Beacons Required?

seems like the prices on PLB's has been dropping in just the past year or so...ACR has a model called the SARlink thats about $400, and the McMurdo brand FastFind 210 is around $280.  Unfortunately both have proprietary batteries that must be replaced by the mfr about every six years and a new battery costs in excess of $150.   SPOT beacons use regular alkaline batteries, but you have to pay annual service fees with that one.

Back when the only option was the $600 ACR model, I didn't even consider shopping for one, but now that the price is getting down around what one would pay for a jacket or a pair of skis...I might pick one up.   I wish I company could get a product on the market that was under $300 that ran on regular old AA's and didn't have a service contract...that would probably fly off the shelves.

I've carried a CB radio or sat phone on bigger trips away from civilization and also bought rescue insurance prior to those trips, but I really hope that insurance and beacons don't get forced down our throats by government.

Portland Mountain Rescue recently posted a thoughtful position on why they oppose mandatory beacon requirements and compulsory billing for search and rescue operations:

www.pmru.org/pressroom/headlines/2009121...gardingMissions.html

One of the beautiful things about our wilderness is that you really can put yourself days away from society and from rescue, leaving you only with the resources in your head, in your companions, and on your back. That kind of commitment is hard to come by in our modern world. It's an opportunity to take complete responsibility for one's self.  Please don't try to take that away. Some people will never understand why it's so important.

I couldn't have said this better myself. Perfectly said.

Out of curiousity, how many people carry rescue beacons?  (Like SPOT, not avy beacons). 

I don't (yet), but it is a recently delivered spousal mandate due to the Hood coverage, that will be put into effect as soon as SPOT takes care of their recall and gets solid new units out.

I have a SPOT 1 and it may come in handy one day, but so far it has caused more grief than it has prevented. My parents got it for me for Christmas last year. My first trip out with it I was a bit late getting back to the car. No big deal I thought since I had sent 5 OK messages during the day, including two messages within one hour which was the code I worked out for OK, but late. Turns out that none of the message went through. Partly it was user error, but mostly it was technological limitations and lack of sent message notification. The end result was that my wife was totally freaked out that since I was late and I had an easy way to contact her, but hadn't, I must be in trouble. She had one of my buddies dressed and about to leave for the trailhead when I finally got back into cell range. After that we have little confidence in the SPOT. It works better now that I know what it can and can’t do, but it still misses enough messages to make it a less than effective reassurance device for those at home.

I like Colorado's funding approach to Search and Rescue. I think it provides a better balance than requiring everyone to check-in via satellite everytime they leave their car.

It's only mandatory with select licenses (ORVs, fishing/hunting), but there are a lot of organizations that require you have valid card to take a class or be a club/non-profit member, etc.

www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/fa/sar/index.html

I have a SPOT 1 and it may come in handy one day, but so far it has caused more grief than it has prevented.  My parents got it for me for Christmas last year.  My first trip out with it I was a bit late getting back to the car.  No big deal I thought since I had sent 5 OK messages during the day, including two messages within one hour which was the code I worked out for OK, but late.  Turns out that none of the message went through.  Partly it was user error, but mostly it was technological limitations and lack of sent message notification.  The end result was that my wife was totally freaked out that since I was late and I had an easy way to contact her, but hadn't, I must be in trouble.  She had one of my buddies dressed and about to leave for the trailhead when I finally got back into cell range.  After that we have little confidence in the SPOT.  It works better now that I know what it can and can’t do, but it still misses enough messages to make it a less than effective reassurance device for those at home.

Well, that's sobering. It sounds like the only potentially good use case is as an actual emergency beacon (if it actually is able to transmit from the affected location), rather than establishing any expectation of checking in. Hmmmm...