I am thinking to build electronics beacons for both outdoor and traveling. After seeing James Kim and the Mt. Hood climbers unable to let searchers locate them. I wonder what I can build some simple electronics light and electronic signal beacons so that searchers can find us - once we are in trouble and scream for help. Obviously, these beacons must be cheap and small and light to carry.
Any suggestions are welcome.
How about carrying extra batteries for your gps enabled cellphone?
There is already a "standard" for Beacons for use in snow. I don't recall the details, but the devices are available.
The Kims were out of cellular range, but if they had a pair of FRS transceivers, Mr Kim would have most likely been in range of talking with has wife who probably could have helped him by comparing landscape details.
Don
I bring Tane flashers for long trips.
"2006Young" wrote in news:45872ea4$0$20162$ snipped-for-privacy@fe2.nntpserver.com:
you can BUY them,that xmit to a satellite that locates your approximate position for rescue. No worry about being out of cellular range.
-- Jim Yanik jyanik at kua.net
Too bad the cops didn't try to activate the 173MHz lojack beacon in their vehicle, a tower could of picked it up easier then a cellular signal.
It's the LED blinking post I've been waiting for!!! I think posts like this irritate the mensa engineers. Kinda like watching a rerun of Gilligan's Island.
My first thought: I suggest a pulse circuit driving a Luxeon LED cluster. But the design can get tricky. Good Luck D
------------ I am thinking to build electronics beacons for both outdoor and traveling. After seeing James Kim and the Mt. Hood climbers unable to let searchers locate them. I wonder what I can build some simple electronics light and electronic signal beacons so that searchers can find us - once we are in trouble and scream for help. Obviously, these beacons must be cheap and small and light to carry.
Any suggestions are welcome.
As long as you add a Saturn rocket to launch it through the snow!
That and an avalanche beacon shold be required equipment for alpine travel, IMHO.
-- Paul Hovnanian mailto:Paul@Hovnanian.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ In theory, practice and theory are the same, but in practice they are different -- Larry McVoy
How much is your life worth?; get a proper EPERB and be done with it. The satellites can see you wherever you are, the cost is cheap and the beacons are designed for marine use so you can almost guarantee that it will work. Cheaper than a GPS cellphone.
That must be the tricky part. This guy's a hoot! I wonder what the D stands for...
A lot of good that will do if you're out of range of a cell phone tower.
It's really an interesting mentality, this "survival beacon must be cheap" thing. I suggest a vacuum tube WWII walkie-talkie, it'll just melt itself through the snow. Speaking of which, a good old 4W Radio Shack CB with a telescoping antenna would be a good idea, no?
Better yet, stay out of avalanche country during the winter. Anybody without this level of common sense would probably take the wrong batteries with them if they had a beacon.
like
snow!
That must be the tricky part. This guy's a hoot! I wonder what the D stands for...
.--------- Well...looks like you're fishing for more detail.. Consider the following for a luxeon cluster: There's the thermal coupling method, heatsink design, battery type selection, maybe an efficient power converter is needed, low power oscillator design, .. Then there's the possibility of pulse overdrive for increased brightness which leads to respecting the junction temperature...picking an optimun energy efficient duty cycle (coordinated with eye persistance)..choise a flash rate that looks urgent..durabilty..waterproofing..lens design.... It's ok if one plans on doing this as a product idea..otherwise fk it and use flares. :)
One more...the drive current might need regulation to account for harsh enviromental temperatures..
Of course all of the above can be boiled down to 2 wires, a 3V pack and spit on the luxeon for cooling..The blinking can be done by tapping the wires on the battery.. All depends on your design style.. :) D
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There is conflicting information. It says that James's cell phone emitted a signal to a cell tower after it received a text message. [A quick note for those of you who have mothers, sisters, daughters, etc: A deactivated cell phone can still be used in emergencies to dial 911 in the USA. I save my old phones specifically for this purpose and put them in the glove compartment powered off].
Accidental loss of life is regrettable, but I wonder:
Assuming that there were no cell towers in range, how many people in this group think they would be able to build some concoction that would result in their rescue, using only parts canabalized from the vehicle? Let's say that you get the car, the umbrella, a full tank of gas and a charged battery, and a very basic set of tools, the kind that would be found in trunk of an automobile.
What would you do?
-Le Chaud Lapin-
"Le Chaud Lapin" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@n67g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:
drive home...
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Beacon? He thought you said to make sure and take BACON! ;-)
-- Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I\'ve got my DD214 to prove it. Member of DAV #85. Michael A. Terrell Central Florida
I am a regular hiker. I carry an EPIRB/ELT/PLB. Cost me AU$220, cheap insurance.
On a sunny day (18 Dec 2006 22:08:27 -0800) it happened "Le Chaud Lapin" wrote in :
Drive home ? ;-)
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