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Re: The Case for PLBs

Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:25 pm
by acorad
JosiahSpurr wrote: Thu Oct 15, 2020 8:58 pm Would a red marine flare be able to get the attention of SAR if they are in the general vicinity? ORION " Getting you home Safely" Hand-Held Marine Red Signal Flare. "Hold this end." Burn time: up to 3 minutes. Brightness: Up to 700 Candlepower. US Coastguard Approved for Day or Nighttime Use. Ignite *ONLY* When an Aircraft or Vessel is Sighted.
Be very careful with flares, especially in the forest.

As my brother and I learned while messing around in the woods as kids with one of these flares, they will not go out until they are completely burned out. You cannot stop them. You can stomp on them, you can smash rocks on them, you can shove them deep into the dirt, but they will not go out. And, if you are not careful, the material that is burning can crumble into dozens of pieces and scatter all over and start dozens of individual fires in the tinder-dry forest floor. And these crumbles themselves will also not go out until they burn out, even if you stand fully on them, stomping them into the forest floor. Where they, of course, then start the forest floor on fire...

Be very careful.

Re: The Case for PLBs

Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:42 pm
by bobby49
There is one good way to put out a burning flare. You give it a solid whack with the sharp edge of a machete. With it completely severed that way, the burning end goes out quickly.

Re: The Case for PLBs

Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:43 pm
by acorad
bobby49 wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:42 pmThere is one good way to put out a burning flare. You give it a solid whack with the sharp edge of a machete. With it completely severed that way, the burning end goes out quickly.
Ha! Considering the dumb stuff I did as a kid, like lighting a flare in a forest, I'm glad I did not have access to a machete! :eek:

Andy

Re: The Case for PLBs

Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2020 6:07 pm
by dave54
acorad wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:25 pm...

Be very careful with flares, especially in the forest.

As my brother and I learned while messing around in the woods as kids with one of these flares, they will not go out until they are completely burned out. You cannot stop them. You can stomp on them, you can smash rocks on them, you can shove them deep into the dirt, but they will not go out. And, if you are not careful, the material that is burning can crumble into dozens of pieces and scatter all over and start dozens of individual fires in the tinder-dry forest floor. And these crumbles themselves will also not go out until they burn out, even if you stand fully on them, stomping them into the forest floor. Where they, of course, then start the forest floor on fire...

Be very careful.
But you will get noticed very quickly! A helicopter will be circling overhead soon, followed by yellow shirted people dropping in on you...

Re: The Case for PLBs

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2020 12:23 pm
by Wandering Daisy
Well, I should have waited a year to get my InReach Mini. :crybaby: They are now on sale at REI for $100 off the full price. Good news for those who are considering buying one. Or perhaps it only means a new version is about to come out??

Re: The Case for PLBs

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2020 3:29 pm
by bobby49
I'm not sure exactly how this is related, but Garmin has gotten itself into trouble since summer. The hardware and software is OK, but the connected services were not OK. There were some periods of service outage this summer, and the only feature that worked was the SOS call. Text got fouled up through the service providers. I think all of that is cleared up now, but the whole thing got so shaky that it probably affected Garmin's sales.

I use the inReach SE.

Re: The Case for PLBs

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2020 5:24 pm
by robow8
bobby49 wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 3:29 pm I'm not sure exactly how this is related, but Garmin has gotten itself into trouble since summer. The hardware and software is OK, but the connected services were not OK. There were some periods of service outage this summer, and the only feature that worked was the SOS call. Text got fouled up through the service providers. I think all of that is cleared up now, but the whole thing got so shaky that it probably affected Garmin's sales.

I use the inReach SE.
I heard somewhere they had a ransomware attack.

Re: The Case for PLBs

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2020 6:19 pm
by bobby49
robow8 wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 5:24 pm I heard somewhere they had a ransomware attack.
Yes, that was a major part of that. Then while they were trying to get everything running smoothly again, the service problems started up intermittently, and they still happen to this day. Some of those are minor, like having account changes fail. I think that the core functions, SOS and text, are normal.

Re: The Case for PLBs

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:43 pm
by Wandering Daisy
I had no problems this summer with my Mini. I only sent pre-set messages once a day and only in Wyoming. I have not used it in California at all. I am actually thinking I should send a few messages now and then just so I do not forget how to use it; would not make any payment difference on my plan.

Re: The Case for PLBs

Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2021 4:22 pm
by Wandering Daisy
Well, now I am trying to get ready to use my Mini for this year. In the fall there was an update notice, but I did not do it then. After the latest Microsoft update, the link disappeared. Does anyone know what the update was about? Is it necessary or not. I sent a test message today and it seemed to work.

The update information on the Garmin web site says there are 2 new features, and a bunch of little fixes for stuff I never used or never had issues with. I really do not understand the jargon.

My experience with updates (I-phone and Microsoft) are that they just add a bunch of unwanted stuff, suck up power and storage space. Is In Reach different?