You hope for the best on every trip into the wilderness, but you always plan for the worst. The ACR TerraFix 406 GPS I/O Personal Locator Beacon is the ultimate last resort in the backcountry. FCC-Approved, the TerraFix 406 GPS I/O uses an onboard GPS to fix your position, then transmits a distress signal that is detected by the 406 MHz COSPAS-SARSAT system. The signal is encoded with your unique identification number and GPS coordinates, so rescuers know who they're looking for and where the signal is coming from. The TerraFix also emits a 121.5 MHz homing signal that lets Search and Rescue teams get a fix on your precise position. The TerraFix is waterproof and floats for backcountry and nautical use. It is small and light enough to fit into a pocket or keep close at hand in the included holster. The TerraFix 406 can be registered online and requires no subscription fees. *Available for US shipment only.
Bottom Line
You will be found thanks to the ACR TerraFix.
- Material:
- Glass reinforced polycarbonate
- Dimensions:
- 1.74 in x 5.71 in x 3.03 in
- Weight:
- 12 oz
- Color:
- Green
- Deployment:
- Open antennae, press both test buttons simultaneously
- Rescue Zone:
- Global
- GPS Integration:
- Built-in
- Frequency:
- 406 MHz, 121.5 MHz
- Battery Type:
- Lithium
- Country of Origin:
- United States
April 2, 2009
A PLB is not for everyone but I go to the four corners of the world and have even been on local hikes where a cell phone is not enough. It is a little bulkier than I expected but the weight is not an issue. The best case is that I never get to use this device but it is a good feeling to have it when you are somewhere remote. BTW if you are looking around I was told the ACR AquaFix marine version is identical in function to the TerraFix but comes in blue instead of green.
March 11, 2008
In Late January 2008 my ideal overnight backpacking trip turned into a foul weather disorientation. Multiple failed attempts to get off Big Horn Peak of the San Bernardino Mountains left me no choice but to activate my ACR 406 GPS PLB as night was closing in and weather went from bad to worse. During the night helicopters were hovering right above my location but dense fog and clouds disallowed an extraction. Less then 24 hours later I was rescued by multiple Search and Rescue ground forces that were lead to my exact coordinates via the ACR PLB. Thank you ACR for you commitment to reliable technology. - Nate
September 22, 2008
In Late January 2008 my ideal overnight backpacking trip turned into a foul weather disorientation. Multiple failed attempts to get off Big Horn Peak of the San Bernardino Mountains left me no choice but to activate my ACR 406 GPS PLB as night was closing in and weather went from bad to worse. During the night helicopters were hovering right above my location but dense fog and clouds disallowed an extraction. Less then 24 hours later I was rescued by multiple Search and Rescue ground forces that were lead to my exact coordinates via the ACR PLB. Thank you ACR for you commitment to reliable technology.
November 17, 2006
I bit the bullet and purchased this personal locator beacon and carried it for a 6-day hike in remote areas of TN and NC. I am 65 and in long-distance hiking condition and hiked with a less conditioned and experienced person. Many more trips are planned to remote areas. The beacon was easy to initially set up, register, and test. Very easy to use and show your hiking mate the simple steps to take to activate. Also packs well and was light. It is very well made, waterproof, etc. Felt good to have it along this trip in case of emergency, since having to go for help could have been very difficult due to area we were in. Hope I never need it but feels great to have the security. Waited to last minute to order and you
got it to me quickly.
December 8, 2006
The ACR PLB is the REAL DEAL! If you think that you are going to call in a rescue using your cell phone - think again! Unless you have a satellite phone. This PLB works everywhere on planet earth! Think about it. If you were in the middle of the backcountry & need critical medical attention the $675 is totally worth it! This is an exceptional gift for an adventurer athlete, or anyone who is getting deep into the backcountry. Can you place a dollar cost on someone's life? The ACR PLB is real "life insurance".
October 3, 2006
Cedar City, UT July 19, 2006 A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) has again played a significant role in the location and rescue of an outdoors enthusiast: this time a novice woman climber near the Brian Head ski-resort in Southern Utah.
The rescued party was a 47-year-old New Jersey woman, who fell and sustained serious head injuries while hiking and climbing with her family on June 3rd.
Her brother, an experienced climber and a local physician from St. George, Utah, was carrying a TerraFix(tm)406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon, which, when activated, put into motion a Search and Rescue (SAR) operation that eventually led to her being evacuated by helicopter.
Michelle Kline and her husband, Steve Bartolett, 49, were tethered together while alpine climbing about two miles from Brian Head. Bartolett lost his
footing, fell and slid down a steep slope. Kline could not hold the weight of her dangling husband and she was pulled over a cliff edge 50 feet onto rocks below and out on a steep snow slope. Bartolett was bruised and sore but otherwise all right after the rope between them broke.
Fortunately, the couple was accompanied by Kline's brother, Dr. Michael Kline, a highly-experienced outdoorsman, and his eight-year-old son, Austin.
