Personal GPS Tracking For Safety

[Digger]

Hi all, this is my first post as a newby.

My wife and I are looking at upgrading detector equipment etc and I was wondering what others use for personal GPS tracking?

Whenever we go 'bush' we each tend to 'work' apart and at times we lose sight of each other and also our start point. My concern is that we are risking getting lost (either together or individually) and if one of us only gets lost or is injured and incapacitated then the other one won't know where to find them.

Do other forum members carry a personal GPS tracker each which shows your start point and has the capacity to track back to the beginning?

Are there GPS trackers available that also can locate the position of a second GPS tracker, thus allowing you to find your partner? I imagine we would program each tracker ID into the other's GPS and it would not only show your own track but could identify the co-ordinates of the second unit. Does anything like this exist?

We do each carry a small handheld UHF radio, which allows communication if in range (and conscious) but this is of small use if we are lost.

I appreciate your replies and look forward to sharing this forum site with you all.

Peter (down under)

[walkerrj]

The Garmin handheld Rino 650, 650t, and 655t series has that capability.  In addition to GPS pinpointing of each other's position it's a combined FRS/GMRS radio.  You can even text each other!  I believe the prices start at $499.

[fredmason]

I bet that is some wild country. I learned very quickly to mark the position of the truck on my first trip to Western Oz. I tend to wander  a lot when detecting but there are few landmarks like the mountains I am accustomed to here in the Western USA. Anyway, in my haste to find gold I just took off in what looked like open flat country. After wandering for a while I started back...except I had no idea where Back was...fortunately I found my way and got back in time to keep Doug from sending out the search party. I made sure to mark the parking area every time after that adventure.

You don't need to use the track-back to return to your car, unless you have a reason to retrace your tracks. When you get your gps take it out and practice using it...if you wait until you need it that will be too late!

fred

[Steve Herschbach]

I agree with walkerrj. By far and away the best device I have found and still use for this is the Garmin Rino combination GPS and radio. It it fairly standard as a tracking GPS device. What makes it special is at any time you can hit a button and it will tell you exactly what direction and how far away your partner is. The units need to be paired and in radio range for this to work - GPS tracking back to location will always work. And you can of course talk to them. Very handy also for rough survey work, like claim staking and such. You can lay out distances just by having your partner walk off and by checking now and then know when they are 1000 or 2000 feet away. Mine are really old but still working fine. I see the new ones at link above are now $399

[TrinityBigfoot]

I have a regular GPS (E-Trex 30). I have looked at a few locator beacon type unis. I didn't like the monthly expenses attached to the devices I found. While searching for units I found one that looks pretty good with no monthly fee. It is called ACR ResQlink and it is a one time use device. On the company's website, it says they will replace it after its use with a rescue story. It lacks some of the features that other units have, but it has no monthly fee and it sure beats what they had in 1849  

ACR ResQlink for about $299 (and other Models for more $)

 

[Steve Herschbach]

GPS rescue device are really great but a bit different than the subject of the post because you may have one and your partner may have one but they may not be much help in you finding each other. Some good info on the InReach Communicator and Spot on a previous thread http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/14-delorme-inreach-satellite-text-communicator/ and some more on the ResQlink at http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/1568-resqlink-emergency-locator/

 

[flakmagnet]

Garmin Rino, no one has put out a better gps/radio combination for keeping track of partners.

[Digger]

Thank you to everyone who responded.

The Garmin Rino certainly stands out as the unit of choice. You have all made it easy for me to make a decision and it seems that it will be 2 of these units. We normally carry a small GME hand-held UHF radio so as the Rino has a UHF radio function it will take this place.  It basically means that we are not adding any extra weight but have so many more tracking, communication and potentially lifesaving functions. Thank you again.

Thanks for your reply Fred (FredMason) you nailed it in your description in describing just how easy it is to get lost in the harsh Western Australian bush. I note that when my wife and I are working we each concentrate on the ground and do not realise that we are wandering further apart. Suddenly you look up and realise that you can't see your partner and you are confused as to what direction you last saw her. Without a communication link this could potentially get very serious. Luckily till now the UHF radios have sorted this out and we would find each other. I am concerned that one day we will walk too far or worse, one of us will fall down a hidden mineshaft, lose conciousness and will almost be impossible to find. The Garmin Rino should be a lifesaver.

Peter.

[Steve Herschbach]

When I spent an entire month in Australia wandering around with good buddy Chris Ralph, we each had one of my pair of Rinos the entire time. I am pretty good at knowing where I am, but I admit one day nose down in hilly terrain, if left on my own I would have headed away from camp instead of back to it, I got totally turned around and had a hard time believing the Rino when it told me where camp was. Here is a picture of me with Jonathan Porter and my Rino clearly visible where it spent the month. I may have to invest in a new pair as my old ones have old serial ports and getting hard to use with a PC now.

[fredmason]

No worries, Mate!

Steve, your pic isn't...