I'm not vested in the outcome at to whether locator beacons will be required since I figure that if they do become a requirement and I develop a strong opinion against using them, it would be a simple matter to make them inoperable by inserting the batteries incorrectly.
None of the current locator beacons transmit while being carried in the backcountry until you decide there is an emergency and turn it on. For PLBs the turn on is interpreted as the request for rescue. Higher priced PLBs can send out your GPS location when they are turned on. Once started, PLBs emit a locator signal for 24 hours. The Mt Hood MLBs are also carried inactivated. Activating the beacon does not start a search. A call of some kind is required to start a search. The start of a search does not turn on the beacon, the person carrying it must do that.
The SPOT unit is not a locator beacon. It is a signaling device. It operates in the mode set by the user (including OFF). It can send out your GPS location if you choose. It also has message types to signal request for different levels of assistance.
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I'm no expert on cell phone technology and their "tracking" capability, particularly since that technology evolves rapidly. However, at a bare minimum, your carrier "knows" where your cell phone is, at least to the nearest tower, as that's the way calls to your cell phone are resolved. And, my hunch is Admiral Poindexter has access to it as well if he so chooses. Who else does I can only speculate.
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Cell phones only transmit and become locatable when you tern them on. In backcountry areas without reception, many people choose to carry the phones turned off to preserve battery life. With some systems you can expect shorter battery life in areas at the edge of coverage than you achieve in cities. Where there is no coverage there is no tracking even if the cell phone is on.
Whatever device you might carry or why you might carry it, there is not transmission until you choose to activate it. The only candidate for required carry is carried unpowered until you want someone to be able to find you and even then the activation does not trigger a search.
The Alaska experience with PLBs is an interesting case. Devices have been used on all means of transportation including airplanes, boats and snowmobiles and by hunters, fishermen and anyone traveling in remote areas, not just mountaineers. It's a lot like the auto club except for the paid service providers.
Dale B. Dalrymple
http://dbdimages.com
