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1-8 of 8 messages
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TracMe Personal Locator Beacon
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by RADIOLITE on August 11, 2006
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This is australian made but coming to the USA
http://www.tracme.com.au/product_details.htm
A blurb from the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, 2006 now in progress.
"relies on detection by - get this - an FRS / GMRS radio (Ch. 1 UHF) and it relies on location using RF direction finding (DF) equipment. The kind used by HamSAR (Ham Radio Search and Rescue) units for foxhunting on a Sunday afternoon."
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RE: TracMe Personal Locator Beacon
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by K2GW on August 11, 2006
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From their FAQ page:
"Can standard SAR authority (marine and land based) radio equipment pick up the transmission signal?
Yes, SAR direction finding equipment can be tuned to pick up the transmission signal. The TracMe Beacon has been designed for General Public use on CB UHF emergency channel 5, 476.525 Australia, FRS ch.1 462.5625 USA & Canada, PMR ch.8, 446.09375 Europe."
As a current foxhunter and former CAP Wing Director of Emergency Services, I'm not aware of anyone in the US who DF's on those frequencies or has DF capability for them.
Most Amateur foxhunting in the US is on 2 meters with a bit on 80 meters. Most SAR DF work and equipment is on 121.5 and 243, with some on 156.8 and 406 MHz.
DF equipment and antennas tend to be cut for specific frequencies and changing bands isn't trivial.
And who would even know to listen there here in the US?
73
Gary, K2GW
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RE: TracMe Personal Locator Beacon
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by KC8VWM on August 16, 2006
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Ok, we are getting closer now.
Only if we could get ham radio manufacturers to make and sell a similar portable device a person can wear on thier beltloop which operates as a personal APRS beacon which operates on fixed frequency like say... 144.39.
This idea is very close to this vision I seem to keep deaming about ... It seems ham radio manufacturers are always missing the mark on the idea of creating a simple personal tracking APRS device very similar to this one exclusively intended for the amateur radio community. <Sigh>
73
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RE: TracMe Personal Locator Beacon
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by WB6BYU on August 17, 2006
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Interesting - the antennas shown in their articles look
like the handywork of Ron Graham VK4BRG, or at least are
very similar to the ones he sells for 2m DF use. Even
the handles are the same - (quite uncomfortable to use
for any period of time, actually.)
Some points from the web site:
# Voice beacon can be monitored by anyone on the existing radio emergency channel.
# Does not automatically instigate a search and rescue...
(So IF someone happens to be listening to the emergency
channel without tone squelch enabled, they may hear the
"Mayday" message. Or if the SAR team knows to listen
for it.)
# Very low cost for the Search and Rescue (SAR) crews.
(But still some cost, since few teams are currently
equipped to DF FRS signals.)
# A search can be done with a single aircraft and one ground crew of 2 to 3 people.
(It appears that Aussie search aircraft are differently
equipped than those I've seen in the US. And a single
search team probably isn't enough anyway if you have to
consider the possibility that the victims need to be
carried out.)
Further quotes from some articles on the site:
> "The searchers need to be equipped with the appropriate antennas and radios."
> "If it is known that a lost person was carrying one of the devices, search teams
> can be equipped with a small directional antenna attached to a UHF CB radio..."
> With the TracMe beacon coming onto the market in the near future, it would be
> pertinent for these emergency services to add the UHF CB channel 5 frequency as
> one of the preset channels on their equipment.
One key piece is that the Aussie UHF CB radios are allowed
to have external antenna connectors, unlike the American
FRS radios, which are much harder to use for DF.
Not that the equipment is hard to come by for hams who
do DF: a yagi is easy to build, and many ham 440 HTs
or scanners will receive the frequency. But here in
Oregon that ham has to be SAR Certified to go into the
field with the team, or the SAR members have to be taught
to use the equipment. Given the reported range of 2km
(under good conditions) and the probability that the
beacon is sitting on the ground with the person, there
will be many situations where the signal can't be heard
from a vehicle, or by ground teams until they get close.
