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Electronic Visual Distress Signals (EVDS) aka electronic flares


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You are spot on the money that a good torch would cover it KM. I think the real issue is the disconnect between the standards and real life, and the cost to a manufacturer of achieving compliance and certification with a standard. I'm sure you can relate with chains and stuff.

The cost of getting the certificate adds so much to the cost of the product, that consumer look at what is otherwise just a posh torch, and bulk at the cost. Those costs would not be far off getting an electronic transmitting device with direct link to authorities (i.e. a PLB). If I were going to spend $400 on a laser flare, or $500 on the latest spec PLB, I'd get the PLB, it has a cool strobe light on it anyway...

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3 minutes ago, KM... said:

My laser flare* cost US$100 odd from memory.

I can see situations where a device that was a combination of gear would be very damn handy. An integrated EPIRP with electronic flare plus pyro. Boat goes down, device is triggered sending alert to SAR via EPIRP. Assets get deployed to the general area. As we have seen getting close is easy but narrowing down that last few miles has proven tricky so by some mechanism (the SAR asset using a remote triggering would be damn handy) the pyro chute/s are fired giving the asset a course but finer location, asset gets closer and triggers the electronic flare giving fine tuned location. All the time if the distressed see other eyes, maybe a boat or aircraft, they can trigger the close in options.

* - More a super fancy laser pointer that send a wide beam not just a point. Great Lakes Resuce Flare or a similar name. I have stood on the cliffs by Taka Grammar and waved it in a eastward direction. A mate on Rakino picked it out in seconds and said it was incredibly easy to pick it out against all the background city lights. I intend to use it to light up overhead aircraft, it is safe on eyes at that distance.

That is the exact sort of stuff I'm talking about. Must be a full moon, we are starting to agree on something.

Was you laser flare certified, or just a good working one? I am interested, according to Angus, I can do what is sensible and not what the YNZ Regs say, so may be able to get rid of the pyro's after all... ;-)

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3 hours ago, KM... said:

There is one SOLAS approved electronic flare. 

Which one? I suspect this is a marketing mistake.

EVDS are not recognised by the treaty so can't be a SOLAS certified replacement for flares. 

24 minutes ago, Fish said:

 

 

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