Got an ACR ResQLink

[madmax718]

After much thought, reading posts, and scouring the web, I've bit the bullet and got the ACR ResQlink, as a "primary" last resort option.

For the price of 260, Its initial purchase price is high, compared to some other options. But I like the 5 year shelf life.

I may or may not be strong enough or conscious enough to do much more than hit a button. I may not be able to reply. And I couldn't find if the screen on the In reach works when covered in sweat and blood. But I can tell you my Samsung nexus doesn't do very well with warm blood on the screen.

For now, this is my device. I may add on an inreach later. For now, I am testing some android based apps to see if sending my location via sms is a viable option. (SMS is more reliable than data).

 

[dstock]

No screen needed for SOS on the InReach or InReach SE, large button on front of the unit. Also, display on the InReach is not a touch screen.

 

[ebg18t]

If its like my ACR you just flip the antenna out and press a button. Not affected by water or blood.

 

[madmax718]

No screen needed for SOS on the InReach or InReach SE, large button on front of the unit. Also, display on the InReach is not a touch screen.

Doh! I was only considering the Inreach SE- . I just didn't want to be left un-rescued because of the lack of a phone confirmation, or the battery needed to be replaced because I left it on too long for tracking.

I may still get one though in the future, the two way and tracking feature is pretty darn useful.

 

[Crom]

Good job. PLB is the way to go. It's super simple to operate and it's made to do one thing, and it does that one thing very well. I bought mine in 2010 I've got the ACR SARLink version. Zero regrets. I take mine on all my backpacking, hiking and back-country adventures.

 

[dstock]

Doh! I was only considering the Inreach SE- . I just didn't want to be left un-rescued because of the lack of a phone confirmation, or the battery needed to be replaced because I left it on too long for tracking.

I may still get one though in the future, the two way and tracking feature is pretty darn useful.

No worries, redundancy is always good in my book. The InReach SE does not require any smartphone interaction for anything whatsoever. The fact that it can ALSO be used with a smartphone is just a bonus.

 

[robgendreau]

The InReach SE does not require any smartphone interaction for anything whatsoever. The fact that it can ALSO be used with a smartphone is just a bonus.

But just to clarify it DOES require an Iridium (satphone) connection to relay an SOS. That's a bit different than the radio used in the Cospas-Sarsat system PLBs or EPIRBs. I assume, however, that it would act on a rescue beacon even if your subscription ran out. And the fact it uses Iridium does mean that if it got your SOS you could probably interact with GEOS. I'd also assume they'd act without a confirmation, but I couldn't confirm (heh) that.

 

[madmax718]

That part is not clear. Without an active account it seems that there is no responsibility to provide connectivity for a message that you need help. If it works even remotely close to spot, there has been individuals who due to a billing issue had their devices inoperable.

But if the part of working without a paid account is true, a lot more individuals would just buy it, use it for 4 months, then not pay anymore knowing that if they needed help it would come.

 

[robgendreau]

Boy, that's a bummer. Not that I would advocate freeloading on their system, but I could see how a piece of kit might get neglected for a while and you could end up in that situation. I don't think it would be huge burden on them to just forward the emergency message and location info to 911 at least. But it's another reason why a PLB may be a good alternative or supplement. Maybe DeLorme, SPOT and GEOS will make enough money selling rescue insurance that they can subsidize the 911 function of their units.

 

[madmax718]

I asked a related and similar question about sat phones, and whether they had a requirement to connect you. For years, I had an old motorola with a AAA power pack. I used to keep it in Go bags, and the car glove box. By law, the phone must be able to connect to 911- even without an active subscription. There was always the chance ( like the time my phone got into a 3 foot deep "stream") that even though you had a working cell, it would no longer be working. If an emergency was to arise, you can at least place that 911 call. Since the devices marketed as "phones" don't even have a requirement to connect you, these secondary devices may have even less requirement. From some articles I was reading, Doug Ritter was an advocate of forcing these "sat communicators" to transfer emergency transmissions.