Personal locator beacons

[Flying Pig]

Has anyone out there ever done a search for a hiker with a  personal locator beacon?  I know the guys from Sq. 59 in So CA have.  Do you DF one just like an ELT?

[JoeTomasone]

I haven't tracked one, but yes, they are essentially 406/121.5 ELTs.  I would expect that the battery life, output power, and antenna are somewhat less robust/capable than their ELT cousins.

You can find lots of product examples on Google.

[calguy]

California earlier this years received two saves for locating two hikers that activated a PLB in Southern California.   The closing traffic said two bioligist were injured tracking a mountain lion and were located by CAP ground teams with the help of a CAP aircrew.  I know the crews that located them and they are the California's "a team".

[calguy]

From: Voron551
To: all@cawg.cap.gov
Sent: 04/09/08 8:25:01 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: AFRCC


NCS format for transmission

Search mission 08M0552A was opened 3 April 2008 to assist Riverside
County Sheriff's Department in locating two U.C. Davis wildlife
biologists that had activated their Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) in the
San Jacinito Wilderness.  The two biologists were tracking a mountain
lion that had a transmitter collar that was indicating that the lion was
deceased or the collar had fallen off the lion.  The two had flown the
area and were able to df and localize the area of the collar earlier on
the 2nd and decided to drive back to the area and hike in to check the
status and condition of the transmitter.  They started their hike on the
afternoon of the 2nd underestimating the time it would take to get to the
transmitter.  Late in the afternoon they located the immediate area of
the transmitter however one of the biologist lost his footing and
aggravate an old knee injury.  Due to the time of the day, his injury,
the arrival of a storm front and their lack of foul weather clothing, the
two built a shelter and activated their PLB.  NOAA received the data from
their beacon around 18:30L on the 2nd and telephoned the emergency
contact numbers and confirmed they were hiking in the area of the PLB
signal.  Riverside County Sheriff's activated their search and rescue
unit and received additional assistance from San Bernardino and San Diego
County Sheriff's SAR teams.  The sheriff's SAR teams searched throughout
the night and early morning and were unable to receive the PLB's 121.5
MHz homing signal.  At 0630L on the 3rd, a request for Civil Air Patrol's
assistance was made.  Within 15 minutes, CAP had 3 ground team members en
route and within 45 minutes CF415 was airborne from Palm Springs.  CF415
within 15 minutes of their departure had acquired the 406 and 121.5 MHz
signal and were able to df the signal to a one square mile area above the
clouds in the wilderness.  During this time, the two biologists were able
to hear our aircraft circling above them.  During breaks in the cloud
cover, one biologist was able to identify the aircraft as belonging to
Civil Air Patrol since he is a member of a California squadron.  He knew
than that the PLB would lead rescuer to their location.  Within two
hours, CAP ground assets were able to localize and confirm the
approximate location of the subjects.  About this time it was learned
that the two were attempting to hike back to their car parked at the end
of an old mining road.  Searchers were able to meet up with the two and
assist them back to their vehicle and guild them to the local fire
station where paramedics evaluated their condition. 
Distress find award and 2 saves have been awarded to Frank Tullo, Tom
Charpentier, Shane Terpstra, Bob Keilholtz, Jean Ramirez, Cathy Lavonti and Bob Miller.
Special thanks to Dave Bohem the IC on this mission.
Ron Butts
DO CAWG

[sardak]

DFing a PLB is like DFing any beacon.  Most technical specs on PLBs are identical to 406 MHz ELTs and EPIRBs.  The biggest difference is that PLBs sold in the US transmit the Morse Code letter "P" (dit-dah-dah-dit) on 121.5 MHz.  This is transmitted right after the break in the 121.5 signal for the half second 406 burst.

Mike

[Johnny Yuma]

The only problem I see with PLB's is that I'm afraid folks are going to start using them as a poor man's OnStar.

Cabela's here sells them and seen more than a few in the returned section sans registration paperwork at steep discounts.

With our luck in KSWG, our first PLB run will locate a very pissed off soccer mom with a flat on her Aerostar, complaining that the Auto club never took this long to respond.

[JohnKachenmeister]

The only problem I see with PLB's is that I'm afraid folks are going to start using them as a poor man's OnStar.

Cabela's here sells them and seen more than a few in the returned section sans registration paperwork at steep discounts.

With our luck in KSWG, our first PLB run will locate a very pissed off soccer mom with a flat on her Aerostar, complaining that the Auto club never took this long to respond.

Are there laws regarding this?  Sort of like pulling a fire alarm?

[_]

The only problem I see with PLB's is that I'm afraid folks are going to start using them as a poor man's OnStar.

Cabela's here sells them and seen more than a few in the returned section sans registration paperwork at steep discounts.

With our luck in KSWG, our first PLB run will locate a very pissed off soccer mom with a flat on her Aerostar, complaining that the Auto club never took this long to respond.

Are there laws regarding this?  Sort of like pulling a fire alarm?

There is a federal law that prohibits knowingly transmitting a false emergency signal.  At least that is what I've always been told.  I can't quote you the actual law.

[Flying Pig]

Every state has laws regarding calling an emergency when there isn't one.  I imagine there are federal laws also, but unless its a big deal, I cant see the feds wasting time prosecuting.

We had one at work last week that took us back the a very remote part of the Sierras.  It was nice because it transmits your exact Lat/Long.  We flew right to it. 

[SJFedor]

With our luck in KSWG, our first PLB run will locate a very pissed off soccer mom with a flat on her Aerostar, complaining that the Auto club never took this long to respond.

