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Further
confusing the already overly acronymic world of safety equipment, this
device and similar ones from other manufacturers are sometimes called
PLBs. But the Sea Marshall Rescue System is not a PLB as the term is now
being used; it will not call for help via satellite. Instead, it is specifically
designed for man-overboard situations.
The size of a cigarette
pack and weighing less than five ounces, it starts sending a 121-MHz signal
when turned on or when submerged for 20 seconds. The antenna built into
the neck strap, which is also capable of electro-luminescent blue flashing,
is said to work even when the MOB is unconscious. This model costs $254,
and there is another version meant for divers separated from their mothership.
Sea Marshall will soon introduce a compatible direction-finding receiver,
already available from other vendors. A boat should be able to pick up
the signal from one-half mile to three miles away, depending on wave and
receiver heights; if help is called, a search-and-rescue plane should
be able to see the Sea Marshall 35 miles away.
Sea Marshall US
Phone: (772) 388-1326. www.seamarshall-us.com.
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