John,
You have to have a realist look at what SPOT is - it is a private
network tracking device - the concept is not new,
what is new with SPOT is the price point - this unit is now priced where
recreational people of many disciplines find them
affordable and I predict that SPOT is the first of many we will see in the
near future. As I have said the concept is not new, I
have been trialing a similar device called ""Tracplus"
http://www.tracplus.com/index.aspx for work - the unit I have been flying
is
Mil Spec and therefore priced out of reach of most recreational uses.
SPOT offers a service to their clients as does Tracplus - this is service
contract is between SPOT and their clients, nothing to do with CENSAR or
anyone else.
HOWEVER if you become overdue for any reason it is up to the person or
organization maintaining your SAR (and I do not believe SPOT does that) to
contact the correct authorities, and the correct authorities will depend on
what activity you're undertaking under the National SAR Plan. As I
understand it
SPOT also has a distress alerting function, and as I understand it they have
taken on the responsibility to notify the correct authorities when they
receive an alert
who will then follow their procedures - these procedures vary from country
to country.
SPOT v PLB - the PLB does not offer tracking and all the fun and benefits
that can be derived from that.
The PLB does not provide last known position - if in
fact the last SPOT report was the last known position - very valuable
information is you go missing.
406 PLB does alert the Government SAR authorities
directly when activated and continues to report until turned off (or the
batteries run out which should not happen)
Flight Planning - you could fill the details into Field 18 of the flight
plan - it could be very useful information.
The bottle line is read the SPOT documentation if you are happy with the
product go for it.
SDF
_____
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of John
Gwyther
Sent: Thursday, 23 October 2008 1:10 PM
To: aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net
Subject: [Aus-soaring] linking SPOT to CENSAR
Having bought a SPOT satellite tracker, I'm now wondering how to best use it
in conjunction with CENSAR, the SARTIME services manager at Air Services
Australia.
Currently, when I fly from my Gippsland property via self-launching glider,
usually over a big slab of the Alps tiger country, I rely on submitting a
flight plan to CENSAR with a planned route and a note saying "operations
within 20nm of track". I also lodge a SARTIME. If I vary the route, I
sometimes call up FLIGHTWATCH and amend my details. Often I don't. Thus, I
am reliant on the SARTIME and a big area of bush to search should things go
pear-shaped. I also carry a 406 EPIRB (that bush looks awful dense down
there).
Now, with SPOT, my wife can have full details of where I've been and are now
located. She of course can pass this on the CENSAR when they call her if I'm
overdue or don't cancel my SARTIME. However, it would seem logical that this
info be part of my SARTIME data so CENSAR can (a) get going quickly without
relying on reaching my wife and (b) see where I am and if I am still moving.
My questions are these:
1) Is anyone in GFA discussing integrating SPOT into the SARTIME
process at CENSAR (ie so I could lodge SPOT details with my flight plan)?
2) What sort of issues do people see if this does occur?
One issue that comes to mind is the passing of track data to CASA who might
feel inclined to use it against me. I certainly would not trust them not to.
Note that it may well not be the gliding movement that ends up pushing SPOT
integration into CENSAR as the same benefits ought to be clear to our
powered brethren who are also looking down the barrel of buying a new 406
EPIRB once the old ones get turned off next year.
All comments and ideas welcome.
John Gwyther/GCV
VH-HKR and VH-ZAO
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