Beacons, UHF radios to keep you safer in summer

The joys of camping, bushwalking and adventure travel are back this summer. But there is need for caution against the hazards this presents.

GME Australia MT610G Personal Location Beacon.

The joys of camping, bushwalking and adventure travel are back this summer. But there is need for caution against the hazards this presents.

Getting lost, breaking a leg and becoming immobile in dense forest, facing serious danger from a snake or spider bite can be life threatening.

Even if you’re not travelling, summer bushfires and unpredictable flooding from torrential rain presents dangers when you are cut off and alone. You could also be a remote worker or aviator. If you’re out of cellular phone range, you can’t call for help.

That’s where specialist communication technology can be a lifesaver.

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MT610G Personal Location Beacon – $379 rrp

GME Australia MT610G Personal Location Beacon.

It doesn’t seem common knowledge that help can be available wherever you are, whether you are in the bush in Australia or out at sea. Boaties know this but it seems the general public does not.

To access this service, you need to carry a personal location beacon or PLB, a lightweight device with an aerial that fits snugly into the corner of a backpack. When activated, a rescue service clicks into gear and, if necessary, a helicopter will be dispatched to fetch you based on your location courtesy of the device’s GPS signal.

GME Australia, which makes the GME MT610G, says the rescue service is free provided the activation is genuine, however if you set off the beacon for no reason, it could cost you a small fortune. It says this service is available around the world.

You first need to register the beacon with Australian Maritime Safety before use.

Cospas-Sarsat system overview. Picture: Supplied.

“Every year thousands of people are rescued with the help of an emergency beacon, and more than 50 per cent of Australian rescues involve a GME emergency beacon,” says GME group marketing manager Tony Crooke.

The device is small, just 8.5x6cm, and has a battery rated to last seven years. GME says that to adhere to the standard, the beacon must be capable of emitting its signal for 24 hours continuously if you use it any time in those seven years.

GME says it is the company’s most compact and lightweight emergency beacon product.

To use, you slide a small red piece of plastic to unfurl the aerial and access green and red buttons. You use the green button to test the battery charge and to test whether the device can link to a satellite.

In order to preserve battery, you perform the charge test no more than monthly, and the satellite link test no more than annually.

You press the red button to summon help in an emergency situation. You need to ensure you have a clear view of the sky.

GME Australia says the MT610G has an integrated 72 channel GPS receiver, requires zero warm-up time, is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance and is buoyant. It comes with a six year warranty and you stow it in a small case.

It says the MT610G is Cospas-Sarsat Class 2 certified, and is designed, engineered, and made in Australia.

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TX6600S UHF radio – $429 rrp

GME Australia TX6600S UHF radio.

A handheld UHF CB radio might seem old fashioned in this digital age, but it can also be handy in emergency situations away from the mobile networks. GME Australia’s handheld TX6600S is geared for on-the-ground communications, again in situations where a cellular signal might be lacking.

It’s solid, and simple to use with an on-off button and channel switcher being the only buttons you really need. You can access 80 channels.

If you are looking for help, a scanning function will flick through the channels listening for activity. You can set two priority channels for easy access to your friends or work team.

GME Australia cites an up to 10km line-of-sight range and battery life of up to 52 hours. That range might be enough to alert your friends at base camp or truckies on a road in the area.

Apart from emergency use, the UHF radio targets commercial applications such as agriculture, construction, mining and council staff.

The radio has multiple power saving modes, rotary channel selection, programmable receive-only channels and channel voice announcements. It has a five-year warranty and is rated IP67 for water and dust resistance.

Chris Griffith stayed at Perisher Valley, southern NSW, courtesy of GME Australia, Valhalla Lodge, Tourism Snowy Mountains, Wilderness Sports and Cal Offroad.