Boating USA — March 2018

ositioning S

maintained by the

orce, although

S C AS C ANN MMEE

MAKING WAVES///FOR COMPARISON’S SAKE

22 | BOATINGMAG.COM | MARCH 2018

PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) COURTESY MCMURDO GROUP, COURTESY OCEAN SIGNAL, COURTESY ACR ELECTRONICS; SOURCE FOR STATISTIC: GPS.GOV

ACR

RESQLINK+ PLB

SIGNAL: It has 66 GPS

channels, as well as the

121.5 MHz radio beacon

for faster close-range

response. It can transmit

continuously for 30 hours

and features a built-in

emergency strobe LED. It’s

waterproof to 5 meters and

is the only one that is buoy-

ant without a pouch.

THE DRAIN: It has a five-

year battery life (the

shortest of the three

featured here).

PRICE: $269; acrartex.com

MCMURDO

FASTFIND 220

THE SIGNAL: This palm-

size unit combines a 406

MHz satellite beacon with

a 121.5 MHz radio signal

for faster response. It has

50 GPS channels and can

run continuously for 24

hours. It’s waterproof to 10

meters, has a six-year bat-

tery storage life, and is the

least expensive of the trio.

THE DRAIN: It does not

float unless it’s in the pro-

vided buoyancy pouch, and

it has the fewest available

GPS channels.

PRICE: $220;

mcmurdogroup.com

OCEAN SIGNAL

RESCUEME PLB1

THE SIGNAL: The smallest

of the three, it is water-

proof to 15 meters. Like the

others, it combines a 406

MHz satellite beacon with

a 121.5 MHz radio beacon

for close-range targeting.

It has 66 GPS channels and

can run continuously for

24 hours. It has a seven-

year battery shelf life.

THE DRAIN: It doesn’t float

unless it’s in the provided

buoyancy pouch.

PRICE: $269;

oceansignal.com

PERSONAL

LOCATOR

BEACONS

Total number of

operational satellites

in orbit in the Global

Positioning System

maintained by the

ositioning System

maintained by the

Air Force, although

maintained by the

Air Force, although

72 total satellites

orce, although

72 total satellites

are in orbit.

If you’re going to

take an adventure,

buy a personal lo-

cator beacon (PLB)

and register it to

make sure there’s a

way to send for help

should you need it.

Here are three to

consider carrying

with you on the

next journey.

—Pete McDonald

CAPTAIN’S TEST

(Answers from page 20)

1 .F. C and D. These are basic

maintenance tasks with

hydraulic systems.

2 .F. B and D. These are basic

annual maintenance tasks for all

types of steering systems.

3 .A. The wing plates connect

the steering system directly

to the drive/powerhead, bypassing

the rubber engine mounts, which

eliminates them as a source of

play or slop in the system. This

makes the setup more responsive,

which can be critical in high-

speed, rough-water driving.

4 .B. When you turn the steering

wheel to starboard, the front

of the engine/drive will turn to

port — and the rear of the engine/

drive/propeller will point to star-

board, so it’s thrust will turn the

boat to starboard.

5 .D. While dual-cable mechan-

ical systems are tried-and-true

and offer good feedback and

control, they often tire the driver

out because they require a

high degree of steering effort.

High-performance hydraulic

systems offer good boat control

and feel combined with ease of

steering effort at all speeds.

CAPTAIN’S TESTS ONLINE

Test your knowledge of boating with

more Captain’s Tests at boatingmag

.com/captains-test.

31

ONLINE THIS MONTH

As we celebrate our adventurous side this

month, be sure to go through our list of 50

boating things to do before you die and pick

one or two that work for you.

Visit boatingmag.com/

50-boating-things-to-do-

before-you-die or scan

this tag!

RESCUEME

The smallest

PLB has 66 GPS

channels, and it’s

waterproof.

FASTFIND

Compact, water-

proof, nicely priced.

RESQLINK +

Has a 30-hour battery

life, and it fl oats.