New Member Allegany County NY

[mdantonio]

Hi folks,
Just a brief intro and thanks for letting me on. 57 yo Grandpa who bought my 08 Ranger 700 XP primarily for Wilderness Search and Rescue with a side line of using it to take the grandkids on little trips through the woods and hills here in Allegany County NY. I did a couple of small "mods" to it... Rear-view mirror, mobile VHF two-way radio (with written use authorization), Mobile Dual-band Ham Radio (KC2GMH), FRS HTs in glovebox, dual rear-facing work/back-up lights mounted high on the factory "roll cage" (Not ROPS certified), factory roof, factory front/rear brush guards, 175 PSI HD air compressor, permanent mount GPS, very extensive first-aid equipment/pack with Rope Rescue Gear, custom tow mount for "Stokes Basket" litter that is attached to a toboggan with fixed pipe-style loop towbar-handle, rear seat w/seatbelts attached to a very very strong mount (I know...not recommended!), V-bar reinforced tire chains on all 4 tires for winter SAR Op's. Future plans for permanent mounted mobile CB, CTEK battery maintainer / smart charger, small tank-style engine block heater, LED strobes for SAR use only, permanently mounted front and rear 3500Lb winches, snow plow, "Lexan" windshield.
Did a hugh amount of comparisions before buying the Ranger and it consistantly came out on top for my specific requirements. Other than Polaris' meager little 6 month warranty...I believe this is simply the "King of the Hill" in side-by-side units! Hope to meet some you some day... Mike (PS feel free to e-mail me at any time)

[ELK_HUN10]

Welcome to the forum!
What do you know about the new Personal Locator Beacons that Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops have been selling. Do they work? Has anyone used them to your knowledge? My youngest son is retarded but he likes to go hunting with us. He got lost on two different occasions. The last time we were only about 50 yard from the vehicle and we were watching bears about a mile away. He said he was getting cold, so I told him to go to the car and get a jacket. You could see the car from where we were but there was two draws leading downhill from the vehicle. He walked down the second draw where once you were in it you could not see the car or where everyone was sitting. After 10 minutes I asked if anyone had seen him. Long story, short version, we found him about an hour later about a half mile straight down the hill from where we were. After that, I said enough was enough and we bought one of those radio tracking devices that have up to a 50 mile range under good conditions. We would put the transmitter on his belt, about the same as carrying a hunting knife. Since we bought it we have never used it. The tracking receiver is rather large. We have GPS units and cell phones. If something happened, It would be nice to receive a transmission with his co-ordinates. We do have the GPS radios that show his position if he talks on the radio. But it would be nice to just push a button if we need his location. It has been more than 10 years now since the last time he was lost, so there may be no need for a locator. He is a good man and I would like to keep him around. So a locator does not seem all that expensive.

[mdantonio]

Hello Elk-Hunter!
The PLBs you are refering to do indeed work well but with a caveat...they aren't generally "user friendly" from the immediate hunting parties standpoint. If you look in Cabellas catalog in the radio section you will see a set of two-way radios called "Rhinos". These are what I would recommend for your indicated needs. They not only allow you to locate the carrier of the other radio... they will allow you to actually talk to the other person as well! I would also recommend that once you get these radios, that you practice using them several times throughout the year because as simple as "following a map" may seem, the learning curve for navigating from your location to the other will be compounded by the adeneline rush of thinking the worst of a "lost" loved one when it happens. You can take this to the bank as I have witnessed trained SAR personel getting confused while using the radio locators for the PLB you first asked about. The Rhino Radios are excellent tools but will need to be worked with until you are completely comfortable using its features. I hope this helps...if not...post me again and we'll chat some more! Take care... Mike

Just re-read your post and you apparently already have these radios? Okay...next option. I know little of this item directly but there is a company that specializes in units for children and elderly alzhiemer / demensia patients. The transmitter sends out a signal on a fairly regular schedule and if the receiver fails to pick it up due to the transmitter going beyond a pre-determined range, it will beep and display the subjects last known point for you to go to. The receiver is small as well as the transmitter. This system does not rely on the wearer to transmit or activate it...that function is automatic. Lets see if this add-on to my post is of a little more value. Take care... Mike

[ELK_HUN10]

Thanks for the info! I bought the Rhino radios when they first came out some years ago and they do have a learning curve with them. They are great for experienced users. I could tell my wife was walking in a circle when using two of them (distance stayed approximately the same, but the angle changes.) I have maps downloaded on them but the screen is really small so it is hard to use. When the data is downloaded to a computer though you can make some great personal maps. I put waypoints for deer and elk I spot. Some areas look like a forest of waypoints but it works for me. Thanks again for the info!

[GRAZOR]

Welcome Grandpa and fellow NYer, you will find plenty of company here in your age group.

Sounds like your ranger is dialed in very well for your passion. You and my brother would get along well as he is the Sullivan county deputy fire commish and in charge of the search and rescue team.

As for the GPS discussions here; I have a pair of the Rino 120 radios and also just bought a new pair of the Rino 530 HCx ones that are claimed to be a great deal better in deep forest cover.

I can't honestly say I have ever used the Partner location tracking system they employ because I have no partners willing to learn the GPS units functions. I can say that the FRS/GMRS radios work very well but the Rino 120 units are limited here in the mountains and I do hope the higher output of the 530 models are a good deal more sensative. I think I want to call this radio frequency as Line Of Sight. We can be quite far appart and in communication unless one is in a low lying area or on the other side of the mountain.

I think for needs where mentally challenged individuals are concerned the other, Locator units, will be a wiser choice. I also think one of these companies should develope a hat mounted transmit/receiver to help when in deep woods. You need something that requires only one individual to learn the functions.


Good to have you here MD and it will be great to have others to discuss GPS & Communications topics with. Thank you also for the valuable service guys like you and my brother provide for us all.

Gary