With the recent quick rescue of three mountain hikers and a dog being hailed as a result of their having a personal locator beacon (PLB) with them, it is sure that this will become the next must-have item in a hiker's pack. Their PLB (also known as a mountain locator unit) gave the three the edge they needed to survive when they were swept away from their group in near-blizzard conditions. Rescuers found them alive and only slightly injured the next day.

These units, used in the US since 2003, are a part of the US National Personal Locator Beacon Program in which the FCC legalized the sale and use of 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacons in the United States along with the support of the USAF, USCG, NOAA, NASA, and FAA. PLBs are portable distress beacons that are smaller versions of the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB), used on boats, or Emergency Locating Transmitters (ELT), used on aircraft.

These beacons are small, portable units designed to be carried by an individual. Personal Locator Beacons use the same COSPAS-SARSAT satellite notification system as their larger cousins. However, unlike ELTs and some EPIRBs, PLBs can only be activated manually and operate exclusively on 406 MHz. Each PLB has a low-power homing beacon which is built-in and transmits on 121.5 MHz. This allows rescue forces to home in on a beacon once the 406 MHz satellite system has gotten them "in the neighborhood." Some PLBs also allow GPS data to be integrated into the distress signal.

PLBs are marketed to backpackers, horse riders, hikers, kayakers, rafters, hunters, pilots, rafters and any one else who ventures into the outdoors. As a result of circumstances over which you have no control, you may become stranded, lost, hurt, or in need of being rescued. Here are some tips to help insure your PLB will be there for you when you need it most.

Register your beacon. Owners are required by law to register each PLB with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Registration is free, easy and can be done online. NOAA maintains the US database for 406 MHz emergency beacons. Each PLB has a unique identification number. When activated the distress signal is checked against the registration database so emergency personnel is able to determine immediately who owns the beacon.

Carry your beacon with you at all times. This almost goes without saying. Your PLB will do you absolutely no good if it's at home in your sock drawer. Likewise in your car at the bottom of the mountain. Get used to carrying it even when you think you won't need it like when out in mild weather or going for a short drive. You never know when the weather may turn foul or injury may incapacitate you.

Use it responsibly. A PLB is not a casual rescue device. If you have a flat tire on the highway, absolutely DO NOT activate your personal locator beacon unless you are injured, your situation is grave or you have exhausted all other means of self rescue. Deliberate misuse or transmitting a hoax distress is a federal felony punishable by a $250,000 fine, imprisonment for six years and restitution to the rescue agency for all costs incurred from responding to the false distress.

While having a personal locator beacon is not a substitute for careful planning and preparation, it could easily add a extra level of safety to your next outdoor excursion. If you ever find yourself in a dire situation, your life could very well depend on having it. It's been said that "a PLB takes the search out of search and rescue."