The McMurdo Fast Find

The McMurdo Fast Find

Outdoor enthusiasts will for the first time be able to use personal locator beacons to send distress signals from the UK’s remote areas to an international satellite system.

New regulations come into force tomorrow, Thursday, allowing the use of PLBs on land in the UK.

Previously they were only approved for use at sea and on aircraft, but now walkers, mountaineers, mountain bikers and other outdoor fans will be able to buy and use the pocket devices for use in an emergency.

Two companies are already pitching their devices at new users, with ACR’s ResQLink launching at the first day of the Outdoors Show in London’s East End tomorrow, and McMurdo’s Fast Find also being sold as ideal for outdoor enthusiasts.

Both handheld devices use the Cospas Sarsat system of orbiting rescue satellites, meaning no subscription is necessary to use the 406MHz service.

The ResQLink is approved for sale in 14 European countries and combines GPS positioning, a 406MHz signal and 121.5 MHz homing capability and has a reusable antenna.

ACR said: “The waterproof ResQLink broadcasts a unique registered distress signal that not only tells rescuers where the sender is, but who they are.

“The onboard 66 channel GPS can quickly fix the sender’s position to within 100m and then utilises a powerful 406MHz signal to relay the distress call to orbiting satellites.

“As local search and rescue is deployed, a separate homing signal and integrated LED strobe light guide rescuers to the sender’s exact position.”

Two built-in tests allow users to check the ResQLink is functioning and ready for use. A push-button facility allows users to test internal electronics and GPS functionality.

ACR’s ResQLink

ACR’s ResQLink

The company said advances in circuit board design and power management have allowed for a smaller battery pack and continuously operating strobe.

It added: “A PLB is a satellite-signalling device of last resort, for use when all other means of self-rescue have been exhausted and where the situation is deemed to be grave and imminent, and the loss of life, limb, eyesight or valuable property will occur without assistance.

“All beacons must be registered. There are no monthly service fees required for 406MHz beacons.”

The McMurdo Fast Find similarly uses a 121.5MHz homing signal to enable search and rescue teams to home in on the beacon once in the vicinity and is also subscription free.

It also has a multi-channel GPS to give precise location co-ordinates with a Fast Find 210 GPS PLB able to be determined to a typical positional accuracy of +/-62m within a few minutes of activation.

The beacon is waterproof to 10m, will operate in temperatures as low as – 20C and weighs 150g, measuring 34mm x 47mm x 106mm which McMurdo said makes it easy to carry tucked in to a pocket or on a belt.

Ross Wilkinson, global sales director of McMurdo Ltd, said: “We have been campaigning for a number of years to permit the use of PLBs on land in the UK, which have been permitted for use in the maritime and aviation environments, as well as on land in numerous countries around the world for many years.

“The Fast Find 210 PLB has been instrumental in a vast number of documented rescues around the world from bear attacks in Alaska to climbers in New Zealand. In 2010 alone 2,338 people were rescued in 641 distress situations globally using information provided by the Cospas Sarsat system.

“This change in legislation is a real breakthrough in the safety of outdoor enthusiasts venturing in to remote areas of the UK. Thanks to the beacon’s multi-channel GPS, which gives precise location co-ordinates to the search and rescue services, the Fast Find takes the ‘search’ out of ‘search and rescue’ and will ultimately reduce costs to these emergency responders.”

Once activated, the Fast Find will transmit continuously for a minimum of 24 hours at a 5W output and also features a LED flash light to assist with rescues at night or during limited visibility. The beacon is easy to activate with a simple three-stage activation function, which prevents accidental activation, and it contains a replaceable battery with 5 years storage life.

It retails at £270 including VAT.