Today, I received a story about a boater rescued 1381 miles east of San Juan when his epirb was detected and ships were diverted to the source of the signal. The sailor was found alive in a life raft spotted by his strobe light at about 2:30 am. He fired a flare and gave a shout as a rescue crew closed in on him. A few days back, I learned about a new epirb paired with a vhf signal: www.mobilarm.com/page/about_mobilarm_v100.html This device attaches to your pfd and is water activated. It broadcasts to both satellite stations and on vhf channel 16. This means that any vessel nearby can respond immediately to the signal. This is a new Australian product. And today I also learned about a 40-ft yacht found drifting in the Chesapeake Bay with no one on board. A search was launched, but the 64-yr old Australian skipper has not been found and the search has been terminated. http://hamptonroads.com/2011/02/coast-guard-missing-boater-unlikely-be-found -alive Many boaters do not believe in taking any safety measures even when out alone on cold water because they are experienced and are certain that they will not go over the side for any reason. Chuck Sutherland *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Chuck wrote: >A few days back, I learned about a new epirb paired with a vhf signal: >www.mobilarm.com/page/about_mobilarm_v100.html This device attaches to >your pfd and is water activated. It broadcasts to both satellite stations >and on vhf channel 16. This means that any vessel nearby can respond >immediately to the signal. This is a new Australian product. G'day Chuck, Seems to be an excellent product for people on yachts or rigs where its sole purpose is to help someone cope with an emergency. Not sure if it's so helpful to kayakers because of the water activation issue and because a kayaker would be likely to also want a separate VHF/GPS for less urgent tasks like logging on an off with the local Marine Rescue. Last week I started thinking again about buying a GPS. We were in a thick sea fog and a significantly choppy sea and we had encountered a small dinghy that for a while seemed to be in difficulty. It occurred to me that if I had to assist anyone at that point, then providing a verbal estimate to the Marine Rescue of location would be useless and Lat and Long coordinates essential. The VHF being simple could be operated one handed without rafting up with fellow paddler. But I would have been loth to take both hands off the paddle to cope with the added complication of handling a GPS that was hard to read at a distance. A number of my club are really taken with the Standard Horizon HX850s handheld, which combines GPS and VHF with Digital Selective Calling to automatically notify nearby shipping of trouble. It is a step down from the device you describe but without the personal locator beacon (PLB or EPIRB) and without satellite capability. It wouldn't suit me as the screen and the button combinations look too complicated and difficult to operate quickly in an emergency. In a non-emergency I'd be afraid of accidently operating the DSC button. My preferred combination is a PLB with combined GPS, a simple VHF radio without DSC and perhaps a wrist mounted GPS with decent sized characters on the screen. I've seen one recently and it looked like a good solution. BTW many thanks to Paddlewisers for their advice a year ago on prescription sunglasses, they are great and the advice on getting non polarised lenses so as to better see instrument screens was spot on. After considering all of this I was on a kayaking course at the weekend and we had a Canadian, an affable fellow, who expressed quite a bit of concern when the discussion got around to safety gear and EPIRBs. It may be an example of the validity of quite opposed viewpoints provided each is taken in context. I just don't know what the contextual differences are in this case. The Canadian described how problematic EPIRBs were in his country where their use was associated with over-reaction and mobilisation of extraordinary levels of resource to effect a rescue; whereas here in Australia the rescue authorities encourage the community to take them on substantial bushwalks and when boating, to minimise the time and resources needed. All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
