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EPIRBs and PLBs
Not sure if this comes under geek gear, but it's electronic so here you go.
Regarding this story in the SMH...
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/beacon-gave-critically...
... this climber only seems to have been saved as they were carrying an PLB (well, the story says, "a locator beacon").
Yes, yes, it's never going to happen to you, but consider a worst case scenario:
You go for a ride on GNR or another remote track. You don't often ride alone, but your riding buddy didn't call to say they were ill until you were there and ready to ride. It's a decent day and this track is busy, right, you're already here so what can go wrong? The weather turns when you're an hour or so in, you finish the leg out anyhow as you're almost there. The weather turns worse on the way back - anyone sensible would clearly be out of this mess by now. You push on, keen to get back to a dry car. A momentary lapse sees you have an off. Normally a pretty harmless fall, but you have a bad landing and break something. If it's an arm you can still walk out, right - what about a leg? Perhaps you had an OTB and smashed your chest on a rock, puncture a lung and can barely breath? You lay there helpless, maybe bleeding with little food or water, even if you did pack for the worse. There's not mobile reception and no-one is going to be along for hours (or days if this weather sets in).
Now, I pray that something like the above never happens to anyone reading this, but... for those that do venture into the wilderness these PLB things look like a bl00dy good idea! Seems they can be had for a few hundred bucks and weigh only couple hundred grams.
P.S. I just watched a documentary about lost climbers on Mount McKinley who broke their radio and only just survived, then browse the news and see the above story. Hmmmmm...
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always carry a handfull of Panedine Forte in backpack or bike pouch-kills the pain!.
I've thought about getting one. Not cheap at around $400, but then cheaper than the alternative. Will probably get one if I do a multi-day self-supported tour.
I think you can borrow them for free from the local police in the Blue Mountains?
I always let my family know where I'm going and when to expect me back. Someone who didn't and narrowly escaped their fate: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/29/31...
Painkillers are cheaper, but they won't get a chopper to your location in a couple of hours
Gee whizz - thats bordering on tipping the RC over the 10kg mark. If i were to spend a couple of hundred $, id expect the weight to decrease, not increase!
I dont think ill be getting one of those anytime soon.
OK... the smallest I could find was a Fast Find 211 @ 150g:
It's an outrage really... that big for a device that houses GPS, satellite and homing beacon radio transmitter and battery with 5 year life that will power it for 24 hours plus
Sounds like a must have.
I've been in quite a few situations where I needed help including:
1. Manly Dam late at night with broken ribs and dislocated finger;
2. Lane Cove NP with spinal injuries late at night - that one took a while till I was found!
3. Gt Nth Rd - Brown Snake Bite about 20km into the ride.
I also smashed my phone in 1 & 2 above!
When I did a bit of research I was told the eperb devices used by the Yachties need to be thrown into the water as the water acts as the reflecting device to send the signal up to the satellites and they don't really work on land.
Shall investigate the PLB.
Fatboy, you will never need one now as it look like you've had enough bad luck for a lifetime
Please tell us more about the Brown snake. What did you do?
I often wonder what I'd do if bitten when out alone.
Better to immobilise and call for help or attempt to move to where I at least can be seen or more likely to be found by other riders or trail users?
Cheers
I bought a spot tracker this year for the reasons you have said Rob. I was on a sidetrack up on the GNR and realised that no one knew where I was. If anything went wrong I would not have been found. It's defintely piece of mind. It was around $200 and costs $100 to be on the spot tracker website per year. Not a whole lot to pay.
Don't do what I did and move. What I didn't know at the time is you can call 112 on mobile when out of range and it works. I started off doing all the right things first aid wise but after waiting half hour impatiently and not feeling any effects decided to pedal back with 1 leg. Dumb really but when I got to hospital they took the bandage off and declared I hadn't been invenomated as they would have seen pus around the fang marks so was just given tetanus. A Vet mate said the venom gland is at least 5cm from the fangs and it takes a bit to pressurize so the snake wouldn't have had the time to prepare for the strike when I startled it.
