Personal Locator Beacon (ACR) Battery Replacement Service Recommendation

[aigel]

Hi All,

Here is something a bit obscure but I bet the brain trust can help, as we have outdoor enthusiasts, boaters and pilots on the boad.

In 2013 I bought an ACR ResQ Link PLB-375 personal locator beacon. It needs the battery replaced and ACR does NOT do this themselves. There are service centers but they appear only loosely connected to ACR and it is a bit unclear what "certifies" them and there are a ton of them with prices ranging widely.

Where do you send your beacons for battery service?

This possibly being my life line one day, I do not want to DIY but of course need a reputable place doing it for the same reason. I do not care about price as much as reliable service.

Thank you!

George

[GH85Carrera]

Is it for your airplane? I think they have to have certification every so often. Talk to the aircraft mechanic. We had one in out 182 that we had to replace, but it was not a big deal.

[aigel]

Sorry, I did not want to add a lot of blurb to keep it concise for my question.

This is a personal locator beacon, a hand held unit the size of a flip phone. Usually used on land. In my case for solo wilderness hunting, deep woods mountain biking, upland hunting in snake country. It is a last ditch lifeline, only to be used if you are in grave danger and / or can't get yourself out. Generally people use it if they have accidents, medical emergencies etc.

This unit has 3 batteries in the pack for a total of 9+ volts and it is the majority of the bulk and weight.

https://www.acrartex.com/

Thanks!

G

[Porsche-O-Phile]

To GH85’s point you may want to talk to an FBO at your local airport since aircraft ELTs are similar and I’d be willing to bet a few of the pilots that hang around there might have those units as spares / backups.

[Googam]

George:

I have the ACR ResQLink marine Epirb. If I needed to replace the battery, I'd just go here. It looks pretty straight forward.

https://beaconbatteryreplacement.com/

[LakeCleElum]

Just an idea. Change to a Garmin Inreach....For a small monthly fee, I can send texts. Wife and friends can link to their phone and see where I am in real time.....Re-chargable and can go a few days on a charge....

[greglepore]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Just an idea. Change to a Garmin Inreach....For a small monthly fee, I can send texts. Wife and friends can link to their phone and see where I am in real time.....Re-chargable and can go a few days on a charge....

And buy a used delorme unit on ebay which is the same thing Garmin is selling but 50% of the price.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by Googam

George:

I have the ACR ResQLink marine Epirb. If I needed to replace the battery, I'd just go here. It looks pretty straight forward.

https://beaconbatteryreplacement.com/

Great, have you used them before. This being my life line, definitely not looking to save money ...

Thanks,

George

[aigel]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Just an idea. Change to a Garmin Inreach....For a small monthly fee, I can send texts. Wife and friends can link to their phone and see where I am in real time.....Re-chargable and can go a few days on a charge....

The unit I chose has a higher likelihood to get your emergency message out with a single button push and the COSPAS-SARSAT system with a ton of satellites, worldwide too. I am not an expert on the current messaging systems, but everything I see is cute, but really not looking at staying in touch or being tracked. The cell phone fills that function in many places already. Also not interested in a monthly fee. The PLB registration is free.

G