Comparing Prices of Locator Beacons and Flares: Ensuring Safety in Emergency Situations

Comparing Prices of Locator Beacons and Flares: Ensuring Safety in Emergency Situations

Introduction to Locator Beacons and Flares: Essential Safety Devices for Emergency Situations

Anyone looking to take to the open seas or lengthy trek in the back country mountains and trails should consider one or more locator beacons and flares to form part of their safety equipment while travelling remotely. These devices are hard-wearing and compact, so can easily fit in a lifejacket or backpack to allow the user to get on and enjoy their excursion. If the situation does become hazardous, however, and an emergency develops, these devices can alert search and rescue teams via satellite or by visually alerting teams to the position of the emergency once they are on scene.

Ocean Signal RescueME PLB1: Compact and Affordable Personal Locator Beacon

Price: $349.95

This ultra-compact, waterproof Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is an ideal solution for emergencies at sea or on land. It’s so small that it can be used single-handedly. The spring-loaded antenna simply flips up after sliding the cover back, and an alert is sent through the worldwide dedicated search and rescue satellite network (operated by COSPAS SARSAT). When activated the Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1 transmits your position and your ID to a Rescue Coordination Center via satellite link. Rescue services nearest to you are promptly notified of your emergency and regularly advised of your current location to assist prompt rescue. This particular model is widely considered one of, if not, the best personal locator beacon solutions currently available.

McMurdo FastFind 220 PLB: Reliable Locator Beacon for Outdoor Enthusiasts

Price: $249.95

The McMurdo FastFind 220 PLB is a rugged, handheld, and waterproof (non-buoyant) GPS & Galileo enabled rescue PLB which is small enough to be easily carried in a backpack or pocket. When activated, the McMurdo FastFind built-in GPS and Galileo receivers will fix your position to within a few meters and then utilizes a powerful 406 MHz signal to relay your distress call to orbiting satellites. PLBs have been proven, tried and tested in some of the world's most remote locations and treacherous conditions. Even in extreme conditions and situations, the McMurdo FastFind 220 activates easily. Just deploy the antenna, pull the anti-tamper seal and press the ON button.

McMurdo FastFind Ranger PLB: High-Performance Locator Beacon for Adventurers

Price: $272.00

The subscription-free McMurdo FastFind Range PLB is as rugged as its 220 counterpart and can also be stowed equally easily in a backpack or pocket of a lifejacket. Through 406 MHz signals, your emergency call will be picked up by orbiting satellites and pinged to professional response teams, allowing them to zero in on your location. The unit also features a flashing SOS light which can be used to attract attention low visibility environments, especially useful for night rescues.

ACR ResQLink 400 PLB: Robust and Versatile Personal Locator Beacon

Price: $359.95

This particular ACR beacon is perfect for taking to sea due to its built-in buoyancy and ultra-bright strobe light for visual pick up during an emergency. However, its key aspect is its three levels of signal transmission: through GPS positioning, a powerful 406MHz signal, and 121.5MHz homing beacon capability. In an emergency situation, having this device attached to your person means you are maximizing your chances of a signal retrieval by virtue of several transmission streams. It is also wallet-friendly because, unlike most satellite enabled notification devices, the ACR ResQLink 400 PLB requires no monthly or annual subscription, making it one of the most cost-effective GPS enabled emergency beacons available for long term use.

ACR SM3 Marker Light: Reliable and Visible Marker Light for Distress Situations

Price: $199.95

An innovative and handsfree operating safety device, the ACR SM3 Marker Light activates on contact with water, meaning in a man-overboard situation at sea, this device will begin visually displaying your location straight away, automatically. It’s durable and compact, and shines its high-intensity, 360⁰ bulb for over 40 hours at 30°C (86°F) or over 24 hours at -1°C (30°F). Floating upright in the water, this useful piece of marine safety equipment vibrantly blinks your location with a visibility of over two miles, meaning any approaching search and rescue team will be able to spot you from a distance, thus speeding up the recovery process.

Ocean signal EDF1 LED Electronic Distress Flare: Effective Electronic Flare Alternative

Price: $149.99

This super-charged distress flare is your ultimate visual aid to a rescue at sea. The Ocean signal EDF1 LED Electronic Distress Flare uses LED technology for emergency signalling and is visible up to a whopping seven miles away, making the search and rescue efforts of approaching response teams a lot easier to zone in on. This powerful, waterproof (up to 10 meters) marine flare is an affordable and effective way to call for help in an emergency situation, and has four integrated operating modes including SOS. Its 360⁰ flash design means the device carrier will be easy to spot from the air as well as from approaching boats.

As always, our team of experts at OSAT is here to help. So, if you need any advice about our locator beacons and flares, contact us via:

• Email: info@osat.com
• Phone: +1 305 560 5355

Prices accurate at time of writing.