Showing posts with label ACR ResQLink. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ACR ResQLink. Show all posts

Sunday 12 September 2021

Tramping Equipment: ACR ResQLink Personal Locator Beacon:

 A new Personal Locator Beacon for a new decade...

I recently purchased a new PLB or Personal Locator Beacon in a Covid lockdown sale from the online retailer Gearshop. The battery in my old PLB expired back in December 2020 and while it still works it would not be able to operate for the required 24 hour period mandated for safe use. 


My old model 365 ResQLink PLB...

I had a good look at a number of options for a replacement beacon including replacing the battery in my old unit, buying a combined GPS/PLB unit or just purchasing one of the many varieties of beacon currently on the market. Given a new PLB costs from $400-$1000 a bit of research and thought is  necessary before parting with your cash. I don't know about you but I think $400 is a lot of cash for one item of equipment. 


Garmin inReach units cost up to $1300 in New Zealand

I really think a PLB is a necessary piece of equipment for any tramping party but especially for us solo tramper's.  It is not a 'get out of jail free' card but it does give you some options if you injure yourself or find yourself in a life threatening situation.


Fast Find and Rescue Me are two of the other PLB brands available...

My preference would have been to replace the battery in my old unit BUT it costs nearly $400 to do so and despite repeated emails, phone calls and texts I was not able to contact the people in New Zealand who service ACR equipment. 

I had reached a bit of an impasse as I could not decide what my next step would be...in the end I just brought a new ACR beacon.


The new ACR ResQLink 425:

 One of my favoured online retailers Gearshop had a two day sale with over $100 off the price of a new ACR beacon so I jumped at the chance to buy one for a decent price. The new unit cost me a total of $400 including post which is a real bargain as I have seen these units in stores for $500-$600 dollars. I am paying it off by instalment with the Zip App...

Some of the features of the 425 ACR ResQLink beacon


I brought a newer ACR model the 425 which has a five year battery life (...good to July 2027 so really six years...) and while it is slightly larger than my previous unit it is 2/3rds of the weigh of the older model.  


Here are some specifications:

ACR ResQLink 425: Features and Benefits:

  • No Subscription Required
  • GPS and Galileo GNSS
  • Built-In Buoyancy
  • Strobe and Infrared Strobe
  • Global Coverage (Must be registered in its country of use)
  • MEOSAR Compatible
  • Small and lightweight (150 gm's)
  • 5-year battery life
  • 28 hours Operational Life**
  • Multifunction Clip System Included
**Based on test report from an accredited laboratory

The 425 model of ResQLink has a digital screen on the front which will show you a variety of messages when it is in operation.

Front of the new ACR ResQLink 425 PLB


   When you push the test button a [TEST] message will appear on the screen to show the unit is functioning correctly. If you activate the SOS function [406 SENT!] will appearing showing that the National Rescue Center has been informed. You will also be able to see your global GPS location. This is a nice feature but not actually vital as there is a light which flashes if the unit is transmitting a rescue message to SAR. 


The digital screen on my new ACR ResQLink


The new beacon is now waterproof down to 20 meters and buoyant which were two of the faults on the older models. Previously I carried my PLB in a sil-nylon drybag to protect it from water but this will no longer be necessary. 



ACR ResQLink: instructions and tech specifications are on the back...



My new PLB came with a couple of accessories...a lanyard to carry the beacon around your neck (not the best way to carry it), a shoulder carry case and an attachment to put the beacon on your belt. I will not use any of these means of carry as all three are prone to losing the beacon when bashing through dense bush or during river crossings. 


ACR ResQLink belt attachment clip...

I have already registered the beacon with the the Rescue Coordination Centre at Beacons.org.nz. I will dispose of my old beacon in the correct fashion...they can be handed into your local Police Office or mailed to the RCCNZ at:

RCCNZ

Level 1 Avalon Studios

41 Percy Cameron Street

Avalon 5010

Wellington. 

How to dispose of an old PLB....

If you are in the market for a new PLB here is a post I wrote about buyers tips for selecting a Personal Locator Beacon


My buyers guide post from 2015...recently updated!!!


I hope this beauty will never need to be used but if I do find myself in a situation of peril it is good to know that I have a way of alerting the authorities. 


Tuesday 8 September 2020

A look at the electronics I carry...

Are electronics in the outdoors an enhancement???


 I work in the education sector and I use computers for every second of my work day....I enjoy my job but all that electrical noise does get to you after a while.


The view out the window by my work desk...

Generally when I am out tramping I am looking to escape from the constant flow of information that surrounds us in our day to day lives. When you stop and think about all the media, cell phones, computers and other digital equipment you interact with it is hardly surprising modern peoples psyches are so damaged.