While there are some of us who could throw together the
necessary equipment on short notice to support such a
search, a bigger problem is the user's expectations that
triggering the device actually might result in it being
detected and their being found. Until SAR teams are all
sufficiently equipped and trained, and a monitoring
system is in place, this is not only wishful thinking,
but misleading advertising with potentially fatal
consequences.
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RE: TracMe Personal Locator Beacon
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by TRACME on September 3, 2006
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Following is a brief outline of the function and purpose of the TracMe Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). It is important to understand the features of this system because it is different to the conventional EPIRB type satellite PLB’s currently available.
Currently, the only type of beacon available is the EPIRB (or satellite) type PLB. This type of beacon sends a signal which is received by satellites and then relayed to the relevant search authorities. This then automatically instigates a search and rescue operation. These EPIRB PLB’s are designed primarily for use in specialist applications such as activities in extremely remote areas, off-shore and commercial boating, aircraft and the like. Inappropriate or accidental activation of this type of EPIRB PLB can incur serious penalties (including a jail term in some states) due to the high cost of a search based on a false alarm. Depending on the type of outdoor activity, other features of EBIRB PLB’s make them unsuitable for use by the general public. These include: price (around $US800), size and weight, risk of accidental or mischievous activation. This leaves about 95% of the people who participate in outdoor activities (scouts, rock climbers, skiers, water sports, hikers, fishermen etc) with no options for any type of security. With these points in mind, we set about designing the Tracme PLB system.
The basic principle on which the Tracme system works is that the person must be reported as missing before searchers instigate a rescue. Anyone going outdoors still needs to follow the standard procedure of notifying someone of their intended location and time of return. If they do not return by the intended time the authorities can be notified and a search can be instigated. The activated Tracme PLB will then allow searchers to find the missing person quickly and efficiently. This has benefits for both the search party as well as the missing person. Benefits for the latter are obvious – they will get rescued in the shortest possible time. For the search and rescue team (SAR) the benefits can be best explained with an example – imagine a skier goes missing after the weather closes in and they become disoriented – a familiar scenario. They will be reported as missing when they fail to return that evening. This is the worst time of the day to send out a search party, especially 30 or 40 people. However, if the skier has activated a Tracme PLB the search party or ski patrol can be reduced to say, 1 or 2 teams of 3 or 4 people simply because they are able to directly home in on the Tracme radio signal to locate the missing skier. This process can be done effectively even in the dark or with poor visibility. It means that you only need to risk placing 6 or 8 people out into the hostile environment for maybe 5 hours to rescue the skier instead of the usual 30 to 40 people for 12 to 24 hours.
The low power and higher operating frequency of the Tracme PLB means that the locating equipment used can get a good directional fix on the activated beacon, even at very close range, the searchers antenna is much smaller and easier to carry and the system is minimally affected by reflections from surrounding hills and rocks.
When activated, Tracme transmits the voice message “Help…Emergency” repeated every 15 seconds for around 7 days on the FRS radio band CH1 (eg Motorola Walkabout or similar). There are literally millions of these FRS radios in use today. This means that the message is easily understood as a distress message by anyone nearby having a radio set to CH1 (the default emergency channel). Tracme will operate from –40 degF to +140 degF. The activation mechanism has been designed to be easily activated one-handed with either the left or right hand when required, but difficult to activate accidentally. Tracme is small (3.2”x1.8”x0.9”), light weight(1.6oz), and affordable (SRP USD$130). Furthermore, accidentally activating a Tracme will not automatically instigate a search thereby avoiding a possible severe fine or other penalty. All of these features combine to make Tracme an ideal PLB for use by groups such as scouts and girl guides and the general outdoors public while hiking, fishing, hunting, skiing, rock climbing, hanggliding, camping, kayaking and boating.