EPIRB use is not discouraged in Canada. When a signal is made, the military sends a plane to drop a VHF to determine what the emergency is, following which an appropriate rescue is preformed. The rub lies in there only being a very few bases that must cover a huge territory, so it can take hours before the plane arrives. http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/vital/v2/images/Y2008-D393-01.jpg A good approach is to use a VHF in the first place, and only activate the EPIRB if no one receives the VHF signal (a common problem, given that most of the country is empty), but only if the situation is serious or will reasonably become serious, as opposed to "Call Marge and tell her I will be late for dinner." -----Original Message----- From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net] On Behalf Of PeterO . . . After considering all of this I was on a kayaking course at the weekend and we had a Canadian, an affable fellow, who expressed quite a bit of concern when the discussion got around to safety gear and EPIRBs. It may be an example of the validity of quite opposed viewpoints provided each is taken in context. I just don't know what the contextual differences are in this case. The Canadian described how problematic EPIRBs were in his country where their use was associated with over-reaction and mobilisation of extraordinary levels of resource to effect a rescue; whereas here in Australia the rescue authorities encourage the community to take them on substantial bushwalks and when boating, to minimise the time and resources needed. All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Richard wrote: >EPIRB use is not discouraged in Canada. >When a signal is made, the military sends a plane to drop a VHF to determine >what the emergency is, following which an appropriate rescue is preformed. Craig wrote: >I wonder if the Canadian fellow that PeterO wrote about wasn't thinking more of >the SPOT which has, indeed, created quite a ruckus several times. >And I wonder if the problems with the SPOT haven't settled down over the past >year or so now that people have had a chance to get used to them. Paul wrote >I may be being daft, but I can't see where the website description says it >transmits to the SAR satellite system (as a PLB or EPIRB does). G'day, Thanks Richard for the clarification and Craig for the potential explanation. My co-student did go on to describe the Spot system, which he seemed relatively happy with. If there were problems in the early days of SPOT and they were described by the media, then I can imagine the potential for confusion between SPOT and EPIRB operation, and that might be the reason for his concern. I'll take his opinion as just that and if he offers to sell me the CN Tower I'll probably decline:~) Paul, No you're not daft but I need better spectacles. They do say it uses VHF. So water activated and using VHF make two reasons it's not that suitable as an emergency beacon for kayakers. All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Chuck & Peter both talk of a new type of SAR device - see www.mobilarm.com/page/about_mobilarm_v100.html I may be being daft, but I can't see where the website description says it transmits to the SAR satellite system (as a PLB or EPIRB does). I don't think does. It says it gets GPS info (obviously from the GPS satellite system) like many PLBs do, but then it goes on to say that it's _unlike_ a PLB and sends the mayday signal out by VHF (on Channel 70) - which is exactly what an HX-850 does if you manually trigger it to 'mayday'. I can't see where it says it _also_ transmits a standard PLB/EPIRB call to the global SAR satellites. The more I read its background info - the more sure I feel it doesn't do it. The new v100 type of device seems ideal for people on oil rigs or yacht-racing in a mid-Pacific fleet (or even on a Sidney-Hobart) - as nearby boats will be alerted to a man-overboard very quickly and should easily find him before going out of VHF range. Hope so. I'd certainly agree with Peter when he says that for the solo kayaker or group of kayakers, you'd be wanting a 2-way VHF as well. But if the v100 doesn't perform the standard VHF functions - and does no more than a DSC-VHF in an emergency - then surely that makes the V100 a step down from a DSC-VHF (like the HX-850) - and not the other way round. (Perhaps it's only real advantages are that it's a bit smaller than a PLB and - compared with a standard HF - a beacon's battery doesn't get discharged through regular use.) I don't know enough about the arguments on when & if the various jurisdictions outside of the US (and Norway, it appears) are going to implement the infrastructural and operational changes to make DSC work (or permit automated transmissions on the normal voice emergency channel VHF#16). It takes both ends of the VHF link to work digitally - someone or something has to be listening on VHF#70 for a digital mayday and has to know how to decipher & deal with it. Perhaps that's why Mobilarm sells you both the v100s and a base-station. Our NZ Maritime Safety and the Coast Guard both (disappointingly) say they have no plans to implement DSC... Anybody know how a DSC VHF works when it's in Mayday mode - does it lock you out of using VHF#16 verbally while the VHF#70 digital conversation is happening ? There are a number of tries & re-tries on VHF#70, I know. Perhaps there are two transmitters - one dedicated to the digital traffic ? Best Regards Paul Hayward, Auckland, New Zealand *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Paul Hayward <pdh_at_mmcl.co.nz> wrote: > > > Anybody know how a DSC VHF works when it's in Mayday mode - does it lock > you > out of using VHF#16 verbally while the VHF#70 digital conversation is > happening ? There are a