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VHF Radios and Personal Locator Beacons (PLB's)
A VHF radio is an invaluable item to have for the expedition paddler - it gives great peace of mind knowing you can receive weather alerts and make contact with emergency services and other vessels at sea if the need arises - Cobra produce Hand held floating VHF radios specially designed for water use including the well price pointed entry level HH350, the HH500 with Bluetooth technology to keep your phone safe and dry whilst paired to your radio and now their latest addition to the range the HH600 with built in GPS tracking......Once registered the HH600 is essentially an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) - Simply press the SOS button and it sends a live mayday that tracks your location - Things just got a whole lot safer !!
The differences between EPIRBS's and PLB's
PLB's (Personal Location Beacons) work in exactly the same way as EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) by sending a coded message on the 406 MHz distress frequency which is relayed via the Cospas-Sarsat global satellite system - However, there are a number of differences between them....PLBs are designed to be carried on the person so they are much smaller, some such as the SafeLink Solo are not much larger than the size of a mobile phone. PLBs are designed to be used anywhere in the world, on the sea and also on land....some don't float but may come with an additional flotation sleeve which they should be carried in - PLBs, once activated, will transmit for a minimum of 24 hours; while the battery life on an EPIRB is at least double (a minimum of 48 hours). An EPIRB is generally registered to a vessel, whereas a PLB is registered to a person however you can obtain a portable radio license for EPIRB's such as the Cobra HH600.
Kannad SafeLink Solo Personal Locator Beacon: €225
The Kannad SafeLink SOLO Personal Location Beacon (PLB) gives you direct contact with Search and Rescue services when a life threatening incident occurs anywhere in the world.The SafeLink SOLO Category 2 406 MHz GPS PLB takes your personal safety to a new level.The ultra-small SafeLink SOLO is tough and durable, lightweight and compact, designed to be carried with you at all times. The size of the SafeLink SOLO and it's non-slip rubber armour; designed to protect it in the harshest environments, means the compact life saver can be tucked into a pocket, pouch or personal kit bag and forgotten about until needed. SafeLink SOLO is waterproof to 10 metres and activation is simple. It is supplied complete with a lanyard, a buoyancy pouch and a universal carry pouch; which can be attached to a belt or strap, keeping the SOLO close to hand, in case a life threatening situation necessitates alerting search and rescue organisations.The SafeLink SOLO is a 406MHz beacon which operates on the global COSPAS SARSAT satellite communication system, supported by international government search and rescue authorities around the world. The SOLO is subscription free and does not rely on commercial call centres. It has integral 50-channel GPS which is constantly updated, ensuring that you can be accurately located, thus speeding up the time of rescue. The SafeLink SOLO PLB also transmits on the 121.5MHz homing frequency so that when the emergency services get close they can 'home in' on the signal. Once activated, the SafeLink SOLO PLB will transmit constantly for a minimum of 24 hours, and will operate at temperatures down to -20°C. It also has an SOS LED flashing light that the user can switch on to aid rescue in the dark.
Key Features of the Kannad SafeLink Solo PLB
- FCC approved
- Internationally approved
- Subscription-free & no call charges
- Compact, light and durable
- Waterproof to 10m and buoyant when used with flotation pouch.
- True global emergency alerting via COSPAS-SARSAT satellites
- 406 MHz international distress signal and 121.5 MHz homing signal
- 50 channel integral GPS
- Minimum of 24 hours continuous operation
- Simple 3 stage activation
- Operates at temperatures down to -20°C
- SOS LED flash light
- Self-test up to 12 times per year
- 6 year replaceable battery life
- Flotation pouch, lanyard and universal pouch included.
Please click HERE to access the Kannad Marine SafeLink Solo PLB user manual...