The outdoors is great for relieving the stress of life...

It doesn't matter if it is a day tramp or a 7-10 day monster trip but walking through a forest with birds singing and the wind moving the branches will chill you out super fast. 


Some electronic gear is useful....


Despite the need to escape from the digital world a certain amount of basic gear can assist and sometimes enhance your outdoor experience, this is the gear I carry:

My navigation gear

I learnt how to use a map and compass when I was in the army and I'm actually quite good at using both of them. Despite this a bit of a digital hand is welcome from time to time so I carry a GPS unit with me. They are especially good if you are going off track, in thick dense forest, tramping in a blizzard or on a clagged in mountain top.




You should be able to read a topographic map.....


The unit I carry is a Garmin eTrex 20x, this is a small handheld device with software that allows you to find your map reference, and can give altitude and distance readings. You can also add programmed way-points to keep you on track and this unit has a topographic mapping ability if you buy specialist software for the unit. 




Garmin eTrex 20x hand held GPS unit

I generally use the Garmin for GPS fixing and carry a paper map with me of the track I am walking. I got this unit from my partner last year so I am still getting to know what tit can do and which functions are useful to me.


Some of the data the eTrex 20 can provide:elevation, distance, timings etc. 


The eTrex 20 is one of a range of Garmin products it is a middle of the range unit and costs around $400 NZ dollars, this is relatively cheap. Some of the new Garmin and Sunnato GPS units go for up to $1400 dollars generally for the watch style units.



Other Garmin products: the Etrex 10, and Etrex 30 GPS units

The eTrex has a very basic map on the unit but I have added the NZ Topomap series to mine as Karen my partner brought the CD-Rom for me as a birthday present. Isn't she lovely....


Communications devices: PLB and cell phone

I always carry a personal locator when I'm tramping regardless of the length of the track I am walking. More than often I am out on a solo mission so having a emergency safety device is a 'no-brainer' really...if carrying one provides you with another degree of safety why wouldn't you. Every party or any individual out tramping, skiing, MTB cycling or hunting should really be carrying a PLB.


Using a PLB gives you another degree of safety....


The PLB I carry is a ACR REsQLink...my version has the GPS function which cuts the radius of a search coordinate down from 100 meters to less than 10 meters. It is relatively light at 170gms, water resistant and very simple to operate. When I brought the unit back in 2015 it cost me around $600 but prices have fallen since then and quality PLB's can be had for as little as $300 now...


The ResQlink PLB comes in a buoyant Neoprene carry case...

Battery life on this device is six years or after it has been used....mine is due to have the battery changed in 2021 so I will either put a new battery in it or possibly buy a new PLB depending on which option is cheaper. 



ACR ResQLink PLB: the details.....

I would love to change batteries but it costs around $400 to do so...this is the price of a new KTI beacon which weighs less, works better and is much smaller. 



ACR ResQLink in deployed configuration

Using the PLB is very easy...you un-clip the antenna and raise it into a vertical position then you push the activation button on the side. A PLB will work best if it is not used in a high sided or confined space and you must have a clear view of the sky.
Instructions for use on the ACR ResQLink PLB...

I have never had to use my PLB (nearly had to use it twice for other parties...) but knowing I have it with me gives me a measure of safety in the advent of an accident. I have to be alive to use it of course..but that is neither here nor there really.


Photography: Canon Powershot SX 150 IS camera

I am a bit of a Luddite in that I am still carrying a digital camera with me when I go tramping.  It is possibly not the best or lightest option but it is what I have so....yeah!!! I brought this camera second hand on Trade Me for $45 about two years ago when my previous camera died. I am not a professional photographer so I don't need a fancy Digital SLR crowd, my camera is just a simple point and shoot.

My Canon SX150 digital camera


The Canon SX 150 IS screen and controls...

The camera I am currently using is a bog standard Canon Powershot SX 150 IS in matt black. It has 12X zoom ability for closeups which is more than enough for my needs. It also has a variety of program settings for photos/video, F-stop, brightness, ISO, timer etc.  It will take reasonable photos and videos and I generally have it operating on an auto-outdoor setting for most of the time.


More controls on the top of the Canon SX 150 IS camera


Canon SX 150 IS lens and flash extended...


One thing I do like is the ability to swap between color and black and white which I use occasionally for a different look on the blog. 

a black and white photo from my recent Mt Grey trip...


I know that everyone else is carrying a phone now that the camera on them has improved and that is what I will do when my current camera dies. I just find paying more than $500 for a phone with a good camera bloody ridiculous when I have a perfectly good camera. 

