True but do that in New Hampshire
and it may well be that you will be soon looking at a bill.
I think one case in NY( in the Adirondacks) landed the guy in jail.
At any rate this will engender a tangent discussion.
thus advantages of SPOT for some
If paddling in a less remote area then there are other options such as calling on VHF or even a cell phone. Sometimes you want a more measured response such as a knowledgeable friend could provide. Sometimes the goal is just to let the spouse know weather has delayed you a day or so. For some trips I’d want nothing less than a good 406 PLB but for others that’s overkill and lacking in more handy features.
the situation was…
The situation was where the Coast Guard instructed the person to trigger it, as they were not able to find them easily without it. I doubt that even in State that are getting a bit ambitious with the charging for expenses wouldn’t do so just because this was tripped (though,m in those cases, you might already be on the bill for calling it in in the first place).
Not sure where I read or heard about it, but I do remember noting this fact.
Country of Registration
PLBs are meant to be bought from and registered
in a user’s own country of residence.
Anyone know the exact rules of playing along an
International Border like the Great Lakes North America ?
If the country of permanent residence is USA
and I’m up in Tobermory, Georgian Bay, all is good , right ?
You register in the country where you
live.
You can use it worldwide. I have had my PLB on my PFD(now there is a tongue twister) for two years. Not that I trip every day but I have used it for about a month or two in Canada.
As my fading memory recalls…
…in North America an incident that originates from a registered PLB starts a two pronged responce. A SAR begins in the jurisdiction of origin by sending resources to the coordinates and an investigative effort begins in the country of registration by following up on contacts provided when registered. The investigative will try to gather info like travel itinerary, how the subject is equipped/prepared, medical issues and any other info to help with planning should initial contact fail.
the big bill
is better than the alternative.
That is correct -
– Last Updated: Oct-26-12 11:09 PM EST –
register in home country - use anywhere in the world. The quality of the SAR response will ultimately depend on the quality of the SAR folks nearest your location. In US and mainland Canada it is generally excellent. Can't comment on other countries.
SPOT is fine for what it is and can be a lot of fun to use so folks can follow your progress etc. No way I would rely on it for emergency response in life and death situations. But that is just me.
I carry my plb every time I go out no matter where I am. I figure at my age if the ticker explodes on me the PLB might give me a fighting chance even on a local waterway. They have gotten so small that you can carry it in a pfd pocket or hanging in a case on a belt. the prices have come down as well. And no recurring fees - just the battery replacement thing. But I have found at current prices often it makes sense just to buy a new up to date model for a little more than the battery replacement.
The other thing is that we all know if you are a responsible paddler the chance that you will ever actually have to use your plb is extremely low.