Paul;
I've not had experience with this particular device. Though I have experience with similar devices used on the tour boats on which I crew, and actually have an ACR version of this n my own boat. But I have some serious reservations about making my own life and the lives of anyone I cared about dependent on just this light and the accompanying flag. I know I'm going to sound like a curmudgeon. Please take it as a severe case of ARSS. What I see as interesting in this is the high intensity LED that flashes SOS for up to 6 hours. I can see it being really useful to throw it overboard in an MOB situation to help locate the MOB. It "meets the USCG minimum requirements for a night distress signal". Then again, so does a 12ga pistol flare. Which burns for 7 seconds and give off, what?, 700 candella at a height of about 200 feet? Honestly, you can buy bottle rockets for the 4th of July that go higher and are much brighter that 12ga flares. Do you really want to stake lives on a 12ga flare? High, bright, big, and loud gets peoples' attention. That's what you want when you need help. And the orange flag is your day signal. There are a lot of racers here on the list. Just how far away from the committee boat can you see and recognize the class flag or P flag when it gets raised? 300 yards? A quarter mile? Do you really think a 36x36 orange flag with an exclamation mark on it is going to be that much more visible? I really discount the 10 mile visibility claim. Remember you are going to float it in the water or hold it over your head. SO it's probably going to be max 8 or 9 feet above the water. From 8 feet the horizon is 2.7 mile away in a flat sea. An observer - a really observant one - whose height of eye is also 8 feet above the water could theoretically see the light from 5.4 miles away. The similar devices I've experienced fall into two types. Flashing lights that, when put in the water, float with the light on top and flash for several days. Very similar in nature to this device. These are attached to liferafts and to any gear we have available to throw overboard in a MOB situation and are intended to aid in SAR. The other type are "flashing spotlights" that send out SOS in a focused beam. I have an ACR distress light on Imzadi. I can point a really bright beam at another boat (or a search plane) within sight - or at the bridge of an oncoming vessel- and have a good chance it will be noticed. It is not, however, worth diddly for sending out a general "help" message. BTW, I have a really nice West Marine LED spotlight with rechargeable lithium battery that I got for under $50 (on sale, normally $69). It also sends out SOS, and was a lot cheaper than the ACR lamp. >From some comments I understand that "low cost" is one of the attractions of the SOS light. Every three years I go to Walmart or West Marine during the annual spring sale and buy a new set of the pathetic USCG flares (not the shotgun shells). This spring the cost was up to something like $28 during the sale IIRC. In 9 years I've spent the cost of the SOS light on sale. I keep 12 USCG flares, and 3 or 4 USCG smokes on my boat (with the outdated ones being in a separate box to placate the CG inspector. So I figure I have somewhere near a dozen opportunities to signal for help if the need arises. Plus I also have 2 SOLAS parachute flares and 2 SOLAS smoke canisters on the boat just in case I REALLY need to get someone's attention. When the SOLAS flare goes off at 2000 feet or so altitude, and 25,000 candella of light turns the night into NOON, everyone within miles who is not blind is going to notice. The $200 cost of the SOLAS stuff might prove to be the best money I ever spent in my life. I'll get off my soapbox now. Rick Brass Washington, NC From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of PME via CnC-List Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2015 8:08 AM To: CnClist <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: PME <dre...@gmail.com> Subject: Stus-List SOS light flare replacement Hi, Is anyone familiar with the Sirius Signal SOS Distress light? The claim is that it complies with USCG requirements replacing flares, and that it does not expire. I just read about it from an Active Captain post which includes a Defender link for those interested: <http://www.defender.com/activecaptain.jsp> http://www.defender.com/activecaptain.jsp I would be interested of anyones experience with these. Thanks. - Paul E. 1981 C&C Landfall 38 S/V Johanna Rose Carrabelle, FL
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