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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

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Topic Date User

EPIRBs for climbing (rock) 30-Oct-2015 At 10:50:24 AM surfziggy

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There are beacons and there are beacons mate. The older ones are pretty shit and some I think didn't have GPS units built in. The old ones worked on a different radio frequency too. EPIRBS are a totally different unit designed for boats/planes.

We've got an ACR PLB which is the newer style one. As previous posters have mentioned they're cheap, light, waterproof and tough. Pretty much a no brainer to chuck in your bag if you're doing something risky and/or remote. I got mine 'cause I used to do offshore sailing races. For this they're mandatory and anyway if you're doing bow on a yacht and the kite knocks you over the side, you'd want one in your pocket. It's pretty hard to find and fetch someone out of the water in even average conditions on a sail boat. This happened to a a guy I met who crewed on Wild Oats. He got punted over the side by one of the sheets. He told me he started his stop watch when he landed in the water and it took 25 minutes before they got him out the water. And this was in calm water in Pittwater.

Anyway, I probably wouldn't bother taking mine to Berowra, Narrabeen or some other sport crag 15 minutes from the car. On the other hand if I was going somewhere more remote in the blueys I definitely stick it in the bag.