[pct-l] Emergency Devices

[Dan Kronstadt]

Just so you know your choices - the other option is a Personal Locator 
Beacon - a PLB. They are for rescue ONLY - no messages to family, no 
tracking of where you are.

When used to call for rescue, they send a satellite message with GPS 
coordinates, like a Spot, but they also have a radio beacon so searchers 
can find you more easily. And they go to satellites used by search and 
rescue, not to commercial satellites and then to Spot's call center. 
Because of this, and because of their design, they are considered by 
some to be more reliable than a Spot - which should make you and your 
family feel safer.

And they may be cheaper - I think they have a higher purchase cost, but 
there is no subscription fee. They do need battery replacements, 
typically after 5 years, or after each emergency use. Some devices have 
batteries that you can replace - others can only be replaced by the 
manufacturers or service centers.

If you want more info, let me know. I have some notes on models, 
features, and prices somewhere.

Dan

On 11/26/2010 11:29 PM, Kevin Cook wrote:
> All this talk about the Spot got me looking at it. I'm interested, but it
> seems a bit expensive. There seem to be several subscriptions to along with
> it. I'm pretty tech savvy and all, but I wasn't quite sure which service(s)
> I would want on a thru hike? I like the idea of sending the "OK" message
> each day, and having people able to track my progress would be neat too. ;)
>