HI Randy,
Your link is one I should have seen but never have. It seems to tell the whole story. I can't see anything that's been left out except a good description of the qualification testing that occurs before the PLB product is placed on the market covering such things as vibration and shock, moisture intrusion, etc. There must be a set of specs for such things as reliability and battery life, both shelf life and operating life, the unit must meet but I don't know what they are and I've never seem them. I've only read oblique references to them. I think they are real. I do know the shelf life for the battery in my ACR unit is 5 years to result in some minimum number of hours of beacon operation. I do not know what the beacon mode operational life span is. For example, what is the beacon mode difference between your smaller PLB, with presumably a smaller battery, and my larger unit with its larger battery. Like you, I assume that the size difference is mostly due to battery size. I'm not at all sure I would go with the smaller unit due to this difference. But, maybe the smaller battery is just as efficient as my large one because it is newer. My PLB is about 5 years old and due for a battery replacement in Dec. of this year.
There was a confusing statement in the write up concerning the lifespan of a PLB. It stated 10 years. The implication is after ten years one should just toss the unit in the trash. However, I can't believe that was the meaning of the statement. I think it was referring to the battery replacement cycle. In my case, ACR wants to replace the battery after five years of non-use or immediately if the unit has been activated. The unit does not have a recharge capability. This is on-purpose. Does anybody have any information concerning this? Has the battery change cycle changed to 10 years on the newer units? Don't know.
I checked out your REI link and took a look at the unit you bought. It's cute, definitely smaller than mine. I would say about half the size. Since the antenna wraps around the periphery of the PLB, does yours have a shorter antenna than mine? It might affect RF performance.
I would like to know the exact paper trail that is created for each contact. I also would like to know what the legal requirements are for the manufactures to track the life history of each PLB they sell. I'm certain the paper trail exists. The government can't resist paper trails and they can be very useful if difficulties arise.
The $10,000 fine for prank activations should discourage most of the idiots that would do such a thing. But maybe not. Since they are idiots to start with there is probably no reason to think that they would know enough to realize the fine exists and they can be prosecuted. Ultimately, the PLB system must rely on the good common sense of the general user. It's a good bet.
Why someone would buy an expensive tool like a PLB and not register it is beyond me. Equally important, those of us that have bought a PLB should make intense efforts to keep their contact list up to date. This can be done over the internet and it's easy. Additionally, before we go on a trip we should make a point to talk to our contacts and inform them of the trip, the approximate location, and the approximate dates. This is best done my email to eliminate any possible confusion. If these things change significantly during the course of the trip I would call my contacts with the new information. In my case I would also tell them which vehicle I am taking - my red Jeep YJ or my dark green JKU. This might make my vehicle easier to visually spot for the SAR folks. When I return I should let my contacts know by email. The contact info closes the loop for the PLB system to work most efficiently. I have my contact phone numbers and email addresses stored in my contact list in my iPhone.
Thanks, Sparky