The Tracme ‘system’ not only requires a user to have a Tracme PLB which they can activate in an emergency, it also needs the SAR authorities to have the necessary training and equipment required to find it. For this reason, Tracme P/L is currently in the process of training SAR teams and other relevant groups throughout the USA to make them aware of what is a fairly simple process required to locate an activated Tracme beacon. The release date of the Tracme PLB into the market has been set as 1st December 2006 for the US east coast states and 1st April 2007 for the west to allow time for Tracme P/L to undertake the SAR training process.
The Tracme beacon is not designed to be a replacement or alternative to an EPIRB (or satellite) based PLB. Some applications are not suitable for a Tracme and will require the use of an EPIRB PLB. The Tracme PLB system is designed to complement these other PLB’s and is intended to be used by people who would otherwise not consider using a PLB at all. A Tracme PLB provides an added level of security and peace of mind to ensure you are found in the shortest possible time should an emergency arise.
By the way the antenna is the handy work of Ron Graham.
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RE: TracMe Personal Locator Beacon
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by K2GW on September 5, 2006
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>>For this reason, Tracme P/L is currently in the process of training SAR teams and other relevant groups throughout the USA to make them aware of what is a fairly simple process required to locate an activated Tracme beacon.
I'd love to see the details of this training plan and the list of the "SAR teams" being trained across the USA by the firm in the use of it's product.
Are you providing the teams receivers with directional antennas and signal strength meters for their use or are you just planning on them using FRS radios aurally and a body null method?
73
Gary Wilson, K2GW
Section Emergency Coordinator
Southern New Jersey Section
American Radio Relay League
Lt Colonel (Ret.), CAP
Former Instructor,
USCG/USAF National Search and Rescue School
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RE: TracMe Personal Locator Beacon
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by MRCOFFEE on October 27, 2006
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I thought this was an interesting tie in for the use of FRS ch.1 for SOS usage.
This is from REACT international.
2006 Releases
7/7/06
REACT Supports SOS Emergency Strategy
REACT International has linked with Midland Radio, D-CERN and NationalSOS to encourage grassroots neighborhood radio safety networks using inexpensive FRS radios.
Millions of the tiny, handy radios already in homes give people a means of communicating with neighbors when phones go out in major storms. SOS encourages neighbourhoods to create their own FRS emergency radio network in advance. It can be particularly helpful to seniors and the disabled in emergencies.
REACT recognized early on the potential of FRS to save lives, and has been proven right on a number of occasions. REACT advocated FRS-1(no tone) as an unofficial FRS distress channel. Midland later developed its 'Midland-1' program that encouraged operators to monitor FRS-1 as a call channel. D-CERN applied these ideas to create an effective emergency radio network in the Washington, DC area.
REACT Teams are being urged to include FRS-1(no tone) in their monitoring. Many REACT Teams use more powerful, licensed GMRS radios which can communicate with FRS radios to give greater range in emergencies. Ham radio and scanner operators extend the program's reach further.
"NationalSOS is a logical extension of REACT Teams' monitoring capabilities and expertise," REACT Executive Vice-President Ed Greany commented. "Using radio to help others is our mission and FRS-1(no tone) is a perfect fit."
The first SOS test using FRS-1(no tone) occurred in Connecticut on June 17, 2006 and was a major success. Similar tests in other states, particularly those susceptible to severe weather events, are at the planning stage.
Efforts are underway to make the program as widely known as possible before this year's hurricanes begin. Katrina's devastation of Gulf Coast communications last year prompted the creation of NationalSOS (www.NationalSOS.com) to prevent a repeat scenario.
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RE: TracMe Personal Locator Beacon
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by K2GW on August 21, 2007
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As I suspected, it turns out that the Trak Me is not a PLB. See the following
http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=65
And the FCC agrees. See
http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=67
If you want a PLB, get one that works on standard SAR frequencies.
73
Gary, K2GW
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