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#139260 - 07/10/08 12:09 PM "Lost" hiker found after using PLB
jaywalke Offline
Member

Registered: 12/22/07
Posts: 172
Loc: Appalachian mountains
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880709107

Not a lot of detail. The guy seems to have been walking out at his planned exit time. Model of PLB not mentioned, either.


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#139262 - 07/10/08 12:31 PM Re: "Lost" hiker found after using PLB [Re: jaywalke]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Quote:
...It sent a couple nonemergency signals throughout the day, the last being about 3 p.m., Shuping said.

The beacon does not send out a signal that rescuers can track because it is based on satellite communications, not radio waves, he said....
Sounds like the Spot Messenger, not a PLB.

Personal opinion, a map and compass properly applied would have made this "rescue" unnecessary. But if you are going to go with satellite based systems, start with a good GPS so you can stay found on your own. Don't unnecessarily burden the system because you got turned around/lost but are otherwise in good shape.
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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#139268 - 07/10/08 01:36 PM Re: "Lost" hiker found after using PLB [Re: Russ]
OldBaldGuy Offline
Geezer

Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 5695
Loc: Former AFB in CA, recouping fr...
"...Brechner had intended to camp overnight in the wilderness.

“He got out about the time he would have,”..."

So where was the emergency???
_________________________
OBG

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#139281 - 07/10/08 02:46 PM Re: "Lost" hiker found after using PLB [Re: OldBaldGuy]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Based on the nonemergency transmissions sent throughout the day, my guess is that the "victim" of this "ordeal" knew it wasn't an emergency too. The only question I have is which button did he push that sent the 14 transmissions in the dawn hours.
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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#139296 - 07/10/08 03:50 PM Re: "Lost" hiker found after using PLB [Re: Russ]
JCWohlschlag Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/26/06
Posts: 724
Loc: Sterling, Virginia, United Sta...
Quote:
His emergency satellite beacon, which sends a single [sic] to a private company that hosts the service, started at 6:48 a.m. Wednesday and stopped an hour later after sending 14 transmissions.

The “single” being sent to a private company also makes it sound like it is a SPOT Satellite Messenger instead of a true PLB. It also appears proofreading is not a high priority of the news these days.
_________________________
“Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee. Sometimes old people hike by mistake.” — Demitri Martin

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#139297 - 07/10/08 03:54 PM Re: "Lost" hiker found after using PLB [Re: JCWohlschlag]
clarktx Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 07/01/08
Posts: 250
Loc: Houston, Texas
sounds like a classic "well, I paid for this thing, I'm damn well going to get my money out of it." thought pattern.
_________________________
You can't teach experience.

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