Editor’s Choice: FastFind Return Link PLB

Seas of Solutions is the new name for global emergency readiness and response specialist, Orolia Maritime, which scored a world's first when it gained EU approval for its Return Link Services enabled personal location beacon.

The system was declared fully operational by Cospas Sarsat in March 2021, which means it can now be used globally – the only restrictions being national legislation, which should be checked before use.

In creating its solution, the company has worked closely with the European GNSS Agency to implement Galileo satellite system services in its beacons in order to develop search and rescue distress beacons with the capability to receive Return Link Messages.

The Galileo Return Link Service – which allows people in distress to receive automatic acknowledgement that their signal has been received and their location is known – was declared operational at the start of 2020.

The FastFind Return Link transmits the user’s unique ID and GNSS location via the global network of Cospas Sarsat search and rescue satellites.

Galileo’s Return Link Service transmits a return signal back to the user’s beacon to confirm the alert has been processed and location has been detected.

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When the personal location beacon receives the Return Link Message, it displays a blue light to inform the user, whether on land or at sea, that search and rescue professionals are aware of their situation and location.

The FastFind Return Link also offers accelerated location detection with combined Galileo and GPS GNSS receivers and the tried and tested 406MHz technology which has been at the core of many search and rescue operations since 1981.

We believe that personal location beacons are an essential item of equipment for anyone venturing into the wilderness, and this particular unit appears to be a leading product in its field.

The added bonus is that all this technology is packed into a simple, rugged, lightweight, palm sized unit, making the FastFind Return Link from Seas of Solutions a worthy contender for every grab bag.

Price: from £300 (inc. VAT)

Buy it now on Seaofsolutions.com

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Read YBW’s guide to the best PLBs on the market.

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