Spot messenger and or Rescue me Plb
I Usually fish a fair way offshore (approx 50km) and have all the required safety gear such as life jackets, radio, flares, epirb and I also have a life cell that I leave on the back deck while driving and log on with sea rescue
The latest incidents off our coast have made me more cautious so I've purchased a rescue me Plb to wear on my belt at all times when offshore but obviously you have to be conscious to activate it but it will be used if the boat ever sinks quickly and I'm not able to retrieve the epirb that is mounted to the boat
I'm thinking of getting a spot messenger and was wondering if anyone else uses one while boating or has any reasons why it would not be suited
For people that don't know what a spot messenger is it's basically a device that you can use like an epirb but also set it to automatically send a text message or email etc at previously planned intervals so you can set it to send a text to your wife every half hour with your location that way if you did hit a whale or sea container etc and didn't have a chance to activate the epirb then they would know your location to look for you
Any feedback on the spot messenger or Plb would be great and sorry if this is in the wrong forum
Thanks
Deleted
Posts: 6265
Date Joined: 26/04/14
How's it going to send a
How's it going to send a text or email 50km out to see. I no I don't get a signal out that far
Tbmc
Posts: 49
Date Joined: 01/07/15
It works via satellite and
It works via satellite and you pay a annual or monthly fee to use the service
Deleted
Posts: 6265
Date Joined: 26/04/14
Oh yeah like
Oh yeah like these
http://www.fishwrecked.com/forum/boat-defence
Tbmc
Posts: 49
Date Joined: 01/07/15
Yeah thanks mate I was just
Yeah thanks mate
I was just reading that thread and he is sending me some info on those units
CCC
Posts: 539
Date Joined: 29/03/10
I have used a spot tracker
I have used a spot tracker for desert trips on motorbikes. Never set it off but had it when I crashed in the canning stick route(Satellte phone was used). After a I was flown out it was great to watch my wife and friend ride back home. You can watch their movement in real time. Have been talking lately that I should set it up on the boat.
My mate is in the middle of a ride at the moment and one of the other riders crashed. He used my sat phone to get help but also activated the spot tracker so they could locate them. When he gets home I will be interested to see what he thought of the spot.
resurgence
Posts: 573
Date Joined: 23/04/14
I also have a SPOT tracker
I also have a SPOT tracker that I mainly use for riding dirtbikes in remote areas.
It has an emergency function that can be used to mobilise emergency services, although with GPS enabled EPIRB's these days that's probably of little additional value.
One scenario it can handle that other common marine safety gear doesn't is if the wearer is suddenly rendered unconscious, immobile or otherwise unable to activate an EPIRB or use the radio. If someone is monitoring your SPOT tracker, they can tell when you stopped moving and your current location.
lrp1
Posts: 75
Date Joined: 26/11/12
Seems like a good idea to
Seems like a good idea to have a device on your person, since it could definitely be difficult/impossible to get to the boat EPIRB if things go south very quickly. I don't know of any reason why a spot wouldn't work, but it may not help you much if you're by youself and unconscious in the water... Edit: unless wearing some floatation that keeps you the right way around
BarraSlayer
Posts: 287
Date Joined: 14/04/14
We use them at work, for the
We use them at work, for the exploration crew and they are they are ok. Sometimes the signal is not the best and can take upto 5-10mins to register. Not sure how it would go in the marine environment.
Cheers
BarraSlayer
dodgy
Posts: 4562
Date Joined: 01/02/10
Couple of Sea Rescue groups
Couple of Sea Rescue groups were using Spot Tracker and were mostly happy with it. They have moved to the Tracplus system now.
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?