Is the new Fast Find worth betting your life on?

I have published my initial evaluation of the new McMurdo Fast Find PLB. Efforts to put together a full-on evaluation of the new Fast Find in the same manner and under the same conditions as we have tested PLBs in the past have been frustrated by our inability to raise the funds necessary. The economy definitely is hurting our ability to conduct this sort of large scale and expensive testing. In doing this, we attempted to conduct meaningful abbreviated testing in, literally, our own backyard, that would stress the PLB adequately to the point that it would show up any significant issues and, hopefully, provide us a reasonable level of confidence in the new Fast Find.

Is the new Fast Find worth betting your life on? We've got the answer:
www.equipped.org/McMurdoNewFastFind.htm

Compelling Doug. Thanks for the review. I am waiting to see what ACR does with their price points this summer, but I am very interested in this unit now.

Thanks Doug -- excellent review. The small physical size and 2:1 price point advantage makes it very compelling.

Doug, have you done much testing with Spot yet? I have read a couple of your articles but they seem to have been written before you got to do your own testing.

Thanks,

David Enoch

Enough to know I wouldn't bet my life on it. We'll see what the new version fo SPOT brings to the game later this Summer. That's really all I can say on that.

This review is Good Enough that I am thinking of taking your advice and upgrading to the McMurdo and donating my older PLB to the local Scouts. They'll be out on a 104 mile hike this summer without me, I'll feel better if one of the strapping young lads is lugging an extra pound of caution. If I feel generous I'll just loan out my new half lb PLB.

It´s hard to come across such thorough and professional review like this one these days. It would be great if it was tested directly in the field but it´s understandable why it was not possible. Still it answers a lot of questions. Thanks a lot for the review.

It's amazing how much more compact these things keep getting as time goes on. A few more years and you might be able to buy a watch that's also a PLB. (If Suunto doesn't have one already)

Yes, that would be great . I am still waiting for decent rugged GSM watches. I don´t like carrying classic heavy cell phone when I go running.