GEAR
Trial by Error
ACR’s latest personal locator beacon was designed by survivors.
22By Krista KarlsonE
verything was going fi ne, until it
wasn’t. Mikele D’Arcangelo of ACR
Electronics has heard this story
dozens of times from people whose
boats sank, burned or lost power
while underway. Th ey needed help—fast.
D’Arcangelo estimates that beacons have
saved tens of thousands of lives. Th e latest in
the company’s line of personal locator bea-
cons (PLBs) is the ResQLink View ($360), a
hand-held, buoyant device with 28 hours of
battery life.
Unlike other PLBs on the market, the View
doesn’t require a monthly subscription. Just
register it with NOAA and you’re good to go.
When the distress button is activated, a sig-
nal goes out every 52 seconds and the screen
alerts the user that it was sent successfully. Un-
like the Garmin inReach, however, there’s no
confi rmation that the signal was received. But
D’Arcangelo says with access to three global
satellite networks, the likelihood of a failed
signal is extremely low. Each beacon is tested
before it leaves the Ft. Lauderdale factory.
We brought the ResQLink View on recent
trips to the Pacifi c Northwest and Florida.
It clipped on tightly to our backpacks and
pockets, and the removable plastic piece
covering the power button inspired confi dence
that we weren’t going to accidentally activate
a rescue mission—no doubt the fastest way
to ensure we’d never be allowed to leave the
offi ce again. It also accompanied me on a
landlubber rock climbing trip, where I not
only avoided an emergency, but came home
with a diamond ring. Maybe this little beacon
brings good fortune—for those who have to
use it, and even those who don’t. USURVIVOR FEEDBACK: The View was designed with input from survivors, who
had three main suggestions for improving upon the brand’s existing products.Users wanted
the beacon to be
wearable, so ACR
included a clip
that attaches
to a PFD or a
pocket.The antenna
is now easier
to use. Just
unclip and fl ip
it toward the
sky.
The “power”
and “test”
buttons are far
enough apart
that users can
rest assured
they’re not
accidentally
activating the
beacon.