How Modern Communication Tech Can Save Your Life

Feature Story by CHESTER MOORE

LISTEN: (6 minutes, 25 seconds)

 

GETTING LOST IN THE WILDERNESS is one of the most frightening things a person can experience.

Exposure to the elements, accidents and encounters with dangerous wildlife causes much loss of life annually.

Getting stranded in the ocean is even more frightening. Conditions change quickly and when there are 10 foot waves and lightning popping all around there is no place to seek refuge.

We consulted NOAA’s SARSAT, (Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking) program and got some great information on how you can use tech to make it back home if the unexpected occurs.

‘No one expects to have an accident, get lost or experience some other distress situation when they set sail, fly or head into the wilderness for adventure. But it does happen,’ according to NOAA officials.

“Mobile phones do not always work in remote areas. Multi-tasking navigation assistance devices require charging. A 406 MHz distress beacon is your best bet. It only has one function – to alert Search and rescue (SAR) authorities directly within minutes of activation that you are in trouble and need help.”

NOAA officials said there are three types of 406 emergency beacons used to transmit distress signals, EPIRBs (for maritime use), ELTs (for aviation use), and PLBs (handheld personal, portable units for remote-environment use). 

“406 MHz Emergency beacons are digitally coded and transmit distress signals immediately upon activation. 406 refers to the proprietary radio wavelength these beacons transmit on. This means that even a brief inadvertent signal can generate a false alert. To avoid getting a call from the Coast Guard or Air Force, make sure that, when you test your 406 beacon, you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations carefully. Or follow these guidelines for general instructions on proper inspection and testing procedures.”

It is important that you register your 406 beacon. 

“If for some reason your beacon does activate inadvertently and it is registered, the call you receive from the Coast Guard or Air Force will be a friendly one.”

NOAA officials said if it is not registered and a SAR team is called out to respond to what turns out to be a false alert, it may not be quite so friendly. 

“More importantly, registration will help rescue forces find you faster in an emergency because they know who and what they are looking for. Activating a 406 beacon in a non-distress situation needlessly diverts SAR resources that may be needed in an actual emergency. The information provides a quick and easy way for the SAR agencies to check and eliminate false alarms.” 

On their official SARSAT website, NOAA explained 406 PLB beacons are portable units designed to be carried by an individual person. Most PLBs are as small as a cell phone. 

“Because of their compact size, PLBs are ideal for wilderness hikers, cross country or mountain bikers, kayakers, canoeists, mountaineers, backcountry skiers and snowmobilers – generally, anyone traveling in remote wilderness areas any time of year.”

These devices can only be activated manually and operate exclusively on 406 MHz. Some PLBs have GNSS chips integrated into the distress signal. This GPS-encoded position dramatically improves the location accuracy down to the 100-meter level…that’s roughly the size of a football field! Operational battery life once activated is 24 hours minimum.

They noted EPIRBS are designed for maritime applications. The 406 MHz EPIRBs are divided into two categories. Category I EPIRBs are activated either manually or automatically. The automatic activation is triggered when the EPIRB is released from its bracket.

“If you own a Category I EPIRB, it’s very important that you mount it outside your vessel’s cabin where it will be able to “float free” of the sinking vessel.”

“Category II EPIRBs are manual activation only units. If you own one of these, it should be stored in the most accessible location on board where it can be quickly accessed in an emergency. Both types include a built-in strobe light and are designed to float. EPIRBs transmit for at least 48 hours once activated.”

In Texas, these types of devices are used more in the Gulf of Mexico, yet few seem to use them when hunting.

In Texas, most hunting is done on private leases with cell phone access but there are many areas where that fails. Your phone could also die. And do not assume that your mobile service provider works in a new area you wish to hunt, fish or explore.

Vast areas of the Trans Pecos in Texas have shoddy cell coverage under certain plans. Even the southwest corner of Louisiana has bad coverage under one major provider, so locals use another. Don’t assume. Carry some kind of beacon or transponder that can get a signal out no matter what.

It’s easy to get lost in the dark, especially when hunting new territory like some of our national forests or coastal wildlife refuges. On top of having the correct communication let several loved ones know where you will be and what time you plan to return so they can send help if you don’t come back.

The great outdoors is a place of beauty and excitement, but it can turn deadly. Proper communication is a major key in making sure you return home safely.

Register Your Device

 You can register a 406 MHz beacon, online at beaconregistration.noaa.gov, or you may download a beacon registration form at sarsat.noaa.gov and then fax the form to (301) 817-4565. For any other registration questions, call (888) 212-SAVE (7283).

—story by AUTHOR

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