Personal Locator Beacons?

[SWeidemann]

What do you seasoned cross country fliers use or recommend these days for Personal Locator Beacons?

Thanks much, Skot

[DesertFox4]

I've been using a Spot for about 2 years now.
Works as advertised.

[Av8r_Sed]

While not exactly a PLB, I'm using a Delorme InReach SE unit. It allows web based tracking, two way satellite text messaging and a good SOS features in case you do need a rescue.. Basically it's my electronic tether giving my wife some peace of mind while I wander around the countryside. It also integrates well with my smart phone to make entering messages easier.

The only drawback I find is the cost of the subscription service plan.

http://www.inreachdelorme.com/produc.../inreachse.php

[SkySteve]

This is a VERY important subject.

I use SPOT II. As DF4 says, Works as advertised.
There has been discussion after discussion as to which PLB is best. Some have more options but cost more. Some have fewer options but cost less. Some work on one system, some on another. The PLB discussions often follow the "which is the best concealed weapon" discussions. After all is said and done the answer always seems to be reduced to "use the one you have, can afford and feel comfortable with".

So here is my best recommendation: Study them, yes. But most important, Get One, carry it with you all the time, turn it on and use it. They all work and any of them is so much better than none of them. Any one of them could save your life and more importantly they will provide so much relief to your loved ones left behind if you do crash and die in some remote location. Please, just get one and always use it.

[Slyfox]

I generally run local and low. I turn on the gps in my phone. the wife follows me around with that. she knows when I take off, where I go, and when I land.

for anything out of town I throw the emergency thingy in my pocket. it's one of those gps things that you activate and it throws your location out there. can't think of the name of it right now.

[Tom Waid]

Both my wife and I have ACR PLB's. The initial cost is more but there are no subscription fees. In Florida we frequently find ourselves over the ocean. In a ditching situation it's possible for us to become separated. That is why we each have our own PLB. Also the airplane's ELT is on its way to the bottom.

Make sure you register each PLB.

Thinking of this encourages careful preflight inspections.

[cap01]

all these comments are right on . Tom has the correct approach . acr make some great units . a few years ago I picked up a older/larger model with a new battery for an outstanding price . when the battery expires I can get the new model for not a lot more than replacing the batt in my old one . as many people a they have to search for and rescue out of the mountains out here I can't imagine why more people don't carry them . cheap insurance and they are now smaller than your cell phone .

[PapuaPilot]

I'm in the same position as you. I currently use a SPOT Gen. 3. and mine just renewed for $225. It works fine, but I have seriously thought about going to the Garmin InReach. The annual costs are about the same. I would really like the ability to do more than a few canned messages.

I'm curious what others are doing too.

FYI I got my SPOT Gen. 3 during a 50% off sale ($75) a couple years ago. If anybody hears about any deals for the InReach or SPOT X let us know.

[BobRS]

We use a SPOT. Purchased it from REI. SPOT has (almost) worldwide coverage and is of course small and convenient. Just for a point of reference, we took a trip to the Galapagos where is is NO internet or phone service on the ships that transport you from island to island. I programmed the service to email/text our locations to friends and family back in the States and they were able to track us for 2 weeks. It works great! The SPOT flys with us in the Skylane tooling around the sparse areas of New Mexico.

BobRS
Building SS7 - Tri gear
Rotax 914 Turbo

[Av8r3400]

The guys on Back Country Pilots are claiming that the SPOT coverage in the western mountain states, Canada and much of Alaska is pretty spotty [sic] at best.

I don't have one, so I can't say. I was looking pretty closely at getting an InReach unit due to the better reviews it was getting in the mountainous regions. I haven't pulled the trigger, yet.