How to Choose Between a PLB and a Satellite Messenger 553
by Admin
Posted on 18-10-2023 02:13 PM
While many people consider unplugging to be an essential part of immersing themselves in the natural world, it’s also true that there might come a
time
when one truly needs to call for help.
Smartphones, which are seemingly in-hand 24/7, are a tempting solution, but 911 networks offer limited connectivity in ma nature’s domain. When you’re on an outdoor adventure, plbs and satellite messengers are your two best options for sending distress signals.
In an emergency , a plb with gps greatly reduces the search radius to about 100 meters (110 yards). It also significantly lessens the time to provide location tracking—from just under one hour to only one minute. The cospas-sarsat satellite messenger system relies on three different satellites, the geosar, meosar, and leosar. The geosar satellites are stationary over the equator. If your beacon has gps coordinates, satellite messages instantly alert a government database of search and rescue teams of your position in as little as two to three minutes. The meosar satellites are mid-earth-orbiting search and rescue satellites. Using the next-generation satellite network, anyone activating a plb can expect their beacon to be located within 100 meters (328 feet), 95% of the time, within five minutes of the distress signal.
To compile this review, we started by carefully selecting the top models of satellite messenger and personal locator beacons. It's usually impossible for us to satisfactorily test every product on the market for a particular category. With plbs and satellite messengers, though, there aren't many options available, and we can test nearly every device. Especially in the two-way satellite messaging device sub-category, we've worked to get every single new option in our hands. The end result is a set of tested products that represent essentially all of the available satellite communication options currently on the market. From there, we purchased and activated these beacons and put them to the test for hundreds of hours, side-by-side, in several distinct situations and locations.
Written by laura lancaster updated aug 25, 2023 4:42 pm we may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › if you spend significant time in the outdoors, then a personal locator beacon or satellite messenger should be in your pack. While these devices vary from single-use distress signals to full-blown phones that can be used in virtually any corner of the world, they all have the power to alert authorities when you are in trouble and—most importantly—share your gps coordinates. While many individuals will find that they never need to use the sos button, if you do need it, a plb or sat device can save your life.
PLBs vs. Satellite Messengers
Personal locator beacons (plbs) like the ocean signal rescueme plb1 or our former pick, the now-discontinued acr resqlink+ have one function: to send a distress signal. These small, lightweight, inexpensive, and nearly indestructible units offer no texting or two-way communication; they won’t function as a gps, won’t track you with waypoints, give you a weather report, or link to social media. As far as keeping the people back home informed of your whereabouts and state of health, using a plb is a “no news is good news” thing. All the satellite messengers we considered come with a monthly subscription cost.
Personal emergency beacons versus satellite messengers it’s easy to confuse plbs with satellite messengers, but it’s important to understand the difference between the two devices and what you can expect a plb to do. A plb is synched to satellites so it can send distress signals to search and rescue agencies in most remote areas across the globe. That’s because it usually offers a stronger signal than a satellite messenger. You aren’t able to use a plb to send messages home to your family, though — it’s only meant for sos signals. A satellite messenger can also be used to send a distress signal, but it allows you to send non-distress signals to your family as well.
This is a gear review about the best personal locator beacons and satellite messengers 2023. No serious backcountry explorer should be without some form of personal locator beacon. These small and simple items are used to send out a distress signal when you’re in need of rescuing. A good quality hiking first aid kit can only do so much, sometime you may need to be rescued. Although we all may hope never to use one, they should still form a vital part of the emergency gear for any outdoor person. To make your decision easier, i’ve rounded up some of the best personal locator beacons (plbs) and best two-way satellite messengers on the market.