Thread: Search and Rescue contacts for NZ - PLB and inReach or SPOT

Hi, what are the Search and Rescue organisations your PLB / inReach or whatever might connect to ?

The traditional PLB seems to go to Cospas/Sarstat which sounds as if it works well in NZ. The PLB is primarily 406 MHz to satellites and also has a 121.5 MHz homing signal which is supposed to help that last little bit at the end.

The Garmin inReach goes via Iridium (sat phone) satellites to "GEOS" which as far as I can tell is just a Garmin only service that passes on mesages to local SAR organisations but I can't figure out who in NZ. Some forum posts report good responses.

What is the RCCNZ ? A NZ outfit TrackMe apparently send their inReach messages there. Is that the same as the Garmin service or different ?

Could you just txt message from an InReach to NZ Land SAR via 111 ?

I think I've only got half the story here. Can anyone point me to fulling in the current NZ picture ?

My understanding is the Cospas-Sarstat system gets your signal, and they pass on the info to the RCCNZ who then organise the search and rescue response.
For search and rescue emergencies via the 111 system you contact the police, and they coordinate things with the other agencies.

RCCNZ is the Rescue Coordination Centre NZ, it is the offical NZ centralised agency for SAR calls via PLB etc.


https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/about...esponse/RCCNZ/


A PLB is the most effective "oh fuck" satellite comms tool for emergency rescue bar none.

Bagheera,
Garmin advise RCC of emergencies through their system.
They provide RCC any information that they have on the nature of the emergency and a position(s) for the unit.
RCC then coordinate and task the appropriate SAR response: vessel, aircraft or ground team(s).

Interestingly, RCC recently ran some regional seminars. They advised that long term PLBs are headed towards two way messaging.

An encoded PLB is the most effective "oh fuck" satellite comms tool for emergency rescue bar none.

Great advice.
Caution that some older 406 beacons aren’t all GPS encoded. They can potentially have a small margin of positional error that encoded units don’t.

I am still having on going issues with messages not sending

On the I reach. Going to cancel it.

All of the InReach stuff goes via Tony at Trackme Link here they have their own call centre, it is as far as I can remember separate to Garmin but they have the contract from Garmin so its all official. Have met him a couple of times as he has been up from Chch to do some training with our SAR group.

When you hit the SOS button on an InReach they will text you to try and find out the nature of the emergency so that as much info as possible can be passed on to the Police who co-ordinate All SAR operations (they fund them so have to keep control), this can take time and InReach texting can be delayed.

A PLB when you hit the button goes straight to RCC who will just put a chopper in the air weather permitting, so should in most circumstances be a much faster recovery option.

Hope this answers your questions.

InReach is a great tool if you can justify the cost each month (I can't) but it shouldn't replace a PLB but should complement it.

Thanks guys, very helpful.
The inreach sounds pretty good for txt communication but not ready yet to be your main rescue gizmo.
The inreach mini is only half the weight of my McMurdo PLB.
I'm also put off by the cost of the subscription, like 300-$400 a year. It's like buying a printer and paying a double for ink within a couple of years. Must be a few of them lying around unused.
My PLB battery has another year to go and I'll think more about it then, see if the PLB scene has moved at all.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

Thanks guys, very helpful.
The inreach sounds pretty good for txt communication but not ready yet to be your main rescue gizmo.
The inreach mini is only half the weight of my McMurdo PLB.
I'm also put off by the cost of the subscription, like 300-$400 a year. It's like buying a printer and paying a double for ink within a couple of years. Must be a few of them lying around unused.
My PLB battery has another year to go and I'll think more about it then, see if the PLB scene has moved at all.

The In reach is marginal at best, dangerous at worst.. I have a couple of mates in Fiordland at present and i am texting them weather forecasts daily sometimes twice daily.. My guess they are getting 1 in 3 of them ? They are getting the odd message out saying are you sending forecasts ? we are getting nothing. I wouldnt have one if i was paid to.

Originally Posted by sore head stoat

The In reach is marginal at best, dangerous at worst.. I have a couple of mates in Fiordland at present and i am texting them weather forecasts daily sometimes twice daily.. My guess they are getting 1 in 3 of them ? They are getting the odd message out saying are you sending forecasts ? we are getting nothing. I wouldnt have one if i was paid to.

We struggled in our Wap block this year with our InReach Mini. Messages out of sinc, and I'm guessing some never arrived judging from some of confused messaging going on.

I've experienced similar issues in Fiordland when using the inReach mini. I think the primary issue is the length of time you give the unit to send and receive the messages. You have to be patient... give it some time. If you turn it on, send a message and turn it off shortly afterwards you're asking for trouble. I've seen 20 minute and 30 minute delays in some of those classic glacial valleys where communication is likely limited by the number of visible satellites - obviously your horizon is limited to satellites pretty much directly above you.

Yes it is a known fact that it can take a long time for messages to go in and out depending on terrain and how much sky can be seen.