronos



http://www.findmespot.net.au/spot-gen3- ... oCWw3w_wcB

[RoginaJack]

Bugger that lot! The 1st I'd be looking for is the home pizza delivery bloke - i', starving...

[Jack V]

The thing you have to keep sight of is . " what condition will you be in when you actually need to deploy the PLB ". In a genuine emergency situation in the bush you may be semi conscious after a fall or in great pain after a broken leg so too much technology may be of no real benefit at that moment because you are not able to concentrate properly on how to use it all. So for hunting in out of the way places keep it simple as possible. You may only get one chance to deploy the PLB signal before you pass out and it needs to be as easy to do as possible . What you would carry on a boat or in a vehicle is different to what is practical to carry on foot .

[Westy]

This is why I never leave the landcrusier when hunting if it can't be shot from a ute then it's safe from me!!!!LOL

[Jack V]

This is why I never leave the landcrusier when hunting if it can't be shot from a ute then it's safe from me!!!!LOL

That reminds me of my first 4x4 a Green soft top short wheel base Landcruiser 1970 vintage I think .
I left it in thick bush off the track to go off after a mob of pigs and when I came back some hours later I could not find it . The green colour was hiding it I think anyway I walked around and around for a few more hours and even got a bit lost until I woke up . Stop looking for the truck and try and find the main track and then follow the wheel marks . So I headed off in the right compass direction and found the main track which cut the place in half and then just followed along the tracks till I found it.
I never made that mistake ever again and always park the truck on a road and I buy white 4x4 's now . This was all pre GPS , now it would not be a problem .
They say genius's buy green well not in this case

[grainweight]

In a genuine emergency situation in the bush you may be semi conscious after a fall or in great pain after a broken leg so too much technology may be of no real benefit at that moment because you are not able to concentrate properly on how to use it all.

It's an interesting point.

If you've just had your knee explode on you you're not going to watch to be f***ing around with your iPhone GPS app

[jackles]

Just want a little box with a big red button to mash!!!!

[Bourt]

On a very serious note...

A member on another forum recently told the story of his father in law I think it was (or uncle, something like that, whatever...) who they'd found hadn't come home one night after going fix something on his property.

They found him, I think he was fixing a well or something but anyway a sheet of metal slid down near cutting off both his hands and pinning them to the structure. A few fingers lost on one hand and the other seriously damaged too.

Couldn't get out, couldn't call for help, nothing....

Be careful by yourself

[Jack V]

Yeah most people have never been in a real life or death struggle so they think they will have all the time and energy in the World to do things . With a PLB I want a simple switch on system maybe extend the aerial and wait . Snake bite is the one where you can't afford to exert yourself and raise the blood pressure . So after correct bandaging it's better to rest and wait for help even if it takes 8 hours . If you try to walk out after a real bite from a brown snake you will be dead in an hour or two .

[Pom]

On a very serious note...

Bad stuff that.

Worst we had over the years was a dislocated knee after a rock slide out from underfoot. Happened to a friend.

He would have made it out with much struggling but luckily there were 3 of us on the day and we easily helped him hobble back to the 4x4.

Only happened once in a lifetime but that all it needs.

[Jack V]

I have had a few close calls with snakes and on several occasions my dog saved me . She is long gone now and buried right outside my window in the garden.

The most dramatic one was one night in a shearing shed I was asleep on a stretcher bed when my dog woke me up with barking and jumping around. I sat up to see my dog sparring with a big brown , like a prize fighter jumping to and fro evading the strikes but positioning herself each time between me and the snake .

The snake was standing up a good 3 feet above the floor each time it struck . Then she would dart around and grab his tail and whip him back across the shed floor . I grabbed a shot gun and yelled at the dog to get back and blasted that b*stard .

After that I had to sit down for about 15 minuets because I had the shakes it was such a close call as that snake was coming right for me in bed and he was only about 10 feet away most of the time.

I would give anything to still have that dog , but you only ever get one truly great one .

[Chickenhawk]

I guess they're much better units but I wonder if the PLB gps and satellite links are subject to the same interference as car GPS.

Is it possible some bad weather could block your beacon for a time?