:clap: :clap: If it happens, anywhere, I demand to hear about it in the Tall Tales section.

[sardak]

The only problem I see with PLB's is that I'm afraid folks are going to start using them as a poor man's OnStar.

Normal retail price is $500+, not what I would call a "poor man's" OnStar.

Which brings up this interesting answer in the FAQs at ACR, one of the leading PLB manufacturers. http://www.acrelectronics.com/terrafix/plbfaq.htm
Question:
[A PLB] Sounds expensive?
Answer:
Not really, about the price of a new gun.
Say what?

Cabela's here sells them and seen more than a few in the returned section sans registration paperwork at steep discounts.

One PLB that was activated in Colorado was on a table during REI's "garage sale" where they sell returned merchandise cheap to members.  We located it early in the morning, several hours before the store opened, but fortunately the manager was already in.  I joked to my partner that he should buy it since it was so cheap.  Without missing a beat, the manager pointed out that since it was technically the second day of the sale, it was 50% off the already reduced price.  My partner got an almost new PLB for $90.  Of course, it's the model that requires sending it back to ACR for battery replacement, so that cost him another $100.  When we called AFRCC to close, the first thing the controller said was to make sure and register the beacon.

This was not a CAP response as CAP is not the agency responsible for PLBs in Colorado.  This is true in many states, because they are "land-based" as opposed to "aviation related" and AFRCC didn't want it and CAP to have to deal with PLBs.  AFRCC does however, but is still scheming to get PLB alerts sent directly to the state agencies, bypassing itself.

With our luck in KSWG, our first PLB run will locate a very pissed off soccer mom with a flat on her Aerostar, complaining that the Auto club never took this long to respond.

The problem is what constitutes an emergency, and the definition will vary between people.  Here's what ACR states:
Responsible Use...
The TerraFix™ [PLB] is a satellite signaling device of last resort, for use when all other means of self rescue have been exhausted, where the situation is grave, and imminent loss of life, limb, eyesight, or valuable property will occur without assistance.
Even so, I suspect that there will be activations that will really stretch the meaning of emergency.

Fortunately, the number of non-distress alerts with PLBs has not been the huge number many were concerned about, and the "not really an emergency" activations have been almost nil.

For example, since 2003, when PLBs became legal in 49 states (they were already legal in Alaska), there have been only three PLB activations in Colorado.  All unregistered, non-distress.  In addition to the REI call, a demo model in a Dick's Sporting Goods went off (solved by a phone call during business hours) and one in a residential neighborhood around the holidays, probably a gift.  It went silent before the DF team deployed.  Colorado ranks eighth in the number of registered PLBs.

Since SPOT beacons came out within the last year, there have been three activations in Colorado, all real emergencies by anyone's definition.

Mike

[JohnKachenmeister]

I have experience with state laws, and for a criminal prosecution for a false alarm, it has to rise to the level of "Maliciously" false.  What I would hope for is that the government would initiate a civil action for recovery of expenses related to the search against anyone mis-using a PLB.

Paying for $100 or so dollars of Ground Team gas, plus four hours of flight time would be enough of an incentive to avoid acting stupid with the PLB.

[RiverAux]

It will be interesting to see how things go with PLB activations and CAP across the country.  Right now, we are still the best-prepared to respond to them and our assistance may be requested.  However, I expect that other agencies will begin to gear up for them over time and I wonder how that will affect our more typical ELT missions. 

[JohnKachenmeister]

To the best of my knowledge, we have the only fleet of aircraft equipped with DF gear to locate signals on 121.5, so if a PLB goes off, I still see us getting the call from the USAF once the signal hits the satellite.

[_]

There was some discussion on the SAR-L mailing list a little while ago.  It was brought up that there are plans for PLB's to be turned over to local authorities.  The Air Force is not responsible for PLB's.  With the ability for AFRCC to determine if a beacon is a PLB, they can say, "It's not our job" and turn it over to the states.  The people at AFRCC may not like that idea but as someone starts talking money then someone higher up will make the decision.  Yes we are "cheap" to use but the Air Force paying nothing is even cheaper.  I know in this area the local SAR conference has said they want all of their teams to have some form of ELT training.

[JohnKachenmeister]

You are going to have to help me with thos one.

How are PLB's not a resposibility of the AF?  Congress has given the AF responsibility for "Inland SAR" not just "Inland SAR for missing airplanes."

This means that if a PLB is going off and someone wants air assets to help with the search, I don't see how the AF can say "No."

[RiverAux]

The AFRCC has no more responsibility for individuals activating PLBs than they do if my friend's two year old wanders away from home.   Beyond tracking the signal and reporting it to the state, they don't have any more authority in the matter.  Their job is to coordinate federal response to inland SAR.  Hence why we're having to do more and more of our local SAR missions as corporate missions. 

[_]

According to the National Response Framework, SAR Annex, the Air Force is the primary agency for "Aeronautical Search and Rescue."  For "Inland/ Wilderness Search and Rescue" the federal agency is the Department of the Interior/ National Park Service.  Going along those lines, the Air Force has no responsibility for PLB's other than getting info from the satellites and passing that along.

Reference:
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nrf/nrf-esf-09.pdf

[RiverAux]

Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how the NPS is going to do that given that they're totally focused on managing their own properties.  Goes well beyond their traditional mission and I expect not much to come of that.  But, thats for another thread....

[_]

Most of the time a search is the responsibility of local authorities, usually the state.  The times where an area involved in a search crosses state lines its usually a national park.  In those cases it makes sense that the federal authority would be the National Park Service.  They can have responsibility without running the ops.  They call local SAR assets and bring them in to run the mission.