Bushwalk Australia

Has anyone had experience with this low cost alternative.
TracMe Beacon - Small, practical, affordable
A TracMe Locator Beacon is packaged with a lanyard, instruction manual and three cards to prepare, pack and inform before the next outdoor adventure. ...
http://www.tracme.com.au/ - Cached - Similar
corvus

It's a UHF that only says 'help...Emergency'. It would certainly make finding you quicker after the alarm has been raised by a family member. A handheld UHF radio would probably be more versatile and better in some ways, but not in others. Interesting concept.

P.S. Yay my 500th post!

I guess that means Hire of the "real deal" is the way to go when we go off track in future.
c

I guess the beauty of the TracMe over a normal UHF would be that it automatically broadcasts a signal so you don't have to do it yourself every 5 minutes, and it can do it if you've lapsed into unconsciousness. The disadvantage that I can see is that "all" it does is enable people to find you more easily if you are overdue - no help if you break a leg 2 days into a 5 day walk.

I'm still keen on the idea of the SPOT system: http://www.findmespot.com/australianewz ... index3.php You can use it as an emergency beacon or you can send non-urgent messages to let people know that you have totally mistimed your walk and are spending a night out, but you are fine.

Apparently Allgoods sell it, I might have to pay them a visit.

The spot system is obviously a better contact device. Whats the verdict for Tassie use with the satellite's it uses? Wouldnt be much help if you needed to climb a peak to get a signal? Interested to hear more from someone who has been using one statewide....

Also difficult (from their website) to tell what message it sends? (obviously has no keypad so im guessing it must have generic set message/)

They used a spot on the cannibal run, and it had great sucess! If it worked in the country they were in I reakon it'd be fine anywhere in Tassie!

G'mornin ILSWT, Yes, the tracking had great success 'missed very few of the message signals'. What isnt so clear from that is whether in fact it would have sent an emergency signal from anywhere along that (or other) routes 'on demand'. The activation on the Fedders trip is good anecdotal evidence but even the irridum does struggle under some conditions.

I dont think its so straight forward, do its message (and tracking if chosen) features make up for its usefulness as a plb and perhaps inferior satellite array used?

I'm considering trying one (the unit itself seems to have come down in price).
I might be missing something but just trying to find what the system is capable of in the type of messages sent?

Hiya Nuts!
Yeh thats a good point! And i personally I got a 410plb over the spot just cause I know more about them... spot costs less though
MJD is contemplating getting one for our spires trip in Feb, so if you can wait that long for answers.... you'll even be able to track our trip HOPEFULLY no activation will be used during that time though

har har, yes, if i cant come (likely) then i can at least drool over the screen (perhaps he could put nik or adam on the contact list so they can put a google map on here each day?) . The little dot may not be moving far some days though har har...

Yeh thats a good idea! We will do that!!
Har de har har indeed.... probably right tho. as long as you dont watch it get to the Denison river, stay still for 48hrs, then start heading towards the Denison range

From what I can tell from the little videos they have on their site, the SPOT messages are ones you can type in yourself somehow. That was something that I wondered too. It would be good to have a look at one and try it out.
Whether it would send a signal if you were injured in thick bush was something I wondered as well - the newer GPS units are much better at getting a signal under trees but I don't know about the SPOT.
The other thing I would like to know is whether you can see your own GPS reading on it or whether it just sends it to the website so your contact can check it.
Nuts, do you really want to know step by step what other people are doing if you can't be there?

Annie, iv'e sent some(and our) specific questions to them (probably more reliable answers than from that dealer you mention imo).

TBH, If I see the little dot stop still (or start going up and down the riverbank, or downstrem fast ) or go round in circles i'd probably snuggle back in my armchair (no, likely, i'd miss it all anyhow, as i'll be out n about myself (which is why it would be good for someone to load the maps here as they go ))

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Prices on PLB's are certainly dropping - on special at Prestige Communications at the moment.

http://www.prestigecom.net.au/index.php ... &cPath=101

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$540 here.
$545 here.
$547 here.
$549 here and here.

$750 here.
$790 here.

Instruction manual here.

That's enough googling for now. $250 difference is pretty significant.
Freight prices not included but the $540 one charges $10. (looking at my bank balance...)

Still a lot of money for something you will likely toss in the bin never having made use of. I think, with the availability of Sat phones on the seconds market (these can be had with very little use on them) and at a price not too much dearer than that this would be my first choice (if i didnt already have one...) As a personal use device, I look at this technology to be at its Most 'useful' for a solo walk. In which case I (personally) would be much more likely to put a call in long before setting off a plb. This was more what I was getting at, I dont really think there is a measurable significant difference between the modes. I baulk at buying any more plb's (just threw 2 away) so have not only read of the options but thought them through...

