PLBs. Anybody using them on their kayak?

I just ran into a little extra money and instead of buying more fishing gear I thought I might invest in a PLB. I do enough backcountry hiking and hunting and offshore fishing that I though it might be nice to get one. Does anybody have a model or brand they can recommend?

I have one purchased from REI a few years back. It's called McMurdo Fast Find Model 210. It is registered with the SARSAT/NOAA as a 406 MHz beacon; which is monitored worldwide. I bought mine for use while using my Quad in the back country. I carry it with me in the kayak, it is waterproof however it does not float so it stays in a dry bag in the hull. Cannot say how well the McMurdo works as I fortunately have never needed it to get found.

When I bought the McMurdo, the less expensive SPOT was rated very poorly. It appears they are new and improved (Generation 3 now) and allow some written communications and route display to loved ones who can access the system... not sure how that works; but sounds good.

I have a DeLorme GPS which is an excellent back country map tool. I would give that company a 5-star on the GPS, don't know about their PLB, but they do make one..

Found information at www.Boatus.org/epirb between the more expensive EPIRB and the PLB. Thought it may be of interest.

For many years I have carried a satellite phone when doing outdoor activities like kayaking, hunting, fishing, hiking, backcountry skiing, and snowmobiling.  In past years I had two different Iridium phones, and I currently have a Globalstar phone. 

A big advantage of a satellite phone is that you can actually talk with somebody specific and explain whatever you need to explain.  "I'm on my way home and should be there by 8:00; Joe broke his leg, so please send a helicopter; We got a flat tire and are getting it fixed, so we'll be home late; The road was blocked by a landslide, but they should have it cleared out by tomorrow morning; the river rose overnight and washed away my kayak, so I'm stranded, send help."  Whatever.  I didn't like earlier rescue beacons, which just notified somebody somewhere that you had pushed an "emergency" button.  The ability of more recent beacons to send text messages is a big improvement, but there is still a lot to be said for being able to talk with a human being on a real-time basis.

A disadvantage of satellite phones is that they are expensive to buy, and the hours are expensive.  The expense is worth it to me because I spend a lot of time way off the grid, but I know that for some people the cost is prohibitive.  You can hold down the cost by getting a plan where you pay for use on a per-minute basis, and only use the phone for emergencies, but if you like to talk to your significant other on a regular basis when on backcountry trips, buying minutes may make more sense.

For a long time the Globalstar network was in really lousy condition, and the phone service sucked.  Iridium was the only way to go.  Now Globalstar has improved its service to the point that in the Globalstar service areas, it's as easy to connect to the Globalstar system as it is to the Iridium system, and the Globalstar system has better sound quality.  However, Iridium is a genuinely worldwide network, and if you expect to spend time outside of the Globalstar service areas, you should go with Iridium.

I have a second gen SPOT.  It does what I need at a price I'm willing to pay.  I'd like to upgrade to the 3rd gen though.

Allow me to second the Globalstar system and hijack the thread for a moment; September of last year I purchased a small amount of GSAT (Globalstar) stock which was trading in the low .90 cent range. Less than a year later it is trading at over $4.00. Globalstar owns their satellites; they control their system, their product and their cost. I do not know the phones, but I the company is very solid. If I traveled like I used to I'd opt for one of their phones. Google their name to read about them and visit their Website.

Back to PLB's. When you trip the Emergency on a PLB the SARSAT (Search and Rescue Satellite System and NOAA (all paid for by your tax dollars) is notified which tells them your GPS position in the world; within inches (mil spec). They are the ones who will call the first responders near you who send fixed or rotary wing aircraft, or if possible a regular ambulance. At sea if you trip an EPIRB or a PLB the Coast Guard or Navy is most often called who may call in other search and rescue services to help if you are not close in.

The negative I see with the McMurdo unit I have (probably others too) the battery is not serviceable. Every five years the unit is sent to their repair center to have a new battery installed and the unit re-certified; it isn't cheap.

If you are inland you can buy yearly contracts for no cost rescue services. In Southern Oregon; Roseburg south, into NorCal it is Medi-Flight, in the Klamath River area the Happy Camp Fire Department sells yearly contracts. I've had contracts with both and did not use either. Like buying insurance. A flight out of Happy Camp to the Hospital in Redding is about $1000.00 if you don't have the $60.00 a year coverage. When you register your PLB with SARSAT/NOAA you can specify the service to be contacted. They in turn may contact someone else, but it won't cost you a dime.

One would have to do a Google search to see who (if anyone) could help in your area of interest. That's how I found the ones I've used.

SPOT comes with $100k in SAR benefits.