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Reviews > Health & Safety > Emergency and Survival Gear > ACR Electronics ResQLink > Owner Review by joe schafferACR Electronics ResQLink
Owner Review
by Joe Schaffer
August 12, 2015 TESTER INFORMATION: NAME: Joe Schaffer EMAIL: never2muchstuff(AT)yahoo(DOT)com AGE: 67 GENDER: Male HEIGHT: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) WEIGHT: 175 lb (79.4 kg) HOME: Hayward, California USA I frequent California's central Sierras, camping every month with a goal to match my age in nights out each year; often solo. Summer trips typically last 5 to 10 days; 40 lb (18 kg), about half food related; about 5 mi (8 km) per hiking day. I winter camp most often at 6,000 to 7,000 ft (1,800 to 2,000 m); 2 to 3 nights; 50 lb (23 kg); 1 to 4 mi (1.6 to 6.4 km) on snowshoes. The Product: Manufacturer: ACR Electronics, Inc. Web site: www.acrartex.com Product: ResQLink Personal Locator Beacon  Purchased: 1/2013 My measures: weight: 5 1/8 oz (145 g) (includes wrist strap) height: 3 7/8 in (9.8 cm) width: 2 1/8 in (5.4 cm) thick: 1 3/8 in (3.5 cm) Manufacturer specs: size: 1.3 x 1.9 x 3.9 in ( 3.3 x 4.8 x 9.9 cm) weight: 4.6 oz (130 g) battery: Class 2 non haz-mat lithium battery replacement: 6 years from purchase or 5 years from date placed in service; or after emergency use battery life when activated: More than 24 hours; 30 hours typical waterproof approvals: Cospas-Sarsat, FCC, Canada, R&TTE, Australia, New Zealand power: 406 MHz KEY FEATURES: 66-channel GPS-enabled personal locator beacon No subscription fee LED strobe Free replacement if used for rescue Unique identifying number Battery not user replaceable; supports up to 60 operating tests, or 12 location (GPS) tests; and 1 emergency use DESCRIPTION: This device is about the size of a thick flip phone. It is mostly smooth with very few corners. The top  half of the case is clear on the
sides and about  one-third
of the top; and otherwise chartreuse. The "ribbon" antenna about 3/8 in
wide and 1/32 in thick (10 x 0.8 mm) wraps around the unit, secured in
a slot on the right side and a catch on the top at the end of the
antenna. The catch is released by pressing down slightly on the antenna
end. The antenna then flips to the slot. Slipping the antenna from the
slot readies it for deployment. The base of the antenna is a swivel
arm. Swiveling up the chartreuse arm raises the antenna to a height of
about 11 in (28 cm) with the unit flat on its back. The two operating
buttons are then exposed. These buttons are about 3/16 in (5 mm) in
diameter; and are spaced about 7/16 in (11 mm) apart. One button has an
engraved T to indicate test; and the other a circle icon to indicate
on/off. The top of the unit case also has icons indicating the
location of these buttons. The unit back has a decal giving instruction
how to activate and deactivate the alert. As simple as the unit is to
operate, it exceeds my capacities to remember and I carry a quickstart
card. These are the high points:a) Activate: Flip up the antenna and press the on/off button for 1 second. Red or green light will blink. b) Deactivate: Press the on/off button for at least 3 seconds; no blinking light. c) Red flashing light (between and below the C and R on the clear part of the face) means only an alert is being sent. d) Green flashing light means GPS coordinates are being sent with the alert. DEVICE PURPOSE: The sole use of this device is to send an alert with GPS coordinates to Cospas-Sarsat satellites (different from general communication satellites.) Once received, the alert is relayed to a ground station, which transfers it to a Mission Control Center who then routes the signal to a local authority based on the GPS coordinates. The sender cannot influence the rescue coordinator's decision about which authority to initiate the rescue. FIELD CONDITIONS: I've carried the unit on 59 outings for a total of 291 days. I've never used it. When I bought it I expected to carry it only on solo trips, but it quickly became part of my emergency packet. I hope never to use it. I haven't even tested it. I was out with my partner showing her how to activate it. "Push this button," I told her, "and the helicopter will come." About 15 minutes later we began hearing the wop-wop-wop of what appeared to be a Marine helicopter coming toward us and I felt a rush of $5,000 panic. The coincidence scared me so much I'm even mo  re afraid to push the test button
to see if the unit works. I'll just continue to hope it does. WHY I BOUGHT IT: In 56 years of backpacking I've seen two helicopter rescues (broken leg, rattlesnake bite) but never needed one myself. I never expect to. A close friend required rescue from a rattlesnake bite and that third instance got me thinking. I'm not quite as indestructible as I used to be, and every step taken is one closer to an immobilizing event. I'm often solo, and when not, I may not wish to bet my future welfare on a walk-out obtaining timely rescue. I fear rattlesnake bite, broken hip and ripped ankle in that order. The unit does not give cause to be any less careful; but rather consolation I won't have to wait for circling buzzards before I'm found. I bought this particular unit believing from my research that it does the most reliable job of sending an alert that will be received. While not certain, one of the three teleph  one
numbers I've registered should be able to confirm that I'm in fact in
the area from which the alert emanates. With that confirmation, help
should be sent very quickly; and even without confirmation help should
be sent. I like that the unit has an identifier so the receiver of the
signal knows the ID of the unit sending it. Over the life of the unit's
battery, the fact that there is no subscription fee makes it half the
cost of cheaper hardware that does require subscription. This unit only
does the one thing (that I think it does better than other units)--send
a signal to a satellite that will receive it. I expect that if I do
have need, there will be other factors compounding the severity of the
circumstance, to include transmission difficulty. I'd rather have the
best chance of overcoming those circumstances than the convenience of
other features that accommodate non-emergency communication.Quick shots: a) small b) light c) inexpensive (compared to subscription devices) d) factory-recommended battery change Read more reviews of ACR Electronics, Inc. gear Read more gear reviews by joe schaffer Reviews > Health & Safety > Emergency and Survival Gear > ACR Electronics ResQLink > Owner Review by joe schaffer | ||||