With the spot system, nobody is coming looking for you if you loose it or the batteries go flat? (unless youve linked granny in as a contact) (and just as they wouldnt in the same scenario with a plb) Also, having an idea of a point of last contact is a very valid point in the circumstances of what may in fact happen in an incident. Solo, you may be unable to activate the plb...., in a group (in the unlikely situation where it wont work) there will be someone to find a point where it will.... Same goes for any of the satellite phone services.

All of these things Are short of ideal. I get the feeling that the 'all-in 'one' is not far off with the discounting that has started already.

I also get the feeling that these points have been mentioned before... To me it seems that the important thing is to have something now, whatever system it may be. If only one device, i'm not convinced any one is 'better' than the others. Personally though, as mentioned, I would choose the sat-phone (though i do think that 'mobile'/satellite link phones will eventually render them obsolete also, probably already could?)

(Can the heightened awareness of not having any such a device be factored into the statistics. Are there more serious incidents (per capita) now than previously.... Is taking nothing still valid (no, no question mark, just thoughts along similar lines ))

Nuts wrote:Can the heightened awareness of not having any such a device be factored into the statistics

Probably not, for reasons you have already mentioned - such as the possibility that (walking solo for example) something might happen that will prevent you from being able to activate it. Falling over and breaking both arms and having the PLB safely done up in the top of your pack would be a real bother. As you said, Sat phone can present the same difficulties.

I think any right-minded individual would consider a PLB as something more as insurance - better not to need it, than to be less careful knowing that you have it...

Of all the options (and like Nuts I have an obsolete bit of gear in an old PLB) my choice today will be to hire one for any real remote walks esapecially when you can share the cost.
corvus

Given that my previous PLB lasted over 8 years, I reckon they are great value. $60 per annum in my opinion is a fantastic cost to potentially save my life. At the end of 8-10 years I will happily chuck it in the bin, hopefully never having had the need to use it.

(Yer, anyhow, this was G's topic, I guess its of track a little but anyho)

I also wasnt really making a point of the cost or having 'a device' or not, only that (obviously) as a necessary evil (for some), perhaps the obvious choice factors are a bit more obscure.

tasadam wrote:Falling over and breaking both arms and having the PLB safely done up in the top of your pack would be a real bother. As you said, Sat phone can present the same difficulties.

So in this case the 'spot' would be still sending out its signal...

We hear of these devices saving lives, mostly it seems from falls. the obvious dilemma here is that you may be physically unable to activate a beacon broken, unconscious. Also though you may end up remote from it or it may end up unusable.

One very real scenario (which has been responsible for fatalities, and is about as close as I have had someone come to a disaster) is loosing your tent at night, especially in winter...

Anyway, just still a few scattered thoughts, not really trying to draw conclusions (or sell spots )

Corvus's suggestion to hire one is probably a good option for the near future also (unless your the type that needs to own )

tasadam wrote:I think any right-minded individual would consider a PLB as something more as insurance - better not to need it, than to be less careful knowing that you have it...

I think your probably right, with the 'device' in your pack it is pretty much forgotten until i guess its needed, so i doubt it is responsible for exercising less caution day to day.

I do wonder though if it plays a ('considered' or otherwise) role in the planning of some of the more remote adventures people attempt (thinking sea kayaking as well as bushwalking with that), as it obviously would be considered in blue water sailing etc.

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Brett wrote:Tamar Marine win by one dollar on that particular model once freight is considered. Not bad for a local shop

Cheers Brett

Yep, not bad for a local shop agreed, except you will probably spend more than a dollar getting there to get it (fuel, wear and tear, whatever).
I prefer to buy local when possible, indeed the last online purchase I made (AU$855) I would have been prepared to pay less than $1000 locally, but they couldn't beat $1149. Something wrong there IMO.
If I'm going past and I have the cash I would.
Would be nice if Tamar Marine had their web site up to date...
$639

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Im with you Brett even with the" mostest bestest" PLB I cuould not even contemplate PB or the WA just dont have the strenght or bottle to take it on at my age now and a wee battery operated thingy I feel would not really make my attempt any safer.
I do believe however that in some of my off track walks with reduced participication
+ hired PLB would be prudent.

Brett wrote: depends when the units were brought in relation to the AUD to USD.

Except that GME are made in Aus so it shouldn't matter (though prices suggest it does).

Yer, could just as likely herald an upgrade in model by them or competitors. Probably more wishful thinking. I have a tollerate/dislike relationship with gadgets. Wonder if i'm allowed a homing pigeon, if it flaps above, does it break the rules .