number of tries & re-tries on VHF#70, I know. > Perhaps there are two transmitters - one dedicated to the digital traffic ? > > That's a good question. I have a DSC VHF on the muthah-ship but all I've ever done is use that VHF for listening to marine weather broadcasts and monitor Ch. 16. I'm pretty sure that in two years I've never actually talked to anyone on it. I have not actually connected the VHF to the GPS because I haven't yet installed the Garmin 3000 unit I bought for cheap off craigslist a year ago. The re-building of the shop and my new knee replacement have pretty much taken up all my time. I wonder if the Canadian fellow that PeterO wrote about wasn't thinking more of the SPOT which has, indeed, created quite a ruckus several times. And I wonder if the problems with the SPOT haven't settled down over the past year or so now that people have had a chance to get used to them. Now that I'm traveling into wild country on a mountain bicycle and almost always solo I'm a bit more concerned. My kayaking territory was almost always covered by VHF and/or cell phone service but the mountain and desert trails are almost never within any communications. In fact I'm considering building up a little QRP ham radio kit just so I can keep Sue informed where I m. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkakyaking.net *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Wednesday, 9 February 2011 06:58, Craig Jungers said: >My kayaking territory was almost always covered by VHF >and/or cell phone service but the mountain and desert >trails are almost never within any communications. >In fact I'm considering building up a little QRP ham >radio kit just so I can keep Sue informed where I am. Hasn't the ham community rigged up an automated ham to phone link anywhere ? Are digitally encrypted / passworded comms permitted on the ham bands ? Seems one could connect to a base-station, identify oneself and send a voicemail - all highly digitally compressed of course... I know that ocean-crossing yachties use something similar for ultra-slow emails. Maybe sat-phones are 'good enough'. Best Regards Paul Hayward, Auckland, New Zealand *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
You can do a lot with VHF and "auto-patch" but my wife is also a ham and I think QRP CW is the best solution. Plus it will work from any location within a few hundred miles of home. I like the idea that it's old fashioned, too. Craig On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 6:34 PM, Paul Hayward <pdh_at_mmcl.co.nz> wrote: > On Wednesday, 9 February 2011 06:58, Craig Jungers said: > > >My kayaking territory was almost always covered by VHF > >and/or cell phone service but the mountain and desert > >trails are almost never within any communications. > >In fact I'm considering building up a little QRP ham > >radio kit just so I can keep Sue informed where I am. > > Hasn't the ham community rigged up an automated ham to phone link anywhere > ? > > Are digitally encrypted / passworded comms permitted on the ham bands ? > > Seems one could connect to a base-station, identify oneself and send a > voicemail - all highly digitally compressed of course... > > I know that ocean-crossing yachties use something similar for ultra-slow > emails. > > Maybe sat-phones are 'good enough'. > > Best Regards > Paul Hayward, Auckland, New Zealand *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Craig wrote, >I like the idea that it's old fashioned, too. G'day, Talking of old fashioned - do you remember the fax decoder for computer generation of synoptic charts that we discussed last year? I find that netbooks are now small enough and low powered enough (8 to 15 hours battery life) to take on a trip, but at the same time 3G technology is bringing the internet to all but the most isolated parts of Australia of which fortunately there are a great many. So should I buy a fancy phone with Next G and the internet? Or the netbook computer to use alongside my trust SW radio? Difficult decision. Wound up buying both. Oh well..... All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Well you've covered both bases, at least. :) Craig On Wed, Feb 9, 2011 at 1:12 AM, PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_energysustained.com>wrote: > Craig wrote, > >I like the idea that it's old fashioned, too. > > G'day, > > Talking of old fashioned - do you remember the fax decoder for computer > generation of synoptic charts that we discussed last year? I find that > netbooks are now small enough and low powered enough (8 to 15 hours battery > life) to take on a trip, but at the same time 3G technology is bringing the > internet to all but the most isolated parts of Australia of which > fortunately there are a great many. So should I buy a fancy phone with Next > G and the internet? Or the netbook computer to use alongside my trust SW > radio? Difficult decision. Wound up buying both. Oh well..... > > All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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