Good tip for everyone is always carry a first aid kit when riding. I always have 2 of my 3 jersey pockets stuffed with bandages etc.
I know katoomba police use to hire epirbs out to bushwalkers so that may be an option too when you are planning a more remote ride
I'd have thought out of range was out of range. Can you share a little more about that statement?
Hawkeye
the 112 emergency number still needs to be in range but is picked up by all the networks, which means that if your network doesn't have coverage of the area but another one does it will get through. FWIU 000 also has this capability now
From the gov site
"112 is the GSM international standard emergency number which can only be dialled on digital mobile phones. Accepted as a secondary international emergency number in some parts of the world (including Australia), 112 can be dialled in areas of GSM network coverage with the call automatically translated to that country’s emergency number.
Special capabilities once existed when dialling 112, however mobile phones manufactured since January 2002 also provide these capabilities when dialling Triple Zero (000) to access the emergency call service. "
http://www.acma.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WEB/STANDA...
When I did my St Johns 1st aid course we were told if you call 112 from your mobile it looks for your carrier then if unsuccessful it looks for any carrier then if none are available it will pick up a satellite. It will do this without a sim also.
I've never tried it out nor have I heard of the satellite being an option from any other source but we were definitely told it is the case during our course.
The authorities actually only want people dialling 000 because people have tried to dial 112 from landlines which doesn't work.
Given that they need to keep the message simple, it doesn't surprise that 000 is the main number advertised in Oz, but as I turn up the Emergency Services listing in the Yellow Pages, 112 is the second number listed so I'm not sure about the comment about authorities not promoting it. They do state it is for use by digital GSM mobiles only, and will work if you are ouside your provider's area.
Thanks Flynny for confirming about the network switching
FWIW, phone can be locked as well and it will still work.
There is an interesting comment in the Yellow Pages (page 1228 of the 2010 paper edition) about "you may not be able to access 112 if you are outside of all network coverage areas"
So it would be good to have the satellite pickup comment confirmed, as the above quotation would suggest otherwise.
000 is the primary number for Australia. My comment was more they promote 000 as the main number because of the issue that 112 doesn't work from landlines
http://www.triplezero.gov.au/www/emaweb/emaweb.nsf
Everything that I've read says that 112 / 000 will work as long as there is some coverage from a mobile network (not necessarily the one you are paying for). The satellite bit is a furphy.
If you look at the various mobile network coverages, Telstra GSM has the widest spread (it had to take over from the CDMA network in the bush). That and a "blue tick" phone (have a look at the Telstra web site) will get you the best remote area mobile coverage. Probably not all that relevant for mtb use as most of that is done on the relatively well-network-covered coastal fringes or around Canberra, but it's handy if you spend much time in rural NSW. Can't beat a sat phone for real remote area coverage tho'.
I know in the Blue Mtns you can borrow a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) from Springwood and Katoomba Police stations and from the NPWS at Blackheath for free. For that price, I'm sure you'd find the weight penalty acceptable.
And if you are in an area with NO mobile coverage from ANY provider, well... you better hope you have a PLB.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/miracle-cl...
From today's SMH:
Detail here:
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/teenage-climber-rescue...
I do a bit of SAR stuff with my job and cannot speak highly enough of the PLB
A word of warning- steer clear of the SPOT system, the GPS chip in them is rubbish. I borrowed one to trial and was most dismayed with it. It would not send a signal from the lower third of Involution despite being on for 20 mins and flashing the appropriate lights.
The Mcmurdo is the smallest, I currently own an ACR which is pretty good too.
People say they are expensive but when you outlay that purchase cost over 5-6 years(until battery needs replacement) then it works out about $2 a week.
Battery changes are getting cheaper (latest I heard for ACR was $200 so the next 5-6 years comes down to under 70 cents a week maybe (my maths is average).
I guarantee if you had an emergency where you couldnt get out on cellphone you would give your left nut for a PLB, personally I would rather pay $2 a week lol
PLB, cellphone and leaving your intentions with someone reliable is a great start, oh and stick to those intentions..
Just got emailed this
http://www.ja-gps.com.au/SPOT/spot-satellite-gps...