Buy a dang GPS already...yes, I mean YOU! (Fairbanks: price, military)

[Arcticthaw]

Originally Posted by icarian

Take a look at the following which just hit the market in the last couple of months: http://findmespot.com/default.aspx (broken link)

For the lower 48, should be just about perfect. Came across it two days ago on my favorite gear shop's site and I'm seriously considering it for use up here in the Interior (service IS limited for my area because of the earth's tilt, etc...but I'm still doing research).

As for everyone else, this is my first post here...found your forum while searching for Alaska Airlines mileage plans of all things. Live in the Fairbanks area and am a pilot with the local Dustoff unit which covers MEDEVAC and MAST between the Brooks and Alaska Ranges (ie Interior). Introduction out of the way

Welcome to the forum! Nice to have someone familier with search and rescue as related to aircraft. Chat up Rotorhead, he is a pilot also.
Looking forward to your input.

Arcticthaw

[rotorhead]

Hey, thanks for the link to the SPOT site, neat gizmo there. It'll be interesting to see if it makes it in the marketplace, the price is certainly much more affordable than the PLBs and Sat Phones.

It'll be particularly interesting to see how their "rescue insurance" plan works out. I'd guess that even at the $150 level, it'll never pay for itself if even a tiny fraction of the yahoos that'll use it end up spending anywhere near $100k getting themselves out of their self-made "emergencies". That said, I'm in wholehearted agreement with any plan that encourages the extreme sports crowd to take some personal financial responsibility for the costs of saving their bacon.

And I thought this thread was long dead...guess not!

[User 2]

Originally Posted by Arcticthaw

My Dear, your starting to sound like a Republican! "tax dollars wasted" LOL.

Didn't sound Republican to me....

...looking around, .....it's the Repugnants who are wasting tax dollars these days.

[DannyL]

Originally Posted by icarian

Take a look at the following which just hit the market in the last couple of months: http://findmespot.com/default.aspx (broken link)

For the lower 48, should be just about perfect. Came across it two days ago on my favorite gear shop's site and I'm seriously considering it for use up here in the Interior (service IS limited for my area because of the earth's tilt, etc...but I'm still doing research).

As for everyone else, this is my first post here...found your forum while searching for Alaska Airlines mileage plans of all things. Live in the Fairbanks area and am a pilot with the local Dustoff unit which covers MEDEVAC and MAST between the Brooks and Alaska Ranges (ie Interior). Introduction out of the way

First off, welcome to the forum. You're input is definitly wanted.

Now, back to the "Spot". I've been looking at them also. And for now I'll pass. Don't let the cheap price blind you. It's a subscription service.
A PLB you buy, activate, and you're good to go. A "Spot" you buy, activate, subscribe to, and pay around $36 a month.
Secoind, it's thru Globalstar, not completely proven, and has "spotty coverage" (pun intended).
Nice idea tho, in theory.

[DannyL]

about "billing for a rescue", I think the Coast Guard should hold a UCMJ type hearing to determine if it was a true rescue in need, or just a couple of fools out in the wild.
the Coasties do write off many of their rescues as "training", so as far as the $$$$ issues, it's money well spent. They train anyway, and it's in real time, not a gathering and they say 'ok guys, today we're gonna simulate an injured hunting party".....

But trust me, I know some Coasties, and they do get aggravated at the fools....

[DannyL]

http://www.equipped.com/blog/?p=73

http://www.equipped.com/SPOT_ORSummer2007.htm

- here's a couple of links to decent evals of the 'Spot".

[User 2]

Originally Posted by DannyL

about "billing for a rescue", I think the Coast Guard should hold a UCMJ type hearing to determine if it was a true rescue in need, or just a couple of fools out in the wild.
the Coasties do write off many of their rescues as "training", so as far as the $$$$ issues, it's money well spent. They train anyway, and it's in real time, not a gathering and they say 'ok guys, today we're gonna simulate an injured hunting party".....

But trust me, I know some Coasties, and they do get aggravated at the fools....

One thing about 'training' exercises, most of the time they can control the risk during an 'exercise', and they don't/won't take unnecessary chances and risk losing their own personnel or assets. They 'lose' that control if they think they're out to rescue someone.

The potential impacts go far beyond just maybe aggravation..... Those guys risk their lives when they go out, I hate to think of losing any of those guys or gals just because some unprepared clueless nimrod thought he'd go act out his fantasy.

But that's not all there is to consider...

When the rescuers are sent out to rescue the most recent daniel boone wanna-be, they may be diverted, or spread too thin to be able to effect rescue of some more deserving, or more dire, situation.

As long as we're talking life and death, there's more to consider than just the funding or the opportunity for 'hands on' training experience.

Along with the ever rising budgets because of rising numbers of all these rescues of nimrods, comes the possibility that we are needlessly increasing the risk that we won't have the capability necessary for when we might truly need the operations.

Besides just billing for a rescue, maybe there ought to be a substantial fine involved if it's determined that the nimrod had no business being out there in the first place.

Go out in a boat and don't bring enough fuel for the round trip, fine 'em.

Go off in the woods and don't have a clue how to get back out, fine 'em.

Attempt technical climbs without the gear or experience, fine em.
.
..

[RAMFEB31]

This past summer I was heading toward Watson Lake from Whitehorse on the Alaskan #1. About 1/2 way, a sweet little voice from my GPS chimes, "there is a better route." Maybe, since I was going a little fast, it must have figured I really was flying. So you all know, those little gadgets are not foolproof. But they are great if you were like me, having a very poor sense of direction.

[Xa'at]

Originally Posted by Arcticthaw

My Dear, your starting to sound like a Republican! "tax dollars wasted" LOL.

Oh my, I hope not!
I don't mind paying taxes for most things... I think we have a personal duty to help pay for the society we live in (although welfare could use some reform to make it more helpful)... but the fact that our idiot congressmen are willing to dump my college money into such schemes as a new Lear jet (or whatever the hell Murkowski bought) or a road where one is not needed nor wanted... That's when I get annoyed.

[warptman]

Reminds me of a car my uncle had one time or another..."door is ajar, seat belts seat belts"