PLB - What are the choices

Another vote for the KTI

I currently have the GME , but it only as a 7 year battery life.Here is what the KTI is like

Another vote for the KTI - good insurance. Just renewed the registration today for another 2 years - quick and easy to do (and no cost).

I also have the KTI. Very small and packable.

I'm with Uncle Arthur ...... used epirbhire to buy a KTI beacon which had been taken on a Sydney-Hobart run.
Still had more than 10 yrs battery to go.
Registration is straightforward ...... just re-registered mine a week ago.

Cheers
Jim

It's KTI For me too! If you only need it for one trip best off renting. There are a few companies around that rent camping equipment like Epirbhire and in Sydney Overnight Adventures that will deliver.

Not quite, the signal goes to the Cospas-Sarsat satellite and then to the nearest ground station. The people responsible for that part of the world will then organize the rescue response. Canberra will probably be notified that a beacon registered here has been deployed and asked for rego details, but thats about where their input will end.

Other considerations are:

Using your beacon overseas

Beacons are detected world-wide by the global satellite system, Cospas-Sarsat, and are detected from anywhere on the Earth’s surface if they are deployed correctly.

It is recommended you contact your chosen airline for guidance on carrying distress beacons as every airline and airport have differing requirements.

Please also note that some countries consider Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) carriage and activation illegal on land. Refer to the Cospas-Sarsat website for the appropriate SPOC (search and rescue or SAR point of contact) for the country you are travelling to and contact them to confirm you are legally allowed to use your beacon.

It is worth noting that the search and rescue response in each country will vary due to different levels of SAR resources and capability. It is recommended that you check locally the sort of SAR response you can expect. This will also depend on the weather conditions at the time the search and rescue is being conducted e.g. day, night, visibility (low cloud, fog, snow), high winds etc.

The rescue coordination centre of the country where the beacon is detected will coordinate the search and rescue response, not Australia. AMSA Search and Rescue will only provide the registration details, if known, and any other information it gathers from emergency contacts. AMSA will request information on the progress of the search and rescue.
https://beacons.amsa.gov.au/activation/

$235 on gummie. Same seller but discount for not having to pay eBay fees

Note: both those ones are sold as used, ex hire. Watch the battery life.

For $15 more you can get new ones, with a value pack of a strap or accessory.

Also buying a second hand PLB needs quite a bit of paperwork. Both the buyer and seller have to fill out forms and send them to AMSA.

Buying and selling PLB AMSA