Dr. Kline, an internist specializing in pulmonary disease, rapidly climbed down to stabilize his sister, who had struck her head. Upon reaching her, he determined that her situation was grave and imminent, and that assistance was needed. He directed his brother-in-law to activate the TerraFix(tm)emergency locator beacon while he hiked out to summon help.
While the satellite call for help was acquired and processed by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Dr. Kline located two forest rangers, who called 911 on their cell phone. The police, who received notification and GPS coordinates courtesy of the Satellite Aided Tracking
(SARSAT) System Rescues-One monitored by NOAA, dispatched the Iron County Search and Rescue (SAR) team to respond.
Charlie Morris, SAR Commander for Iron County, said because of the very steep (elevation 11,307 feet) and difficult location where Kline was lying, it took roughly two-and-one-half hours for the SAR/EMS crews to physically reach her, then another three hours for a helicopter to be located and properly outfitted to airlift her to a local hospital. (Due to the severity of her injuries, she was transferred to a trauma hospital in Las Vegas.) She suffered multiple skull fractures and a broken vertebra in her neck.
Dr. Kline purchased the TerraFix(tm) two years ago because he often hikes or climbs alone. Even though he never thought he would have to use the emergency locator beacon, he always packed it in his backpack where ³it
lives² alongside his first aid kit. He's pleased that he had the beacon on this trip. "It worked out great. Search and rescue said it made a big difference in their response coordination. They said it got them going earlier even before we placed the 911 call."
As for his sister, Dr. Kline had her out walking on a local trail a weeklater.PLB rescues on land have only become available since a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) waiver ruling went into effect July 2003approving the sale and use of PLBs for land use in the United States. Having critical knowledge of the climbers' location minimized the expense of operating the helicopter and the efforts of the SAR crews. The beacons mustbe registered with NOAA and they must be used responsibly. ACR Electronics, Inc., a Cobham plc Company, designs and manufactures a complete line of safety and survival products including EPIRBs,
P-ELTs/P-EPIRBs/PLBs, Bridge-based Information Systems, SARTs and safety
accessories. The quality systems of this facility have been registered by UL
to the ISO 9001:2000 Series Standards. Recognized as the world leader in safety and survival technologies, ACR has provided safety equipment to the aviation and marine industries as well as to the military since 1956.
June 4, 2009
Is there any difference between the TerraFix and the AquaFix? Just the color? thanks
January 26, 2009
Apparently this unit uses special Lithium batteries which can only be replaced at a special ACR authorized service station (this according to the online manual). Do you know the cost and other details involved in that. It's needed every five years? Thanks
December 23, 2008
Let's say I buy and register this thing in the USA, will it do me any good if I have to activate it in southeast Asia for example?
>> The TerraFix 406 I/O has both an on-board GPS receiver (which incorporates your LAT/LON into the 406 Mhz signal) AND an optical interface to connect to an external GPS. The TerraFix 406 I offers only the ability to interface with an external GPS. For the extra hundred bucks, it's better to get everything in one package.
September 27, 2008
do the ACR Terra Fix 406 work well under a full tree canopy, my gps is hit or miss?
July 23, 2008
My husband is an avid extreme snowboarder and I want to purchase a PLB for his birthday. I am confused as to which one to buy. I have read the Q&A, when he is boarding is
it always on? If in an avalanche or emergency condition how
is it automatically activated, in an emergency with tons of snow you can be knocked unconcious. Please help me!
Thanking you in advance.
Paula
Two kinds of "Beacons" are available for getting found.An "Avalanche Beacon" is probably what you want for your husband (Mammut Barryvox is my favorite, anything BC sells is pretty darn good though.) Avy beacons constantly transmit a "blipblipblip" until you tell them to start searching for someone else's blip. They rely on not just your husband having one, but the people with him having beacons and (important) knowing how to use them. A Beacon all by yourself is basically a corpse recovery tool, because once buried you're short on air (10-15 minutes on a good day.) The Beacon transmits all the time so that if he gets buried it's going.A PLB is used for calling in the cavalry from anywhere on the planet. Inbounds in a ski resort it'd be silly and expensive, but if you were out in the depths of the Yukon and got into a serious enough accident you had no way out alive, you'd activate the PLB which would turn you into a big red dot on a big search and rescue map somewhere.
April 7, 2008
How does this compare to SPOT? The ACR is quite a bit more costly but does not appear to require a service. I believe SPOT uses a different sat. system.?????
The Spot allows you too communicate with the peeps at home too. A 911 call option is one of 4 communication functions. http://www.gpscentral.ca/products/spot.html The SPOT sends your information to a commercial company who notifies the appropriate rescue agencies based on your location. For example if your position were on the water they would call the Coast Guard. The ACR (406 EPIRB/PLB's) are monitored by the Coast Guard and Air Force Rescue Coordination Centers 24/7 so the alert is sent straight to the rescue agencies which could mean faster response times.
March 8, 2008
I am interested in ACR's TerraFix 406, Product no. 2798.4NH...the one that has GPS Interface & Onboard GPS, and the non-hazardous batteries. Is this the same one? Your item numbers differ from ACR's so I can't tell. MANY thanks! Karon in Kyle, Texas