E-book Reader: Kindle Paperwhite

Up until very recently I carried a book or magazine with me when I went tramping but I now have a Kindle with e-books loaded on it so this is what I will be using going forward. It is about a quarter of the weight of the books I used to carry and allows me to carry a much wider selection of reading material than is possible with paper.

I am now using a Kindle paper white


Karen brought me this for my birthday back in August and I have already loaded about a dozen books on it. Some of my current downloads are some old science fiction anthologies, a couple by Ernest Hemingway, some Bill Bryson, Goodbye to all that by Robert Graves, some Jack Reacher short stories and a field guide to New Zealand Flora and Fauna.


Goodbye to all that by Robert Graves


I have downloaded some of their free books (self publish in most cases) that would give the old Edwardian 'penny dreadful's' a run for their money...real trash.

Eclectic mix eehhhhhhhh....


A sample of the free pap available in the Kindle Store...


One of the reasons I persisted with carrying books was that I left them in huts when I finished reading them so there was some reading materiel in the hut. Since Covid 19 came on the scene DOC now remove and burn all material of this sort to stop the spread of the virus through surface contact. So no more old hunting, fishing,Wilderness and FMC Bulletin magazines in huts.... :(  sad face!!!!

No more magazine stacks in huts with Covid-19.....

I might still carry the odd Readers Digest now and then as they are quick easy reads but otherwise (and just like Dylan) I'm finally going electric.... 

Digital music:

I enjoy listening to music at all times but not usually when I am out tramping. I think part of the point of tramping is to get away from all the noise, stress and everyday electronic buzz that fills our lives. I would rather listen to the sound of the wind in the trees, a gurgling river, bird calls or a gas stove blasting away. 

I prefer to hear nature when I am out tramping...

That said...if I am walking a track with long boring sections, road walking or trekking over flat featureless valley floor I will listen to one of my MP3 players. I also listen to music when I am fitness walking so occasionally you will see me wearing earphones in the pages of this blog. I also listen to music in the huts when I am relaxing on my bunk or before going to sleep at night. 

Gravel bashing the Waimakiriri River is ideal music time...


My MP3 players are from Sony...I have a 3 GB Walkman stick unit and a standard MP3 Walkman paired with a set of plug earphones. I used to wear 1980's style over head Walkman headphones but I cant find them anymore as they have gone out of fashion. They really are so much better than plug earphones but you takes what you can gets... 

My Sony stick MP3 player...

They both pack down small and weigh next to nothing and allow me to carry many hours of songs and pod casts.  



My Sony MP3 Walkman is my usual carry...


Again...I'm old school with an MP3 player and not a phone with Spotify added to it but I use what I have. I don't usually carry my phone but eventually I will replace most of these electronic items with a good smart phone that fills all their functions. 

Power supply:Batteries, USB charging

Both my GPS unit and camera use AA size batteries so I load them with freshly recharged batteries at the start of a trip and carry a couple of sets of spares with me. My camera will discharge a set of batteries over three days but the GPS unit uses very little power and one set would last me for a couple of weeks at least. 

My camera and GPS both use AA cell batteries....


I carry a generic brand power bank I was given at work as a Christmas gift one year...it will totally recharge both a MP3 unit and my Kindle/phone with power to spare. 


And that is it...all of the electronic items I carry with me when I am tramping. It isn't much but as I have said I like to get away from the constant electronic noise I have in my life. 


Tuesday 31 March 2015

My tramping gear: ACR Res Q Link 365 Personal Locator Beacon

My Personal Locator Beacon

I usually carry a Personal Locator Beacon or PLB with me when I'm out tramping. Up to now I have been hiring one for each trip but I have finally managed to save enough shekels to buy my own.

My ACR 365 Locator Beacon

I brought myself a ACR ResQLink PLB so that I will always have one with me when I'm out tramping. In basic terms, PLB use a satellite network to send a distress message to your local Police force who then coordinate any Search and Rescue operations.

ACR ResQLink 365 PLB


 These are the same used by the Southland PLB Charity and are one of the brands recommended by New Zealand Search and Rescue (SAR). The cost was $550 from the Hunting and Fishing store here in Christchurch, this was $50 cheaper than any other domestic supplier.
That's one of the reasons everyone doesn't own one, they are bloody expensive!


Instructions for use on the back of the ResQLink PLB


I think most people recognize the usefulness of carrying a PLB, especially if like me you do a lot of solo tramping. Although it is not a "get out of jail free card" it does give you a small measure of added safety in the outdoors.


Update: September 2021


I replaced this beacon with a later model in September 2021 as the battery in my old unit has expired. My new beacon is another ACR ResQLink this time a model 425 with a digital screen. 


My new model 425 ACR ResQLink beacon...


Hopefully I never have to use it as I never had to set off my old beacon in the six years I had it.