Yuppie 911

Share your advice and personal experiences, post a gear review or ask any questions you may have pertaining to outdoor gear and equipment.
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rlown
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Re: Yuppie 911

Post by rlown »

markskor wrote:I hear what you are saying HikerD...
Just to continue...
The fact that there is only one-way communication on the PLB's should also accept part of the blame. I strongly feel that this type device, at this point, even though a great idea in theory, is not yet ready for mass marketing, especially in a heavy use area like our Sierra.
Until they include some way to communicate back to the button pusher, some way to discern the exact nature of the problem, or if an emergency rescue is actually needed, then the maker of the SPOT device, (whether or not the rescue is proved necessary), should also shoulder part of the responsibility/cost of the rescue. As it stands today, it is an enabler… an easy crutch…Get a blister/get lost; push a button.
Adding…My wife “purse calls” me all the time – buttons get pushed by mistake all too frequently – there has to be a better solution.
I hear that the second generation of PLB will include some “verification” – much needed. I also hear that there will be some way to communicate back to the user (much like texting today) also to be included in future devices. Perhaps an insurance package should be required in the purchase price. Perhaps add a $100 fee just for pushing the button.
Whatever the eventual outcome, I grow tired of all the all-too-frequent stories of unnecessary expenditure of SAR manpower for some ridiculous rescue scenario.
two-way communication is basically a satellite phone. I say if you press the button, you pay. Insurance is a nice solution.. And if you don't buy it, you still pay..
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markskor
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Re: Yuppie 911

Post by markskor »

"I find that if I ask a couple of intelligent questions (yeah I know one or two) and maybe mention your name the permit issuers don't go through all the rigamarole! Treat the kids at the permit stations with a little respect and they are pretty cool and remind me of myself 60 years ago!"

Always the best ploy....when all else fails, try respect first! (Sometimes Mike, it is hard to pull this off with straight face.) I once asked for a permit to Harriet Lakes and they didn't know where it was until I showed them on their map.

The mere mention of my name though, will invariably throw up a red flag...probably never get a permit. I do find in Yosemite, when picking up a permit, that all my past permits come up on a screen and I never get the "lecture" anymore ...I guess they do know , or can read and put 2 and 2 together...Kudos to their system!

Interesting question from B² though about efectiveness of the SPOT. All we hear are the horror stories of those calling for Bogus rescues. I know saving one life makes it worthwhile, but... I wonder how many actual needed rescues (statistics?) have been made using the SPOT compared to all total rescues here in our Sierra.

Or...is SPOT even an effective tool, or is it something of a high-tech toy, serving merely to give wives at home, peace of mind?
Mountainman who swims with trout
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BSquared
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Re: Yuppie 911

Post by BSquared »

markskor wrote:Or...is SPOT even an effective tool, or is it something of a high-tech toy, serving merely to give wives at home, peace of mind?
Frankly, I think is the probably the best reason to buy a SPOT, and it works very well for that purpose. We carried one this summer, and as soon as we figured out how to use it properly our spouses (and assorted onlookers) got very nice peace-of-mind messages. I grumbled in another thread about the inadequacy of the SPOT manual vs. the excellent information available from other SPOT users on the Internet — we made a lot of mistakes before getting the hang of the thing. :unibrow:

One or t'other of the rangers on this board might want to chime in here, though, because the last I heard, the vast majority of the SPOT 911 button-pushes from the Sierra backcountry were "legitimate," in the sense that they represented real emergencies in which the party pushing the button could have used assistance. The "mommy" calls get a lot of publicity, but as I understand it they're extremely infrequent. The more subtle question, I think, is whether simply having the gizmo causes people to tempt fate in ways they wouldn't, if they did not have the gizmo. I worry about that.
—B²
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